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Development Of A Novel Measure To Assess For Alcohol Misuse In Older Adults: The Alcohol Misuse Scale For Older Adults (Amsoa), Nathan Jensen
Development Of A Novel Measure To Assess For Alcohol Misuse In Older Adults: The Alcohol Misuse Scale For Older Adults (Amsoa), Nathan Jensen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol is the most regularly used intoxicating substance in most geographic locations. Alcohol use in the United States specifically is well over global averages. While alcohol misuse is generally considered to be understood as a problem for younger adults, it is often unrecognized and understudied older adult populations. Currently, there is an absence of a comprehensive tool measuring for developmentally salient behaviors, symptoms, and features of alcohol misuse in older adulthood, which blocks researchers’ ability to measure alcohol misuse well. The purpose of this study is to develop a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment of alcohol misuse for older adult …
If It Walks Like A Duck…Is It A Duck?: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Differences Between Machiavellian And Non-Machiavellian Substance Users, Daniel Pillersdorf
If It Walks Like A Duck…Is It A Duck?: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Differences Between Machiavellian And Non-Machiavellian Substance Users, Daniel Pillersdorf
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Machiavellianism is a set of personality traits characterized by a cold and callous nature, a belief in engaging in manipulative tactics for personal gain, a cynical and distrusting view of others, and pragmatically moral stance. Behaviors and views of individuals with elevated Machiavellian traits can be seen to have a marked similarity with several behaviours and views of individuals with substance use issues, making it difficult to differentiate between them. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study sought to determine what distinguishes individuals who are high in Machiavellianism from those who are low in Machiavellianism but appear high in this set …
Self-Regulation, Emotion Regulation, & Social Problem-Solving: Common & Distinct Pathways To Depression, Michelle L. Buffie
Self-Regulation, Emotion Regulation, & Social Problem-Solving: Common & Distinct Pathways To Depression, Michelle L. Buffie
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The present study examined the relationships among three psychological constructs: self-regulation (SR), emotion regulation (ER), and social problem-solving (SPS), and their connection to depressive symptomology. SR, ER, and SPS arose from independent, well-established literature bases and each has demonstrated links to psychopathology. The theories underlying these constructs, however, suggest overlap in their operationalization and measurement. Despite these concerns, no empirical investigations to date have examined the measurement and predictive validity of measures of SR, ER, and SPS in the context of one another. Undergraduate students aged 18-29 (N = 592) completed three self-report measures each of the constructs interest, …
Inhibitory Control And Mentalizing: Potential Contributing Factors To Maladaptive Interpersonal Behaviors Associated With Depressive Symptoms, Eliot Fearey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The current project considered the role of inhibitory control and mentalizing as vulnerability factors for engagement in excessive reassurance seeking, negative feedback seeking, and conversational self-focus among a sample of 222 older adolescents. It was hypothesized that lower levels of both inhibitory control and mentalizing would exacerbate the effect of elevated depressive symptoms on higher levels of the three interpersonal behaviors. Additional analyses further explored the role of self-reported gender identity. Models tested inhibitory control and mentalizing separately. In assessing inhibitory control, a self-report measure of impulsivity was used as a proxy for inhibitory control, and the Go/No-Go task was …
Coping During Covid: Child Technology Use And Coping During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anissa Barnes
Coping During Covid: Child Technology Use And Coping During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anissa Barnes
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Many children spend a significant amount of time using technology throughout the day. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many activities that had initially been conducted in-person had to transition to an online modality. Some technology use could be seen as beneficial, whereas others could be seen as harmful. The present study used baseline data from a longitudinal study examining the effects of COVID-19 on child mental health to explore how technology had been used during the pandemic, as well as the perceived benefits and problems associated with its use. In total, 190 families (190 caregivers and …
The Effect Of State/Trait Rumination On A Prospective Memory Task Delivered Remotely Using A Real-Time And Repeated Approach, Iulia Niculescu
The Effect Of State/Trait Rumination On A Prospective Memory Task Delivered Remotely Using A Real-Time And Repeated Approach, Iulia Niculescu
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Background. Prospective memory (PM) refers to the intention to perform a future task held in memory that is executed without any explicit prompts. PM may be negatively impacted by depression, but the mechanisms that drive this association remain unclear. One idea is that rumination increases the frequency of task-irrelevant thoughts, depleting attentional capacity, and thereby reducing PM accuracy and increasing response times. To date, no studies have examined the effects of state and trait rumination on PM using online testing to collect real-time data over time. Objectives. To examine the effect of (1) state and (2) trait rumination on a …
