Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting Mental Health Of College-Aged Individuals, Jada Shannon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

College can be a trying time for many students, from the stresses of a new academic load to dealing with financial insecurities. This could be a time where mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, are first starting to emerge, and many look to find ways to cope that may not be beneficial. Previous research has looked at many factors individually as to what the underlying factors could be, but none examine the main factors, sleep, physical activity, social media, and digital technology, simultaneously and little is known about how these factors affect anxiety and depression, as well as the …

Satisfaction With Social Connectedness Is Associated With Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Neurodiverse First-Semester College Students, Erin E. Mckenney, Jared K. Richards, Talena C. Day, Steven M. Brunwasser, Claudia L. Cucchiara, Bella Kofner, Rachel G. Mcdonald, Kristen Gillespie-Lynch, Jenna Lamm

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Social difficulties and mental health are primary behavioral health concerns in autistic young adults, perhaps especially during key life transitions such as entering college. This study evaluated how dissatisfaction with social connectedness may predict and/or maintain depression and anxiety symptoms in neurodiverse, first-semester, undergraduate students (N = 263; n = 105 with diagnosed or suspected autism). Participation included a baseline survey battery, a brief survey completed twice per week across 12 weeks, and an endpoint survey battery. Social dissatisfaction at baseline was prospectively associated with biweekly ratings of depression symptoms, when controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. Social dissatisfaction was synchronously …

Engagement And Retention Of College Students With Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In A Digital Mental Health Intervention Using A Brief Peer Support Model, Emily A. Kline

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) show promise in improving access to mental health care for college students suffering from depression and anxiety symptoms. Nonetheless, the usefulness of DMHIs is limited by high user attrition. Leveraging peer support among college populations may be a feasible and cost-effective option to improve DMHI engagement and improve mental health outcomes. This open pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a skill-based peer support group in enhancing user engagement in a DMHI for depression and anxiety symptoms. Participants were 20 undergraduate students at a university in New Jersey with elevated depression and …

Exploring The Relationship Between Cognitive Inflexibility And Anxiety In Youth On The Autism Spectrum, Farah Mahmud

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Anxiety symptoms are prevalent among autistic youth but frequently get overlooked due to issues of diagnostic overlap and atypical presentations of anxiety (Kerns et al., 2014; Wood & Gadow, 2010). Emerging literature suggests that cognitive differences specific to autism, such as cognitive inflexibility, may be associated with vulnerability of developing and maintain anxiety symptoms (Stark et al., 2021). Cognitive flexibility (CF), the ability to shift thinking and attention according to situational demands, is thought to be impaired in many autistic children, given the behavioral rigidity observed in this population (Geurts et al., 2009). However, further work is needed to tease …

The Frequency And Predictive Factors Of Change In Alcohol Consumption During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Results From A Multi-Country Longitudinal Study, Carolien Verhei, Nadja Alexandrov, Erica I. Lubetkin, Gouke J. Bonsel, John N. Yfantopoulos, Mathieu F. Janssen, Stephanie C.E. Schuit, Suzanne Polinder, Pleunie P.M. Rood, Juanita A. Haagsma

Publications and Research

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had multiple health and behavioral effects in the general population worldwide, including effects on nutritional and lifestyle behavior such as alcohol consumption. This study aimed to determine the frequency of and predictors for change in alcohol consumption two years after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among participants from the general population of six countries. Methods: Longitudinal study design with 4999 participants (47% male; aged 18–75 years) from a general population cohort from six countries: Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (US). Measurements: Three web-based surveys at …

Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers In Kosovo During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Latif Hoxha

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored the mental health of healthcare practitioners in Kosovo during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the prevalence of stress, depression, and anxiety, and the associated individual, family, and work-related factors. The research employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of 449 healthcare workers from two hospitals in Kosovo. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health symptoms, while socio-demographic and work-related information was collected through a questionnaire.

