Digital Commons Network^™

Long-Term Assessment Of The Effects Of Covid-19 And Isolation Care On Survivor Disability And Anxiety, David Brett-Major, David S. Cates, James V. Lawler, Chad Vokoun, Angela L. Hewlett, Daniel W. Johnson, Elizabeth R. Schnaubelt, Michael C. Wadman, Christopher J. Kratochvil, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

We conducted an assessment of disability, anxiety, and other life impacts of COVID-19 and isolation care in a unique cohort of individuals. These included both community admissions to a university hospital as well as some of the earliest international aeromedical evacuees. Among an initial 16 COVID-19 survivors that were interviewed 6-12 months following their admission into isolation care, perception of their isolation care experience was related to their reporting of long-term consequences. However, anxiety and disability assessed with standard scores had no relationship with each other. Both capture of the isolation care experience and caution relying on single scoring systems …

The Effect Of Therapeutic Music Playlists On Symptoms Of Anxiety: A Clinical Trial, Katie A. Bautch

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This is a pilot study examining the comparative effectiveness of self-administered therapeutic playlists in the treatment of anxiety symptoms. Interventions examined during this study include the musical contour regulation playlist (MCR-P) and a one-directional mood vectoring playlist (MV-P). Measures included the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and a Likert-type scale for participants to rate their pre- to post-listening levels of anxiety. At the conclusion of the study, participants took part in an interview which were analyzed for data that could help inform for whom the MCR-P intervention would be best suited. Both interventions discussed in this study are grounded …

Ambivalence Over Emotion Expression And The Effects Of Religious Coping In African American Christians, Anya Loraine Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are 10% more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report having serious mental health issues from psychological stressors. Mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety, that arise from psychological stressors, are more than likely to go untreated in African Americans. African Americans are more likely to turn to religion- their church, their pastors, and fellow parishioners to address these concerns. Religion and religious coping has influenced African Americans’ attitudes regarding help-seeking and mental health treatment, with the “Black Church” historically being a source of many things, including mental health care. Pargament’s theory of religious coping served as a …

Qualitative Exploration Of Catholic Church Leaders’ Perspectives Regarding Counseling Parishioners With Anxiety, Amy Lynn Polster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research addressing the mental health literacy of Roman Catholic clergy in their job as spiritual counselors for parishioners with anxiety. Devout individuals struggling with fear- or worry-driven anxiety often call on divine assistance for help as a frontline defense. Anxiety is a leading mental health problem, disturbing about 40 million U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 years. This study explored the mental health literacy perceptions of six Catholic clergy leaders and their awareness of fear- or worry-based anxiety, drawing upon the concept of the triune brain and using evolutionary threat assessment systems theory as a theoretical foundation. …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Integrative Group Medical Visits For Low-Income Patients With Anxiety Disorders In Primary Care, Annamma Udaya Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High utilization of the emergency department (ED) by patients with anxiety symptoms has brought attention to mental health access disparities among low-income racially/ethnically diverse populations. The health system in this study attempted to increase access to mental health care with integrative group medical visits (IGMVs), a nonpharmacological intervention with biomedical care consultation, health education, and peer support. The purpose of this retrospective comparative analysis, guided by integrative health equity in primary care framework, was to determine whether patients with diagnoses of anxiety who attended four or more IGMVs had reduced nonemergent ED utilization, reduced prescribed doses of benzodiazepine (BZD), and …

Emotional Support Dogs’ Effects On Anxiety, Depression, And Somatization In Elementary Students, Truman Arthur James Spring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the last few decades, there has been an ever-increasing clinical role for trained emotional support dogs (ESD) and their trained therapists in hospitals, courtrooms, and schools. More recently, within the last 5 years, there has been a prevalent trend toward introducing ESDs into schools, which has created an ongoing controversy about the legitimacy of this practice due to the lack of objective data and research on the topic. In this study, archival data analysis was conducted using data from 68 students with elevated scores for anxiety, depression, or somatization, 34 of which were in the treatment group and the …

