Psychology Commons^™

Where I Am From Matters: Factors Influencing Behavioral And Emotional Changes In Autistic Individuals During Covid-19 In Latin America, María Cecilia Montenegro, Ana C. Ramírez, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, Bianca T. Villalobos, Gabriela Garrido, Cecilia Amigo, Daniel Valdez, Natalia Barrios, Sebastián Cukier, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought an increased incidence of disease and mortality in the world at large, making it a particularly salient and stressful life event. For those individuals residing in Latin America, the pandemic was met with fragmented healthcare systems, economic downturn, and sociopolitical crisis which puts autistic individuals at risk for more detrimental outcomes. Behavioral and emotional challenges experienced by autistic individuals at the beginning of the pandemic could later develop into more severe symptomatology as the pandemic progresses. The present study aimed to explore changes in dysregulated (overt and internalizing) behaviors and preoccupation with getting sick during …

The Pathway From Sensory Processing Sensitivity To Physical Health: Stress As A Mediator, Jordan Kenemore, Juliana Chavez, Grant Benham

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) has been proposed as an innate trait associated with differences in the processing and reactivity to internal and external stimuli. To date, there has been limited research on the association between SPS and physical health and only one study examining mediators of this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine psychological stress as a mediator of the SPS-health relationship in a predominately Hispanic sample of 923 adult undergraduates attending university between 2018 and 2020. We identified three SPS factors, each of which were associated with poorer physical health as assessed through two psychometrically validated …

A Psychometric Validation Of The Spanish Translation Of The Coping Inventory In A Latinx Population, Daniela Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Research efforts to comprehend coping strategies in response to stress within the Latinx/Hispanic community have been limited. The inability to effectively cope with stress can lead to physical and mental health problems in adults. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the translated version of a recently developed coping assessment, “The Coping Inventory,” to evaluate its validity among Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals. The results indicate that The Coping Inventory demonstrates reliability and validity among this population. These findings can enhance the measurement of coping strategies within the Latinx/Hispanic community, potentially resulting in improved …

Examining Nonadherence To Family Values And Anxiety In College Latinas, Veronica Paola Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rapidly growing rate of the Latinx population, mental health professionals must concentrate on finding the best treatments for this population. The group of interest for this study is young Latinas in college with anxiety symptoms. There is some research on how anxiety levels are influenced by one important factor: non-adherence to family values, however, it is important to understand what may direct this relationship. What makes this research study different is that we attempted to use family conflict as a mediator in the relationship. Furthermore, we attempted to see if levels of autonomy and emotion dysregulation …

Examining Factors Among People With Opioid Use Disorder And Comorbid Mental Health Disorders, Tori Denae Livingston

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects over two million Americans, and over 42,000 Americans perished of opioid overdoses in 2016 (Volkow et al., 2019). During the initial years of the opioid crisis, overdose deaths were primarily attributed to prescription analgesics, heroin, and synthetic opioids. However, it was illicit prescription opioid painkiller use that ranked highest in terms of fatalities (Volkow et al., 2019). The increasing prevalence of opioid use among individuals with mental health disorders is in stark contrast to the ongoing opioid crisis (Prince, 2019). Additionally, there is evidence that individuals undergoing substance use treatment and concurrently suffering from a …

Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino): Study Protocol, James J. Crowley, Carolina Cappi, Marcos E. Ochoa-Panaifo, Renee M. Frederick, Minjee Kook, Andrew D. Wiese, Diana Rancourt, Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Joseph D. Hovey, Laura D. Seligman

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. Worldwide, its prevalence is ~2% and its etiology is mostly unknown. Identifying biological factors contributing to OCD will elucidate underlying mechanisms and might contribute to improved treatment outcomes. Genomic studies of OCD are beginning to reveal long-sought risk loci, but >95% of the cases currently in analysis are of homogenous European ancestry. If not addressed, this Eurocentric bias will result in OCD genomic findings being more accurate for individuals of European ancestry than other ancestries, thereby contributing to health disparities in potential future applications of genomics. In this study protocol paper, we …

Documenting Working Experiences Of Agricultural Workers In California, Alvaro Medel-Herrero, Natalia Deeb-Sossa, Monica Torreiro-Casal, Martha Shumway, Joseph D. Hovey, Rosemary Sokas

