Digital Commons Network^™

Internalizing Symptoms In Autistic Young Adults: Comparing The Cognitive And Physiological Components Of Emotion Regulation, Sarah Lehman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Autistic people experience co-occurring mental illness at a substantially greater rate compared to their neurotypical counterparts. Of these comorbid psychopathologies, internalizing disorders (anxiety and depression) are among the most prevalent. Emotion dysregulation has been identified as a contributing factor to this phenomenon and potential treatment target. The current study employed cognitive (e.g., use of suppression and use of cognitive reappraisal) and physiological (e.g., respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and heart period) measures to more holistically capture the multifaceted construct of emotion regulation compared to prior research. In a sample of autistic young adults (N = 63) ages 17-29 (M = 20.14), …

Exploring Relationships Between Depression Self-Stigma And Trust In Primary Care Provider On Willingness To Seek Help, Tana Karenke

Dissertations (1934 -)

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and/or loss of interest that effects an individual’s ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Depression can diminish one’s social functioning, interpersonal relationships, personal care, and work productivity. Despite the availability of various treatments for depression, roughly 34% of people suffering from depression symptoms do not seek treatment. Significant barriers for seeking help for depression symptoms include the stigma of mental illness and a lack of trust in healthcare providers; however, there is a paucity of research exploring the relationship between mental illness stigma and the role of trust in …

Cultural Adaptation Profiles Among Mexican-Descent Latinxs: Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Depression., Mark W. Driscoll, Lucas Torres

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: Person-centered analysis was used to examine profiles of acculturation and acculturative stress among Mexican-descent adults in relation to depression. It was hypothesized that identified profiles would support multiple acculturation styles, that acculturation profiles would differentially relate to acculturative stress dimensions, and that those profiles with greater Latinx acculturation and lower acculturative stress would report less severe depression. Method: Mexican-descent Latinx adults (n = 230) completed self-report measures of Latinx and Anglo acculturation, acculturative stress, and depression symptom severity. Latent profile analysis was used to derive acculturation–acculturative stress profiles. Results: Three distinct profiles emerged. One profile was notable for …

Exploring American Parents’ Lived Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Ramifications For Well-Being, Astrida S. Kaugars, Lindsay E. Holly, Mary Tait, Debra L. Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The objective of this study was to document the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and families in the United States.

Methods

Parents’ experiences during the pandemic were examined using an online survey (N = 564) collected during May and June 2020.

Results

Parents reported experiencing a high frequency of COVID-19-related events (e.g., job loss and health concerns) and impact on their lives. Parents’ experiences with COVID-19, as well as self-reported perceived increase in home labor, experiences with assisting children with remote schooling, and work-life conflict were all significantly associated with higher levels of parental role …

Exploring American Parents' Lived Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Ramifications For Well-Being, Astrida S. Kaugars, Lindsay E. Holly, Mary Tait, Debra L. Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The objective of this study was to document the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and families in the United States.

Methods

Parents’ experiences during the pandemic were examined using an online survey (N = 564) collected during May and June 2020.

Results

Parents reported experiencing a high frequency of COVID-19-related events (e.g., job loss and health concerns) and impact on their lives. Parents’ experiences with COVID-19, as well as self-reported perceived increase in home labor, experiences with assisting children with remote schooling, and work-life conflict were all significantly associated with higher levels of parental role …

A Cluster Analytic Approach To Examining The Role Of Cortisol In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress And Dysphoria In Adult Traumatic Injury Survivors, Devi Jayan, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Garrett Sauber, Cecilia J. Hillard, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Identification of specific risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) versus depression after trauma has been challenging, in part due to the high comorbidity of these disorders. As exposure to trauma triggers activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, examining atypical stress responses via HPA-axis hormones, namely cortisol, may help in the delineation of these disorders. Indeed, extant research demonstrates that, following stress, individuals with chronic PTSD exhibit hypocortisolism (e.g., lower cortisol response than controls), while those with chronic depression exhibit hypercortisolism (e.g., higher response than controls). Less is known about the role of cortisol and these seemingly disparate profiles immediately following …