Based on the descriptive statistics of DASS-21 scores, the prevalence of mental health issues among the participants included high levels of depression (18%), anxiety (25%), …

Sleep Disturbance As A Precursor To Anxiety, Depression, And Ptsd Among Rural Kenyans: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis From A Rural Kenyan Interventional Cohort, Michael L Goodman, Miryoung Lee, Andrew Springer, Vanessa Schick, Elizabeth Vaughan, Christine Markham, Stanley Gitari, Fridah Mukiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sleep quality is essential to biopsychosocial functioning, yet there remains limited longitudinal research on sleep and mental or social well-being within low- or middle-income countries. This study utilised longitudinal cohort data from a community-based empowerment programme in Meru County, Kenya to assess cross-lagged correlations between sleep disturbance, social support, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Participants (n = 373; 92% women; age range 18-86 years) who reported more sleep disturbance at T1 reported significantly more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and significantly less social support at T2 (average 11 weeks later), controlling for all within-time correlations across measures, …

Co-Rumination, Psychological Inflexibility, And Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescence, John Parigger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two risk factors for anxiety and depression in adolescence were examined: co-rumination, which occurs when friends excessively talk about problems; and psychological inflexibility, which occurs when one avoids negative feelings and fails to act on values. I hypothesized that psychological inflexibility would exacerbate the effect of co-rumination on adolescent anxiety and depression. Participants were 167 adolescents (Mage = 14.60 years, SD = 1.3; 65.7% cisgender males) who completed standard measures as part of an online survey. Results indicated no moderation effect, but there were main effects of co-rumination and psychological inflexibility on depression symptoms. Co-rumination may relate to …

Gpr171 Modulates Mood, Consummatory Behaviors, And Morphine Antinociception In A Sexually Dimorphic Pattern In Mice, Megan C. Raddatz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Receptors in the brain influence everything from complex behaviors related to mood, all the way to simple physiological functions like the way a person moves. Receptors are activated or inactivated by chemicals or hormones that the body produces or that are created to mimic the body’s natural chemicals. Of the hundreds of receptors in the brain, GPR171 is particularly interesting because new drugs have been created to activate or block the receptor, and are being proposed for the treatment of different disorders, particularly disorders related to pain. GPR171 has been shown to affect pain behaviors, eating, and mood-related behaviors, but …

The Impact Of Perceived Administrative Support On Teacher Burnout, Madison L. Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are crucial to many facets of life (Güneyli, 2012). Due to current occupational requirements and emotional demands, many educational professionals experience burnout (Roethler, 2021). Burnout occurs when daily occupational challenges overpower one's ability to maintain a healthy emotional state and meet professional demands (Roethler, 2021). Previous studies have been conducted on the levels of teacher stress and burnout (Agyapong et al., 2022; Chang, 2009; Lindqvist et al., 2021; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2021), while few studies explored the impact of administrative support and its contribution to burnout within the teacher population (Howard et al., 2017; Jacob, 2007; McCray-Davis, 2022; Tickle …

A Content Analysis Of Self-Report Child Anxiety Measures, Minjee Kook, Jane W Clinger, Eric Lee, Sophie C Schneider, Eric A Storch, Andrew G Guzick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A clear understanding of the item content of psychological assessments is critical but often overlooked. This study describes the content overlap of seven commonly used and psychometrically validated measures of anxiety among children and adolescents. Symptom codes were created for all items across measures and items were sorted by these codes, which all fell into specific symptom categories. We conducted two analyses of all items: a "bottom-up" content categorization approach, which used symptom categories that were developed during this study, and a "top-down" DSM-5 categorization which mapped items onto symptoms of anxiety disorders in the DSM-5. Findings reveal a weak …

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Young Women's Agency And Mental Health During Covid-19 In Low-Income Communities In Mumbai, India, Marie A Brault, Melissa F Peskin, Anastasia N Jones, Amrita Saikia, Rinchen O Bhutia, Sai Sammitha Cheruvu, Vaishali M Jagtap, Rajendra Singh, Poornima Nair, Rajesh Vedanthan, Sten H Vermund, Shubhada Maitra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face additional health inequities compared to their male peers, as gender norms constrain agency for prevention and self-care. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns deepened health inequities and often worsened mental health, but the impacts on agency are unclear. This exploratory sequential mixed methods paper examined mental health and COVID-19 elements that exacerbated or mitigated adverse consequences for AGYW in low-income communities in Mumbai.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with AGYW (aged 15-25 years; N = 60) and adults (parents, healthcare providers, community-based organization representative; N = 30). …