Wellbeing Of Breastfeeding Women In Australia And New Zealand During The Covid‐19 Pandemic: A Cross‐Sectional Study, Vanessa S. Sakalidis, Alethea Rea, Sharon L. Perrella, Jacki Mceachran, Grace Collis, Jennifer Miraudo, Stuart A. Prosser, Lisa Y. Gibson, Desiree Silva, Donna T. Geddes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, breastfeeding women have experienced restricted access to support, placing them at increased risk of mental health concerns and limited breastfeeding assistance. This study investigated the effect of the pandemic on feeding choices and maternal well-being amongst breastfeeding mothers living in Australian and New Zealand. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that examined feeding methods, maternal mental wellbeing, worries, challenges, and positive experiences during the pandemic. Most women were exclusively breastfeeding (82%). Partial breastfeeding was associated with perceived low milk supply and longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic. Reduced mental health and wellbeing was associated with lower …

Prospective Evaluation Of Association Between Negative Emotions And Heart Failure Symptom Severity, Kyoung Suk Lee, Terry A. Lennie, Debra K. Moser

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Prior studies of symptoms in heart failure (HF) were largely cross-sectional and symptoms were measured using retrospective recall. Because negative emotions influence information processing, retrospective symptom reports by patients with depressive symptoms and anxiety may be biased. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in patterns of symptom changes, measured prospectively, over 15 days by levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety.

Methods: HF patients (N=52) rated daily symptom severity for shortness of breath (SOB), fatigue, sleep disturbance, and edema over 15 days on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Patients were grouped into higher vs …

Prevalence Of Depression And Anxiety Symptoms Of High School Students In Shandong Province During The Covid-19 Epidemic, Zeng Zhang, Ailing Zhai, Mingchuan Yang, Junqing Zhang, Haotian Zhou, Chuanming Yang, Shanshan Duan, Cong Zhou

Faculty and Student Publications

© Copyright © 2020 Zhang, Zhai, Yang, Zhang, Zhou, Yang, Duan and Zhou. Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) has brought physical risks as well as psychological challenges to the whole world. High school students are a special group suffering from both the academic pressure and the threat of the epidemic. The present study aims to conduct an online survey to investigate the psychological status of high school students in Shandong Province. Methods: Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, data was collected from 1,018 voluntary high school students assessed with demographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 …

Effects Of Chronic Stress On Anxiety-Like Behavior And Fear Learning In The Tgf344-Ad Rat Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel James Bouquin

Psychology ETDs

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to severe cognitive and functional impairments. Many AD patients also exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as anxiety and prior to the clinical diagnosis of dementia. The prodromal manifestation of NPS is highly prevalent among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the co-occurrence of preclinical NPS and MCI is associated with an increased risk of developing AD. Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress can result in behavioral disturbances (e.g., anxiety) and accelerated global cognitive decline. Importantly, AD patients exhibit altered stress systems and AD-related neuropathology has been linked to …

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Transcriptional Expression Of Stress And Tlr4-Related Immune Signaling Factors In The Brain Following Early Life Stress, Chaselyn D. Ruffaner-Hanson

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Background: Depression and anxiety disorders, believed to be caused by stress-related neuropeptides and pro-inflammatory molecules in the brain, are prevalent comorbidities of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Methods: Brain tissue was collected following a 4-hour maternal separation stress during the early postnatal period, postnatal days 10 and 12, from mice subjected to 1^st and 2^nd trimester prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that PAE leads to glucocorticoid receptor insensitivity, stress molecule overexpression, and potentiated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway inflammatory responses in the brain following early life stress.

