Digital Commons Network^™

Social Jetlag, Depressive Symptoms, And Longitudinal Outcomes In College Students, Morgan P. Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Social jetlag refers to the chronic shift in sleep timing between work and free days and has been associated with a variety of negative physical and psychological outcomes. Existing research on social jetlag has relied heavily on cross-sectional studies, preventing researchers and practitioners from assessing the effects of social jetlag over time. The current study used longitudinal data to explore the directionality of the association between social jetlag and depressive symptoms as well as the longitudinal associations between social jetlag, academic performance, and wellbeing in college students. Gender and race were also assessed as potential moderators of these associations. Cross-lagged …

The Role Of Strength: Navigating Perinatal Loss Among Black Women, Ashley N. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., Black mothers experience fetal and infant mortality at alarming rates when compared to White and Latina mothers (Gregory, Drake, & Martin, 2018). The intent of this study was to examine perinatal loss among Black American women and to expand understanding of how the Strong Black Woman (SBW) ideology influences bereavement. Data were gathered from (N=109) Black American bereaved mothers. It was predicted that endorsement of differing aspects of the SBW would moderate the relationship between perinatal grief and psychosocial outcomes (i.e., depression and post-traumatic growth). Regression analyses, alongside a bootstrapping procedure via PROCESS (Hayes, 2017), …

An Expansion Of A Model Of Depression In Multiple Sclerosis : Emotion Regulation And Coping As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Functional Disability And Adjustment To Disease, Elizabeth W. Raffanello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediate disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), producing a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Psychological disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, are common in MS, but only partially accounted for by MS symptoms. The associations between common MS sequelae (e.g., fatigue, pain, disability) and mental health indicators are weak and inconsistent, suggesting the presence of moderators. This research study examined two possible moderators of the association between MS sequelae and adjustment to disease: emotion regulation and coping. Emotion regulation refers to the processes used to modulate emotional experiences. It is closely related to coping, …

The Effects Of Oral Contraceptives On Mood And Affect: A Meta-Analysis, Erica M. Motter

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills are widely used by women of reproductive age, but there is still little conclusive evidence that exists about the mood-related side effects associated with their use. This meta-analysis examined the relationship between oral contraceptive use and mood effects such as depression and anxiety to determine what role, if any, that COCs may have in the worsening or improvement of women’s mood when taking them. Effect sizes compared the differences in women’s mood scores before taking COCs and after one or more cycles of use. Seventeen studies made up of 25 individual samples contributed 71 effect …

Bully-Victimization, Depression, And School Connectedness In Early Adolescent Students, Irene Gonzalez-Herrer

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

During early adolescence, schools play a significant role in the development of students. An issue that continues to be a serious concern for students, parents, teachers, and school officials in the U.S. and around the world is bullying. The primary purpose of this study was to examine school connectedness as a mediator between bully-victimization and depressive symptomatology in early adolescence. The secondary purpose of the study was to explore how gender and bullying classification groups (i.e., bully, victim, bully-victim, and non-involved) may relate to levels of reported school connectedness. The current study found low school connectedness partially mediated the relationship …

Behavioral And Socio-Ecological Determinants Of Depression At Different Stages Of The Life Course, Xiao Cong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background:

Classification Of Major Depression In College Students : A Grade Of Membership Analysis, Ishani Ravindra Deo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The disease burden of major depressive disorder is at its greatest among college-aged individuals, and frequently leads to long-term negative outcomes. However, within and across racial/ethnic groups, there are significant differences in how the disorder manifests and the resulting impact. Conceptualizing depression in a way that accurately reflects this variation is therefore a crucial task. In the current study, grade of membership (GoM) analyses were used to derive “fuzzy set” depression profiles in a college sample for each of the five major racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The primary sample consisted of 22,778 European, African, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and …