Role Of Cortisol In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress And Dysphoria, Devi Jayan

Dissertations (1934 -)

Exposure to a traumatic event is a significant predictor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Identification of specific risk factors for PTSD and depression after trauma exposure has been challenging due to comorbid and heterogeneous presentations of these conditions. Pre-existing research demonstrates reduced cortisol response (hypocortisolism) in chronic PTSD and an exaggerated cortisol response (hypercortisolism) in depression. The current longitudinal study examined cortisol response following a traumatic injury as a potential biomarker for deciphering specific risk for PTSD, depression, and PTSD depression comorbidity. Saliva samples for cortisol assay (post-injury cortisol) were collected from 172 trauma survivors …

Circulating Endocannabinoids And Prospective Risk For Depression In Trauma-Injury Survivors, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Samantha Chesney, Tara Sander Lee, Karen J. Brasel, Christine L. Larson, Cecilia J. Hillard, Terri A Deroon-Cassini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Biological mechanisms associated with response to trauma may impact risk for depression. One such mechanism is endocannabinoid signaling (eCB), a neuromodulatory system comprised of the CB1 subtype of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), encoded by the CNR1 gene, and two primary endogenous ligands: 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA), hydrolyzed by monoacylglycerol lipase (gene name MGLL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (gene name FAAH). Preclinical data suggest that eCB/CB1R signaling acts as a stress buffer and its loss or suppression increases depression-like behaviors. We examined circulating concentrations of the eCBs (2-AG and AEA) days and six months after a traumatic injury …

The Role Of Community Involvement In Ethnic Discrimination And Depression Symptoms Among Ethnic Minority College Students, Jaclyn Pachicano

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in racial and ethnic minorities attending college (Davis & Fry, 2019). Unfortunately, racial and ethnic minority students are at higher risk for depression symptoms and are less likely to seek out services to address these symptoms (Hope et al., 2018). A possible contributing factor to elevated depression symptoms in this population is exposure to racial and ethnic discrimination, which has repeatedly been linked to increased depression symptoms (Araújo & Borrell, 2006; Chou et al., 2012). Previous literature suggests that community involvement may serve as a buffer or a pathway for …

Generating Alternative Solutions When Depression Is The Problem, Benjamin Todd Johnson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Generating alternative solutions for problem situations is a key component of effective problem solving. This process is used to generate a variety of potential options for managing a problem, from which the most effective approach or combination of approaches can be selected for implementation. Impaired alternatives generation provides fewer options from which to select a response, reducing the likelihood that a highly effective approach will be available for implementation, potentially leaving problems unresolved, generating additional problems, and fostering a sense of hopelessness and depression. Depression has been found to impair problem solving further by reducing engagement in the problem solving …

Psychiatric Medications And Stigmatizing Attitudes In College Students, Benjamin T. Johnson, Peter Philip Grau, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Research suggests that biological explanations of mental illness include the promotion of the effectiveness of medication, and that such explanations lead to greater attributions of responsibility and potentially greater stigmatizing emotional and behavioral reactions. This study examined whether college students' attitudes toward a fellow student with mental illness are affected by whether the latter is described as having benefitted previously from medication. Results suggest that the promotion of psychiatric medications as helpful may increase stigmatizing attitudes by peers against fellow students with mental illness.

The Protective Roles Of Latinx Intercultural Competence And Acculturation On Acculturative Stress And Depression: A Brief Longitudinal Study, Mark W. Driscoll, Lucas Torres

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the ability of cognitive schemas of culturally based skills, or Latinx intercultural competence (LIC), and acculturation to influence later acculturative stress and depression symptom severity. Latinx adults (final n 98), recruited from national e-mail listings and organizations with a predominant Latinx cultural base, completed online self-report measures of Latinx and Anglo acculturation, acculturative stress, LIC, and depression symptom severity at baseline (T1) and 6-month follow-up (T2). Path analysis indicated that T1 LIC was significantly related to greater T1 Latinx and T1 Anglo acculturation, and that T1 LIC was significantly, indirectly related to lower T2 acculturative stress through …

