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Social and Behavioral Sciences

2017

Depression

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Predictors Of Cognitive Function Among Cognitively Impaired Older African Americans Living In Congregate Residential Settings, Zyra Daffodil Apugan Nov 2017

Predictors Of Cognitive Function Among Cognitively Impaired Older African Americans Living In Congregate Residential Settings, Zyra Daffodil Apugan

Dissertations

The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to identify potential psychosocial predictors of cognition, including social support, depression, and functional activity, among older African Americans, ≥ 65 years, with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and living in congregate residential settings. Guided by the main effect model of social support, this study used existing data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set, an NIH-funded multicenter study. Results showed that on average, the participants (n=56) were 81.7 years of age with 13.8 years of education. All, but six, were married. Bivariate Pearson correlations indicate a moderately strong negative relationship …


The Long-Term Impact Of Maritime Piracy On Seafarers’ Behavioral Health And Work Decisions, D Conor Seyle, Karina Therese G. Fernandez, Alexander Dimitrevich, Chirag Bahri Oct 2017

The Long-Term Impact Of Maritime Piracy On Seafarers’ Behavioral Health And Work Decisions, D Conor Seyle, Karina Therese G. Fernandez, Alexander Dimitrevich, Chirag Bahri

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

More than 6000 seafarers have been held hostage by pirates in the last ten years. There is a small but developing body of research showing that these seafarers may face lasting challenges in recovery. However, current studies on this question have been limited by a lack of comparison groups, a lack of statistical power, and other methodological challenges. This study contributes to this body of research through a survey of 101 former hostages and 363 seafarers not known to be exposed to piracy from India, the Philippines, and Ukraine. Using clinically validated scales for tracking lasting impact, this research finds …


Does How We Feel About Financial Strain Matter For Mental Health?, Sarah D. Asebedo, Melissa J. Wilmarth Jul 2017

Does How We Feel About Financial Strain Matter For Mental Health?, Sarah D. Asebedo, Melissa J. Wilmarth

Journal of Financial Therapy

This study investigated how stress responses to financial strain are related to mental health (i.e., depression) to answer the question: Does how we feel about financial strain matter? Informed by the ABC-X model of family stress and analyzed with data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), results reveal that financial strain is significantly related to increased depression; however, financial stress was found to moderate this relationship. Financially strained respondents without a stress response did not have significantly different depression scores than those who were not experiencing financial strain; however, depression scores increased as the stress response to financial strain …


Latent Profile Analysis Of The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire In A Sample With A History Of Recurrent Depression, Jenny Gu, Anke Karl, Ruth A. Baer, Clara Strauss, Thorsten Barnhofer, Catherine Crane Jun 2017

Latent Profile Analysis Of The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire In A Sample With A History Of Recurrent Depression, Jenny Gu, Anke Karl, Ruth A. Baer, Clara Strauss, Thorsten Barnhofer, Catherine Crane

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Extending previous research, we applied latent profile analysis in a sample of adults with a history of recurrent depression to identify subgroups with distinct response profiles on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and understand how these relate to psychological functioning. Method: The sample was randomly divided into two subsamples to first examine the optimal number of latent profiles (test sample; n = 343) and then validate the identified solution (validation sample; n = 340). Results: In both test and validation samples, a four-profile solution was revealed where two profiles mapped broadly onto those previously identified in nonclinical samples: “high …


Towards Unobtrusive Mental Well-Being Monitoring For Independent-Living Elderly, Sinh Huynh, Hwee-Pink Tan, Youngki Lee Jun 2017

Towards Unobtrusive Mental Well-Being Monitoring For Independent-Living Elderly, Sinh Huynh, Hwee-Pink Tan, Youngki Lee

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

It is essential to proactively detect mental health problems such as loneliness and depression in the independently-living elderly for timely intervention by caregivers. In this paper, we introduce an unobtrusive sensor-enabled monitoring system that has been deployed to 50 government housing ats with the independent-living elderly for two years. Then, we also present our initial findings from the 6-month sensor data between August 2015 and April 2016 as well as the survey data to measure the subjective well-being indicator. Our study showed the promising results that "room-level movements within a house" and "going out" behavior captured by our simple sensor …


