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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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- Depression (7)
- Autism (6)
- Cortisol (6)
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- Assessment (4)
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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social Motivation Is Associated With Elevated Salivary Cortisol In Boys With An Asd, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Social Motivation Is Associated With Elevated Salivary Cortisol In Boys With An Asd, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Vicki Bitsika
Because social communication difficulties and stress are common in children with an ASD, and because it has been hypothesised that the two are related, the association between these two variables was investigated in a sample of 90 boys with an ASD and who were aged between 6 years and 12 years of age. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was completed by the parents of these boys about their sons, plus salivary cortisol samples were collected from the boys. Results indicated that only one aspect of the boys' SRS was significantly correlated with cortisol—Social Motivation (SM). Factor analyses revealed two discrete …
Measuring Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Does The Scale Used Make A Difference?, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, Myra Hunter
Measuring Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Does The Scale Used Make A Difference?, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, Myra Hunter
Vicki Bitsika
This study investigated differences in the scores, relative severity and major depressive disorder (MDD) and subsyndromal depression status from three standardised self-report scales for depression in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression subscale (HADS-D), the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression were administered to a sample of 138 PCa patients via mail-out self-reports in Queensland, Australia during May 2014. Despite significant correlations between the total scores from the three scales, severity classification differed across the three scales and there was evidence of considerable underestimation of depression by the HADS-D …
Age-Related Differences In The Association Between Stereotypic Behaviour And Salivary Cortisol In Young Males With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Age-Related Differences In The Association Between Stereotypic Behaviour And Salivary Cortisol In Young Males With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Vicki Bitsika
To identify if age influenced the relationship between one of the central symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and physiological stress, the association between stereotypic behaviour (SB) and stress-related cortisol concentrations was examined in a sample of 150 young males with an ASD. Parent-rated SB was significantly correlated with cortisol concentrations for boys aged 6 years to 12 years but not for adolescents aged 13 years to 18 years. This age-related difference in this association was not a function of cortisol concentrations but was related to differences in SB across these two age groups. IQ did not have a significant …
Which Aspects Of Sensory Features Are Associated With Elevated Cortisol Concentrations In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew, Richard Mills
Which Aspects Of Sensory Features Are Associated With Elevated Cortisol Concentrations In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew, Richard Mills
Vicki Bitsika
Difficulties in Sensory Features (SF) have been included in the most recent diagnostic processes for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are more common in children with an ASD than their non-ASD peers. In addition, these difficulties with SF have been suggested as causing elevated stress and concentrations of salivary cortisol in young people with an ASD. However, previous studies have not examined the specific aspects of SF that are associated with elevated cortisol and that was the focus of this study with 135 boys with an ASD aged 6–18 years. The boys’ mothers assessed their sons’ SF with the Sensory …
Differences In The Prevalence, Severity And Symptom Profiles Of Depression In Boys And Adolescents With An Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Normally Developing Controls, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Differences In The Prevalence, Severity And Symptom Profiles Of Depression In Boys And Adolescents With An Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Normally Developing Controls, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika
The prevalence, severity and symptom profiles for major depressive disorder (MDD) were compared in samples of boys and adolescents with and without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Self-reports were obtained on the Depression subscale of the Child and Adolescent Symptoms Inventory (CASI-D) with 70 ASD and 50 non-ASD male participants between the ages of 8 and 18 from Queensland, Australia who were matched for age and IQ. Results indicated that the ASD participants had significantly higher total CASI-D scores, a greater proportion of participants who qualified for a diagnosis of MDD, and over 50% higher scores for 8 of the …
Eight-Month Test-Retest Agreement In Morning Salivary Cortisol, Self- And Parent-Rated Anxiety In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Eight-Month Test-Retest Agreement In Morning Salivary Cortisol, Self- And Parent-Rated Anxiety In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Linda Agnew, Nicholas Andronicos
Vicki Bitsika
