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The Role Of Sexual Self-Schema And Psychological Distress In The Relationship Between Sexual Victimization And Sexual Functioning And Satisfaction, Alexandra Medina

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual assault (SA) has been associated with various negative psychological consequences for survivors. Recent studies have shown an association between the history of sexual assault and sexual dysfunction among female survivors of sexual victimization. Specifically, sexual assault survivors experience difficulties with aspects of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-schemas (Rellini & Meston, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested a sequential mediational model in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization …

Criminal Justice Involvement And Young Adult Health: The Role Of Adolescent Health Risks And Stress, William M. Clemens, Monica A. Longmore, Peggy C. Giordano, Wendy D. Manning

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background: Although some studies have found that incarceration is associated with young adults' poor health, confounding factors including adolescent health risks, and mediating influences such as stress have not been examined in the same study. We assessed whether variation in criminal justice system experience (none, arrest only, incarceration) influenced young adults' self-reported depressive symptoms and poor physical health after accounting for prospective risks to health including adolescent health risks. We then assessed whether stress mediated associations between criminal justice involvement and the two health indicators.

Methods: Data are from Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (n =990), which included young adults, …

Training To Inhibit Negative Content Affects Memory And Rumination, Shimrit Daches, Nilly Mor, Paula T. Hertel

Psychology Faculty Research

Depressive rumination, the tendency to engage in repetitive self-focus in response to distress, seems to be affected by a variety of cognitive biases that in turn maintain negative emotional states. The current study examined whether the difficulty in inhibiting attention to negative information contributes to rumination and to rumination-related biases in memory. Seventy-nine ruminators underwent a 3-week computer-based training, designed to increase either inhibition of negative words or attention to them. On immediate post-training trials, as well as on 2-week follow-up tests, we found evidence for transfer of inhibition training. Training effects also occurred on session-by-session and post-training measures of …

The Role Of Self-Compassion In The Relationship Between Moral Injury And Psychological Distress Among Military Veterans, Mernyll Manalo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

While there is considerable research linking trauma to psychological distress, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among military populations, some service members may develop other variants of psychological difficulties following exposure to traumatic life events. For example, moral injury, a more recently studied outcome within the field of trauma, is conceptualized to occur when a person perceives their response to a morally challenging situation as a transgression that may lead to an incongruence with their morals producing moral emotions (i.e., shame, guilt, and anxiety; Litz et al., 2009). The current study investigated the role of self-compassion in the relationship between …

The Impact Of Stigma On Adolescents Willingness To Seek Treatment, Alejandra Randol

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this study will be on how the stigma attached to mental illness impedes adolescent’s experiencing suicidal ideation & depression, willingness to seek out mental health services. The purpose of the study is to determine what action needs to be taken to address these issues to facilitate adolescent’s willingness to seek services. The study was qualitative and was conducted utilizing the constructivism approach with a theoretical orientation emphasized on the labeling and empowerment theory. The literature reviews focus on labeling of mental disorders and stigma, preventing factors and interventions that influence help seeking and mental health services utilization, …

Exploring Genetic Biomarkers In A Sample Of Depressed Patients In The Uae, Nailah Mahmood

Psychology Theses

This study focuses on exploring the expression of genes associated with depressive and anxiety disorders (AD) among depressed individuals. Anxiety and depression are well known to co-occur with each other. Growing research in the field of genetics has indicated moderate familial aggregation for these disorders. The aim of this study is to analyze gene expression among a depressed population residing in the UAE. The genes were chosen to be studied (PPARGC1A, CAMKMT, HSD11B1, SLC6A4, and MAOA) have previously been linked to depression and anxiety in other populations. The study employed a case-control design, where gene …

What Is The Relationship Between Religiosity, Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Use, And Depression Over Time?, Meghan Elizabeth Maddock

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies suggest that religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to perceive their pornography use as problematic. For our six-month longitudinal study, we recruited a sample of adults from Turkprime.com. We hypothesized that more religious individuals who use pornography at baseline would report higher self-perceived problematic pornography use at three months, which would be associated with higher depression at six months. We constructed and validated our own measure of self-perceived problematic pornography use, which included two factors: excessive pornography use and compulsive pornography use. We ran two separate structural equation models, one with excessive use at three months …