The Interplay Between Gender And Duration Of Hospitalization Modulates Psychiatric Symptom Severity In Subjects With Long Covid-19, Alessio Simonetti, Antonio Restaino, Claudia Calderoni, Emanuela De Chiara, Antonio Maria D'Onofrio, Salvatore Lioniello, Giovanni Camardese, Delfina Janiri, Matteo Tosato, Francesco Landi, Gabriele Sani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Long COVID-19 is characterized by ongoing symptoms or prolonged or long-term complications of SARS-CoV-2 contraction which persist beyond 4 weeks from the initial onset of symptoms. Gender and duration of hospitalization (DH) are key risk factors for developing long COVID-19 syndrome, but their impact and interplay need further study. This research involved 996 long COVID-19 patients, and we compared the levels of general psychopathology, depression, agitated depression, anxiety, and medication use between hospitalized and non-hospitalized males and females. In the hospitalized patients, multivariate regressions assessed the impact of gender, DH, and the interaction of these variables. The females had higher …

Graduate Healthcare Students' Mental Health: A Pilot Study, Soriya S. Ung-Koy, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

This pilot study investigates the mental health of healthcare professional doctoral students, focusing on stress, anxiety, and depression, which can lead to burnout. These students are responsible for intense academic demands, personal lives, and professional careers.

This study explored student mental health in the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)/ Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) programs at the University of the Pacific's School of Health Sciences. The study contributes to existing literature, exploring how educational experiences impact healthcare students' mental health, behaviors, and symptoms.

The DASS-21 survey tool was utilized to assess anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms during their graduate studies. …

Sublime And Extended Reality Experiences To Enhance Emotional Wellbeing For Autistic People: A State Of The Art Review And Narrative Synthesis, Chris Bennewith, Johara Bellali, Lance Watkins, Samuel Tromans, Kamaldeep Bhui, Rohit Shankar

More Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Research

Background: Sublime is a centuries old concept of emergent experience arising from immense and threatening awareness provoked by overwhelming fear and dread when faced with an incomprehensible situation as is common to autistic people. Extended Reality (XR) technologies have been used since the mid-1990s, in regulating emotions, behaviour and supporting social skill development for autistic people. Aims: To understand utility of XR technologies in creating immersive experiences for autistic people to alleviate anxiety and the relationship to the sublime. Method: A State of the Art literature review and narrative synthesis was conducted. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of …

Examining Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety, And Major Depression’S Symptom Comorbidity In Children And Adolescents: A Longintudinal Test Of The Multiple Pathway Model, Paige Picou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Anxiety and depressive disorders are highly prevalent in and impairing for children and adolescents and are highly comorbid. Many theories have been proposed to explain this co- occurrence, with recent models postulating multiple pathways in which specific anxiety disorders and depression may co-occur both concurrently and over time. Unfortunately, little research has evaluated these pathways longitudinally across development in a community sample. The current study tested the multiple pathway model in a sample of 9 to 12-year-old youth (Mage = 9.48, SD= 0.51) at baseline and at two-year follow-up using a subsample of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development …

A Comparison Of Cognitive Impairment In Health Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And The Moderating Role Of Social Connectedness, Kaitlyn B. Schodt

Psychology ETDs

Mood symptomatology often negatively impacts cognitive functioning; however, little is known about how some disorders, like health anxiety, might be unique contributing factors. Social connectedness has been found to protect against cognitive decline, and thus might mitigate some of the mental health-related negative effects on cognitive functioning. The current study aimed to: 1) examine the associations between PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and health anxiety symptomatology and cognitive functioning, and between 2) social connectedness and cognitive functioning, as well as the moderating roles of 3) social connectedness and 4) biological sex and race/ethnicity in the association between mental health symptomatology …

Challenges Faced By Adult Gifted Students Who Have Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phenomenological Study, Dawn M. Nessler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the educational experiences of gifted adult students who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). The theory guiding this phenomenological study was Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration, with a focus on how the tragedy of various natures impacts the development of an individual's identity. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the shared educational experiences of gifted undergraduate students who have experienced a TBI. 12 participants from Strong Minds, Kind Hearts, a Christian counseling and educational office located in Northwest Florida engaged in the study. Stratified sampling was used within the …

