Digital Commons Network^™

"I Understand, Honey": Perceived Spousal Empathy's Moderating Influence On The Links Between Depression And Marital Satisfaction And Marital Satisfaction And Physical Health, F. Javier Celestino

Theses and Dissertations

An adapted version of the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model was used as a theoretical guide for this study, which proposes that adaptive processes exist and can moderate relationships between enduring vulnerabilities and different outcomes. Relationships of interest include the negative link between depression and marital satisfaction and the positive link between marital satisfaction and physical health. An adaptive process of interest is empathy, due to its well-researched positive impact on mental, relational, and physical health. This study examined whether perceived spousal empathy (i.e., the empathy perceived by one spouse coming from their spouse) had any moderating effects on the previously mentioned links. …

The Losses, The Heartbreaks, The Hungers..., Nestor Perez-Moliere

Theses and Dissertations

The Losses, The Heartbreaks, The Hungers… is a photographic body of work in which I engage in a conversation with myself on mental health and self-compassion. I am able to exist with myself within the same frame through the use of compositing techniques that depict a multiplicity of selves. In the work, I dwell in an isolated, psychological space that is constructed through a claustrophobic framing of the camera and black and white film imagery that accentuates the shadows and the light. The interactions with myself are of mixed nature: at times I am abusive to myself, but other times …

The Effect Of Parenting Styles On Depression Among College Students, Manpreet Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers, during the past few decades have found there to be an association between parenting styles and levels of depression in children, adolescents, and adults. In the current study, the effects of parenting styles on depression among college students was targeted. This current study predicted that: 1. Females will show greater levels of depression than males. 2. Asians will show increased levels of depression. 3. Participants with authoritarian parents will exhibit significantly higher levels of depression as compared to authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles. In addition to these, additional exploratory analyses were also conducted. Two hundred eighty-eight college undergraduates …

An Analysis Of Education As A Moderator Of The Relationship Of Discrimination To Depression, Jeavonna M. Coble

Theses and Dissertations

Racism has been observed as a highly prevalent psychosocial stressor across minorities, and consistently associated with depression across racial/ethnic groups. However, existing evidence is unclear on effective buffers of discrimination to depression. Researchers have hypothesized that education may mitigate discrimination’s effects on negative mental health outcomes. Evidence evaluating education as a buffer on the relations of discrimination to depression is limited. The analysis is further complicated as the evidence linking education level to discrimination exposure is also mixed. Although some studies indicate lower education levels are associated with greater perceived racism, many studies indicate an association of higher education with …

The Roles Of Cardiovascular Disease And Depression In The Relationship Between Respiratory Disease And Neuropsychological Functioning In Older Adults, Alexander J. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

The pathophysiology of severe respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), supports the theory that oxygen deprivation to the brain may impact the brain’s execution of cognitive functions. Imaging studies also suggest that neuroanatomical changes in areas of the brain responsible for cognitive processes may be associated with respiratory diseases. Research in this area has failed to conclude definitively, especially in an older adult population, which is more likely to experience comorbid depression and cardiovascular disease, universally acknowledged predictors of poorer cognitive performance, the extent of the relationship between respiratory illness and cognitive functioning. The current …

The Impact Of Exercise On Adolescents With Depression: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Matthew P. Kloeris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to summarize and synthesize the research that pertains to the impact of aerobic exercise on adolescents with depression. This review addressed aerobic exercise as a mental health treatment, such as differences between (a) post-intervention and follow-up response and remission rates; (b) exercise in lieu of psychotherapy or exercise as an adjunct to psychotherapy; and (c) response and remission rates amongst minority gender and racial and ethnic groups. The search results produced a total of 2,122 articles. Of which, eight articles were eligible for the present systematic review. Based on the results, it appears …

Straight Through My Heart, Raul A. Aguilar Canela

Theses and Dissertations

Straight through my heart is an exhibition that explores the concept of heartbreak as a socio-political phenomenon. Through the affect of sadness the thesis analyses the way in which subjects are formed under cognitive capitalism. Paying particular interest to the collateral effects of neoliberal culture —hyper-stimulation, self-exploitation, competition, and obsession with productivity—and the pathologies they create —depression, anxiety, body aches, fatigue— this work shifts the burden of sadness from the individual to the community. By doing so it proposes heartbreak as a public feeling.