We Shall Overcome: The Association Between Family Of Origin Adversity, Coming To Terms, And Relationship Quality For African Americans, Kylee Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Because adverse childhood and family of origin experiences may have implications for adult relationships, it is important to understand what can help buffer potential negative effects. The current study was designed to understand the relationship between childhood family of origin adversities, coming to terms with family of origin issues and events, and adult romantic relationship quality for African Americans (N = 1613). A path analysis was conducted using data from the RELATE assessment (see www.relate-institute.org). Results indicated that, taken together, coming to terms, self-esteem, and depression likely partially mediated the relationship between family of origin adversity and adult relationship quality. …

Cognitive Functioning, Depression, And Strengths As Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Multiple Sclerosis, Tara Annthea Crouch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at significant risk for decreased quality of life, partly due to associated cognitive impairment (Højsgaard Chow et al., 2018). A discrepancy often exists between objective and perceived measures of cognitive impairment (Middleton et al., 2006); the paths through which they predict quality of life for MS patients remain unclear (Baumstarck-Barrau, et al., 2011). Objective cognitive functioning as well as one’s perceptions of it may differentially impact quality of life, and therefore may or may not act through the same mechanisms to impact quality of life. Depression is one possible mediator known to impact quality …

What Symptoms Of Disordered Gambling, Disordered Eating, Anxiety, And Depression Co-Occur? The Explanatory Power Of Network Analysis, Nassim Tabri, Melissa Salmon, Samantha Hollingshead, Michael Wohl

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

An abstract (not to exceed 200 words)

Disordered gamblers often exhibit comorbid psychiatric disorders, however, little is known about how or why these disorders co-occur. We posit that comorbidity is likely the result of one or more symptoms of disordered gambling being strongly associated with one or more symptoms of other disorders. To test this idea, we conducted a network analysis to identify relations between individual symptoms of disordered gambling, disordered eating, anxiety, and depression in a representative sample of Canadians from the Bay of Quinte region of Ontario (N=4121). Results indicated that chasing one’s losses was a central symptom …

Gratitude As An Antidote To Anxiety And Depression: All The Benefits, None Of The Side Effects, Mary Kate Schutt

Population Health Research Brief Series

Despite efforts among health care professionals, schools, and workplaces to address mental health issues, anxiety and depression remain pervasive public health concerns. This issue brief discusses how emerging research suggests practicing Gratitude may be an alternative antidote to battling anxiety and depression.

Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders, Stigma, And Social Support Among Postpartum Women, Ellen K. Fleischman

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships among perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) symptomatology, select demographics, stigma of mental illness, and social support, among inpatient postpartum women. Rationale: PMADs affect as many as 21% of childbearing women, yet these disorders are identified and treated less than half the time. There is a gap in the literature regarding the relationships among stigma, social support, and PMADs in postpartum women.

Conceptual Basis/Background: Despite recommendations from professional organizations, screening for PMADs is not consistently completed using a valid, reliable instrument. Stigma contributes to the low …

The Role Of Cognitive Vulnerabilities In The Severity Of Internalizing Symptoms In Children And Adolescents, Maysa Kaskas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Contemporary theories of psychopathology suggest that cognitive vulnerabilities play a key role in the development, severity, and maintenance of internalizing symptomology across the lifespan. The two primary cognitive vulnerabilities assessed in children and adolescents are anxiety sensitivity (i.e., negative beliefs about the consequences of physiological arousal; AS) and negative self-cognitions (i.e., negative self-referential thoughts; NS-C). These cognitive vulnerabilities are theorized to have transdiagnostic qualities, as both have been evaluated as predictors of symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, existing research in youth has largely examined AS in relation to anxiety alone and NS-C primarily in relation to depression. Additionally, the …

Mental Health Disparities For Latino Immigrants & Its Impact On Psychological Well-Being, Ana Do Rosario Sousa

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

In the present study, the researcher sought to examine the factors associated with Latino immigrants and the barriers/challenges that are faced in mental health. The main question that the researcher focuses on in the present study is: What are some of the mental health challenges for Latino immigrants & how do these disparities further impact psychological well-being? Furthermore, the research focuses on highlighting the variables that are increasingly damaging to the minority population of Latinos in the United States. These variables include lack of health insurance, stigma, acculturation issues, legal issues, and biopsychosocial factors, such as socioeconomic class. In multiple …

Analysis Of A Universal Depression Screening Workflow At An Integrated Healthcare Center, Arthur Roehr

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: Evaluation of an evidence-based protocol that measures the effectiveness of universal depression screening at an integrated healthcare center. At risk patients are those who complete a patient health questionnaire (phq-9) and score ≥ 10 when presenting for a primary care visit. A score of ≥ 10 prompts further evaluation by the primary care provider (PCP) prior to behavioral health care management (BHCM) referral.