Interpersonal Behavior In Couple Therapy: Concurrent And Prospective Associations With Depressive Symptoms And Relationship Distress, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Stephanie J. Wilson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: This study investigated associations between couples’ interpersonal behavior, depressive symptoms, and relationship distress over the course of couple psychotherapy. Method: After every other session of Integrative Systemic Therapy (M = 13 sessions), N = 100 individuals within 50 couples rated their in-session affiliation and autonomy behavior using the circumplex-based Structural Analysis of Social Behavior Intrex. Concurrent and prospective associations of interpersonal behavior with depressive symptoms and relationship distress were evaluated via multivariate multilevel modeling using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Results: An individual’s hostility, as well as the partner’s hostility, positively predicted an individual’s concurrent depressive symptoms and …

Adequacy Of Depression Treatment In Spouses Of Cancer Survivors: Findings From A Nationally Representative Us Survey, Kristin Litzelman, Abiola O. Keller, Amye Tevaarwerk, Lori Dubenske

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Recent research suggests that mental health problems in spouses of cancer survivors are associated with worse mental health in the survivors themselves. Adequately treating spousal mental health problems therefore represents an opportunity to improve outcomes for both cancer survivors and their co-surviving family members.

Objective

Using nationally representative data, this study sought to determine how depression treatment differs between spouses of cancer survivors with depression compared to the general married population and assess rural/urban disparities in treatment.

Design

The design of the study is cross sectional.

Participants

Data are from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, a household-based survey of …

Changes In Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents With Asd Completing The Peers® Social Skills Intervention, Hillary Schiltz, Alana J. Mcvey, Bridget Kathleen Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Audrey M. Carson, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Brianna D. Yund, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Depression is a common concern among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is often associated with social skills and relationship challenges. The present data, from a randomized controlled trial, examined the effect of PEERS^® on self-reported depressive symptoms via the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) among 49 adolescents with ASD. Findings revealed that many CDI subscale scores declined (p’s < 0.05) and were related to direct social contact on the Quality of Socialization Questionnaire at posttest (p’s < 0.05). Exploratory analyses uncovered that suicidality was less evident following PEERS^®. Findings support the notion that social functioning and depression may be intimately intertwined in ASD; therefore, bolstering social skills in ASD may positively influence other domains of functioning, including mental health.

The Positive Thinking Skills Scale: A Screening Measure For Early Identification Of Depressive Thoughts, Abir K. Bekhet, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Depression is currently considered the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Positive thinking is a cognitive process that helps individuals to deal with problems more effectively, and has been suggested as a useful strategy for coping with adversity, including depression. The Positive Thinking Skills Scale (PTSS) is a reliable and valid measure that captures the frequency of use of positive thinking skills that can help in the early identification of the possibility of developing depressive thoughts. However, no meaningful cutoff score has been established for the PTSS.

Aim

To establish a cutoff score for the PTSS for early identification …

A Systematic Review Of The Relationship Between Familism And Mental Health Outcomes In Latino Population, Esmeralds Valdivieso-Mora, Casie L. Peet, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Monica Salazar-Villanea, David K. Johnson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Familismo or familism is a cultural value frequently seen in Hispanic cultures, in which a higher emphasis is placed on the family unit in terms of respect, support, obligation, and reference. Familism has been implicated as a protective factor against mental health problems and may foster the growth and development of children. This study aims at measuring the size of the relationship between familism and mental health outcomes of depression, suicide, substance abuse, internalizing, and externalizing behaviors. Methods: Thirty-nine studies were systematically reviewed to assess the relationship between familism and mental health outcomes. Data from the studies were comprised …

Comorbidity And Quality Of Life In Adults With Hair Pulling Disorder, David C. Houghton, Joyce Maas, Michael P. Twohig, Stephen M. Saunders, Scott N. Compton, Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Martin E. Franklin, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and …

Depressive Symptoms And Walking In African‐Americans, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, Harold W. Neighbors, David L. Ronis, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

Although increased frequency of physical activity is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in African‐Americans, most studies do not focus on a specific type of activity. Identifying the activity can provide helpful information for designing interventions that focus on depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the odds of depressive symptoms in relation to walking in African‐Americans.