The Harm In Seeking Care: Assessing The Relationship Between Healthcare Discrimination And Healthcare Avoidance Behaviors In The Past Year And Since The Start Of The Coronavirus Pandemic In A Transgender And Gender Independent Sample, Kyle L. Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Gender minorities encounter a myriad of barriers to accessing general and gender affirming healthcare. Financial disparities impacting affordability of healthcare costs and insurance-based denials for gender-affirming care are among prominent barriers discussed. Considerations of the prevalence of stigma, discrimination, and erasure of gender minority identities must not be neglected when seeking to understand healthcare accessibility and utilization in this population. Previous researchers have examined gender minority patients’ experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings and delaying care due to fear of discrimination. There is a dearth of knowledge about the relationship between lifetime exposure to varied forms of healthcare discrimination …

Development Of The Pet-Related Events And Tasks Scale (Pets), Courtney Bolstad

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a common, debilitating disorder that is often treated using behavioral activation (BA), which includes identification and scheduling of pleasant activities. Owning a pet appears to be a viable source of pleasant activities, though current BA tools do not extensively consider these activities. The present study aimed to develop the Pet-Related Events and Tasks Scale (PETS) to determine what activities of pet ownership are pleasant and may be used in BA. Various methods were used to generate items (i.e., focus groups, surveys, and adaptation of existing event schedule items) and revise the developing PETS (i.e., cognitive interviews and expert …

Diet Quality And Mental Health In College Students: Impact On Dietary Factors Including Intake Of Protein, Sugar, Vegetable And Omega-3 Fatty Acid On Depression, Yulu Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the most debilitating disorders among youth. Many factors impact depression risk, and dietary quality is one of the most significant modifiable factors. This work was to investigate whether diet quality, including protein, sugar, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids’ intake, had any effect on the development of depression. Data from 82 subjects were used for analysis. There was no significant relationship between Dietary Quality Index (p=.21, n=82) and depression based on this research. Results included total protein (p=.77, n=82), animal-based protein (p=.77, n=82), vegetable-based protein (p=.29, n=82), total sugar (p=.55, n=78), added sugar (p=.48, n=78), total vegetable …

Longitudinal Examination Of Behavioral Markers Of Positive Valence Systems And Anhedonia, Duncan Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has provided a framework for studying psychopathology known as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which conceptualizes depression and other mental disorders on a continuum of levels of analysis, ranging from molecular dysfunction to impairment in cognitive systems indexed by behavioral paradigms. Within the RDoC, these units of analysis and their corresponding normal-to-abnormal functioning can be placed within six domains: (1) negative valence systems; (2) positive valence systems; (3) cognitive systems; (4) social processes; (5) arousal and regulatory systems; and (6) sensorimotor systems. Given the recent emphasis on identifying further mechanisms associated with positive …

Discrimination, Depression, And John Henryism In African American And Caribbean Black Adolescents, Erin King

Theses and Dissertations

Discrimination is associated with poor health outcomes in minority groups. Minority adolescents often do not have the same access to health care providers as white adolescents. In this study, I analyzed the impact of discrimination on the frequency of depressive symptoms in African American and Caribbean black adolescents. I used data from the National Survey of American Life Adolescent supplement and multivariate regression for this study. The dependent variable in this study is the frequency of depressive symptoms. The independent variables in this study are the Everyday Discrimination scale and the psychological coping mechanism John Henryism. I analyzed the relationship …

Association Between Urinary Enterolignans As A Marker For Gut Microbiome Diversity And Depression In Nhanes, Marie Knoll

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a chronic disease which inflicts functional and emotional impairment that has been a growing issue in the United States (US). Depression is the most prevalent mental disorder in the US and is the leading cause of disability in the world. By 2030, It is projected that major depressive disorder will be the second largest contributor to global burden of disease. Causes of depression are still largely unknown and treatments are often expensive, time consuming, and only available to certain populations. Treatment often requires a combination of medicines and therapy to be effective. In recent years, the gut microbiome …

Baby On The Way, Sex Gone Away? A Dyadic Investigation Of Sexual Satisfaction In Pregnancy, David Brent Allsop

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that having high sexual satisfaction during pregnancy is difficult for couples. This negative trend is important considering that low sexual satisfaction can negatively affect both relationship satisfaction, psychological health, and child outcomes. However, there is evidence that this trend does not apply to all and different groups of couples exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction in pregnancy. Guided by family systems theory and the biopsychosocial model, the current study explored if different subsets of couples, composed of pregnant wives and husbands, exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and what factors distinguish potential subsets. Using …

"Do N'T Stop Believin'"In A Pair Of Socks: How The Sopranos Shapes Our Understanding Of Mental Illness, Adam Richard Brockman