Determined Wellness: The Influence Of Mental Illness Models Upon Treatment Outcome Expectancies And Treatment Engagement, Francisco I. Surace May 2017

Determined Wellness: The Influence Of Mental Illness Models Upon Treatment Outcome Expectancies And Treatment Engagement, Francisco I. Surace

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple campaigns geared towards reducing public and self-stigma associated with depression, and increasing help-seeking behaviors have been launched in the past two decades. There has been an increase in promoting psychoeducation on the biological bases of mental illness. Recent international studies have documented that this increase in public knowledge has not reduced stigma. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that biological models, in comparison to other causal models of mental illness, decrease people’s sense of self-efficacy and self-control, and decrease positive expectancies of treatments and prognosis–among those with and without mental illness. Individuals who have come in contact with health services, however, …


Determining The Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs Of Healthcare Providers In Treating Non-Specific Acute And Chronic Back Pain, Stacey L. Kale May 2017

Determining The Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs Of Healthcare Providers In Treating Non-Specific Acute And Chronic Back Pain, Stacey L. Kale

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Stacey Kale

Managing back pain has become a public health and clinical challenge (Krein et al., 2016). Incidence of back pain related complaints requiring treatment in the US is estimated at 11.2% of the adult population (Dowell, Haegerich, & Chou, 2016). New research suggests that it is the most common pain problem (Pauline, 2016). It is the third most expensive health disorder and is exceeded only by cancer and heart disease. Many health care providers lack formal pain management education and training thus leaving them at risk for failing to properly manage patients …


The Effect Of Anxiety And Depression On College Students’ Academic Performance: Exploring Social Support As A Moderator, Katherine H. Bisson May 2017

The Effect Of Anxiety And Depression On College Students’ Academic Performance: Exploring Social Support As A Moderator, Katherine H. Bisson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how social support is related to the overall well-being of college students. Literature suggests social support buffers a negative effect of distress on academic performance. This study attempts to provide practical information for a program called Student Opportunities, Advocacy, and Resources (SOAR) at Abilene Christian University (ACU), which assists students and connects them to resources available to support their path to success. A multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the association between anxiety, depression, social support, and academic performance using a sample of 93 students enrolled in this program in Fall …


Smoking, Depression, And Hospital Costs Of Respiratory Cancers: Examining Race And Sex Variation, Baqar A. Husaini, Robert S. Levine, Phillip Lammers, Pam Hull, Meggan Novotny, Majaz Moonis May 2017

Smoking, Depression, And Hospital Costs Of Respiratory Cancers: Examining Race And Sex Variation, Baqar A. Husaini, Robert S. Levine, Phillip Lammers, Pam Hull, Meggan Novotny, Majaz Moonis

Center for Prevention Research Publications

Objective To investigate the effect of smoking and depression on hospital costs for lung cancer (LC).

Methods We extracted data on depression, smoking history, demographics, and hospital charges for patients with respiratory cancers (ICD-9 codes 161–163, 165) from the 2008 Tennessee Hospital Discharge Data System. The sample (n=6665) was mostly white (86%) and male (57%). Age-adjusted rates were developed in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention methods, and hospital costs were compared for patients with LC with versus without depression and a smoking history.

Results Three findings (P<0.001) emerged: (1) the LC rate was higher among blacks than among whites, and higher among men than among women; (2) while 66% of LC patients smoked (more men than women without racial variation), 24% had depression (more females and whites were depressed); (3) the LC hospital cost was 54% higher than the non-LC hospital cost, and this cost doubled for patients with LC with depression and smoking versus those without such characteristics.