Design and Sample

A secondary analysis was performed on the National Survey of American Life. The sample was made up of community‐dwelling African‐American women (n = 1,903) and men (n = 1,075) who did not meet the DSM‐IV‐TR …

Stay-At-Home-Fathers Navigating Depression: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study, William Douglas Meyers Caperton

Dissertations (1934 -)

Evidence suggests that the practices through which men are socialized to become masculine may serve both to restrict their potential in ways that lead to psychological distress, and also to restrict the ways in which they respond to such distress (Addis & Mahalik, 2003; Mahalik, Good, Tager, Levant, & Mackowiak, 2012; O’Neil, 2008). While we are beginning to understand masculine depression (Cochran & Rabinowitz, 2000; Magovcevic & Addis, 2008) and paternal depression (Paulson & Bazemore, 2010; Ramachandani & Psychogiou, 2009), almost nothing is known about how SAHFs experience depression, nor their experiences and beliefs regarding help-seeking and psychotherapy. The trend …

Acculturative Stress And Latino Depression: The Mediating Role Of Behavioral And Cognitive Resources, Mark W. Driscoll, Lucas Torres

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although research has found that acculturative stress is significantly associated with adverse psychological adjustment among Latinos, the mechanism by which this relationship exists is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of behavioral and cognitive resources—active coping and self-efficacy, respectively—as mediators of the relationship between acculturative stress and depression among a sample of Latina/o adults (N = 469). Multiple mediator analysis indicated that active coping partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stress and depression symptom severity. The indirect relationship of acculturative stress to depression symptom severity through self-efficacy was not significant. The results suggest …

Predicting Depression And Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Latinos: Acculturation And Cultural Values, Natasha Suhail Najar

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the influence of cultural variables in predicting depressive symptoms and attitudes towards seeking psychological help among Latino adults living in the U.S. Cultural values investigated include: acculturation, values of familismo (i.e., family support, family obligations, and family as referent), and mainstream cultural values (i.e., independence/self-reliance and competition/personal achievement). The current study examined data from 191 Latino participants in the Midwest. Results showed that the most significant risk factors predicting depressive symptomatology were low education level and lower income, while the most influential factors predicting positive attitudes toward seeking mental health services were older age and gender. …

Developing A Screening Measure For Early Detection Of Depressive Symptoms: The Depressive Cognition Scale, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nearly 10% of American adults experience depressive symptoms each year. Negative thought patterns associated with risk for depression can be identified using a psychometrically sound measure, such as the Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS). However, no meaningful cutoff score has been established for the DCS. This study used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to establish a DCS cutoff score for risk for depression, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D) as the gold standard measure. In a national nondepressed sample of 629 adults, the ROC showed that the DCS accurately discriminated between participants with and without serious depressive thinking …

Stress-Generation Processes In Latinos: The Roles Of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Intercultural Competence, Mark W. Driscoll

Dissertations (1934 -)

Using a brief longitudinal design, this study examined the role of cultural adaptation processes (acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence) in predicting depression symptoms among Latinos living in the United States. Based on previous research employing stress generation processes (e.g., Hammen, 2005), it was hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up. It was further hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up indirectly through acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence, also measured at six-month follow-up. Finally, it was hypothesized that six-month follow-up acculturation, …

Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Version Of The Depressive Cognition Scale In First-Year Adolescent Egyptian Nursing Students, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Identifying depressive cognitions in adolescent nursing students can be an important step to prevent the development of clinical depression, which is positively associated with suicide. Purpose: This study focused on the psychometric testing of the Arabic version of the Depressive Cognition Scale (A-DCS) among 170 first-year adolescent Egyptian nursing students. Methods: The questionnaire was assessed for internal consistency, homogeneity, and construct validity using factor analysis and convergent validity. Results: Cronbach's alpha for (A-DCS) was .86. The homogeneity of the instrument was supported by item-to-total correlations between .30 and .70. Factor extraction generated only one factor with eigenvalues greater than …

