Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Concussion-Related Symptomatology And Outcomes In Individuals With Mental Health Conditions: Symptom Number And Severity, Balance Performance, And Time Course To Discharge, Kathryn J. Schulze

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Symptomatology can overlap between concussions and common mental health conditions (MHCs) – such as anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Research determined that there can be an onset of new or worsening symptoms related to pre-existing MHCs in individuals post-concussion. Pre-existing MHCs may affect concussion outcomes. Therefore, the relationship between pre-existing MHCs and concussions was further examined. Study One examined the difference in symptom severity and number of symptoms reported at the initial clinical assessment for concussion for individuals with and without a pre-existing MHC. A chart review determined that individuals with anxiety or multiple MHCs had significantly more concussion symptoms …

Depression As A Prognostic Factor For Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Outcomes, Ariel M. Morales

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative disease common in older adults and is associated with significantly reduced health-related quality of life and increased disability. Depression has been found to be associated with poorer health-related outcomes in patients with spinal conditions. A systematic review was conducted to examine the literature regarding the prognostic value of depression for LSS outcomes. Findings suggest small to moderate prognostic value of depressive symptoms for postoperative outcomes in patients with LSS, with strong evidence for disability. Next, a secondary analysis of a cohort study was conducted to investigate two objectives. The first objective was to …

Role Of The Default-Mode Network During Narrative Integration In Major Depressive Disorder, Darren Ri-Sheng Liang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

How brain activity is synchronized across individuals during narrative comprehension has previously been characterized by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy and patient populations. To our knowledge, there has been limited investigation as to how it is affected by major depressive disorder (MDD). We addressed this issue with fMRI through examination of inter-subject synchronization in the default mode network (DMN), brain structures which have previously been implicated in MDD pathology. Twenty-two patients with MDD and 20 matched control participants listened to Intact versus Scrambled versions of an auditory narrative; these experimental conditions differed in the degree of temporal integration …

The Impact Of Interruptions In Gender-Affirming Medical Care During Covid-19 On Anxiety And Depression Among Trans And Non-Binary People In Canada: A Longitudinal Study, Sara Todorovic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background. Transgender and non-binary (TGNB) populations experience disproportionally high levels of anxiety and depression; it is imperative we investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the mental health of TGNB communities. Methods. Among a Canadian sample of TGNB persons aged >=15 years, we used multiple linear regression to examine whether interruptions in gender-affirming care were associated with anxiety and depression, and whether that effect was modified by pre-pandemic mental health. Results. Anxiety and depression levels were high both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Approximately a quarter of TGNB persons experienced interruptions in hormonal care. After adjusting for confounders, there …

Chronic Pain Following Musculoskeletal Injuries: Where Do Familial Factors, Depression, And Distress Fit In?, Shirin Modarresi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Currently, there is a paucity of effective therapeutic options for chronic pain. A better understanding of the factors that can contribute to chronic pain development and maintenance can lead to more informed prevention and management strategies.

Purpose: The driving force for this thesis comes from the biopsychosocial model of pain. The main purpose was to investigate the contribution of various psychosocial factors to chronic pain with the following objectives: 1) to systematically review the literature on the existence of a familial sub-type of complex regional pain syndrome (fCRPS); 2) CRPS can follow injuries such as distal radius fractures (DRFs), …

Investigating Associations Between Anxiety Sensitivity And Patient Outcomes In A Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: A One Health Approach, Ebuka Osuji

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is an exercise-based program, aimed at improving ones’ cardiovascular health. A substantial majority of patients referred to CR do not enroll, complete, or achieve clinical targets in the program due to patient-level factors. The objective of this thesis was to investigate relationships between anxiety sensitivity (AnxS) and patient outcomes in CR. Self-reported questionnaires were completed across two time points, with patient information being abstracted from medical records. Stakeholders associated with reducing the burden of AnxS in CR were also identified using snow-ball sampling. Findings suggest that resting diastolic blood pressure is associated with the interrelationships between AnxS, …

Childhood-Onset Epilepsy And Long-Term Child And Maternal Well-Being, Klajdi Puka