Provider Implementation Of Probiotics As An Adjuvant Treatment Modality For Patients With Anxiety And Or Depression In A Primary Care Setting, Sarah Dedmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of anxiety and depression among Americans is growing rapidly. Patients are seeking out traditional treatments as offered by their primary care providers, but also frequently look toward integrative or complementary methods of managing their symptoms. The use of dietary supplements is at an all-time high, yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate these substances for potency and purity or evaluate them using quality standards as it does pharmaceuticals. Most providers lack education regarding the physiological interaction their patients may experience when using these substances and are naïve to their place in primary care medicine. The …

Differences In Students' Self-Esteem, Prosocial Behaviors, Classroom Climate, And Participation In Read To Dogs Programs: A Quantitative Comparative Study, Kimberley Anna Brush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This anonymous quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post-test study was designed to determine differences in students' self-esteem, the performance of prosocial behaviors, and teachers' perceptions of the overall classroom climate after participating in Read to Dogs (RTD) programs in elementary and middle schools in East Central, New Jersey. Students with reading difficulties have higher incidences of low self-esteem and self-concept, depression, and anxiety that result in internalizing and externalizing behaviors that impact the classroom climate for all students socially and academically. Student participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and teacher participants completed the grade-appropriate version of the …

Alexithymia Profiles And Depression, Anxiety, And Stress, David A. Preece, Ashish Mehta, Kate Petrova, Pilleriin Sikka, Ethan Pemberton, James J. Gross

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Alexithymia is a multidimensional trait comprised of difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is regarded as an important risk factor for emotional disorders, but there are presently limited data on each specific facet of alexithymia, or the extent to which deficits in processing negative emotions, positive emotions, or both, are important. In this study, we address these gaps by using the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) to comprehensively examine the relationships between alexithymia and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Methods: University students (N = 1250) completed the PAQ and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Pearson …

Case Report Of A Brief Modular Anxiety Intervention For Integrated Primary Care: Addressing Clinician Feasibility Concerns And Barriers To Using Manualized Treatments, Katherine Buckheit, Robyn L. Shepardson, Luke Mitzel, Risa B. Weisberg, Stephen A. Maisto, Jennifer Funderburk

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Individuals with anxiety symptoms commonly present in primary care settings and prefer behavioral health (versus pharmacotherapy) treatment, but behavioral health interventions are underutilized. Primary care behavioral health (PCBH) models, in which embedded behavioral health providers deliver behavioral treatment in primary care, may help address the gap in provision of anxiety treatment. However, evidence-based anxiety treatment options feasible for delivery in primary care are limited, and clinicians often report concerns about using manualized interventions. Recent recommendations by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force to increase anxiety screening among adults in primary care may result in increased identification of individuals with anxiety …

Towards Addressing Mental Health In Rural Louisiana: Blueberry Supplementation As A Natural Intervention, Katy E. Venable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Depression and anxiety are major public health issues; however, there is an unmet need for novel effective and accessible treatments, particularly in rural communities. Blueberries are an unexplored nutraceutical for these conditions due to their excellent nutritional profile, with particularly high levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins and benefits on mood, cognition, and health. Therefore, we conducted a double-blind, randomized pilot study in a rural population. We employed a cross-over design to test the effects of 12 weeks daily ingestion of 24 g of whole freeze-dried blueberry powder versus placebo on symptoms of depression and anxiety in those diagnosed with depression …

How To Persist While On The List, Erin Hockaday

BUHealth

Kidney transplant recipients have the longest wait time and highest depression rates out of all solid organ transplants. Various strategies to help manage depression and anxiety in this patient population have been studied including mindfulness interventions, social support systems, and treatment with antidepressants. Studies have shown that mindfulness interventions lowered depression and anxiety scores in patients from baseline to six months. A strong support system in patients has also been shown to improve patients’ likelihood of receiving a kidney transplant. In addition, treatment with antidepressants improves patients’ overall outcomes without impacting their likelihood of receiving a kidney transplant.

