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The Relationship Of Acculturation And Acculturative Stress In Latina/O Youths’ Psychosocial Functioning, Marsha Tafoya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to better understand how acculturation and acculturative stress are related to self-esteem, depression, substance use, and substance use problems in 206 Latina/o youth. Acculturation is the social and psychological process of change that occurs when an individual or group comes in contact with a different culture. The acculturation process can be positive, improving one’s life chances in the new culture, or it could be negative due to the challenging nature of change and adaptation to new cultural and social expectations. This difficulty creates a type of stress, called acculturative stress that has been found to be …

An Evaluation Of Neuroplasticity And Behavior After Deep Brain Stimulation Of The Nucleus Accumbens In An Animal Model Of Depression., Steven M Falowski, Ashwini Sharan, Beverly A S Reyes, Carl Sikkema, Patricia Szot, Elisabeth J Van Bockstaele

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Recent interest has demonstrated the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) as a potential target for the treatment of depression with deep brain stimulation (DBS).

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that DBS of the NAcc is an effective treatment modality for depression and that chemical and structural changes associated with these behavioral changes are markers of neuroplasticity.

METHODS: A deep brain stimulator was placed in the NAcc of male Wistar-Kyoto rats. Groups were divided into sham (no stimulation), intermittent (3 h/d for 2 weeks), or continuous (constant stimulation for 2 weeks). Exploratory and anxietylike behaviors were evaluated with the open-field test before and after …

Psychological Distress, Social Support And Substance Use In Women With Hiv In Substance Use Recovery, Brian E. Mccabe

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate concurrent and prospective relationships between psychological distress and social support and substance abuse in a convenience sample of predominantly minority women with HIV in substance use recovery. This study involved a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial comparing a family therapy intervention and a group health intervention. Participants completed the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Scales (psychological distress) and the Social Support Questionnaire (social support) at baseline and 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-baseline. Substance use over a 30-day period was measured by the Addiction Severity Index Lite, …

Disengagement, Petra Tuns

Theses

Disengagement is a body of photographic work that recounts my memories of suffering from depression. My aesthetic is directly influenced by the pathology of the illness. My thesis aims to let the viewer witness how depression has impacted me, so they can understand the disease on a more personal level rather than a stereotypical image, such as TV commercials for anti-depression medication. I analyze both depression in art and the history of depression through the writings of Christine Ross, and Michel Foucault. Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory also inform my work. They are also the foundation from which I defend …

Accuracy Of Educator Nominations In Identifying Students With Elevated Levels Of Anxiety And Depression, Jennifer Cunningham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internalizing disorders, specifically depression and anxiety, affect up to 18% and 33% of youth, respectively (Costello, Egger, & Angold, 2005b). Schools have become a major provider of mental health services to children, primarily in attempts to overcome barriers to receiving community services (Farmer, Burns, Philip, Angold, & Costello, 2003). As such, it is important that schools have effective mechanisms in place to accurately identify students who may be in need of such services. The current study examined the accuracy of one such method, educator nominations (including from both teachers and school-based mental health professionals) in identifying students who self-report elevated …

Depression And Its Associated Risk Factors In Medical And Surgical Post Graduate Trainees At A Teaching Hospital: A Cross Sectional Survey From A Developing Country, Aisha Yousuf, Sidra Ishaque, Waris Qidwai

Department of Family Medicine

Objectives: To determine the frequency of depression among post graduate medical trainees in a teaching hospital of Pakistan and to explore the associated factors contributing to depression in them. Methods: It's a cross-sectional study at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. It was done in June 2008 till August 2008. Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale was administered among 172 post graduate trainees. Self administered questionnaires were used to assess the associated demographic and work related risk factors. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated by logistic regression. Results: The survey response rate was 172(82.69%). Depression in the overall sample was 103(59.88%), of …

Stress-Generation Processes In Latinos: The Roles Of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Intercultural Competence, Mark W. Driscoll

Dissertations (1934 -)

Using a brief longitudinal design, this study examined the role of cultural adaptation processes (acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence) in predicting depression symptoms among Latinos living in the United States. Based on previous research employing stress generation processes (e.g., Hammen, 2005), it was hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up. It was further hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up indirectly through acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence, also measured at six-month follow-up. Finally, it was hypothesized that six-month follow-up acculturation, …

Can Beck’S Theory Of Depression And The Response Style Theory Be Integrated?, Patrick Pössel

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are obvious similarities between the cognitive constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory (1976) and the response style theory (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). Different propositions of Ciesla and Roberts (2007) and Lyubomirsky and Nolen-Hoeksema (1993, 1995) concerning associations of two response styles, brooding and reflection, with constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory (schemata, cognitive errors, cognitive triad, automatic thoughts) were tested. Model comparisons were based on a 4-week study in which 397 participants completed self-report instruments at two time points. A model allowing schemata to influence brooding and reflection which influence the other cognitive variables of Beck’s cognitive theory fits the data …

Prevalence And Incidence Rates Of Dementia And Cognitive Impairment No Dementia In The Mexican Population: Data From The Mexican Health And Aging Study, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Luis Miguel Gutierrez

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND) in the Mexican population.