Social Media Use And Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katelyn Hughes
Social Media Use And Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katelyn Hughes
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Social media has played a prominent role in society as a safe way of communicating and connecting with friends, family, and others during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. This study examined the general use of social media over the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and correlations with levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress in comparison to how people felt about their social media use before the pandemic. This study collected self-reported introspection on social media use during the pandemic and before the pandemic from Georgia Southern University students to compare if there are less feelings of …
Development Of A New Measure To Assess For Poverty-Based Stress: The Poverty-Based Stressor Scale (Pbss), Brianna N. Allen
Development Of A New Measure To Assess For Poverty-Based Stress: The Poverty-Based Stressor Scale (Pbss), Brianna N. Allen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Poverty, typically measured by economic well-being or depravation, is the result of systemic flaws built into the structure of society that adversely impact multiple dimensions of health and well-being. The specific stressors that disproportionately impact low-income individuals are called poverty-based stressors, and they encompass multiple categories of risk including physical, psychosocial, and financial risks. Currently, there is not an adequate measure of poverty-based stressors for low-income adults in the United States (U.S.), which restricts our ability to accurately determine the effects of poverty on important health-related outcomes. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of …
Rejection Sensitivity, Relationship Quality, And Adjustment In Late-Adolescent Romantic Relationships And Friendships, Laura A. Foster
Rejection Sensitivity, Relationship Quality, And Adjustment In Late-Adolescent Romantic Relationships And Friendships, Laura A. Foster
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rejection sensitive (RS) individuals are at greater risk for emotional maladjustment across the lifespan, with consistent links identified with depression and social anxiety. Yet little is known about interpersonal factors that may affect this association for late adolescents, especially with their romantic partners and close friends. The present study examined relationship qualities of support and negative interactions with romantic partners and friends as moderators of the link between RS and internalizing symptoms. Given the differences between male and female social relationships and experiences, these associations were expected to be further moderated by gender, with RS females in poorer quality relationships …
Teachers’ Stress, Anxiety, And Depression: What Are Special Education Teachers Experiencing?, James H. Potter
Teachers’ Stress, Anxiety, And Depression: What Are Special Education Teachers Experiencing?, James H. Potter
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Research has shown that people in the teaching profession have high levels of stress and often report increased levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Students’ academic progress may have adverse effects when their teachers have high-stress levels or report mental distress. Those who teach special education often face high levels of stress. However, there is little research considering special education teachers’ job-related health. This study collected data on 598 general and special education teachers in the United States. This study compared the endorsements of both stress and psychopathology between special education and general education teachers. This research found that …
Affective, Physiological, And Cognitive Response To Imagery- And Verbally-Based Rumination And Distraction In Adolescence, Hannah Lawrence
Affective, Physiological, And Cognitive Response To Imagery- And Verbally-Based Rumination And Distraction In Adolescence, Hannah Lawrence
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
To date, rumination and interventions for rumination have largely been verbal in focus. Rumination has been conceptualized as dwelling on negative affect in the form of verbal thought, and interventions aim to interrupt cycles of rumination using verbal strategies. Yet, emerging evidence suggests that many individuals dwell on negative affect in the form of imagery (e.g., Lawrence, Haigh, Siegle, & Schwartz-Mette, 2018) and that imagery-based interventions may be even more effective (e.g., Arntz, 2012). This is not surprising as imagery is more affectively arousing (Holmes & Mathews, 2010), physiologically stimulating (Vrana, Cuthbert, & Lang, 1986), and realistic/vivid (Mathews, Ridgeway, & …
The Intersection Of Mindfulness And Gratitude: Examining The Roles Of Gratitude And Mindfulness Practices Within A 4-Week Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Depressive Symptoms In Undergraduates., Allison Rodgers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The practice and research of mindfulness has increased exponentially in recent decades; however, the study of gratitude maintains modest growth. While the overlap between gratitude and mindfulness may be intuitive, empirical investigation is lacking. The present study sought to investigate the relative and combined influence of mindfulness and gratitude with symptoms of depression in undergraduates. The current study explored these constructs in the context of a mindfulness-based intervention known as Koru. One hundred undergraduate participants provided self-report measures of demographics, mindfulness, gratitude, and symptoms of depression prior to the intervention and again immediately following. Participants were required to complete electronic …