Theses and Dissertations

This study rhetorically analyzed the final season of The Sopranos for its argument about

the nature of psychological depression in several contexts and forms. Consisting of nine

episodes, the final season of the series features pivotal moments in which characters confront the

sources of their depression and respond to them in a variety of ways. The study used both an

intertextual analysis and Burkean frames to provide insight into how the final season argues one

might overcome various forms of depression. It specifically considered depression related to

one’s family experiences, their existential concerns regarding death and spirituality, and their

indulgence …

The Role Of Acute And Chronic Neuroinflammation In Depression: Uncovering The Relationship Between Histamine And Serotonin Transmission, Melinda Hersey

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Disorders of the brain, including depression, are notoriously difficult to treat because the basic pathology underlying behavioral outcomes remains undefined. Robust chemical biomarkers of these diseases have not been identified, nor are there reliable methods to measure brain chemicals. Depression is associated with chemical and inflammatory changes in the brain that are predicted to contribute to the pathology. By studying the serotonin and histamine systems we aim to better define the neurochemical basis of depression. Serotonin has long been hypothesized to play a role in depression since selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) …

Irrational Beliefs, Personality Dysfunction, And Negative Emotional Outcomes, Casey Armata

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the associations between dimensions of personality dysfunction, irrational beliefs, and negative outcomes (depression, social anxiety, anger). Participants consisted of 560 adults. Irrationality partially mediated the association between negative affect and depression, negative affect and social anxiety, and the associations between antagonism and anger, and disinhibition and anger. Our results conform to predictions of cognitive models of disordered personality, except that we did not find strong support for a unique role for specific sub-types of irrational beliefs.

Humor As A Moderator Of Neuroticism’S Effect On Psychopathology And Life Satisfaction, Adir Pinchot

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research studies evaluated self-enhancing humor (also referred to as coping humor) as a coping strategy that enables an individual to better manage the negative emotions elicited by external stressors. Research has not, however, adequately considered the role that humor may play for neurotic individuals who are characterized by a propensity to experience stress and negative emotions and are, therefore, more susceptible to developing depression, anxiety, and low life satisfaction. Nor has research adequately explored how self-enhancing humor interacts with the maladaptive form of self-directed humor, namely, self-defeating humor. This study attempts to address these lacunae by analyzing whether self-enhancing …

Dysfunctional Beliefs As Moderators Of The Association Between Personality Dysfunction And Negative Emotion, Syeda Zahura

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the potential role of dysfunctional beliefs as moderators of the association between personality dysfunction and negative emotion. Specifically, we focused on three negative emotions, depression, social anxiety, and anger. There was a total of 454 participants, 210 males, and 243 females, all 18 years of age or older, recruited on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and SJU Psychology Department’s subject pool. We found that personality dysfunction and dysfunctional thinking are associated with negative emotional outcomes. Higher levels of personality dysfunction and higher levels of dysfunctional thinking were associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and anger. In a …

Clinical And Neuropsychological Differences In Low And High Worst-Point Suicide Ideators, Nahal Destiny Heydari

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a major public health concern that is complicated by the multidimensional nature of suicidal behaviors. Uncovering markers of vulnerability to acting on suicidal thoughts can aid in creating prevention interventions. Previous studies have found that serious and significant suicidal ideation in the past may be a predictor of later risk for suicide attempt. This paper examined worst-point suicide ideation (lifetime) in depressed patients who have never made an attempt. Depressed patients were divided on the basis of worst-point ideation to determine if these groups differed on a variety of clinical measures and neurocognitive tasks known to be associated …

Breaking Away: The Role Of Homeostatic Drive In Perpetuating Depression, Jonathan Tory Toole

Theses and Dissertations

The brain can be considered a complicated system of feedback mechanisms that maintain physiological homeostasis. Through psychological activity, neurochemicals act as homeostatic regulators. This study proposes that these components are part of a regulatory system that is capable of supporting multiple homeostatic regimes that, in turn, give rise to self-sustaining psychological behaviors. This project hypothesizes that such alternate regulatory programs may play a role in perpetuating psychological dysfunction. Interactions within and between components of the neurotransmitter network are represented as a set of discrete logic circuits. Neurotransmitter levels are linked to psychological constructs such as depression based on current literature. …

The Correlation Between Maternal Postpartum Depression And Child Psychopathology, T'Keyah I. Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a phenomenon that affects nearly 10-15% of pregnancies in the US. It is characterized by depressed mood or anhedonia and lasting for more than 2 weeks. PPD changes how moms interact with family members and child-rearing behavior. Depression is a phenomenon that is also known to affect the psychopathology of children. However, the specifics of how postpartum depression impacts children remains controversial. Many studies do not control for major depressive disorder which makes it difficult to disentangle the impact depression has within the first year of life. Furthermore, other PPD risk factors may be confounding …

The Relationship Of Legal History To Mood And Substance Abuse Symptoms Among Homeless Men And Women In A Residential Recovery Program, Lily A. Mkhitarian