Conclusion While LC is more prevalent among …


The Effect Of Routine Adult Phq-2 Depression Screen And Scheduled Follow-Up Protocol In The Primary Care Setting, Alex F. Bikowski Apr 2017

The Effect Of Routine Adult Phq-2 Depression Screen And Scheduled Follow-Up Protocol In The Primary Care Setting, Alex F. Bikowski

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Healthy People has projected depression to be the primary cause of disability by 2020; therefore routine depression screening has been prioritized as a national healthcare initiative. The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project is to demonstrate that routine implementation of the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) depression screener, along with a scheduled follow-up protocol for adults in the primary care setting, can improve current mental health practices regarding the identification of depression by clinicians. The evidence supports use of the PHQ-2 for routine adult depression screening, as long as a scheduled follow-up protocol is available for positive screens. This …


Exploring The Relationship Between Depression And Resilience In Survivors Of Childhood Trauma, Marquis A. Norton Apr 2017

Exploring The Relationship Between Depression And Resilience In Survivors Of Childhood Trauma, Marquis A. Norton

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Although experiences of trauma are common, reactions vary due to a host of biopsychosocial and cultural factors that influence the individual reaction to the trauma (Nakai et al., 2015). One such factor is resiliency, the capability to adapt in adverse environmental circumstances (Basim & Cetin, 2011). This study used hierarchical multiple regression to examine the relationships between childhood trauma, recent experiences of depression, and resilience in adult university students. This study also examined the possible moderating effects on depression by resilience. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience scale, and PROMIS Depression survey. Small significant relationships were found for …


The Impact Of A Civic Service Program On Biopsychosocial Outcomes Of Post 9/11 U.S. Military Veterans, Monica M. Matthieu, Karen A. Lawrence, Emma Robertson-Blackmore Feb 2017

The Impact Of A Civic Service Program On Biopsychosocial Outcomes Of Post 9/11 U.S. Military Veterans, Monica M. Matthieu, Karen A. Lawrence, Emma Robertson-Blackmore

Social Work Faculty Publications

Volunteering as a health promotion intervention, improves physical health, mental health, and social outcomes particularly in older adults, yet limited research exists for veterans. We conducted a preliminary study to explore whether volunteering impacts a variety of biopsychosocial outcomes, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, among returning military veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A survey enrolling a prospective cohort of United States (U.S.) veterans who served in the military after 11 September 2001 and who participated in a national civic service program was conducted. A total of 346 veterans completed standardized health, mental health, and psychosocial self-report …


Trait Anxiety And Economic Risk Avoidance Are Not Necessarily Associated: Evidence From The Framing Effect, Ruolei Gu, Runguo Wu, Lucas S. Broster, Yang Jiang, Rui Xu, Qiwei Yang, Pengfei Xu, Yue-Jia Luo Jan 2017

Trait Anxiety And Economic Risk Avoidance Are Not Necessarily Associated: Evidence From The Framing Effect, Ruolei Gu, Runguo Wu, Lucas S. Broster, Yang Jiang, Rui Xu, Qiwei Yang, Pengfei Xu, Yue-Jia Luo

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

According to previous literature, trait anxiety is related to the tendency to choose safety options during risk decision-making, that is, risk avoidance. In our opinion, anxious people’s risk preference might actually reflect their hypersensitivity to emotional information. To examine this hypothesis, a decision-making task that could elicit the framing effect was employed. The framing effect indicates that risk preference could be modulated by emotional messages contained in the description (i.e., frame) of options. The behavioral results have showed the classic framing effect. In addition, individual level of trait anxiety was positively correlated with the framing effect size. However, trait anxiety …


Research Methods In Occupational Health Psychology, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Chu-Hsiang Chang Jan 2017

Research Methods In Occupational Health Psychology, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Chu-Hsiang Chang

Publications and Research

http://www.springerpub.com/occupational-health-psychology.html

Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) is a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field that focuses on the science and practice of psychology in promoting and developing workplace health- and safety-related initiatives. This comprehensive text for undergraduate and graduate survey courses is the first to encompass a wide range of key issues in OHP. It draws from the domains of psychology, public health, preventive medicine,nursing, industrial engineering, law, and epidemiology to focus on the theory and practice of protecting and promoting the health, well-being, and safety of individuals in the workplace and improving the quality of work life.