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over 800,000 Latina/o agricultural workers are employed in California every year, of whom approximately 400,000 are estimated to be undocumented immigrants. We convened 19 focus groups (FG) between July 2019 and January 2020 in various regions of California to gather information from Latina/o agricultural workers on social stressors. The participants’ narratives focused extensively on working conditions. This paper analyses these narratives and examines working and living conditions, as well as the combined effect of profound deprivations within most significant social domains. Agricultural workers in California characterise their working conditions as little better than slave labour. Systematic abusive practices and exploitation, …

A Preliminary Timeline Of The Midbrain Development In The Monodelphis Domestica Animal Model, Ismael Perez, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Introduction: The Brazilian short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis Domestica) is an understudied animal model compared to the Mus musculus that has been identified as a perfect candidate to study neurodevelopment (Baggott, L. & Moore, H., 1990). What makes the Monodelphis Domestica a perfect specimen for neurodevelopment is that the embryo develops outside the pouch of the mother providing easy noninvasive access to track changes across different developmental stages (Mate et al., 1994).

Objective: The objective of the study is to compare the area and volume in the development of the Monodelphis’s midbrain across three different developmental stages. Our research is beneficial because …

Sex Differences In Stress Reactivity And Responses To Novelty In The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Alaniz, Nicole Altamirano, Joseph Rafac, Katelynn Renteria, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Investigating how exposures to stress and novel environments influence behavior is important for translational research that aims to improve mental health. Previous studies have focused on reactions to novelty and revealed changes in defense reactions and exploratory behavior. (Pisula et al., 2012).

Objective: The focus of the present study is to investigate sex differences in behavioral responses to novel environments and restraint stress in the gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica). Using the Monodelphis is innovative because it is a non-traditional animal model that is ideal for developmental research.

Methods: Using AnyMaze video tracking software, animals’ behaviors (6 males, 6 …

Psychotropics Prescription In Primary Care, Ruthzaine Lopez Bolano

Research Colloquium

Background: The study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychotropic prescriptions in primary care at four UTRGV clinical sites. Based on the results, this paper serves to inform and educate primary care providers of their current practices and treatment options when diagnosing mental health disorders and prescribing psychotropics.

Methods: This study used EMR data from January to March 2021 in four primary care clinics affiliated with the UT Health RGV system. Primary care patients from January to March 2021 and who were diagnosed with mood disorders (including Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder) were included in this quality improvement study.

Results: …

Sex Differences In Stress Reactivity, Brain Morphology, And Oxytocin In The Hypothalamus Of The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Zacarias, Daniela Rodriguez, Alexandra Chalons, Sasawan Heingraj, Nicole Altamirano, Joseph Rafac, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Understanding the effects of stress on behavior and cognition is important due to its impact on mental health and wellbeing (Schneiderman et al. 2005). Translational animal research can contribute to the development of new treatments that can improve therapeutic outcomes and our understanding of the neurobiology of stress. In the present study, we complement behavioral stress reactivity with immunohistochemical localization of oxytocin in the hypothalamus, a neuropeptide that regulates stress (Neumann & Slattery, 2016). Oxytocin has potential therapeutic use for mental health disorders (Neumann & Slattery, 2016), and the effects of oxytocin seem to be sexually dimorphic (Love, 2018). Using …

The Role Of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In The Associations Between Minority Stressors And Self-Reported Suicide Likelihood In Lgbtq+ Adults., Ines Cano-Gonzalez, Ruby Charak, Roman Ronzon-Tirado, Jorge I. Cantu

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+) report higher rates of suicide-related behaviors when compared to heterosexual cisgender individuals. The minority stress theory proposes that the suicide risk disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals may be explained by the additional exposure to stressors unique to their minority sexual orientation and gender identity. However, less is known about the mechanism of minority stressors and suicide risk among trauma-exposed LGBTQ+ individuals. The present study aimed to explore the role of the International Classification of Diseases, version-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (disturbances in self-organization [DSO] + PTSD) in the associations between …

The Impact Of Biological Sex On Motor Function And Responses To Novel Environments In The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Alaniz, Ismael Perez, Sasawan Heingraj, Katelynn Renteria, Cristian M. Botello, Joseph C. Cantu, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Understanding the different stress reactions in different environments can help us understand stress factors. Studying animal behavior is important for translational research for mental health improvement.