Theses and Dissertations

Homelessness is a devastating experience that impacts hundreds of thousands of individuals in the U.S. each day. It has been widely reported that homeless persons experience higher rates of mental disorder, substance abuse, and physical illness than domiciled individuals. Homelessness is also associated with increased risk of exposure to trauma. In addition, about a quarter of homeless individuals in the U.S. report a history of incarceration. Certainly there are multiple pathways to both homelessness and incarceration. More research is needed on the implications and consequences of having a legal history on homeless persons. The purpose of this archival study was …

Comorbidity In Context: Identifying Patterns Of Depressive And Anxiety Symptoms In African American Early Adolescents, Kathryn Behrhorst

Theses and Dissertations

Depression and anxiety during adolescence includes symptoms of irritability, sleeplessness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, worry, avoidance, and/or restlessness. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are often comorbid and are associated with impairments across academic, social, and emotional areas of functioning. No studies to date have examined patterns of depressive and anxiety symptoms together for African American adolescents using person-centered analyses. The current study examined patterns of symptoms and domains of anxiety and depression during early adolescence using latent profile analyses (LPA). A sample of 196 African American early adolescents in grades six through eight (M_age = 12.6; 50% female) were …

Sleep Behaviors And Thoughts As Links Between Social Rhythmicity And Mental Health Outcomes, Sahar Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Social rhythmicity refers to the regularity with which one engages in social and lifestyle activities. Considerable research has recognized that social rhythms have important implications for health and well-being. For example, disturbances in social rhythms are one potential factor that may contribute to the development of anxiety and depressive disorders. Existing research on social rhythm irregularity has heavily focused on its link with bipolar disorder and, to a lesser extent, with depression. Less is known about the association of social rhythms with anxiety or with subclinical levels of depression. Furthermore, it is unclear how social rhythms are tied to mental …

Is Endorsement Of Fear Of Happiness Associated With Behavioral Aversion To Reward?, Amanda Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests that some individuals have negative views about happiness and may actively avoid positivity due to associating it with previous negative experiences. The Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) is a paradigm that examines approach and avoidance tendencies. However, the AAT has previously never been used to examine motivational tendencies in individuals who fear happiness. In this study, we used the AAT to examine if individuals who fear happiness respond aversively in the face of prospective positivity. Results revealed that the difference between the duration of pulling the joystick for both stimuli is negatively related to fear of happiness (FHS) such …

The Intergenerational Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Children’S Emergency Department Utilization And Depression And Anxiety In South Carolina, Eboni E. Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

Adult exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is common in the U.S., with over half of adults reporting exposure to at least one ACE. Childhood trauma is associated with risk factors for premature death, disability, poor physical and mental health, and lower quality of life in adults. Traumatic experiences also influence parenting behaviors later in life, placing offspring at an increased risk of ACE exposure. Few studies have explored the intergenerational effects of ACEs on the health and well-being of offspring. This study sought to identify whether associations existed between caregiver ACE exposures and emergency department (ED) utilization for sick …

To Meme, Or Not To Meme: Applying The Theory Of Motivated Information Management To The Provision Of Support After Depressed Individuals Share Suicidal Memes, Jacki Paige Willenborg

Theses and Dissertations

Social media sites are increasingly where individuals seek and share information on a range of topics. The focus of this thesis is on suicidal memes and how individuals interpret them. Suicidal memes are memes that suggest suicide through either text or visual images. No research has investigated interpretations of suicidal memes to date as well as why individuals post them. It is important to study such issues as the interpretations of these memes can mean the difference between depressed individuals, for example, receiving the help they need or those same individuals alienating themselves from their loved ones. Informed by the …

Interdependent Mechanisms Of Stress Susceptibility, Julie Elaine Finnell

Theses and Dissertations

Social stress is a significant risk factor for the emergence of psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. While there are a number of commercially available therapeutic options for the treatment of these disorders, these treatments require weeks of continuous use to produce behavioral efficacy. It has also been suggested that these traditional therapies are only marginally effective in producing complete remission, suggesting that our understanding as it pertains to the mechanisms underlying stressinduced behavioral dysfunction is still in its infancy. In the last few years, inflammation has become a major focus in the field of stress and depression as clinical …

The Influence Of Adhd Symptoms And Social Functioning On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In College Students, Danielle Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired social functioning in children and adolescents. ADHD and poor social functioning have been shown to be separately associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms as well. However, little research has examined these associations among college students. College is a transitional period of increased stress and exposure to new social situations for all students, but may be even more challenging for those with ADHD, who are already at risk for increased internalizing problems and impairment in social functioning. The current study aimed to examine the influence of ADHD symptoms …