The text addresses key psychosocial …


Mental Health Treatment Seeking Patterns And Preferences Of Appalachian Women With Depression, Claire Snell-Rood, Emily Hauenstein, Carl G. Leukefeld, Frances Feltner, Amber Marcum, Nancy E. Schoenberg Jan 2017

Mental Health Treatment Seeking Patterns And Preferences Of Appalachian Women With Depression, Claire Snell-Rood, Emily Hauenstein, Carl G. Leukefeld, Frances Feltner, Amber Marcum, Nancy E. Schoenberg

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored social-cultural factors that shape treatment seeking behaviors among depressed rural, low-income women in Appalachia—a region with high rates of depression and a shortage of mental health services. Recent research shows that increasingly rural women are receiving some form of treatment and identifying their symptoms as depression. Using purposive sampling, investigators recruited 28 depressed low-income women living in Appalachian Kentucky and conducted semistructured interviews on participants’ perceptions of depression and treatment seeking. Even in this sample of women with diverse treatment behaviors (half reported current treatment), participants expressed ambivalence about treatment and its potential to promote recovery. …


Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders And Suicidal Ideation In A National Representative Sample Of Active Canadian Forces Members, Don Richardson, A. Thompson, Lisa King, B. Corbett, P. Shnaider, K. St Cyr, C. Nelson, J. Sareen, Jon Elhai, M. Zamorski Jan 2017

Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders And Suicidal Ideation In A National Representative Sample Of Active Canadian Forces Members, Don Richardson, A. Thompson, Lisa King, B. Corbett, P. Shnaider, K. St Cyr, C. Nelson, J. Sareen, Jon Elhai, M. Zamorski

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Background

Past research on the association between insomnia and suicidal ideation (SI) has produced mixed findings. The current study explored the relationship between insomnia, SI, and past-year mental health status among a large Canadian Forces (CF) sample.

Method

Data was obtained from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS), and included a large representative sample of Canadian Regular Forces personnel (N = 6700). A series of univariate logistic regressions were conducted to test individual associations between past-year mental health status, insomnia, and potential confounds and SI. Mental health status included three groups: 0, 1, or two or more …


Burnout Or Depression: Both Individual And Social Issue, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Éric Laurent Jan 2017

Burnout Or Depression: Both Individual And Social Issue, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Éric Laurent

Publications and Research

In view of the profound problems attached to the construct of burnout, we recommended in our that occupational health specialists focus on (job-related) depression rather than burnout to help workers more effectively. The phenomena of interest (burnout or depression) should not be confused with the perspectives (individual or social) adopted to elucidate those phenomena. Both burnout and depression are best explained through the interaction of social or external conditions with individual or internal dispositions.


Relationship Of Religiosity And Spirituality To Hazardous Drinking, Drug Use, And Depression Among Sexual Minority Women, Laurie Drabble, Cindy Veldhuis, Barth Riley, Sharon Rostosky, Tonda Hughes Jan 2017

Relationship Of Religiosity And Spirituality To Hazardous Drinking, Drug Use, And Depression Among Sexual Minority Women, Laurie Drabble, Cindy Veldhuis, Barth Riley, Sharon Rostosky, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

Using data from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study (N = 699), we explored whether religiosity and spirituality were associated with risk of hazardous drinking, drug use, and depression among sexual minority women (SMW; i.e., lesbian, bisexual) and possible differences by race/ethnicity. Participants were more likely to endorse spirituality than religiosity, and endorsement of each was highest among African American SMW. We found no protective effect of religiosity or spirituality for hazardous drinking or drug use. An association initially found between identifying as very spiritual and past-year depression disappeared when controlling for help-seeking. …


Burnout Or Depression: Both Individual And Social Issue, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent Jan 2017

Burnout Or Depression: Both Individual And Social Issue, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In view of the profound problems attached to the construct of burnout, we recommended that occupational health specialists focus on (job-related) depression rather than burnout to help workers more effectively. Epstein and Privitera (April 8, 1398) rejected our recommendation on the grounds that burnout is not a “purely individual syndrome”. Problematically, Epstein and Privitera attributed to us an idea that is not ours. In these authors’ view, equating burnout with depression is synonymous with mistakenly individualising a social problem. For two reasons, the argument that depression cannot replace burnout because burnout is a social problem whereas depression is an individual …


