Psychology Commons^™

Frozen By Worry And Fatigue? A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Freezing Of Gait, Sarah M. Ghose

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a mixed methods emergent, phenomenological approach to (1) understanding the lived experience of freezing of gait for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and (2) determining the role of anxiety and sleep in freezing of gait outcomes. Participants included 13 adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (N=14 for qualitative data, N=13 for quantitative data; 23.1% female-identifying, 76.9% male-identifying) who were predominantly white (92.3%) with an average age of 69 years (SD = 6.73 years). Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, self-report measures, actigraphic sleep data, and salivary alpha amylase biomarker collection. Results are organized into …

Evaluating The Role Of Interoceptive Awareness In Insomnia And Across The Sleep Health Spectrum, Lara Lobrutto

Theses and Dissertations

Interoceptive awareness, characterized by a non-judgmental and trusting attitude towards body sensations, is an understudied construct that is implicated in sleep and health outcomes. Interoceptive awareness is cultivated via contemplative and mindfulness-based practices. Given that it may be utilized to reduce pre-sleep arousal, which is a key mechanism in insomnia, interoceptive awareness is posited to be a protective factor for sleep health. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate university students (N = 420) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to assess the association between interoceptive awareness and sleep outcomes. Participants received a survey link and completed …

Sleep And Health Behaviors In A Safety-Net Primary Care Setting, Sahar Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half of all premature deaths in the United States are attributable to preventable and modifiable health risk behaviors. For decades, the leading behavioral health contributors to morbidity and mortality are tobacco use, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. Medication adherence is a relatively less studied yet critical interrelated health behavior that is tied to health and treatment outcomes. Sleep, an important pillar of health, is a daily and modifiable behavior that shows promise as a health behavior facilitator. Better understanding the dynamics of these modifiable health behaviors is essential for the improvement of health promotion, particularly among underserved populations (e.g., …

Recovery Sleepers: A Pilot Study Of A Sleep Health Intervention For College Students In Recovery From Substance Use Disorder, Morgan P. Reid

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing number of students in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) on college campuses, and collegiate recovery programs have been designed to support students’ recovery and global health needs. However, little research has focused on interventions that can promote health outcomes within this population. Chronic substance misuse can have lingering, negative effects on sleep even after sustained remission; thus, the present paper describes a pilot study of Recovery Sleepers, a sleep health promotion intervention rooted in self-determination theory for college students in recovery from SUD. Study aims were to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the …

Functional Limitations And Well-Being Throughout The Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Role Of Sleep, Claire M. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Functional limitations represent individuals’ difficulty with completing essential activities of daily living, such as sitting, stooping, and walking. Though functional limitations have been linked to lower well-being outcomes, less is known about potential protective factors for well-being in the experience of functional limitations. The present study used archival data from the MIDUS Refresher study to evaluate how sleep and salient aspects of identity may alter the association between the experience of functional limitations and well-being. In particular, this study had two central aims: to examine the associations between functional limitations, life satisfaction, and affect and detect how aspects of identity …

The Association Between Discrimination And Sleep Is Exacerbated In Individuals With Comorbid Chronic Health Conditions, Sarah M. Ghose, Natalie D. Dautovich, Joseph M. Dzierzewski, Sahar M. Sabet, Janna L. Imel, Dana R. Schreiber, Ashley R. Macpherson, Morgan P. Reid

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: The consequences of recurrent, stressful daily experiences for sleep health appear intensified in individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Although discrimination has been associated with sleep outcomes, the role of comorbid chronic health conditions (CCHCs), and impact of perceived discrimination, remains unclear. The present study investigated (1) the associations between daily discrimination and sleep and (2) moderating roles of CCHCs and daily life interference and hardship.

Methods: The current study utilized archival data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study II. Participants, 174 adults (51% female, M_age=57 yrs., SD=11.5 yrs.), completed 7 days of actigraphy, …

Examining Sleep And Family Functioning In Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Nour Al Ghriwati

Theses and Dissertations

Craniopharyngiomas are among the most common brain tumors in children and are associated with greater rates of sleep problems compared to other pediatric cancers. However, research examining sleep among youth with craniopharyngioma has been limited by a reliance on retrospective reports or sleep studies. Families also play a crucial role in children’s adjustment following a pediatric cancer diagnosis, yet remarkably little is known about transactional associations between family functioning and sleep in pediatric cancer. This study examined cross-sectional and daily associations among family functioning, affect, and sleep difficulties for youth with pediatric craniopharyngioma using retrospective reports and ecological momentary assessment …

Pathways Linking Sleep Timing To Obesity In Midlife Women, Dana R. Schreiber

Theses and Dissertations

Midlife women are vulnerable to developing obesity. Both sleep timing and negative emotion are risk factors, yet limited research has explored their role on weight outcomes in this population. The current investigation explored the association of sleep timing (i.e., mean sleep time, sleep time variability) and obesity (i.e., BMI, waist circumference) in midlife women, considering emotional pathways (i.e., depressive symptoms, anger) that might mediate this association. PROCESS parallel mediation models assessed direct and indirect pathways. In follow-up analyses, sleep duration was explored as an indirect pathway linking sleep timing to obesity. Results demonstrated that sleep timing does not directly predict …