The agreement over time in morning salivary cortisol concentrations and also self- and parent-rated anxiety was investigated in a sample of 16 boys with an ASD. Cortisol and anxiety data were collected eight months apart. Results indicated that there were significant correlations between each pair of measures from the two occasions, suggesting that cortisol concentrations and anxiety did not vary much at all over that time, challenging the assumption that cortisol needs to be measured over multiple days to obtain reliable data from children with an ASD. Implications for research into the ways these children respond to chronic stressors are …
Agreement Between Self- Vs Parent-Ratings Of General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms And Salivary Cortisol In Boys With An Asd, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew
Agreement Between Self- Vs Parent-Ratings Of General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms And Salivary Cortisol In Boys With An Asd, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew
Vicki Bitsika
To determine the relative validity of parent-assessed and self-assessed symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in boys with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 140 boys with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were assessed for GAD by their parents and by themselves, and gave a sample of cortisol during the afternoon of these assessments. There were significant differences between self-assessments and parents’ assessments for the total GAD score and on four of the eight individual GAD symptoms. Using cortisol concentrations as a validation index, the two key GAD items were most validly assessed via boys’ self-ratings. Key GAD symptoms in boys …
Researching Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Factors, Timing, And Measures., Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, James Denham, Gillian Duchesne, Jeremy Couper
Researching Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Factors, Timing, And Measures., Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, James Denham, Gillian Duchesne, Jeremy Couper
Vicki Bitsika
Background: Due to the pressing need to understand the causal and associative factors of depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients, a comprehensive research protocol for investigating depression in prostate cancer patients is suggested as a way of furthering the collection of data in consistent and informative ways. Methods: A detailed review of a range of predictors of, and buffers against, depression, plus methods of assessing depressive symptomatology and optimum time to collect data were used to develop a model for a comprehensive research protocol. Results: A model protocol is described that includes socioeconomic, genetic, endocrinal, immunological, physiological, psychological, relationship, and …
Experiences Of Australian Siblings Of An Individual With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli
Experiences Of Australian Siblings Of An Individual With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli
Vicki Bitsika
The experiences of 75 non-Autism Spectrum Disorder (NASD) children and adolescents who had a sibling with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were investigated. Differences were found according to age and gender for issues such as amount of time spent with their sibling and access to parents. Having a younger sibling with an ASD was associated with a lower level of confidence in being able to live their lives as they wished. Female NASD participants commented that their lives were more influenced than male NASD participants. About half of all NASD participants reported inconsistencies in family rule adherences and parental expectation.
Measuring Individual Burden Of Illness For Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Measuring Individual Burden Of Illness For Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Objective: This study aims to develop and test three potential models of Individual Burden of Illness for Depression (IBI-D) in prostate cancer patients. Methods: Responses to three sets of scales measuring depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and quality of life satisfaction were collected from 191 prostate cancer patients and analysed via principal components analysis to obtain weightings for each of the scales within the three sets of measures. These weightings were then used to form IBI-D Indices, and these were then compared with depressive symptoms alone for their overlap. Results: Single-factor solutions were found for each of the three IBI-D models, …
The Influence Of Gender, Age, Psychological Resilience And Family Interaction Factors Upon Anxiety And Depression In Non-Autism Spectrum Disorder Siblings Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli
The Influence Of Gender, Age, Psychological Resilience And Family Interaction Factors Upon Anxiety And Depression In Non-Autism Spectrum Disorder Siblings Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli
Vicki Bitsika
The influence of gender, age, Psychological resilience and family interaction factors upon generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) was investigated in 75 non-autism spectrum disorder (NASD) siblings who had a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GAD and MDD were much more prevalent than in comparable age group samples, and adolescent females had the highest MDD rates. Several Psychological resilience skills were significantly associated with lower GAD and MDD, particularly being able to recognise mistakes in their thinking (for children) and being able to remain in control of their anger (for adolescents). Suggestions are …
Understanding, Experiences, And Reactions To Bullying Experiences In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Understanding, Experiences, And Reactions To Bullying Experiences In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika
Most previous studies of bullying in young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have relied on data from adults’ rather than the person with an ASD themselves, thus limiting our understanding of the bullying experience from the child’s perspective. To investigate this issue, 48 high-functioning boys with an ASD, and their mothers, completed an online questionnaire about various aspects of bullying. There were some minor discrepancies between mothers’ and their sons’ reported frequency of bullying. Boys demonstrated an understanding of the behaviour that constitutes bullying that was consistent with the wider literature, enhancing the validity of their responses about …
Variability In Depressive Symptoms Of Cognitive Deficit And Cognitive Bias During The First 2 Years After Diagnosis In Australian Men With Prostate Cancer, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Variability In Depressive Symptoms Of Cognitive Deficit And Cognitive Bias During The First 2 Years After Diagnosis In Australian Men With Prostate Cancer, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
The incidence and contribution to total depression of the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit and cognitive bias in prostate cancer (PCa) patients were compared from cohorts sampled during the first 2 years after diagnosis. Survey data were collected from 394 patients with PCa, including background information, treatments, and disease status, plus total scores of depression and scores for subscales of the depressive symptoms of cognitive bias and cognitive deficit via the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The sample was divided into eight 3-monthly time-since-diagnosis cohorts and according to depression severity. Mean scores for the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit were significantly …
Differences In Major Depressive Disorder And Generalised Anxiety Disorder Symptomatology Between Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Hormone Therapy And Those Who Are Not, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Addie Wootten, David Christie
Differences In Major Depressive Disorder And Generalised Anxiety Disorder Symptomatology Between Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Hormone Therapy And Those Who Are Not, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Addie Wootten, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the associations between hormone treatment variables and depression, and the nature of depression in prostate cancer (PCa) patients by comparing the severity and symptom profile of anxiety and depression in men who were currently receiving hormone therapy (HT) versus those who were not. Method: Self-reports of anxiety and depression on standardized scales of GAD and major depressive disorder (MDD) were collected from 156 PCa patients across two recruitment sites in Australia. Patients who were currently receiving HT were compared with patients not receiving HT for their severity and symptom profiles on …
Variation In The Profile Of Anxiety Disorders In Boys With An Asd According To Method And Source Of Assessment, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Variation In The Profile Of Anxiety Disorders In Boys With An Asd According To Method And Source Of Assessment, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika
To determine any variation that might occur due to the type of assessment and source used to assess them, the prevalence of 7 anxiety disorders were investigated in a sample of 140 boys with an Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 50 non-ASD (NASD) boys via the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory and the KIDSCID Clinical Interview. Boys with an ASD were significantly more anxious than their NASD peers. Data collected from the boys with an ASD themselves showed differences in the severity and diagnostic criterion of anxiety disorders to data collected from the boys’ parents. There were age-related variations to …
Predictors Of Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: A Comparison Of Psychological Resilience Versus Pre-Existing Anxiety And Depression, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Addie Wootten, David Christie
Predictors Of Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: A Comparison Of Psychological Resilience Versus Pre-Existing Anxiety And Depression, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, Addie Wootten, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Background: Previous anxiety and depression can influence current anxiety and depression, and psychological resilience may be a buffer against current anxiety and depression. However, despite the relevance of these two sets of predictors of anxiety and depression, and their potential in treatment planning, no reports have been published on their role in post-diagnosis anxiety and depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the roles of these predictors in a sample of men with prostate cancer. Method: Retrospective self-reports of anxiety and depression for how they were before receiving their diagnosis of PCa and at the …
Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Daily Fluctuation, Anxiety And Age Interact To Predict Cortisol Concentrations In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew
Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Daily Fluctuation, Anxiety And Age Interact To Predict Cortisol Concentrations In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Nicholas Andronicos, Linda Agnew
Vicki Bitsika
There is considerable evidence of a confound between symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children who have an ASD. Although there have been several attempts to describe how these two disorders overlap and interact to influence the assessment and diagnosis of children with an ASD, principally by reference to cortisol assayed from these children's saliva, the overall evidence is inconsistent. Because previous models of these relationships have focused upon cortisol and GAD to the exclusion of age, diurnal fluctuation in the HPA axis and the source of GAD data, these variables were examined in …