Method: The MHAS study is a prospective panel study of health and aging in Mexico with 7,000 elders that represent eight million participants nationally. Using measurements of cognition and activities of daily living of dementia cases and CIND were identified at baseline and follow-up. Overall incidence rates and specific rates for sex, age, and education were calculated.

Results: Prevalence was 6.1% and 28.7% for dementia and CIND, respectively. Incidence rates were 27.3 per 1,000 person-years for dementia and 223 per 1,000 …

Attentional Biases In Dysphoric College Students, Yajaira Peña-Esparza

Psychology ETDs

Cognitive biases in attention to emotional stimuli in an ethnically diverse sample of dysphoric and non-dysphoric college students were explored. The present study advanced the literature by using ecologically valid eye movement data to assess attention. We hypothesized that dysphoric participants would orient their attention toward sad faces more quickly than the students without dysphoria. We also hypothesized that the dysphoric participants would sustain their attention on sad faces longer than the non-dysphoric participants. Caucasian and Latino undergraduate students were categorized into dysphoric (n = 30) and non-dysphoric (n = 36 based depressive symptom endorsement on the BDI-II (non-dysphoric: BDI-II …

Benefits Of Physical Activity On Depression And Functional Quality Of Life During Treatment For Breast Cancer: Psychosocial Mechanisms., Jamie M. Stagl

Open Access Theses

Women who are post surgery for breast cancer (BCa) experience distressing side effects that negatively influence Quality of Life (QoL). Physical activity (PA) following a BCa diagnosis is associated with decreased mortality, reduced recurrence, increased functional capacity, less fatigue, and may improve depression and QoL. Furthermore, evidence suggests that a combined PA and psychotherapy intervention may reduce physically and emotionally distressing side effects associated with diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of the study is to examine relationships among PA, fatigue, clinician-rated depression, depressed mood, and QoL in women after undergoing surgery for BCa and to assess the continuity of these …

Irving Fisher, Debt Deflation And Crises, Robert J. Shiller

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

It is the 100th anniversary of Irving Fisher’s 1911 book The Purchasing Power of Money . But, more important than that, it is a good time, during the current financial turmoil, to reconsider some of his theories again, in light of current events. And I think that some of his theories about variations in the purchasing power of money are very important today, have been underappreciated, and are worthy of considering anew.

Pathways To Sexual Risk Taking Among Female Adolescent Detainees, Vera Lopez, Albert M. Kopak, Alyssa G. Robillard, Mary Rogers Gillmore, Rhonda Conerly Holliday, Ronald L. Braithwaite

Faculty Publications

Sexual risk taking among female delinquents represents a significant public health problem. Research is needed to understand the pathways leading to sexual risk taking among this population. This study sought to address this issue by identifying and testing two pathways from child maltreatment to non-condom use among 329 White and 484 African American female adolescent detainees: a relational pathway and a substance use coping pathway. The relational pathway indicated that child maltreatment would be related to non-condom use via depressive self-concept and condom use self-efficacy. The substance use coping pathway suggested that depressive self-concept and alcohol-based expectancies for sexual enhancement …

Bridging The Gaps : An Attempt To Integrate Three Major Cognitive Depression Models., Patrick Pössel, Kerstin Knopf

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are obvious similarities between the cognitive constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory, the hopelessness model, and the response styles theory. No single comprehensive model has yet integrated the core cognitive concepts of these theories, however. In order to develop such an integrative cognitive model, we conducted two independent studies with 588 and 606 participants, respectively, from a university population. Both studies support the idea that all cognitive constructs of the three models are distinct from each other. Furthermore, both studies provide evidence for the possibility an integration of the constructs in one cognitive model. If future studies replicate these findings, …

The Relationships Among Medication And Low-Salt Diet Adherence, Beliefs About Medicines, And Psychosocial Variables Among Individuals With Heart Failure., Kristen A. Farrell

Open Access Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating chronic illness that afflicts millions of Americans and carries a poor prognosis, likely due to insufficient medication and low-salt diet adherence, which exacerbates HF symptoms and leads to frequent rehospitalizations. Specific reasons underlying non-adherence among HF patients are unclear. Studies investigating reasons for adherence among HF patients have shown that correlates of poor adherence include demographic (i.e., age, income), functional (i.e., NYHA), and psychosocial (i.e., social support, depression) variables. Research studies among individuals with chronic diseases suggest that an individual’s beliefs about medicines may explain adherence, but this research is limited among HF patients. …

