Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Companion Dogs And Depression, Anxiety, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Adult Icu Survivors: A Scoping Review, Lindsey Nelson, Sue Lasiter, Amanda Emerson

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors are at risk for developing persistent psychological sequelae that have been linked to decreased quality of life and increased mortality after hospital discharge. Standardized evidence-based treatments are lacking, mainly focus on physical rather than psychological recovery, and often occur in formal settings. Benefits of human– companion dog relationships have not been explored in the ICU survivor population before. Thus, the purposes of our review were to summarize the literature focused on the influence of companion dogs on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); identify what is known about the potential role companion dogs play …

Neural Mechanisms Of Estrogen And Inflammation In Female Stress Susceptibility, Samantha Jane Bouknight

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are highly debilitating psychiatric disorders that notably share stress as an etiological factor. Stress is a common occurrence experienced daily by virtually everyone and, while most people are resilient, a substantial portion of the population exhibit risk factors that yield them susceptible to developing stress-related psychiatric disorders. One prominent factor that has long been known to increase this risk is the female biological sex with women presenting at least twice as often with disorders like PTSD and MDD compared to men. Interestingly, this bias exists distinctly during the reproductive years and …

Internalizing Mental Health Symptoms And Nicotine Use Among Adolescents In Canada, England, And The Us From 2020-2022, Emily E. Hackworth

Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is a well-established bi-directional relationship between cigarette smoking and internalizing mental health (IMH) symptoms (e.g., symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety). However, it is unclear whether IMH symptoms are associated with using different types of nicotine products among adolescents, as adolescents are using a variety of nicotine products, including combustible products (cigarettes), non-combustible products (e-cigarettes), or combinations of both types of products. This dissertation examines associations between IMH symptoms and current use of various types of nicotine products across three countries from 2020-2022.

Methods: Data come from the 2020-2022 waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Adolescents Tobacco …

Associations Between The Use Of Ssri Medication In Older Adults And Cognitive Decline And Impairment, Paige Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has indicated that depression is a risk factor for dementia. Since SSRI medication is the most common treatment for depression, it is important to determine if SSRIs are associated with reduced dementia and better cognitive outcomes. Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study merged with the 2005 Prescription Drug Study, we examined potential associations between SSRI and TCA medication and cognitive impairment and cognitive decline. The study population consisted of 1,775 older adults who participated in the PDS in 2005. We found that SSRIs were associated with significantly higher odds of cognitive …

Mobile Sensing-Based Depression Severity Assessment In Participants With Heterogeneous Mental Health Conditions, Bishal Lamichhane, Nidal Moukaddam, Ashutosh Sabharwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mobile sensing-based depression severity assessment could complement the subjective questionnaires-based assessment currently used in practice. However, previous studies on mobile sensing for depression severity assessment were conducted on homogeneous mental health condition participants; evaluation of possible generalization across heterogeneous groups has been limited. Similarly, previous studies have not investigated the potential of free-living audio data for depression severity assessment. Audio recordings from free-living could provide rich sociability features to characterize depressive states. We conducted a study with 11 healthy individuals, 13 individuals with major depressive disorder, and eight individuals with schizoaffective disorders. Communication logs and location data from the participants’ …

Integrated Delivery Of Health Care And Continuity Of Care For Older Mississippians With Mental And Behavioral Health Concerns, Tockie V. Hemphill

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

The mental health of older adults is of national concern. There is some uncertainty regarding access to care and whether mental and behavioral health care will be readily available in primary care settings. This paper explores the concepts of integrated delivery of care and continuity of care for older adults. The definitions of the two concepts vary in detail, but are similar in purpose. There is an array of strategies presented that outline a continuity of care that involves an integrated delivery system. Relationship development is the core of this system, as well as older adults’ ability and willingness to …

Association Of Self-Report Measures With Salivary Biomarkers In Post-Menopausal Women, Laree M. Hiser, Karen Arrant, Jung Hye S. Lee, Lei Zhang

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Symptoms of menopause include inadequate sleep, depression, and anxiety. Studies of healthy aging frequently use self-report tools that are unverified by objective measures.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between self-report measures of sleep or affect and salivary biomarkers in a small (n=32) sample of post-menopausal women.

Methods: Salivary cortisol and a-amylase were quantified by laboratory tests. Self-report data included hours of sleep and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS^®) tools for sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression. Correlation analyses were conducted between self-reported measures and biomarker concentrations.

Results: No statistically significant correlations were found between cortisol …

Increasing Occupational Engagement In Adults With Anxiety And Depression Through Martial Arts, Alfred Franklin, Keisa Boykin

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster is for a capstone project that developed a martial arts program for adults with anxiety and depression to increase occupational engagement in these individuals.