Defining Physician Burnout, And Differentiating Between Burnout And Depression—I, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld Jan 2017

Defining Physician Burnout, And Differentiating Between Burnout And Depression—I, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

A redefinition of burnout as a depressive condition is called for so that the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress can be more accurately and comprehensively assessed. As research compellingly suggests, reducing the harmful effects of unresolvable job stress to the experience of burnout's dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment is mistaken in that it denies the depressive core of the syndrome referred to as “burnout.” Replacing the notion of burnout by the concept of job-induced depression would help us be more effective in the management of occupational adversity.


Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones Jan 2017

Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones

Publications and Research

This chapter examines research on the relationship between job stressors and mental health (depressive symptoms, burnout, and mental disorders such as depression) in teachers. Teachers are exposed daily to job stressors (e.g., student disruptiveness) that have been linked to adverse mental health effects. Epidemiologic research indicates that when compared to members of other groups, teachers experience higher rates of mental disorder, although some studies question that conclusion. Large-scale studies indicate when compared to members of other occupational groups, teachers are at higher risk for exposure to workplace violence, with its adverse mental health consequences. Longitudinal research has linked teaching-related stressors …


‘Burnout Syndrome’: From Nosological Indeterminacy To Epidemiological Nonsense, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent Jan 2017

‘Burnout Syndrome’: From Nosological Indeterminacy To Epidemiological Nonsense, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

All in all, Imo’s review is undermined by the very research it relies on. We recommend that researchers interested in burnout begin at the beginning, that is to say, by establishing a reasoned, clinically-founded (differential) diagnosis for their entity of interest. As long as investigators do not complete the required groundwork for establishing a diagnosis and remain unable to distinguish a case of burnout from either a noncase or an existing disorder, conclusions regarding the prevalence of burnout will be nonsense. To close this comment, we note that an immediately available solution for effectively monitoring and protecting physicians’ occupational health …


Intimate Partner Violence And Women's Cancer Quality Of Life, Ann L. Coker, Diane R. Follingstad, Lisandra S. Garcia, Heather M. Bush Jan 2017

Intimate Partner Violence And Women's Cancer Quality Of Life, Ann L. Coker, Diane R. Follingstad, Lisandra S. Garcia, Heather M. Bush

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Purpose

Because intimate partner violence (IPV) may disproportionately impact women’s quality of life (QOL) when undergoing cancer treatment, women experiencing IPV were hypothesized to have (a) more symptoms of depression or stress and (b) lower QOL as measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-SP) Scales relative to those never experiencing IPV.

Methods

Women, aged 18–79, who were included in one of two state cancer registries from 2009 to 2015 with a recent incident, primary, invasive biopsy-confirmed cancer diagnosis were recruited and asked to complete a phone interview, within 12 …


Behavioral Activation For Smoking Cessation And Mood Management Following A Cardiac Event: Results Of A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Andrew M. Busch, Erin M. Tooley, Shira Dunsiger Jan 2017

Behavioral Activation For Smoking Cessation And Mood Management Following A Cardiac Event: Results Of A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Andrew M. Busch, Erin M. Tooley, Shira Dunsiger

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Smoking cessation following hospitalization for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) significantly reduces subsequent mortality. Depressed mood is a major barrier to cessation post-ACS. Although existing counseling treatments address smoking and depression independently in ACS patients, no integrated treatment addresses both. We developed an integrated treatment combining gold standard cessation counseling with behavioral activation-based mood management; Behavioral Activation Treatment for Cardiac Smokers (BAT-CS). The purpose of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to test feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of BAT-CS vs. Standard of Care (SC).