Ayahuasca's Antidepressant Effects Covary With Behavioral Activation As Well As Mindfulness, Maha N. Mian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen that serves as a spiritual medicine in South America, has improved depression in at least one placebo-controlled clinical trial. Case studies suggest that dramatic behavioral changes often follow the Ayahuasca ceremony, but most explanations of antidepressant effects focus on observed changes in mindfulness. The present study investigated if both mindfulness and behavioral activation might also contribute to these anti-depressant effects. We surveyed individuals (N = 152) about their changes in depressive symptoms, Behavioral Activation, and mindfulness after an Ayahuasca experience. Mindfulness was strongly associated with reduced depression severity (r = -.670, p < .001), while behavioral activation was moderately linked (r = -.474, p < .001). Changes in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Sciences Depression Short Form [CES-D-10]) covaried with subscales from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ] and Experiences Questionnaire [EQ], confirming previous findings (beta = -.57, [95% CI (- 5.70) - (- 3.25)], p < .001). In addition, a modification of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form [BADS-SF] accounted for significant unique variance in the improvements in depression (beta = -.16, [95% CI (-6.32) - (-0.08)], p < .05). These results suggest that changes in behavioral activation likely serve as an important mechanism underlying Ayahuasca’s antidepressant effects. Future clinical trials could benefit from tracking behavioral activation. In addition, a concerted focus on increasing valued, positive activities might enhance Ayahuasca’s anti-depressant effects.

Depression, Sensation-Seeking Behavior And Violence As Mediators Of The Association Between Childhood Adversity And Substance Use Disorder, Calvin Wong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background:

Evaluating The Frequencies Of Self-Reported Mental Health Conditions In Affluent Youth, Philip Bondurant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American youth are facing a mental health crisis. Rates of depression and suicide continue to rise among all children ages 12-17. While there is considerable research on the mental health of underserved children, much less is known about the mental health status of youth from affluent communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of community health assessment (CHA)-driven mental health interventions on the youth of affluent communities. Using a pre and post evaluation model, this study compared the frequencies of self-reported depression and suicide ideation for students in Grades 8, 10, and 12, and geographic location …

Help-Seeking Experiences Of African American Men With Depression, Tiffany Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicated that depression is now the leading cause of disability globally. Depression and help-seeking experiences among African American men have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the help-seeking experiences of African American men with depression. The theoretical framework was Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Inclusion criteria were (a) African American men, (b) aged 18 through 65, (c) having a medical diagnosis of depression or symptoms of depression, (d) not currently in treatment, and English speaking. Six African American men with depression or depressive symptoms …

Examining The Relationship Between Self-Compassion And Emotion Regulation Strategies Using Ambulatory Assessment Methods, Lindsay Mae Miller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Self-compassion focuses on how individuals treat themselves during periods of suffering. Overall, self-compassion is positively associated with adaptive mental health outcomes and negatively associated with psychopathology. One potential mechanism by which self-compassion may influence other constructs is emotion regulation. Unfortunately, most research about emotion regulation is conducted using retrospective reporting, meaning that the data are subject to memory biases. Ambulatory assessment methods allow for more frequent sampling, thus decreasing the reliance on recall. Using this methodology, the present study examined how differences in self-compassion were related to emotion regulation in daily life. Contrary to predictions, few ambulatory measures (depression, anxiety, …

Examining The Role Of The Unfolded Protein Response In Depression, Matthew Timberlake

All ETDs from UAB

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and impacts nearly 350 million people with a disproportionate representation in women with a 1:1.7 ratio of occurrence compared to men. This disorder is characterized by shifts in mood to include feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and lethargy as well as changes in diet, motivation, and sleep patterns. Further, over 50% of patients who struggle with depression also have suicidal ideation and as many as 10% of those commit suicide. At present, treatment plans include behavioral therapy (often) in conjunction with antidepressant medications which act on monoamines and their circuits in the central …

Evaluation Of Depression Screening By Providers For Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes In Primary Care, Kristy M. Bryant

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Depression in adults with type 2 diabetes can lead to non-adherence to self-management behaviors and treatment recommendations, and ultimately worse health outcomes. Currently, only 50% of adult patients with type 2 diabetes treated in the primary care setting are screened for depression. Without screening for depression, a diagnosis of depression and subsequent treatment is likely to be missed and the patient is more likely to experience worse health outcomes and worse quality of life.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate impact of provider education on improving screening rates for depression in adult patients with type 2 …

Therapeutic Benefits Of Online Psychological Screening For Depressive Symptomology, Natalie Frost

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that participating in in-person psychological testing is related to therapeutic benefits including: reduction in depressive symptomology, self-awareness, self-verification, self-esteem, and hope (Allen, 2001; Poston & Hanson, 2010). This study explored whether these findings applied with a more accessible asynchronous computerized format and examined the effects of computerized testing procedures (i.e., rapport-building video, self-disclosing personal information on questionnaires, receiving a feedback report) on therapeutic benefits (i.e., self-esteem, hope, self-awareness, self-verification, reduction in depressive symptomology). In addition, this study compared participants’ experiences receiving a computerized feedback format and an in-person feedback format. Undergraduate students aged 17 to 45 years …