The Role Of Tacr1 Genotypes In Craving, Depression, And Alcohol Dependence., Sara Keelan Blaine

Psychology ETDs

Given that stress and major depression are putative causal factors in alcohol consumption, the exploration of the genes and the associated neurobiological mechanisms that influence the relationship between stress, depression, and alcohol dependence (AD) is a first step toward the development of novel medications for AD. The tachykinin receptor 1 (TACR1) gene is a promising candidate gene, showing an association with stress-related behaviors (Thorsell et al., 2010), major depression (Kramer et al., 2004), and AD treatment outcome (George et al., 2008). The purpose of the current study was to determine if TACR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with (1) …

Postpartum Depression And Help‐Seeking Behaviors In Immigrant Hispanic Women, Lynn Clark Callister, Renea Beckstrand, Cheryl A. Corbett

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To describe perceptions of immigrant Hispanic women experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) and to identify barriers to seeking mental health services.

Design: Qualitative descriptive.

Setting: Community health clinic.

Participants: Twenty immigrant Hispanic women scoring positive for symptoms of PPD receiving health care at a community health clinic who declined mental health services participated in audiotaped interviews held in their homes.

Methods: Following Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, interviews were conducted with study participants. Transcribed data were analyzed as appropriate for qualitative inquiry.

Results: Some of the women did not recognize and/or denied their symptoms attributing their …

Relations Of Self-Criticism And Dependency To Depressive Symptomatology: Tests Of Blatt's And Greenberg And Watson's Theories, David B. Canose

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two competing sets of hypotheses about the relations of self-criticism and dependency to depressive symptomatology were tested. Blatt's theory (1974, 2004) states that self-criticism and dependency are separate and distinct personality traits that predispose individuals to depression. Hypotheses from Blatt's theory were that self-criticism and dependency each explain unique variance in depressive symptomatology beyond that explained by the other. In contrast, Greenberg and Watson (2006) theorize that dependency underlies self-criticism in predisposing individuals to depression. Hypotheses from Greenberg and Watson's theory were that self-criticism and dependency are both correlated with depressive symptomatology, that self-criticism is correlated with dependency, that self-criticism …

Efficacy Of A Referral And Physical Activity Program For Survivors Of Prostate Cancer [Engage]: Rationale And Design For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial., Patricia M. Livingston, Jo Salmon, Kerry S. Courneya, Cadeyrn J. Gaskin, Melinda Craike, Mari Botti, Suzanne Broadbent, Bridie Kent

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence that physical activity improves the health and well-being of prostate cancer survivors, many men do not engage in sufficient levels of activity. The primary aim of this study (ENGAGE) is to determine the efficacy of a referral and physical activity program among survivors of prostate cancer, in terms of increasing participation in physical activity. Secondary aims are to determine the effects of the physical activity program on psychological well-being, quality of life and objective physical functioning. The influence of individual and environmental mediators on participation in physical activity will also be determined. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a …

The Impact Of Depression And Health On Sexual Satisfaction For Older Couples, Victoria Celeste Scott

Theses and Dissertations

This study of 535 older married couples examined the relationship between depression and health and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by communication. The sample included 535 older couples who completed a survey questionnaire known as Project Couple Retire. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of depression, health, perception of sexual intimacy, communication and other demographic information. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that for women, health was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. For both genders, the results suggest that depression, when mediated by communication, is a predictor of sexual satisfaction among older couples.

An Open Trial Investigation Of Emotion Detectives: A Transdiagnostic Group Treatment For Children With Anxiety And Depression, Emily Laird Bilek

Open Access Theses

Anxiety and depressive disorders are prevalent among youth and are often experienced concurrently or sequentially during development (Kroes et al., 2001; Costello, Erklani, & Angold, 2006). These disorders are also associated with weaker cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) outcomes when experienced simultaneously in youth (e.g. Berman, Weems, Silverman, & Kurtines, 2000). Treatment research has begun to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of treating comorbid emotional disorders using transdiagnostic treatment approaches (Barlow et al., 2010; Ehrenreich et al., 2008). Evidence from adult and adolescent populations indicates that these more broadly focused treatment programs may offer benefits above and beyond disorder- and domain-specific …

Successful Aging And The Epidemiology Of Hiv, David E. Vance, Teena Mcguinness, Karen Musgrove, Nancy Ann Orel, Pariya L. Fazeli