Results: PAE and stress increased mRNA expression of TLR4 …

The Effect Of Language Learning Experience On Motivation And Anxiety Of Foreign Language Learning Students, Josie Eileen Thacker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how motivation and anxiety within learners studying a foreign language are affected by a participant's language requirement (whether a participant has a language requirement as part of their education), language class level, and language learning environment (those with traditional classroom verses significant in- country experience). The current study surveyed and analyzed the responses of 124 students currently enrolled in a language class at Brigham Young University. Self- reported survey results demonstrate the relationship between motivation and anxiety with relation to language class level, language learning experience, and language requirement fulfillment. Further analyses …

Are Countries With Higher Levels Of Mental Health Cases Experience Higher Divorce Rates?, Liu Ying Wong, Yi Pei Goh

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

This paper aims to determine if spouses’ mental health can be a factor affecting the divorce rate of marriage. A regression analysis is carried out to determine how the percentage of mental health cases in a country’s population affects the divorce rates of a country, while controlling the effects of labour force participation and income. The data from the selected 20 countries are collected from reputable world organizations selected. The results obtained from the regression analysis show that mental health has a marginally significant association with divorce rate and the association between income index and divorce rate is statistically significant.

Out Of Mind: Undergraduate Predictors Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, Michael S. Lanzaro

Honors Theses

Demographic factors associated with anxiety have been studied extensively and are often characterized by interconnected relationships. These associations between variables provide insight into the predictive ability of anxiety in undergraduate populations. However, few studies if any have investigated the relationships between class level, sex, honors status, and undergraduate specialization as predictors of anxiety among an undergraduate American university sample. The results of this study provide key insight into the psychopathological development of undergraduate students and anxiety levels as it pertains to academic and demographic variables. By using a multiple linear regression analysis, demographic variables of American undergraduate students are compared …

Counseling Adolescents With Chronic Physical Chronic Conditions, Holly Dwyer

Counselor Education Capstones

The following paper will address the counseling considerations of children and adolescents who have physical chronic conditions. Mental health counselors must be aware of specific needs for this population including co-occurring mental health disorders, impacts of primary identifiers, and suggestions for implementing a biopsychosocial approach to counseling, which includes both cognitive behavioral and existential interventions.

Understanding The Significance Of Virtual Support During Global Pandemic In Young Adults Diagnosed With Hepatitis C, Veronika Arkhipova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. In recent years, the prevalence of hepatitis C infections among 20 and 30 years of age has increased by 300 percent, and between 30 and 39 years by 400 percent. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, people diagnosed with Hepatitis C have lost access to mental health services and resources, including in-person meetings with support groups. Since most states enforced stay-at-home order, many community centers, non-profit organizations that work with Hepatitis C patients and the affected population provide limited to no access to support group meetings …

Medicine And Surgery Residents' Perspectives On The Impact Of Covid-19 On Graduate Medical Education., Tanvi Rana, Christopher Hackett, Timothy Quezada, Abhishek Chaturvedi, Veli Bakalov, Jody Leonardo, Sandeep Rana

COVID-19 Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The COVID-19 crisis has had an unprecedented impact on resident education and well-being: social distancing guidelines have limited patient volumes and forced virtual learning, while personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, school/daycare closures, and visa restrictions have served as additional stressors. Our study aimed to analyze the effects of COVID-19 crisis-related stressors on residents' professional and personal lives. In April 2020, we administered a survey to residents at a large academic hospital system in order to assess the impact of the pandemic on residency training after >6 weeks of a modified schedule. The primary outcome was to determine which factors or …

Investigating The Psychological Impact Of Covid-19 Among Healthcare Workers: A Meta-Analysis, Kavita Batra, Tejinder Pal Singh, Manoj Sharma, Ravi Batra, Nena Schvaneveldt

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Previous meta-analyses were conducted during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, which utilized a smaller pool of data. The current meta-analysis aims to provide additional (and updated) evidence related to the psychological impact among healthcare workers. The search strategy was developed by a medical librarian and bibliographical databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for studies examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of healthcare workers. Articles were screened by three reviewers. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model …

Effect Of Aerobic Exercises On Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, Self-Esteem, And Quality Of Life Among Adults With Depression, Udatha Thirupathi Rao, Judith Angelitta Noronha, Kasturi Adiga