Background: In 2016, 16.2 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. experienced a major depressive episode (MDE). 65.3% of those received some form of treatment from a healthcare professional (therapy and/or medication). Early identification …

Songwriting As Self-Care - A Burnout Prevention Tool For Mental Health Professionals: Development Of A Method, Brittany Leonard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this capstone thesis, songwriting is examined through a critical, humanistic lens to determine whether or not it can be used as a legitimate method of self-care to prevent burnout and minimize perceived symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in mental health professionals. Therapeutic songwriting is an intervention grounded in analytical theory that aims to access the unconscious mind and uncover deep emotions, which is the foundation of this study. Rather than focusing on the effects songwriting has on clients, the researcher was interested in the benefits of songwriting for individuals working in the field of mental health. This project …

Exploring The Relationship Between High-Ses And Anxiety/Depression In Adolescents: Development Of A Method, Angela Talkowski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder among children and adolescents with the number of individuals impacted increasing, especially for children and adolescents with high socioeconomic status. Although mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are impacting affluent children and adolescents in steadily rising numbers, there is very little research about why this is happening and how to effectively treat this population. This thesis addressed the impact affluence has on mental health in adolescents attending an affluent school system and aimed to explore effective treatments for this population. A review of the literature was conducted surrounding the …

Images Of The Self: A Literature Review Exploring The Use Of Altered Book Making With Adolescent Girls With Anxiety And Depression, Erica Mccracken

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The aim of this capstone thesis is to explore the use of altered books with adolescent girls as a form of treatment for anxiety and depression. It first looks at existing literature to ascertain reasons for the higher prevalence of mental health challenges in girls than boys. Various case examples are presented as evidence for the efficacy of altered books in art therapy. The use of art therapy is explored with girls with low self-esteem and body image issues, the beneficial qualities of group art therapy, and altered book making as a means for treatment. The review of literature and …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

Trajectories Of Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance Across Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Predict Clinical Outcome In Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder And Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Elizabeth M Hartwig, Katrina A Rufino, Cara A Palmer, Christopher Shepard, Candice A Alfano, Bella Schanzer, Sanjay J Mathew, Michelle A Patriquin

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: As there has been a demonstrated link between sleep disturbance and suicide, the present study investigated the relationship between self-reported sleep disturbance during inpatient psychiatric treatment and clinical outcomes at discharge and six months post-discharge.

Methods: Participants were 2,970 adults receiving care in a long-term inpatient psychiatric hospital. Greater than 90% of inpatients reported at least mild sleep disturbance throughout treatment. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to determine patterns of sleep disturbance changes over time.

Results: Participants fit into distinct categories based on their trajectories of sleep problems across treatment: No Sleep Problems (10.3% of participants, no sleep problems …

Investigating The Neurobiology Of Motivational Deficiencies In Major Depressive Disorder: 5-Ht1b Receptor Involvement In Behavioral Effects Of Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sarah Ferrigno

University Scholar Projects

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac) are the most commonly prescribed treatments for depression. Although efficacious for symptoms such as a depressed mood, SSRIs do not alleviate symptoms of amotivation, anergia, and fatigue. Furthermore, in clinical and preclinical studies, SSRIs have been shown to exacerbate motivational impairments and general fatigue. It is likely that fluoxetine-induced dysfunctions are due to overstimulation of one or more 5-HT receptors, with one possible candidate being the 5-HT_1B receptor. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the role of 5-HT_1BRs in fluoxetine-induced amotivation using a rodent behavioral …

Examining Depressive Symptoms Over Time In Women With Coronary Heart Disease, Sydney A. Buckland

Theses & Dissertations

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the number one killer of women in the US. Women also experience roughly twice as much depression as men, and depression in CHD is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Despite these facts, women continue to be under-represented in CHD research, and results by gender are not routinely reported.

Screening for depression in this population is problematic due to inconsistent inclusion of somatic symptoms on screening instruments and disagreement about appropriate cutoff scores.

This body of work clarifies the concept of depression in women with CHD, presents a systematic review of the longitudinal literature on …

Embracing And Engaging Holistically: A Pastoral Response To Youth (Or Anyone) Struggling With Anxiety And Depression, Meghan Stretar

Obsculta

Following Richard Osmer’s framework for practical theological interpretation, this paper’s overall task seeks to examine the question of how to engage and encourage youth who are struggling with anxiety and depression to seek counsel. Separated into four sections, the descriptive task invites the reader into the author’s personal experience before drawing attention to the larger societal issue at hand. The interpretive task invites psychologist Erik Erikson’s identity development into the conversation, inviting more questions and possible solutions. The third section, a theological interpretation and analysis examines the Rule of St. Benedict and the pastoral implications of the incarnation. Finally, the …

Mental Sensorium, Brittany Adkins

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to ADAA, nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable but only 36.9% are receiving any kind of treatment. Anxiety disorders develop based on a set of factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. Many do not realize but our environment, especially the built environment we inhabit every day can have a positive or negative effect on our mental well-being. Architecture should not just focus on the physical needs of their inhabitants but the mental health needs as well.