Previous literature has shown that stress is a risk factor for higher cancer incidence and poorer cancer survival. (Klejbor & Turlejski., 2012), as well as mental health outcomes. Understanding of how stress is related to cancer can help improve therapeutic outcomes as preventive measures (Glaser et al., 1987).

Methods: Using the Rota Rod apparatus, 12 animals (3 males, 9 females) were tested at 36 rpm for a maximum of 400 seconds (Madroñal et …

Mind, Body And Race: A Look Into How Implicit Biases Influence The Perception Of Emotion, Faiza Ahmad, Adam Anderson, James Dalton Rounds, Christina Chick, Alize Hill

Research Symposium

Background: Most research examining the effects of implicit race-based biases in emotion perception has focused on the perception of Black faces as being angry. Limited work has been done examining the perception of “approach” emotions such as fear. Furthermore, most studies have predominantly used White subjects. Our study examined the role of implicit racial biases in shaping the perception of both anger and fear in White, Black and Asian participants.

Methods: 78 participants completed a Go/NoGo task in which they were asked to categorize different race faces as portraying either anger or fear. Participants would be asked to press the …

From Bench To Bedside: Bridging The Gap Between Animal Behavior Research And The Study Of Human Personality And Psychopathology, William Reckley, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Most psychopathology focuses on the current mental picture of an individual with some including relations to the past experience. One problem with the biomedical studies of psychopathologies is the difficulty in using animals to describe and model these mental states in humans. This difficult task has been confounded by the inability to classify animals in a way that will provide general models that will allow better translation to hypotheses in humans. Therefore, the present investigation explores statistical/research strategies to organize variables using lab animals to facilitate the translation of this information to humans.

Methods: Factor analysis/PCA was used to …

A Neurodevelopmental Perspective To Improve Innovation In Preventive Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders, Ismael Perez, John Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Midbrain dopaminergic neurons have been associated with substance use disorders (Blaess & Ang, 2015). Understanding their neurodevelopment during early stages of life is fundamental for innovating preventive care treatments. The animal model Monodelphis domestica has been proposed as an excellent candidate to study neurodevelopmental changes due to the ease of access to see changes in their embryonic development (Mate et al., 1994). The purpose of our study is to inform how brain cells, including and especially dopaminergic neurons, mature by quantifying their number during early development. Additionally, the study aims to compare different midbrain areas and track neurodevelopmental changes …

Residential Treatment Of Substance Use Disorder And Related Comorbidities In Older Adults, Dale J. Dyben

Research Symposium

Purpose: Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are a leading contributor to health problems and premature mortality in the United States. Stigma and misconceptions about persons with SUD contribute to negative outcomes. The misconception that older adults do not suffer from severe SUD has contributed to a paucity of treatment options that meet the unique needs this population.

Description: The Center for Older Adult Recovery (COAR) at Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, Florida provides a model for residential treatment of older 65 and older with severe SUD and related medical and mental health comorbidities. Older adults who meet DSM-V diagnostic …

The Impact Of Social Isolation On The Neural Pathways Of Dopamine Neurons In The Ventral Tegmental Area (Vta) And The Nucelus Accumbens (Nac): Implications For The Treatment Of Depression, Anxiety, And Drug Addiction., Cristian M. Botello, Sasawan Heingraj, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

As the literature on the Monodelphis domestica continues to grow, it is important to contribute to the knowledge base regarding neural pathways and their role in social behavior in this species. Previous studies have provided evidence that increased activity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons were associated with more social activity in mice. It is also known that in traditional rodent models, the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) is implicated in interaction reward processes like motivation; however, more research is needed to elucidate the role of the NAcc in social behavior of the M. domestica. The present study was designed …

Lgbtq+ Identity-Related Abuse During Childhood And Associations With Depression And Suicide Behavior: Role Of Adulthood Cisheterosexism And Expressive Suppression, Ruby Charak, Ines Cano-Gonzalez, Roman Ronzon-Tirado, Rachel M. Schmitz, Jennifer Tabler, Sidsel Karsberg, Ayleen Flores, Julian D. Ford

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Exposure to minority stressors specific to LGBTQ+ individuals, such as heterosexism and cissexism (or cisheterosexism) is not covered under the traditional adverse childhood experiences framework. This is important because childhood identity-related abuse by a parent/caregiver can lead to mental health challenges in later life through the adoption of maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the role of cisheterosexism and expressive suppression as serial mediators in the associations between identity-related abuse and depressive symptoms and suicide behavior.