Open Access archive

Depression impacts on daily living activities of depressive patients. Patients suffering with mental disorders also show impairment in their Quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercises on depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-esteem, and quality of life among adults suffering from depression. Methods: Participants (N = 80) were assigned to the experimental group (40), received the aerobic exercises along with medication and control group (40), received the medication only. The intervention was carried out over a period of 8 weeks with the intervention group performing the exercise for 3 days a week. Results: The mean age of the …

Sex Differences In Self-Report Anxiety And Sleep Quality During Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders, Jeremy Bigalke, Ian Greenlund, Jason R. Carter

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Background: COVID-19 and home isolation has impacted quality of life, but the perceived impact on anxiety and sleep remains equivocal. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders on self-report anxiety and sleep quality, with a focus on sex differences. We hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic would be associated with increased anxiety and decreased sleep quality, with stronger associations in women. Methods: One hundred three participants (61 female, 38 ± 1 years) reported perceived changes in anxiety and sleep quality due to stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic and were administered the Spielberger …

The Impact Of A Christian Accommodated Mindfulness Protocol On Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Spiritual Well-Being, And Attachment To God, Tonya Thompson Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Best practices require those who work in the counseling field to ensure sensitivity to cultural norms and preferences among clients. While considering appropriate therapeutic interventions and treatment protocols, it is imperative that counselors remain aware of the personal beliefs of their clients. Thus, accommodating treatments to incorporate clients’ religious preferences seeks to enhance the effectiveness and provide the greatest benefit to each client as an individual. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a Christian accommodated mindfulness (CAM) protocol in a Christian sample and provide further evidence of the impact of Christian accommodated mindfulness protocol by …

Mental Health During Emerging Adulthood: The Role Of Differentiation Of Self And Social Comparison Orientation Using Social Media, Kayla Lloyd Wenth

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is a prevalent health concern for emerging adults and the top concern for those seeking mental health treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the features of emerging adulthood (i.e., identity exploration, feelings of optimism about possibilities, instability, selfocus, and feeling in-between), which may be predictive of anxiety symptoms, as well as explore factors (i.e., differentiation of self and social comparison orientation using social media), which may intensify or lessen the anxiety symptoms. The study sample included 598 emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 25. The results of this study suggested that identity exploration, instability, …

The Relationship Between Self-Focus And Anxiety, Katie Leutzinger, Leah Reyna, Carissa L. Philippi

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Researchers have linked self-focus with multiple psychological disorders and forms of maladaptive cognition, such as anxiety and depression. Throughout their lifetime, around 33% of U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, making it the most prevalent mental illness in the country. Anxiety symptoms often co-occur with depressive symptoms, therefore depression and anxiety are often consolidated together in research scenarios. Past studies have shown a positive correlation between negative self-focus and depressive symptoms. However, with anxiety prevalence on the rise, it is worthy of attention independent from depression. This study will look at the relationship between anxiety and negative self-focus. Previous …

The Impact Of Using Computerized Games On Anxiety, Pleasure, Motivation And Self-Perception Of The Female Students In The Sixth Grade In The Schools Of Tubas When Learning Mathematics, Amal Bsharat, Saida Affouneh

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

This study aims at exploring the tendencies of the 6th grade students towards learning the unit of “geometry” focusing on the influence of teaching it by using computerized games on the 6th grade students’ anxiety, pleasure, motivation and self- perception. The researchers employed the experimental design. Further, the population of the study comprised 70 female students from the 6th grade of Tamoun Girl’s Basic School II. The sample was divided into two groups, namely: experimental and control. In the former, the content of the unit of “geometry” was enriched and evaluated by using computerized games. The study uses a number …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Depression And Anxiety In The United Arab Emirates During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justin Thomas, Mariapaola Barbato, Marina Verlinden, Carl Gaspar, Mona Moussa, Jihane Ghorayeb, Aaina Menon, Maria J. Figueiras, Teresa Arora, Richard P. Bentall