The built environment has a considerable impact …

An Unquiet Pedagogy For Unquiet Students: Reducing Anxiety And Depression With Critical Pedagogy, Laine Drew

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This project studies critical pedagogy in the writing classroom as a way to support students who struggle with anxiety to be successful, in and out of the classroom, as thinkers, writers, and citizens. I argue that it is important to recognize that educational inequalities and hierarchies contribute to anxiety, and suggest how critical pedagogy (rigorous and critical interrogation of texts and ideas by readers, a community of learners working together to make meaning, and a commitment to action in the world) can reduce anxiety in the school setting, in particular, and set students up for academic success that creates powerful, …

Does Grit Protect Against The Adverse Effects Of Depression?, Jenna Kilgore

Theses and Dissertations

Grit, or the ability to persevere toward a long-term goal despite adversity, has been linked to academic success. Grit may also potentially buffer against the negative effects of depressive symptoms in an academic domain. The current study explores the relationship between depression, grit, and GPA, while also accounting for defensive responding, which has been proposed as a confound of grit but not empirically assessed in this context. We examined how social desirability affects the relationship between grit and GPA and hypothesized that social desirability would moderate the effect of grit between depressive symptoms and GPA. We found support for all …

Internal Versus External Predictors Of Physical Activity In Youth, Paige Marie Ryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Physical activity (PA) participation has been linked to broad health benefits including reduced risk of chronic diseases (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2008). PA participation is important for youth as it sets the precedent for continued engagement and improved long-term health. Nonetheless, adolescents have some of the lowest rates of physical activity, and subsequently obesity rates in youth have exponentially increased in the past few decades (CDC, 2013). Therefore, determining predictors of PA for adolescents is of vital importance. Many studies focus on barriers to PA in youth, but few include both facilitating and inhibiting factors of youth PA participation. …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Postpartum Depression Within One Year After Birth In Urban Slums Of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rashidul Azad, Rukhshan Fahmi, Sadichhya Shrestha, Hemraj Joshi, Mehedi Hasan, Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan, Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir Chowdhury, Shams El Arifeen, Sk Masum Billah

Faculty Publications

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious pubic health concern and known to have the adverse effects on mother’s perinatal wellbeing; and child’s physical and cognitive development. There were limited literatures on PPD in Bangladesh, especially in urban slum context. The aim of this study was to assess the burden and risk factors of PPD among the urban slum women. A cross-sectional study was conducted between November-December 2017 in three urban slums on 376 women within first 12 months of postpartum. A validated Bangla version of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to measure the depression status. Respondent’s socio-economic characteristics and …

Affective Disturbance In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Jason Greenhagen, Emily Matusz, Sheina Emrani, David Libon, Sherry Pomerantz

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an identifiable, prodromal stage of cognitive impairment and has been further defined into subtypes: amnestic, language, executive functioning, and multi domain/mixed MCI (Jak et al. 2009 ). The purpose of this study is to (1) examine the differences in depression, anxiety, and apathy between MCI subtypes; and (2) assess the relationship between the neurocognitive domains (executive functioning, language, and memory and affective symptoms. We hypothesize that apathy will be greater in dysexecutive/mixed MCI (dys/mixed MCI) and be more highly correlated to neurocognitive deficits compared to depression or anxiety. This is a retrospective study of 113 …

The Correlation Between Obesity, Food Addiction, Anxiety & Depression, Ayham Khrais, Adarsh K. Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Obesity is a multifaceted disease with physiological, psychological and social influences. While physiological factors, such as basal metabolic rate, can influence an individual’s BMI (Body Mass Index), obesity is primarily determined by behavior: excess food intake and a sedentary lifestyle greatly contribute to weight gain. An individual’s behavior is influenced by many factors, including their desires, perceptions, and social pressures. Therefore, psychological conditions can greatly impact an individual’s eating habits, thereby affecting that person’s BMI. This endeavor involved exploration of the potential effects of food addiction, anxiety, and depression on obesity. A survey consisting of an amalgamation of the Yale …