Participants and setting: Participants included 563 LGBTQ+ identifying adults between 18 and 64 years (M = 30.02, SD = …

How Did Latinxs Near The U.S.-Mexico Border Fare During The Covid-19 Pandemic? A Snapshot Of Anxiety, Depression, And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Bianca T. Villalobos, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: The current study documented levels of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and COVID-19 fears and impacts among Latinxs living near the U.S.-Mexico border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants of this cross-sectional study were 305 Latinx adults living in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) who completed an online survey between June and November 2020.

Results: About half of participants scored above the cut-off for anxiety (50.2%; GAD-7 scores ≥10) and depression (48.8%; PHQ-9 scores ≥10), and more than a quarter of participants showed clinical levels of posttraumatic stress (27.3%; PCL-5 scores ≥31). Latinxs reported on average 22 types of negative …

Psychometric Properties Of The Revised Children’S Anxiety And Depression Scale (Rcads) For Autistic Youth Without Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability, Nasim Khalfe, Amy R. Goetz, Erika S. Trent, Andrew G. Guzick, Orri Smarason, Minjee Kook, Sean Olsen, Ana C. Ramirez, Saira A. Weinzimmer, Leandra Berry

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Autistic youth often present with comorbid anxiety and depression yet there is a dearth of validated assessment tools. The Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) assesses internalizing symptoms but there is little psychometric data in autistic youth. Treatment-seeking autistic youth with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms (N = 74; age 6–14 years), and caregivers, were administered the RCADS-Parent, RCADS-Child, and assessments of internalizing, externalizing symptoms and social impairment indicative of autism. RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child total anxiety scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the six subscales demonstrated acceptable-to-good internal consistency. The RCADS-Child and Parent total anxiety scores were weakly …

Latino Men’S Barriers And Obstacles Towards Treatment Seeking Attitudes, Rebecca Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

There is a drastic difference in the number of Latino men utilizing mental healthcare as only 24 percent of Latino men with a severe mental illness ever receive treatment. Previous research has revealed stigma and attitudes are important factors in the help seeking process, but with limited Latino participants. The current study gathered survey data from Latino male university students about their levels of stigma, attitudes towards both tele – health and in person counseling, perceived barriers and benefits, treatment history, and current levels of depression. It was revealed that in contrast to previous studies, Latino men’s social stigma is …

Editorial: Implementation Of Evidence-Based Treatments For Child Anxiety And Related Disorders Across Diverse Contexts, Emily M. Becker-Haimes, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, Courtney Benjamin Wolk

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Youth anxiety and related disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, are prevalent (1), and on the rise (2). Ensuring that anxious youth receive timely and evidence-based treatment is critical; left untreated, these disorders are predictive of a host of future negative outcomes including continued or worsening anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide (3–8). Unfortunately, it can take 15 years or more after a problem is recognized for someone with an anxiety or related disorder to connect with evidence-based psychosocial care, and most youth with anxiety who seek treatment will …

Strengths And Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum In The United States, Frances Morales, Kathleen Hawkins, Danielle Gonzalez, Alexander Garcia, Sita G. Patel, Alfonso Mercado

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the experiences of immigrant parents seeking asylum in the United States after recently fleeing the Northern Triangle region of Central America, attending both to the traumatic events and the strengths that mitigate this experience. The study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the experiences of 51 parents after being processed by U.S. immigration officials for seeking asylum. Quantitative analyses measured trauma exposure and psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as religiosity, dispositional optimism, and perceived quality of life. Qualitative analyses examined migratory experiences more deeply. Quantitative findings suggest that participants displayed high levels …

The Underrepresentation Of Latinx Students In The Professional Dissemination Of Psychology Research, Scott D. Frankowski, Megann Hawley, Shakira Hernandez, Nazanin M. Heydarian