The Hidden Impact Of Sociocultural Determinants In Adolescence, Lauren B. Robins, Nicholas Schmoyer, Atiya Smith, Krystal L. Clemons, Jill Kivikoski

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

This study, guided by the Social Determinants of Health framework and Social Ecological Model, examined how SDOH impact the presence of anxiety during adolescence. This study set out to understand what sociocultural determinants predict anxiety, using the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health dataset. The analysis included a logistic regression to determine the predictability of SDOH on anxiety in adolescence. The results indicated that various SDOH are significant predictors of anxiety, while also indicating that the absence of adverse SDOH predicts the lack of anxiety. Further, unique findings related to race/ethnicity, age, and gender set the stage for additional research …

An Exploration Of Misophonia In The Literature, Megan E. Singer

Honors Projects

Misophonia is a disorder that elicits an extreme negative reaction to specific auditory and visual stimuli. Triggering stimuli, which are often human produced, provoke an array of symptoms including heightened negative emotions along with autonomic nervous system responses. Despite being a relatively common disorder, misophonia is still inadequately recognized and is often classified under conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. No cure for misophonia currently exists, but there are many treatments and coping mechanisms used by people with misophonia to ease their symptoms. This comprehensive review synthesizes current research on misophonia, exploring underlying mechanisms, comorbidities, diagnostic methodologies, and treatment …

Risk Factors For Postpartum Depression And Severe Distress Among Mothers Of Very Preterm Infants At Nicu Discharge., Julie A. Hofheimer, Elisabeth C. Mcgowan, Lynne M. Smith, Samantha Meltzer-Brody, Brian S. Carter, Lynne M. Dansereau, Steven Pastyrnak, Jennifer B. Helderman, Charles R. Neal, Sheri A. Dellagrotta, Thomas Michael D O'Shea, Barry M. Lester

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE:  To identify psychological, medical, and socioenvironmental risk factors for maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and severe psychological distress (SPD) at intensive care nursery discharge among mothers of very preterm infants.

STUDY DESIGN:  We studied 562 self-identified mothers of 641 infants born(NOVI) conducted in nine university-affiliated intensive care nurseries. Enrollment interviews collected socioenvironmental data, depression, and anxiety diagnoses prior to and during the study pregnancy. Standardized medical record reviews ascertained prenatal substance use, maternal and neonatal medical complications. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Brief Symptom Inventory were administered at nursery discharge to screen for PPD and SPD symptoms, respectively.

RESULTS: …

Sabbath As A Healing Place: Alleviating Anxiety, Worry, And Depression In Gen. Z, Christopher Stephen

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

"Sabbath as a Healing Place: Alleviating Anxiety, Worry, and Depression in Generation Z" delves into the restorative capacity of Sabbath observance as a mechanism to reduce anxiety, worry, and depression, within Generation Z. Generation Z's unique socio-cultural landscape is characterized by pervasive digital interconnectedness and significant exposure to multiple global crises. Within this context, observance of the Sabbath provides an opportunity to experience a physical and psychological respite. The research aims to explore the potential of Sabbath observance as a mechanism for alleviating anxiety, worry, and depression among individuals in Generation Z. Nine participants within the Generation Z demographic underwent …

Childhood Maltreatment And Amygdala-Mediated Anxiety And Posttraumatic Stress Following Adult Trauma, Farah Harb, Michael T. Liuzzi, Ashley A. Huggins, E. Kate Webb, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Jessica L. Krukowski, Terri A. Deroon-Cassini, Christine L. Larson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Childhood abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) is associated with aberrant connectivity of the amygdala, a key threat-processing region. Heightened amygdala activity also predicts adult anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as do experiences of childhood abuse. The current study explored whether amygdala resting-state functional connectivity may explain the relationship between childhood abuse and anxiety and PTSD symptoms following trauma exposure in adults.

Methods

Two weeks posttrauma, adult trauma survivors (n = 152, mean age [SD] = 32.61 [10.35] years; women = 57.2%) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. PTSD and anxiety …

Study Of A Pst-Trained Voice-Enabled Artificial Intelligence Counselor For Adults With Emotional Distress (Speac-2): Design And Methods, Corina R Ronneberg, Thomas Kannampallil, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Novel and scalable psychotherapies are urgently needed to address the depression and anxiety epidemic. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), a voice-based virtual coach named Lumen was developed to deliver problem solving treatment (PST). The first pilot trial showed promising changes in cognitive control measured by functional neuroimaging and improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.

METHODS: To further validate Lumen in a 3-arm randomized clinical trial, 200 participants with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety will be randomly assigned in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive Lumen-coached PST, human-coached PST as active treatment comparison, or a waitlist control condition where participants can receive Lumen …