All Works

© Copyright © 2020 Thomas, Barbato, Verlinden, Gaspar, Moussa, Ghorayeb, Menon, Figueiras, Arora and Bentall. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is likely to be significant. Identifying vulnerable groups during the pandemic is essential for targeting psychological support, and in preparation for any second wave or future pandemic. Vulnerable groups are likely to vary across different societies; therefore, research needs to be conducted at a national and international level. This online survey explored generalized anxiety and depression symptoms in a community sample of adults (N = 1,039) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between April 8th and …

White Matter Plasticity In Anxiety: Disruption Of Neural Network Synchronization During Threat-Safety Discrimination, Jia Liu, Ekaterina Likhti, A. Duke Shereen, Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, Patricia Casaccia

Advanced Science Research Center

Recent evidence highlighted the importance of white matter tracts in typical and atypical behaviors. White matter dynamically changes in response to learning, stress, and social experiences. Several lines of evidence have reported white matter dysfunction in psychiatric conditions, including depression, stress- and anxiety-related disorders. The mechanistic underpinnings of these associations, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we outline an integrative perspective positing a link between aberrant myelin plasticity and anxiety. Drawing on extant literature and emerging new findings, we suggest that in anxiety, unique changes may occur in response to threat and to safety learning and the ability to discriminate between …

Efficacy Of Galcanezumab For Migraine Prevention In Patients With A Medical History Of Anxiety And/Or Depression: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Regain, And Pooled Evolve-1 And Evolve-2 Studies, Todd A. Smitherman, Gretchen E. Tietjen, Kory Schuh, Vladimir Skljarevski, Sarah Lipsius, Deborah N. D’Souza, Eric M. Pearlman

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 Eli Lilly and Company. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC, on behalf of American Headache Society Objective: This post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy of galcanezumab for the prevention of migraine in patients with and without comorbid anxiety and/or depression. Background: Patients with migraine have a higher risk of anxiety and/or depression. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and their potential negative prognostic impact, determining the efficacy of migraine treatments in patients with these comorbidities is important. Methods: The results of 2 phase 3 episodic migraine studies of patients with …

How Parents And Their Children Used Social Media And Technology At The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Associations With Anxiety., Michelle Drouin, Brandon T. Mcdaniel Phd, Jessica Pater, Tammy Toscos Phd

Health Services and Informatics Research

In this study, we examined parents' (n = 260) perceptions of their own and their children's use of social media and other types of communication technologies in the beginning stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related sanctions (e.g., social distancing) in the United States. We also examined associations between social media and technology use and anxiety. On average, parents reported that both they and their children (especially teenagers aged 13-18) had increased technology and social media use since the beginning of social distancing. Moreover, even after controlling for demographic factors, structural equation models showed that parents and children with …

Characterizing Prenatal Maternal Distress With Unique Prenatal Cortisol Trajectories, Gage Peterson, Emma V. Espel, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: It is widely assumed that glucocorticoids represent a primary mechanism through which exposure to adversity and maternal psychological distress shape prenatal developmental trajectories of both mother and fetus. However, despite repeated investigations and the fact that prenatal cortisol has been reliably linked to developmental outcomes, the empirical evidence supporting an association between prenatal cortisol and maternal distress is scarce. In this study, a novel approach to assessing links between maternal prenatal psychological distress and gestational cortisol profiles, general growth mixture modeling (GGMM), was applied. Method: Measures of pregnancy anxiety, perceived stress, and state anxiety and depressive symptoms as well …

Predictors Of Recovery In Advocacy-Based Refugee Treatment Outcome: The Role Of Prior Traumatic Experiences And Current Chronic Stressors, Meredith A. Blackwell

Psychology ETDs

Refugees are at an increased vulnerability to mental health disorders compared to citizens of wealthier nations. The present study looks at the symptom trajectories of 290 refugees in a psychosocial community-based participatory intervention. A three-level generalized linear mixed model examined the predictive impact of exposure to trauma and chronic stress at baseline on posttraumatic stress and mood symptoms over time. Results showed that only higher chronic stress at baseline was associated with a steeper decrease in both PTSD and mood scores, but these effects differed by nationality. However, with chronic stress entered as a time-varying covariate instead only African participants …