Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploration Into The Relationship Between Colitis And Depression: A Potential Role For The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, Kasie Lynn Roark

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders with unclear etiology comprised of two defined disorders – Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). IBD leads to chronic pain, socially isolating symptoms, and an overall reduction in patient quality of life. There is currently no cure for IBD. Due to decreased mucous production and weakening of the colonic epithelial lining, gut-microbiota and their metabolites can invade the intestinal lamina propria and circulate systemically, a term known as “leaky gut”. Recent studies show a relationship exists between peripheral inflammation, such as IBD, and depression. The gut-brain axis (GBA) …

Music And Mental Health: Increasing Awareness And Promoting Wellness, Catherine Sarah Black

Senior Theses

“Music for Mental Health: Increasing Awareness and Promoting Wellness” examines how music might raise mental health awareness and act as a coping resource. Specifically, it 1) argues for the connection between music and mental health, 2) presents a case study of select BTS songs that have been useful in promoting mental health, and 3) describes the efforts of Classical Healing Keys, a non-profit organization designed by the author as a proposal to promote mental health through classical music.

The Association Of Antidepressants Use With Healthcare Utilization, Patient-Reported Outcomes, And Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias (Adrd) Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Depression, Abdulrahman Abdullah A Alnijadi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Depression and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) are common among older adults. Currently, depression is recognized as one of the risk factors for ADRD. There is conflicting evidence on the association between depression and ADRD. Inadequate detection, diagnosis, and management of depression appear to pose a significant risk to the quality of life and healthcare utilization among older adults. To date, there are few studies on the impact of depression on self-reported healthcare utilization and self-reported health outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the association between depression and ADRD, quality …

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 …

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 …

Role Of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback In Cognitive Performance, Chronic Pain, And Related Symptoms, James P. Winstead

Theses and Dissertations

Over-modulation of the sympathetic nervous system and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) are commonly overlooked components of pain, poor cognition (decreased attention, recall, and cognitive processing), depression, stress, and fatigue. HRV Biofeedback (HRVB) training induces HRV coherence to balance the autonomic system. Paced breathing (~6 breaths/minute) increases HRV coherence. This randomized, controlled intervention trial tested the hypothesis that HRVB would improve HRV coherence, pain (severity, interference, and catastrophizing), cognitive performance, and reduce depressive, stress, and fatigue symptoms and pain medication use in veterans. Participants were randomized to previously established HRVB or control protocols. Each participant completed a Baseline Assessment, 6 …

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 …

Absolutist Thinking And Depression, Katherine Cohen

Senior Theses

A key characteristic of depression is the presence of cognitive biases (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study added to the growing literature examining absolutist thinking as a potential cognitive bias associated with depression. We used data from a survey conducted at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus which included 116 students to compare the use of absolutist words in participants’ writing with their depressive symptomatology. We further compared the difference in the use of absolutist words in participants’ responses about success versus their responses about failure. Results revealed that there was not a significant relationship between BDI scores ( …

Implementation Of A Depression Screening Tool For Cardiovascular Patients In The Primary Care Setting, Amber Nicole Ballentine

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a two-fold increased risk of depression as compared to patients without CVD. According to the American Heart Association (AHA, 2016), there is no gold-standard procedure for screening for depression in cardiovascular patients. Screening for depression varies greatly across specialties and practices, often leaving a gap for detection and treatment of depression in cardiac patients. There are many depression screening tools available; however, the AHA recommends use of the patient health questionnaire (PHQ) screening tool. The PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 questionnaires are the most brief, sensitive, and specific depression screening tool for patients with …

The Association Between Clinical Recognition Of Depression And Unplanned Hospital Readmission Among Older Adults, Karen M. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

The likelihood of a depression diagnosis may differ based on whether the patient was seen in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Depression has been associated with an increased risk of a 30-day readmission. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of agreement (concordance) between depression diagnosis as identified by inpatient and outpatient records and examine the relationship between depression diagnostic concordance and 30-day readmission.

Methods

Using universal administrative claims data from South Carolina, we examined inpatient and outpatient records. The analysis was restricted to Medicaid recipients aged 55 years and older with a primary admitting diagnosis …

The Effect Of Depression And Antidepressants On Cost, Survival And Adherence To Hormone Therapy In Breast Cancer, Virginia Noxon

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Breast cancer patients with a depression diagnosis before or after cancer diagnosis have increased cost, shorter survival time and reduced adherence to hormone therapy. Treating depression in these patients should improve these outcomes; however, there is scarce literature on this topic. Currently, no study has determined the association of concurrent depression while adjusting for a history of depression or treating depression with antidepressants with cost, survival and adherence to hormone therapy. This study has two objectives: 1) to determine the association of concurrent depression with cost, survival and adherence to hormone therapy adjusting for a history of depression 2) …

Depression Among Pregnant Latinas In South Carolina, Andrew Fogner

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of depression among pregnant Latinas. To bring to light the importance of prenatal depression prevention, we assessed the effect of the quality of healthcare providers among South Carolina Latinas (n=171). Women answered a validated CES-D and were categorized as depressed (score >16). In multivariate analyses, good perception of quality of healthcare was more likely among women who were not depressed; adjusted odds ratio of 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.37 – 1.55. The findings show the need for tailoring healthcare to Latinas with prenatal depression prevention. It is imperative to understand …

Exploring The Association Between Depression And Obesity Among Alzheimer's Patients, Stephanie Clugstone

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that affects elderly individuals, and is becoming an increasing concern among the aging population of the world. Due to the projected increase in incidence of AD, modifiable risk factors such as depression and obesity should be evaluated, as prevention is the only current option. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and depression among AD patients, and to evaluate the association between depression and obesity. Patients were chosen from a subset of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s disease registry, which included information about weight status and depression, as well as several other …

Relationship Between The Experience Of Perceived And Physician Diagnosed Arthritis And The Presence Of Dsm-Iv Criteria-Based Major Depression (Mdd) Among Older, Ryan Neil Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore both positive screened MDD and the perception of being depressed (P) and the likelihood of either increasing if the patient suffered from arthritis (P/E), either perceived or evaluated by a physician. The study explored the univariate, bivariate, and multivariate relationships between MDD and depression (P) to better describe influencing characteristics and their prevalence, as related to MDD and depression (P).

METHODS: The study examined a cross section of patients 65 years and older (n=8,205) within the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NESARC) [2001-02] sponsored by the National Institute …