The Mental Effect Of Obesity On Active-Duty Service Members In The United States: A Phenomenological Approach, Tegan M. Quigley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological research was intended to explore the impact that obesity has on the mental health of soldiers in the U.S. military. The U.S. military has stringent physical fitness standards that must be met by each soldier regardless of sex. These standards can be challenging to maintain. Obesity is an increasing issue in the United States, and soldiers are not immune. Research regarding the physical issues that occur from obesity has been performed, but this study aimed to explore the behavioral or mental health effects that obesity can have within the military community. This study explored the following questions: In …

Loss Of Transient Receptor Potential Channel 5 Causes Obesity And Postpartum Depression, Yongxiang Li, Tessa M Cacciottolo, Na Yin, Yang He, Hesong Liu, Hailan Liu, Yuxue Yang, Elana Henning, Julia M Keogh, Katherine Lawler, Edson Mendes De Oliveira, Eugene J Gardner, Katherine A Kentistou, Panayiotis Laouris, Rebecca Bounds, Ken K Ong, John R B Perry, Inês Barroso, Longlong Tu, Jonathan C Bean, Meng Yu, Kristine M Conde, Mengjie Wang, Olivia Ginnard, Xing Fang, Lydia Tong, Junying Han, Tia Darwich, Kevin W Williams, Yongjie Yang, Chunmei Wang, Shelagh Joss, Helen V Firth, Yong Xu, I Sadaf Farooqi

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Hypothalamic neural circuits regulate instinctive behaviors such as food seeking, the fight/flight response, socialization, and maternal care. Here, we identified microdeletions on chromosome Xq23 disrupting the brain-expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) channel 5 (TRPC5). This family of channels detects sensory stimuli and converts them into electrical signals interpretable by the brain. Male TRPC5 deletion carriers exhibited food seeking, obesity, anxiety, and autism, which were recapitulated in knockin male mice harboring a human loss-of-function TRPC5 mutation. Women carrying TRPC5 deletions had severe postpartum depression. As mothers, female knockin mice exhibited anhedonia and depression-like behavior with impaired care of offspring. Deletion of …

Advocating For The Role Of Occupational Therapy In A Community-Based Setting Through The Use Of Journaling For Individuals With Chronic Mental Illness, Taylor Muzik-Eversdijk

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

Individuals who battle severe mental illness (SMI) experience a range of deficits that affect various aspects of daily life, including activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), social participation, sleep and rest, education, work, leisure, and play. Research suggests that journaling can help individuals with SMI express their emotions and provide a healthy outlet for coping with symptoms. This doctoral capstone project aimed to identify the unique needs of individuals with SMI and explore how journaling and other occupational therapy (OT) interventions could expand the scope of practice within Boley Centers' assertive community treatment (ACT) teams …

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 …

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 …

A Quality Improvement Project On The Evaluation Of A Community Gastroenterology Advanced Practice Providers’ Update On The Utilization Of The American College Of Gastroenterology (Acg) Recommendation For Annual Depression Screening In Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Yolanda Levy Dnp, Fnp-Bc

All Dissertations

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease that can result in chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (Farbod et al., 2021). The two most common types of IBD are called Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. There have been several studies that have shown how the psychological disorders, including depression, can be associated with flares of IBD (Farraye et al., 2017). The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) published clinical practice guidelines in 2017, which recommended gastroenterology (GI) healthcare providers screen for depression in all patients with IBD at least once annually (Farraye et al., 2017). This quality improvement did show …

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 …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Factors Related To Outcomes In Depression Among Youth With Hiv, Betsy D Kennard, Larry K Brown, Kristin Baltrusaitis, Miriam Chernoff, Graham J Emslie, Jessica Jones, Sarah Buisson, Jaime Deville, Megan Wilkins, Amber Bunch, Chivon Mcmullen Jackson, Christy Beneri, David E Shapiro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: This is a secondary analysis of a multi-site, cluster (site) randomized trial of the efficacy of a combined Health and Wellness Cognitive Behavior Therapy (H&W CBT) and medication management approach for depression in youth with HIV (YWH) compared to standard care. In this study, we explored the association between H&W CBT factors and depression outcomes after 24 weeks of treatment to discover treatment elements associated with symptom reduction.

METHODS: Participants (12-24 years of age) were YWH in the United States (US) diagnosed with moderate to severe depression [Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), Clinician-Rated score ≥ 11]. Thirteen US …

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, …

Vitamin-D Deficiency & Depression: Is There An Association? Average Data From Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, Shamil Wanigaratne, Amar Ahamd, Fatme Al Anouti, Mitha Al Balushi, Syed Javaid

All Works

Aims The evidence for the association between vitamin-D deficiency and depression, although equivocal, has been established in several populations in different countries and supported by meta-analytical studies 1 . Much of the evidence for this comes from Western countries 2 . Similarly, the evidence for the benefits of supplementation, although shown, also comes from similar populations and is equivocal 3 . Need for data from different populations and for randomized controlled trials to establish causality is stressed by most researchers. This study aims for presentation reviews of the association between vitamin-D and depression in the GCC, using the publicly available …