An Investigation Of Anxiety- And Depression-Like Behavior After Head Trauma In Mice, Sean K. Payne
An Investigation Of Anxiety- And Depression-Like Behavior After Head Trauma In Mice, Sean K. Payne
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Every year around 2 million people in the United States (US) suffer a traumatic brain injury. Those people are often at a higher risk of post-TBI psychiatric illness, like anxiety and depression. Animal models of TBI are a useful way to measure such psychiatric illnesses in a pre-clinical setting. There were two purposes of this study: the first being to test the modified Marmarou TBI model, and second to investigate anxiety- and depression-like symptoms in C57Bl6/J mice following a TBI. The modified Marmarou model used different weights (95g, 30g, & sham) to see how severity affected the manifestation of anxiety-like …
Depressive Symptoms And Survival Among Lung Cancer Patients: Biomarkers And Potential Benefits Of An Ipod- And Mindfulness-Based Intervention., Chelsea J. Siwik
Depressive Symptoms And Survival Among Lung Cancer Patients: Biomarkers And Potential Benefits Of An Ipod- And Mindfulness-Based Intervention., Chelsea J. Siwik
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Lung cancer patients experience high levels of distress, which commonly manifests as depressive symptoms. Importantly, depressive symptoms have demonstrated prognostic significance in cancer contexts, although the biological pathways by which depressive symptoms lead to poorer survival remain unclear and warrant greater attention. In addition to understanding the biological pathways by which depressive symptoms accelerate disease, identification of efficacious and effective psychological treatments for depressive symptoms are needed to improve both quality and quantity of life for cancer patients. Interventions that reduce depressive symptoms and improve downstream clinical outcomes are certainty needed; however, because many cancer patients face considerable burden, interventions …
How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson
How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Students with emotional disabilities are disproportionately suspended and expelled in K-12 schools. Attribution theory suggests individuals are less likely to provide assistance to others if they believe the individuals are responsible for their own difficulties. To test attribution theory, this study created new measures of explicit attitudes and implicit associations of licensed 6-12th grade staff regarding students with depression as well as a helping behavior measure of staff toward students with depression. The survey was distributed within a single school district in the western United States. A majority of the sample (N = 52) held a mental health license (60%), …
We All Need Somebody To Lean On: Social Support As A Protective Factor For Individuals With Childhood Adversity, Rachel Clingensmith
We All Need Somebody To Lean On: Social Support As A Protective Factor For Individuals With Childhood Adversity, Rachel Clingensmith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Extensive research has shown that childhood adversity impacts development across the lifespan and has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes. Depression symptoms are one such outcome that has been associated with ACE exposure. The literature also indicates emotion regulation may be a mediator between ACEs and depression outcomes. The primary aim of this study (N = 766) is to investigate pathways leading from ACEs to depression and potential protective factors. It was hypothesized that difficulties in emotion regulation would mediate the link between ACEs and later depressive symptoms, social support would moderate the pathway between difficulties in emotion regulation …
Disordered Eating, Depression, And Cognitive Vulnerabilities In College Women., Kelsea Visalli
Disordered Eating, Depression, And Cognitive Vulnerabilities In College Women., Kelsea Visalli
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study tests a path model of disordered eating and symptoms of depression derived from the Hopelessness Theory of Depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989). The model proposes that cognitive vulnerabilities to depression will be associated with disordered eating behaviors and symptoms of depression in college women. A sample of undergraduate women (n = 181) completed self-report measures assessing disordered eating symptoms and symptoms of depression. Findings revealed that one, but not all, cognitive vulnerability was associated with disordered eating behavior, and that disordered eating behaviors and symptoms of depression are bi-directionally associated. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
The Conceptualization Of The Positive Cognitive Triad And Associations With Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents., Caroline M. Pittard
The Conceptualization Of The Positive Cognitive Triad And Associations With Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents., Caroline M. Pittard
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Depressive symptoms during adolescence have been found to be associated with negative outcomes such as decreased academic performance, absenteeism, substance abuse, and poor physical health. The positive cognitive triad has been considered to be a protective factor against adolescent depressive symptoms. The positive cognitive triad is made up of three subfactors of cognitions, specifically, positive cognitions about the self, the world, and the future. This dissertation examined the various conceptualizations of the positive cognitive triad and their relation to depressive symptoms. These conceptualizations included considering the positive cognitive triad as a single overall protective factor (additive model), as multiple possible …