Evidence-Based Music Therapy Treatment To Elevate Mood During Acute Stroke Care, Jessica L. Rushing

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. with approximately 795,000 Americans experiencing a stroke each year. In addition to common difficulties with communication and physical impairments following stroke, psychosocial impacts warrant assessment and treatment. Experiencing a stroke can lead to depression, mood disorders, and difficulties with emotion regulation. It is well documented that post-stroke depression (PSD) affects a third of stroke survivors. Higher levels of depression and depressive symptoms are associated with a less efficient use of rehabilitation services, poor functional outcomes, greater odds of hospital readmission, negative impacts on social participation, and increased mortality. The …

Eating Disorders, Suicidality, And Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide, Emily Mink

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to look at how eating disorders and the intrapersonal factors underlying ED are related to acquired capability for suicide and thwarted belongingness. More specifically, the present study wants to assess intra-personal factors that could have a correlation to the main components of IPTS. This study wants to assess five factors that could be associated with perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability. This includes perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. I hypothesize that the higher the score of intrapersonal factors the higher the higher they predict acquired capability and thwarted belongingness. Secondly, I …

Factors Associated With Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, And Ptsd In Australian Paramedics, Timothy Rankin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

Paramedics are at higher risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD compared to the general population. Factors that have been associated with mental disorders include occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life. To date only a few of these factors have been investigated simultaneously in Australian paramedics.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life, and their associations with anxiety, depression, burnout and PTSD in Australian paramedics.

Methods

Sixty-three paramedics, working for ambulance services …

The Efficacy Of Curcumin And Oil Palm Phenolics, As Potential Antidepressants, On The Serotonin Pathway In A Neuronal Rat Cell Line, Melanie Hutchings

Wayne State University Theses

Depression can be experienced by individuals of all ages, and can result in alterations of mood, decreased ability to function, and fatigue. Current treatment involves pharmaceuticals, which can result in adverse side effects, and there is a risk of relapse. Nutraceuticals are of interest because they may be able to work as efficiently as current treatments, and will cause fewer adverse effects. Curcumin and oil palm phenolics (OPP) are polyphenolic compounds that exhibit beneficial properties, including anti-oxidant and anti-cancer, and may assist in the regulation of diabetes. For this experiment, we utilized a neuronal rat cell line, RN46A-B14, which exhibits …

Competing Strength-Based Models Of Trauma And Suicidality In A High-Risk Primary Care Sample, Samantha Mladen

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research on the relationship between trauma exposure, depression, and suicidality, particularly in high-risk primary care samples. The present study aims to: 1) characterize the prevalence of suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 2)develop and test models of the relationships between suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 3) augment the selected model with key protective factors, including social support and religiosity; and 4) further elaborate the nature of religiosity as a potential protective factor using the subscales of the Attitudes toward God scale, Anger toward God and Comfort with God.

Patients (n …

Longitudinal Patterns Of Depression Symptoms Among Emerging Adults, Sarah W. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that depression symptoms generally decrease after late adolescence; however, there is increasing attention paid to depression symptoms among college students given the stressors unique to this time period and negative outcomes associated with depression. This study examined latent trajectories of depression symptom severity among college students. Participants were 9,889 college students who participated in the Spit for Science project (Dick et al., 2011). Growth Mixture Modeling was used to identify the presence of four subgroups of individuals with similar patterns of initial level and change in depression severity over four years of college, including Low/Minimal (55.9%), Decreasing …

What Is Wellbeing? An Examination Of The World Health Organisation’S Definition Of Wellbeing In Australian University Students With Depressive Symptoms, Bevan John Nicholas

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

In 2018, depression was ranked as the leading burden of disease worldwide, affecting 4.4% of the world’s population. One of the highest at-risk groups for depression is university students. In Australia, around 84% of university students report elevated levels of depressive symptoms, approximately three times higher than that of age matched peers in the general population. It is hypothesised that a dual focus of symptom prevention and wellbeing promotion may be the most effective way to reduce symptoms of depression. The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing as a state in which an individual can [1] realise their own potential, [2] …

The Effects Of Perinatal Fluoxetine Treatment On Offspring Behaviour And Neurobiology, Samuel J.L Millard