A Daily Diary Investigation Of Latino Ethnic Identity, Discrimination, And Depression, Lucas Torres, Anthony D. Ong

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The objectives of the current study were to document the effects of discrimination on Latino mental health and to identify the circumstances by which ethnic identity serves a protective function. Instances of discrimination and depressive symptoms were measured every day for 13 days in a sample of Latino adults (N = 91). Multilevel random coefficient modeling showed a 1-day lagged effect in which increases in depression were observed the day following a discriminatory event. The findings also revealed differential effects of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Whereas ethnic identity exploration was found to exacerbate the influence of daily discrimination …

Physical Activity Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Black Adults, Jessica D. Richardson, Sarah Grace Dalton, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, David L. Ronis, Harold W. Neighbors

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

Randomized trials found physical activity (PA) effective in decreasing depressive symptoms. Few studies included Black participants. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the effects of PA on depressive symptoms in Black adults.

Methods

Articles were abstracted by conducting a computer and hand search of eligible studies.

Results

Eight of 13 studies found a significant inverse relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in Black adults. Sources for the heterogeneity were explored.

Conclusion

Future studies should include representative samples of Black adults, incorporate a theory which considers multiple levels of influence, account for genetic factors in the …

The Sensitivity And Psychometric Properties Of A Brief Computer-Based Cognitive Screening Battery In A Depression Clinic, Scott Aaron Langenecker, Angela F. Caveney, Bruno Giordani, Elizabeth A. Young, Kristy A. Nielson, Lisa J. Rapport, Linas A. Bieliauskas, Matthew J. Mordhorst, Sheila Marcus, Naomi Yodkovik, Kevin Kerber, Stanley Berent, Jon-Kar Zubieta

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

At present, there is poor accuracy in assessing cognitive and vegetative symptoms in depression using clinician or self-rated measures, suggesting the need for development of standardized tasks to assess these functions. The current study assessed the psychometric properties and diagnostic specificity of a brief neuropsychological screening battery designed to assess core signs of depression; psychomotor retardation, attention and executive functioning difficulties, and impaired emotion perception within an outpatient psychiatry setting. Three hundred eighty-four patients with mood disorders and 77 healthy volunteers participated. A large percentage of patients met diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder alone (49%) or with another comorbid …

Acculturation And Depression Among Hispanics: The Moderating Effect Of Intercultural Competence, Lucas Torres, David Rollock

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

In the present study the authors examined the relative contributions of typical acculturation indicators, general coping, and intercultural competence in predicting depression among 96 Hispanic adults. The results indicated that intercultural competence served to moderate the relationship between acculturation and depression. The combination of high acculturation and high intercultural competence was associated with fewer symptoms. General coping accounted for significant amounts of variance in predicting depression, over and above traditional acculturation variables alone, suggesting that an active problem-solving style was associated with a healthier outcome. The findings are discussed within the context of integrating competence-based variables into psychological conceptualizations of …

"Your Life Is Waiting!": Symbolic Meanings In Direct-To-Consumer Antidepressant Advertising, Jean M. Grow, Jin Seong Park, Xiaoqi Han

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This semiotic analysis demonstrates how pharmaceutical companies strategically frame depression within the hotly contested terrain of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. The study tracks regulation of the pharmaceutical industry, relative to DTC advertising, including recent industry codes of conduct. Focusing on the antidepressant category, and its three major brands—Paxil (GlaxoSmithKline), Prozac (Eli Lilly), and Zoloft (Pfizer)—this comparative study analyzes 7 years of print advertising following deregulation in 1997. The authors glean themes from within the advertising texts, across the drug category and within individual-brand campaigns. The findings indicate that DTC advertising of antidepressants frames depression within the biochemical model of causation, privileges …