Religious Attendance, Surrender To God, And Suicide Risk: Mediating Pathways Of Feeling Forgiven By God And Psychopathology, Kelley Pugh
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Suicide is a national public health concern, and college students may be at increased risk. Symptoms of psychopathology (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression) may contribute to risk, whereas religiosity (i.e., religious attendance, surrendering to God, and feeling forgiven by God) may reduce risk. Students from a rural southeastern university (N=249) completed self-report measures. Serial mediation analyses indicate that attendance and surrender to God are inversely- predictive of suicide risk, both directly and through the indirect pathways of feeling forgiven by God (1st order mediator) and psychopathology (2nd order mediators). In all models, specific indirect effects occurred through feeling forgiven by …
The Relationship Between Campus Wellness Center Usage And Symptoms Of Depression In College Freshmen, Allison Leonard
The Relationship Between Campus Wellness Center Usage And Symptoms Of Depression In College Freshmen, Allison Leonard
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
There is limited research done on the relationship between the program utilization at a campus wellness facility and the symptoms of depression in college freshmen. College students have been found to have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms than the general population, possibly due to the stressors college life can add. Studies have been done on the effects of physical activity as an intervention for depression as well as on the benefits of campus wellness facilities; however, there have been few studies that look at both campus recreation and depression. The author’s purpose for this study was to see if …
Social Support Satisfaction As A Protective Factor For Postpartum Maternal Distress, Amy-Lynn Elisabeth Anderson
Social Support Satisfaction As A Protective Factor For Postpartum Maternal Distress, Amy-Lynn Elisabeth Anderson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Social support has been identified as a protective factor for postpartum maternal distress, a prevalent women's health issue, and most research focuses on the amount of support women receive. However, research in this area has failed to explore whether increasing satisfaction with social support may be a worthwhile approach to alleviating postpartum maternal distress, beyond increasing amounts. There is also little known regarding specific aspects of support, like satisfaction with emotional and instrumental support, that might lead to differences in postpartum distress outcomes. In this prospective, longitudinal study, we hypothesized that greater social support satisfaction will be associated with less …
Gender Differences In Co-Rumination Processes In The Friendships Of Late Adolescents: Relations To Depression Vulnerability, Helen J. Day
Gender Differences In Co-Rumination Processes In The Friendships Of Late Adolescents: Relations To Depression Vulnerability, Helen J. Day
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The primary aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in problem content and dyadic problem talk duration as potential contributors to previously documented depressogenic effects of co-rumination in late adolescence. Participants (N = 176 undergraduate students) included pairs of same-gender female (n = 37), same-gender male (n = 15), and cross-gender (n = 36) friends who completed self-report measures assessing individual depressive symptom severity, as well as within-dyad co-rumination habits and friendship quality. Dyads also participated in an observational problem talk task, which asked each dyad member to identify a current personal problem and discuss it with …
The Role Of Perceived Control And Cardiac Function Among Individuals With Binge Eating Symptomatology, Rachel E. Goetze
The Role Of Perceived Control And Cardiac Function Among Individuals With Binge Eating Symptomatology, Rachel E. Goetze
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The central aim of this study was to investigate the predictive role of perceived control in binge eating severity, mood reactivity, and possible concomitants with reduced cardiovascular function as measured by high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV/RSA). Participants (N = 75) included normal to overweight men and women who completed self-report measures assessing perceived control, binge eating severity, perceived stress, negative affect, and depressive symptom severity prior to a structured clinical interview and second experimental laboratory session. During this second experimental lab session, noninvasive electrical sensors were placed for physiological recordings to measure fluctuations in HF-HRV/RSA in participants randomized to …
The Role Of Hardiness In The Relation Between Perceived Daily Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms In Community College Students., Rosamond J. Smith
The Role Of Hardiness In The Relation Between Perceived Daily Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms In Community College Students., Rosamond J. Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In the current study, perceived daily discrimination (PDD) is conceptualized as a chronic stressor which repeatedly activates a stress response and results in depressive symptoms, per the theory of allostatic load. Psychological hardiness is explored as a potential moderator of the relation between PDD and depressive symptoms, because individuals who repeatedly demonstrate hardiness may be primed for making cognitive reappraisals of potential stressors and/or for mobilizing appropriate coping strategies, thus limiting the body’s repeated stress responses and subsequent depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional survey of a diverse sample of 305 community college students included measures of hardiness (Dispositional Resilience Scale, …