Methods: Participants were recruited during hospitalization for ACS and were randomly assigned to BAT-CS or …


Depressive Symptoms Among College Students: An Exploration Of Fundamental Cause Theory, Peter A. Carrico Jan 2017

Depressive Symptoms Among College Students: An Exploration Of Fundamental Cause Theory, Peter A. Carrico

Theses and Dissertations

Fundamental Cause Theory suggests that socioeconomic and demographic factors are causal to various illnesses, including depression. However, no known previously existing research has used Fundamental Cause Theory to create a model of depression among college students. To do this, the present study conducted a stepwise binomial logistic regression to examine how socioeconomic status and the sociodemographic variables of Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation, and others predict depressive symptoms in a large sample of undergraduates when controlling for stressful life events and social support (N = 2,915). Results support the hypothesis that socioeconomic disparities in depressive symptoms are the result …


The Relationship Between Religiosity And Depression Among Sampled Kenyans In The Twin Cities Metro Area, Dorcas Waite Jan 2017

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Depression Among Sampled Kenyans In The Twin Cities Metro Area, Dorcas Waite

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a relationship between the self-reported level of religiosity and the self-reported level of depression among sampled Kenyans in the Twin Cities Metro Area, in Minnesota. The sample consisted of 63 individuals who were members or visitors at Destiny Faith Ministries and United Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Results showed that 98.4% (n=60) of participants identified themselves with a specific religion, 90.4% (n=57) scored 40 and above on the religiosity scale, which indicated strong religiosity. Majority of participants (66.8%, n=42) indicated that they had been bothered for several days by at least …


Young Adults In Transition: Factors That Support And Hinder Growth And Change, Mona Treadway Jan 2017

Young Adults In Transition: Factors That Support And Hinder Growth And Change, Mona Treadway

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Young adults between 18 and 24 years of age with mental illness are significantly less likely to receive mental health services than adults in older age groups.Nationally, higher rates of depression, substance abuse, and psychiatric issues are reported in this age group.A therapeutic model referred to as young adult transition programs has emerged to better address the unique developmental challenges found in this age group.This study examined 317 critical incidents that supported or hindered young adults in a therapeutic transition program.The research design used a combination of an instrumental case study and critical incident technique (CIT).Using interviews and the Outcome …


On Parsimony And Tautology In The Study Of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent Jan 2017

On Parsimony And Tautology In The Study Of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In a recent study, Zhang et al. concluded that burnout was associated with poor physical function and low quality of life after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In our estimation, the authors' study has at least two unnoticed, though major, methodological limitations: not controlling for depression and using a burnout scale that is a questionable choice.


On The Depressive Nature Of The “Burnout Syndrome”: A Clarification, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Pierre Vandel, Eric Laurent Jan 2017

On The Depressive Nature Of The “Burnout Syndrome”: A Clarification, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Pierre Vandel, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Key theoretical arguments and empirical findings converge to suggest that the burnout construct captures a depressive phenomenon. The reluctance to consider burnout a depressive condition may be due to (a) a neglect of the stress–depression relationship and (b) a difficulty coordinating dimensional and categorical approaches to psychopathology in burnout research. The dimensions and categories constitute two ways of describing (psychopathological) phenomena. Thus, dimensions and categories should be heuristically combined rather than opposed: burnout and depression can be studied both as ‘‘processes’’ or ‘‘end-states’’. Clarifying what burnout actually is matters in terms of conceptual parsimony, theoretical integration, nosological consistency, interventional effectiveness, …


Vital Exhaustion, Burnout, And Other Avatars Of Depression, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent Jan 2017

Vital Exhaustion, Burnout, And Other Avatars Of Depression, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In our view, there is a worrying tendency in psychology and medicine to let proliferate “depression-like” constructs—a transgression of the scientific canon of parsimony. The problem is not limited to vital exhaustion (VE). Burnout, a condition akin to VE, has been shown to problematically overlap with depression. Compassion fatigue, a condition that shows particularly blurred definitional contours, is also uncomfortably close to depressive symptomatology. The construct of neurasthenia may be part of this confusing trend as well, although neurasthenia has been elevated to the status of nosological category in the ICD. Construct proliferation jeopardizes knowledge growth by undermining theory building …