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The long-term prognosis of pediatric epilepsy is favorable with respect to seizures, whereby 66% to 80% of children attain seizure control. However, psychiatric and psychosocial problems among children with epilepsy (CWE) and their parents are common, and little is known about their long-term outcomes. The objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) validate a parent-reported measure of young adult’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL), to allow for a consistent informant to report on CWE’s HRQOL from childhood into young adulthood; 2) delineate the long-term course of CWE’s HRQOL and identify the clinical, parent, and family characteristics associated with the trajectory …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Humor Styles And Depression, Marisa L. Kfrerer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined the relationship between humor styles and depression using two methods of examination: (1) the mean humor style differences between individuals who reported that they had been diagnosed with depression versus those who did not report being depressed; and (2) a short scale assessing depressed affect. Participants were 878 adult Australians. With respect to mean differences, depressed individuals were found to use self-defeating humor more, and self-enhancing humor less than non-depressed adults. When the depressed affect scale score was analyzed, negative correlations were found between depressed affect and both positive styles of humor, affiliative and self-enhancing. Additionally, …

Barriers To Prescribing Exercise In Clinical Practice To Treat Mild-To-Moderate Depression, Andrew D. Hanna

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The benefits of incorporating physical activity to moderate the effects of various chronic diseases have been well documented; however, some settings of clinical practice fail to utilize these benefits to treat conditions such as mild-to-moderate depression. To improve the integration of physical activity as a prescribing practice to treat depression, a better understanding of patient attitudes towards physical activity is needed. Various barriers exist when attempting to prescribe exercise for patients diagnosed with depression. Due to the symptoms of depression, patients often report various barriers and difficulty to engaging in exercise such as deficits in motivation, low energy levels and …

Social Support, Social Participation, And Depression Among Caregivers And Non-Caregivers In Canada: A Population Health Perspective, Jovana Sibalija

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Caregivers report higher depression levels than non-caregivers. Depression is a major concern because it predicts poor health. Poor caregiver health negatively impacts care provision and increases institutionalization risk for the ill relative. Social support and social participation can influence depressive symptoms in caregivers, with low levels linked to higher depression scores. Previous studies used small, non-Canadian samples. The present study used population-level data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to investigate the relationships among social support, social participation, and depression in caregivers and non-caregivers. Analysis of variance assessed differences in the means of the social variables and depression. Path …

Sexual Reward And Depression, Andrea R. Di Sebastiano

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sexual behavior in male rats is a complex rewarding behavior and many neurotransmitters and neuropeptides play an important role in mediation of sexual performance, motivation and reward. The hypothalamic neuropeptide orexin has been shown play a key role in reward associated with food and drugs of abuse, but the role of this neuropeptide in control of sexual performance, motivation and reward is currently unclear. First, it was shown that orexin neurons in the hypothalamus are activated during sexual performance and reward. Next, using cell specific lesions of orexin neurons it was demonstrated that orexin is involved in arousal and anxiety, …

Adherence To Canadian Best Practice Recommendations For Stroke Care: The Case Of Post-Stroke Depression, Katherine L. Salter

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Context: Canadian best practice recommendations for identification and treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD) have been established, but whether they have been adopted is not known.

Objectives: To compare current with recommended best practice.

Methods: A retrospective chart review from 5 inpatient rehabilitation programs in Southwestern Ontario was completed and a short online survey addressing current practices, opinions and attitudes regarding PSD conducted.

Results: Screening for PSD was documented in 41 of 294 patient records. Of the 41 patients screened, 16 were referred for assessment and 6 diagnosed with PSD. However, 113 patients (38.9%) received pharmacotherapy. Most staff …

Depressive Symptoms In Mothers Of Children With New-Onset Epilepsy: A Prospective Study, Mark Anthony Ferro

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Having a child diagnosed with a chronic illness such as epilepsy is a major source of stress for caregivers. Up to half of mothers of children with epilepsy are at increased risk for clinical depression and symptoms of maternal depression are associated with poorer health outcomes in these children. The purpose of this study was to: 1) estimate the prevalence and course of depressive symptoms over 24 months among mothers of children with new-onset epilepsy; 2) identify subgroups of mothers that share similar trajectories of depressive symptoms; and, 3) assess the family factors involved in the causal pathway between maternal …

The Health Of Ontario’S Transgender Communities: Prevalence Of And Risk Factors For Depression, "Do-It-Yourself" Transitions, And Health Effects Of Cross-Sex Hormones And Surgeries, Nooshin Khobzi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of, and draw attention to, the health and service access issues faced by trans (transgender, transsexual, or transitioned) Ontarians. This thesis is based on the Trans PULSE Project, a community-based research (CBR) initiative whose goal is to improve the health of trans people. Data collection was carried out between May 2009 and April 2010 using a quantitative survey. Trans participants were recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a network-based sampling method developed for the recruitment of hidden populations. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all variables of …