Examining The Temporal Directionality Between Teaching Behavior And Affect In High School Students., Bridget Cauley
Examining The Temporal Directionality Between Teaching Behavior And Affect In High School Students., Bridget Cauley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Previous empirical studies demonstrate a cross-sectional association between teaching behaviors and students’ positive and negative affect and depressive symptoms. However, only one study comprised only of middle school students has examined the temporal direction of these associations, meaning the temporal direction of associations for high school students remains unclear. Therefore, this two-wave study with high school students investigated the temporal direction of the associations between teaching behaviors and students’ positive and negative affect. Participating students from one public high school (N = 188; 88.8% White; 69.7% female) completed the Teaching Behavior Questionnaire and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect …
Screening Older Adults For Depression : The Relationship Among Clinical Discipline Training, Barriers, Attitudes, Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control., Ronald W. Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is examine the influence of barriers on clinicians’ decisions to screen for depression in older adults or to refer to other health professionals. A second purpose is to explore how well the Theory of Planned Behavior is supported as a framework for understanding the likelihood of screening for depression and how the variables within the theory interact with barriers to affect clinician behavior. A final purpose is to explore characteristics of depression screening or referral of older adults by several clinical disciplines. Design and Methods: This study featured a …
A Structural Equation Analysis Of The Relationships Between Ptsd, Depressive Symptoms And Suicidal Ideation : Is General Strain Theory A Viable Framework For Explaining Suicide Risk Among Correctional Staff?, Wm. Clay Johnson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
There is a large body of evidence, which suggests PTSD is strongly related to increased suicide risk, however, some studies suggest the true nature of their relationship is better explained through the development of depression due to the effects of PTSD. While a majority of the studies examining this relationship focus only on general populations, a growing body research suggests that high-risk occupations such as police, firefighters and correctional staff are developing PTSD at rates as high as 8 to 10 times that of the rate of these general samples. This study, then, aims to fill a small gap in …
An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson
An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have grown increasingly popular over recent years. The prevalence of organizations utilizing and investing in EAP services for their employees has grown; however, companies that purchase EAPs are not well-informed as to which session-models are most effective for various diagnoses. The current study is the first to explore treatment outcomes of session-limited models (measured by Therapist Perception of Change, TPC) for diagnoses (anxiety and depression) in an EAP delivery system. Outcomes were measured by TPC ratings including: a) Regressed, b) remained at Baseline, c) Improved, and d) issue was Resolved. Analyses (Chi-Square and =t-test) were used …
Prospective Associations Of Homocysteine, Executive Function, And Depressive Symptoms, Peter J. Dearborn
Prospective Associations Of Homocysteine, Executive Function, And Depressive Symptoms, Peter J. Dearborn
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Associations of cardiovascular risk factors, cognitive performance, and depressive symptoms have been well established. However, the directionality of these associations as well as the specificity of these associations with respect to executive function are less clear. Additionally few studies have determined whether genetic risk factors, such as apolipoprotein-E4 (APOE-E4) genotype, and age moderate the associations of cardiovascular risk factors such as homocysteine with changes in depressive symptoms and how these associations may be mediated by cognitive performance. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the bidirectional associations of a full range of cognitive domains and symptoms of depression …
Self-Forgiveness In Japanese Adolescents., Tetsuo "Ted" Sato
Self-Forgiveness In Japanese Adolescents., Tetsuo "Ted" Sato
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The literature of forgiveness has been proliferated the last two decades (Davis et al., 2015b), but it has primarily focused on forgiveness of others and the research of self-forgiveness has just increased in recent years (Worthington & Langberg, 2012). Woodyatt and Wenzel (2013a) proposed a process-oriented approach of self-forgiveness while considering three possible responses to the self (i.e., genuine self-forgiveness, pseudo self-forgiveness, and self-punitiveness) after interpersonally offending others. Self-forgiveness among children and adolescents and in Japanese culture was discussed. The association of self-forgiveness to depressive and anxiety symptoms, and culturally and developmentally unique factors (i.e., fear of negative evaluation and …