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Antidepressant drugs (ADDs) are one of the most widely prescribed drug classes in the world, administered to over 10% of the population for the treatment of major depressive and anxiety-related disorders. Similarly, approximately 10% of pregnant women are prescribed ADDs for the treatment of depression. Whilst various classes of ADDs exist, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most widely prescribed to pregnant women (in 80% of cases). SSRIs such as Fluoxetine bind to the serotonin transporter (SERT) blocking the reabsorption of serotonin by the presynaptic neuron resulting in increased serotonin levels at the synapse. The antidepressant properties of SSRIs …

Navigating The Closet: A Mixed Methods Approach To Assessing The Impact Of Concealment On Psychological Outcomes For Sexual And Gender Minorities, James Michael M. Brennan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals suffer at disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, among other mental and physical health outcomes, compared to heterosexual individuals. Concealment of non-heterosexual sexual identity and/or non-cisgender gender identity may be a key contributor to these disparities. Many SGM individuals engage in concealment as a means to avoid victimization, or because of negative perceptions of their own identity. Concealment as a construct has been conceptualized as comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, each of which individually has been demonstrated to have negative health impacts. Additionally, concealment occurs over time between the intrapersonal …

A Qualitative Study Of Native American Older Adults And Elderly Depressive Symptoms And Protective Factors, Kristen K. Pyke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Research of depression in Native American older adults and elderly has been limited. The research that has been done has typically fallen into three domains: exploring the frequency of depression (Carleton et al., 2013), identifying or developing culturally competent measurement tools (Ackerson, Dick, Manson, & Beals, 2018), and determining the protective factors that reduce the effects of depressions. More specifically, Kaufman et al. (2013) found that spirituality was beneficial in reducing depression; however, this varied by tribe within their sample. Whitbeck et al. (2002) found that perceived social support among elderly Native Americans was a protective factor for the individuals …

The Association Between Depression, Anxiety And Clinical Outcomes For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Elham Heidari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate the impact of depression and/or anxiety on clinical outcomes of diabetes, including glycosylated hemoglobin (HgA1c), blood glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, weight and LDL among patients with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Method: A retrospective cohort study utilizing electronic medical record (EMR) data from a primary care physician (PCP) group practice was conducted to identify patients newly diagnosed with T2DM with at least 6 months pre-diagnosis and 12 months post-diagnosis of EMR data using International Classification of Disease 9th edition Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) coding. The presence of comorbid depression and anxiety was identified to identify four …

Characterization Of G-Protein Coupled Receptors In Pain, Depression And Anxiety, Neil Lax

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain and major depressive disorder are widespread conditions in the world. Interestingly, these conditions often occur comorbidly, with each individual disease amplifying the symptoms of the other. A significant amount of preclinical research in pain and depression focuses on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), implying that GPCRs may be useful in treating this comorbidity. Our efforts have sought to characterize several poorly understood GPCRs, including the serotonin receptor subtypes 2C and 7 (5-HT2CR and 5-HT7R) and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), along with more well-known GPCRs such as the mu opioid receptor (MOR), and the role that they play in …

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 …

Suicide Watch: How Netflix Landed On A Cultural Landmine, Shabnaj Chowdhury

Capstones

Following the premiere of the television series “13 Reasons Why” in 2017, Netflix stepped squarely on a cultural landmine, stirring controversy over its graphic depiction of teen suicide.

According to media experts, showing a teenager kill themselves on television was completely unprecedented. Mental health experts say the act has significant consequences for “at risk” audience members, or people who were already experiencing suicidal thoughts before watching the show. It is proven that entertainment, and television specifically, can strongly influence audience behaviors and thoughts.

Suicide is one of the only causes of deaths that’s on the rise in the United States, …

Stress-Buffering Of Social Support On Depressive Problems: Moderation By Parental Depressive Problems, Erica Marie Szkody

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of parental depressive problems on children’s depressive symptoms has been widely studied. The Stress Buffering Hypothesis states that social support acts as a protective factor between the impacts of stress from negative life events on physical and psychological health. The current study examined the stress buffering hypothesis in terms of the relationship between parental depressive problems and emerging adult depressive problems. The differential buffering strength of both perceived social support and received social support between stress from negative life events and depressive problems were examined along with the moderating effects of parent and emerging adult gender. Neither perceived …