Gerontology Faculty Publications

By 2015, it is estimated that nearly half of those living with HIV in the US will be 50 years of age and older. This dramatic change in the demographics of this clinical population represents unique challenges for patients, health care providers, and society-at-large. Fortunately, because of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and healthy lifestyle choices, it is now possible for many infected with HIV to age successfully with this disease; however, this depends upon one’s definition of successful aging. It is proposed that successful aging is composed of eight factors: length of life, biological health, cognitive efficiency, mental health, …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Peer Victimization, Self-Esteem, Depression, And Anxiety Among Adolescents: A Test Of Cognitive Diathesis-Stress Theory, Cixin Wang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the relationship between two types of peer victimization(overt and relational victimization), depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and selfesteem over three time points. Participants were 1171 fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders (623 females) recruited from four elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools in the Midwest. Students’ self-report on peer victimization, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and self-esteem was collected. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the relationship among those variables. The results showed that self-esteem mediated the relationship between two types of peer victimization and depressive symptoms. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship …

Habits And Lifestyles Of Successfully Aging Women In A Rural Area, Julia L. Sheffler

Honors Theses

Older adults in rural areas have unique challenges to maintain well-being.  The goal of this project was to examine those unique factors related to successful aging in a sample of older women living in a rural area in the Midwest using both quantitative and qualitative methods.  Mental and physical health, personality traits, cognitive abilities (i.e., working memory, vocabulary and attention), and activity levels were assessed.  A semi-structured interview using a life narrative approach was also used to explore habits, family relationships and lifestyles over the past 20 years.  The women were administered the following measures: 1) Big Five Factor Personality …

Predictors Of Elevated Depressive Symptoms In Pregnancy, Justine M. Kokoszka

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine factors that may place women at risk for developing depressive symptoms during pregnancy. It was part of a larger, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial investigating the impact of docosahexaenoic acid

(DHA) in pregnancy as it relates to postpartum depression. Participants were women with a confirmed pregnancy(N= 45) who were administered the CES-D at two different times, 20-22 weeks gestation and 30-32 weeks gestation. Factors from a self-report of personal history were included in an analysis with the CES-D scores. A significant positive correlation was found between the first CES-D scores and body …

College Student Mental Health: The Relationship Between Depression And Emotional Intelligence Using The Student Relationships Assessment, Andre George Broquard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional relational intelligence (ERQ) and depression in college students. The significance of this study is based on the additional support that can be provided to students with increased information and understanding of emotional relational intelligence and depression. In an effort to help college students achieve their educational goals and aspirations, the researcher suggests that emotional relational intelligence can be beneficial. The relationship between depression and emotional relational intelligence may provide insight on how to support and care for college students who are struggling with depressive symptomology. The results …

Sedimentation Of Depression : An Exploration Of Depression Through Attachment Theory And Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology Of Perception : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Senka Salatic-Ewing

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study explores how attachment theory and Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception could enrich our understanding of the phenomenon of depression. The study was undertaken as an effort towards clarification of how the psychodynamic training that I received could be more strength based and less pathologizing in my future work with those who suffer from chronic forms of depression. Each separate theory, attachment theory and phenomenology, focuses on the impact of relationships. Whereas, attachment theory primarily focuses on the early primary relationships with attachment figures, phenomenology explores the impact of all relationships in the person's environment. Who we are and …

Giving Up On Giving Up : Stories Of People Who Were Previously Suicidal : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Tricia Ann Fitzgerald

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores the role of hope and spirituality in those lives of people who were previously suicidal. Eight formerly suicidal women were asked a series of questions regarding their suicidal ideation, their suicidal belief system, suicidal behavior, and their thoughts on the role of hope and spirituality in their lives. Participants' answers revealed the strength these women have. Major findings suggest that hope and spirituality play a huge role in helping people through desperate times. Almost all but one of the participants said that hope gave them the inspiration to carry on. The one person who said she …

A Search For Self, Kristine Greenizen

Theses

My thesis objective is to explore the development of one's self image and sense of identity in the absence of the traditional familial role models. Some of what I expect to address is the loss of my mother in my teens and the subsequent impact on my personal development, as well as my father's disapproval and disparagement of all but my academic successes prior to his first stroke, in my early teens. The work will consist of portrait paintings and drawings of myself and family members, plus figurative paintings and prints based on myself and live models. What I hope …

The Link Between Gender And Depression In Young Adults Providing Care For Older Family Members, Mark C. Gillen, Catherine Roland

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study focused on the level of depression in young adult caregivers (age 18-40) relative to gender, employment, health and relationships. Previous research found significant relationship between gender and depression. In this study, gender was found to be a contributing factor in depression among young adult caregivers; however, not a significant factor. This information may lead to broader ways of thinking about caregiving by counselors and individuals working with older adults.