Comparative Effectiveness Research Trial For Antidepressant Incomplete And Non-Responders With Treatment Resistant Depression (Ascertain-Trd) A Randomized Clinical Trial, George I Papakostas, Madhukar H Trivedi, Richard C Shelton, Dan V Iosifescu, Michael E Thase, Manish K Jha, Sanjay J Mathew, Charles Debattista, Mehmet E Dokucu, Olga Brawman-Mintzer, Glenn W Currier, William Vaughn Mccall, Mandana Modirrousta, Matthew Macaluso, Alexander Bystritsky, Fidel Vila Rodriguez, Erik B Nelson, Albert S Yeung, Anna Feeney, Leslie C Macgregor, Thomas Carmody, Maurizio Fava

Staff and Researcher Publications

Further research is needed to help improve both the standard of care and the outcome for patients with treatment-resistant depression. A particularly critical evidence gap exists with respect to whether pharmacological or non-pharmacological augmentation is superior to antidepressant switch, or vice-versa. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of augmentation with aripiprazole or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus switching to the antidepressant venlafaxine XR (or duloxetine for those not eligible to receive venlafaxine) for treatment-resistant depression. In this multi-site, 8-week, randomized, open-label study, 278 subjects (196 females and 82 males, mean age 45.6 years (SD 15.3)) with …

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. …

Gender-Specific Mental Health Outcomes In Central America: A Natural Experiment, Thea Nagasuru

Computer Science Summer Fellows

While COVID lockdown measures have had varying effects on the mental health of different demographics, several bodies of research have noted their disparate effect on women. Why is women's mental health more negatively impacted by lockdown measures, and how much more are they impacted than men? How can we predict and mitigate these negative effects on women? This paper aims to contribute to answering those questions by comparing COVID stringency measures and their effect on the gap in depression rates between men and women in two neighboring countries: Nicaragua and Honduras.

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 …

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 …

Improving Mental Health Outcomes For Amputees, Zachary Elmore

Dissertations

Problem: depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are more commonly diagnosed in the amputee population related to changes in mobility, activities of daily living, and quality of life (Turner et al., 2020.) As the amputation population is projected to reach over 3 million Americans in the next 25 years, additional screening is imperative to identify patients at high-risk for mental health deterioration (Ziegler-Graham et al., 2018).

Methods: this was a project that included screening all patients with the Personal Health Questionnaire for Depression (PHQ-8) meeting the inclusion criteria of being admitted to 7500 Vascular Surgery at Barnes-Jewish …

Depression Screening And Education For Immigrants To Increase Access To Care, Viktoriya Ivantsova

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Immigrants are at risk for developing mental health disorders due to multiple factors including social, cultural, or economic factors. This can result in a lower quality of life and an increased chance of further disabilities. Although immigrants are at increased risk for the development of mental health disorders, studies show that utilization of available services and resources are low. Additionally, organizations that provide services to immigrants may not be implementing screening and psychoeducation.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project followed a descriptive, observational design along with an educational intervention. Using convenience sampling for recruitment, Russian and/or Ukrainian adults …

Implementation Of The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening Tool For Postpartum Depression In A Midwest Primary Care Clinic, Makenzie Garrison

Dissertations

Problem: Postpartum depression is a prevalent health concern in postpartum women. Screening practices to identify postpartum depression are inconsistent. The purpose of this quality initiative is to determine if the implementation of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening Tool (EPDS) to screen for postpartum depression in the primary care setting increases the detection of postpartum depression in postpartum women from delivery to one year postpartum.

Methods: This quality improvement project utilizes a descriptive, observational design. A retrospective medical record review was utilized as well as a 12-week data collection period. Retrospective medical record reviews were conducted to assess the rate of …

Improving Treatment And Follow-Up Care For Patients Who Screen Positive For Depression In Family Practice: A Quality Improvement Project., Jennifer D. Hooper

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Depression is a prevalent condition requiring systematic approaches for effective treatment and follow-up in primary care. This quality improvement project aimed to enhance care for patients screening positive for depression at an academic family practice with a diverse patient population and a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) system.

Purpose: The primary objective was to assess whether a provider educational session and the implementation of an optional depression treatment and follow-up algorithm could improve timely and appropriate care for patients with positive PHQ-9 screenings.

Setting: The project was conducted at an academic family practice office.

Methods/Procedures: The intervention included a …

Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With C-Reactive Protein In Older Adults With Obesity, Henry D Heisey, Clifford Qualls, Dennis T Villareal, Martha Belen Segoviano-Escobar, Maria Liza Duremdes Nava, Jennifer R Gatchel, Mark E Kunik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that depressive symptoms vary with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), among older adults with obesity.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from two related lifestyle intervention trials. The study sample comprises 148 consecutively recruited, community-dwelling older adults (age >=65 years) without severe psychiatric illness and with body mass index >=30 kg/m

RESULTS: Sample mean GDS score was 2.7 (SD 3.0, range 0 - 14). A significant multivariate model of GDS scores (R

CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with obese BMI, male sex and higher hs-CRP are associated with depression, even in a group …