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Latinx students are well represented among undergraduate psychology majors. However, there is an underrepresentation of Latinxs in psychology graduate programs, among faculty, and licensed practitioners. This underrepresentation is evidence of a leaky pipeline of attrition among Latinx psychology students from bachelor to postbachelor career tracks. The present research investigates one point of this leaky pipeline—research activity and professional dissemination of research. We used public data sets and surname matching to compare Latinx student representation at a regional psychology conference to Latinx enrollment and psychology degree completions at colleges and universities represented at the conference. We found consistent evidence of Latinx …

A Target Sequential Effect On The Forced-Choice Prime Visibility Test In Unconscious Priming Studies: A Caveat For Researchers, Shen Tu, Jun Li, Simin Wan, Dingding Wang, Jerwen Jou, Yingjuan Liu, Yidan Ma

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In unconscious priming studies, most researchers adopt a combination of subjective and objective measures to assess the visibility of the prime. Although some carry out the visibility test at the end of the experiment separately from the unconscious priming task, others suggest that the forced-choice visibility test should be conducted immediately after the response to the target within each trial. In the present study, the influence of prime and target on the forced-choice prime discrimination was assessed within each trial. The results showed that the target affected the response in the forced-choice prime visibility test. Participants tended to make the …

Do Cognition And Emotion Matter? A Study Of Covid-19 Vaccination Decision-Making In College Students, Nien-Tsu Nancy Chen, Kimmy Kee, Bianca T. Villalobos, Miriam Ortiz, Hyesun Lee

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The unparalleled speed of COVID-19 vaccine development has necessitated an expansion of existing knowledge on vaccination decision-making. The current study explored (1) how cognitions and emotions shaped college students’ COVID-19 vaccination decisions, and (2) where vaccination-inclined and vaccination-hesitant students converged and diverged in their decision-making process. Seventy-seven students participated in 26 focus groups to discuss their complex thoughts and feelings regarding COVID-19 vaccination, offering a more nuanced understanding of COVID-19 vaccination decision-making that has not been fully captured by quantitative studies. Thematic analysis found that vaccination-inclined participants and their hesitant counterparts reported differential patterns of positive and negative emotions, systematic …

Psychological Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Hispanic Sample: Testing The Buffering Role Of Resilience And Perceived Social Support, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon, Elizabeth N. Hernandez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the effects of specific COVID-19 stressors (i.e., family member’s death due to COVID-19, COVID-19 infection, and school/financial stressors) on stress, anxiety, and depression and the potential buffering roles of resilience and perceived social support in the association between COVID-19 stressors and psychological symptoms in a Hispanic university student sample (n = 664). Participants were classified in three stressor groups: those reporting a family member’s death due to COVID-19 (15.7%), those reporting their own or a family member’s COVID-19 infection but no COVID-19 death (35.5%), and those reporting only school and/or financial stressors due to the …

Self-Perceived Stigma Of Caregivers With Children On The Autism Spectrum In Latin America, Leah Michelle Jara

Theses and Dissertations

With the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continuing to spread along with limited knowledge on the disorder’s service accessibility, many caregivers are required to care for lifelong obligations, often at the sake of their own mental, physiological, and emotional health. This study aimed to explore self-perceived stigmas of caregivers in Latin America based on predictors including demographics, severity, and type of healthcare coverage. Participants included 2483 caregivers in Latin America who completed a survey targeting the challenges, priorities, barriers to care, and stigma they face caring for an individual with autism. Findings showed that age had a weak inverse …

Parental Well-Being And Children’S Internalizing Symptoms During The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In The United States, Diana Duran

Theses and Dissertations

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders in the U.S., many parents of school-age children faced new challenges, such increased child-care demands (Adams, 2021). Prime et al. (2020) theorized these negative pandemic impacts would decrease parents' well-being and thereby impact children's psychological adjustment. This study hypothesized that higher number of negative pandemic impacts would predict worsened stress and relationship satisfaction levels among parents, and that this would in turn predict worsened child internalizing symptoms. 595 U.S. parents of school-age children were recruited online during May 2020. Higher number of negative pandemic impacts predicted worsened parents' stress and relationship …