Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Prefrontal Engagement In Cognitive Flexibility Across Paradigms, Katarina Kalajzic

Honors Scholar Theses

Cognitive flexibility is an executive function that involves dynamically adapting behavior in the face of changing environmental circumstances to achieve a particular goal. Disrupted in numerous psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, OCD, and depression, the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility are not well understood. However, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is strongly implicated in executive function and attentional control processes. Thus, we sought to examine the neural circuitry involved in distinct cognitive flexibility tasks – the attentional set-shifting task and the probabilistic 2-armed bandit task. Through optogenetic suppression, we targeted pyramidal neurons of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex, an …

Big Feelings, Fast Decisions: Emotion Regulation As A Moderator Of Impulsivity In Binge And Emotional Eating, Emma G. Folk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Emotion-driven impulsivity and difficulties with emotion regulation are both associated with maladaptive eating behaviors, including binge eating and emotional eating. However, it remains unclear whether broader emotion regulation difficulties intensify the influence of impulsive responses to emotional states on these behaviors. This study examined whether emotion dysregulation moderates the relationship between emotion-driven impulsivity and maladaptive eating behaviors. Participants were 266 adults (ages 18–65) who completed measures of impulsivity, emotion regulation difficulties, binge eating, and emotional eating. Moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and gender. Negative and positive urgency were significantly associated with …

A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of Physician Compassion In Consultations For Chronic Primary Pain, Sarah Daehler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Chronic primary pain refers to physical pain that has no apparent organic cause, cannot be explained by another condition, and has associated psychological distress or functional impairment. Chronic primary pain is common and can significantly interfere with functioning, including occupational or social functioning. Research has shown that physicians struggle to treat this population, with many physicians reporting feeling unequipped and many patients feeling that their physicians are unhelpful and dismissive. Compassion may play a key role in improving these difficult interactions. The present study analyzed a sample of 99 participants with chronic pain and 100 healthy controls to learn more …

Cultural Adaptation Of A Single Session Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Guide For College Students In Uganda, Miriam Mukasa Kasozi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress are common among Ugandan university students and can make it difficult for them to succeed in school or maintain well-being. However, many students do not have access to professional mental health care. Digital self-help programs can make support more available, especially when they are designed to fit the local culture and context. This project examined how an online program called ACT Guide Lite, which teaches skills from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), could be adapted for use with Ugandan college students. Students and other university community members first completed the program …

Probing The Roles Of Connexin 43 Hemichannels In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Madison Treasure-Areno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disorder involving neuronal death and cognitive decline, such as memory loss and changes in personality. One feature of the disease is buildup of abnormal protein called amyloid-beta in the brain. Amyloid-beta may activate support cells called astrocytes, triggering them to release large amounts of chemicals, possibly harming nearby cells. This study set out to examine the roles of the channels on astrocytes involved in releasing these chemicals, called connexin 43 hemichannels. Using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, this study blocked the hemichannels using the drug Tonabersat, and measured spatial learning and memory in a …

The Rodent Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (Rends): Effects Of Age On Self-Administration Of Inhaled Nicotine In Female Rats, Daniel Santos Da Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Smoking tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of death and drives many health problems. Nicotine, the main chemical in tobacco products, keeps people using it. This study used the Rat Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (RENDS), an inexpensive and freely shared, to examine e-cigarette use in adolescent and adult female rats by exploring four phases of nicotine delivered and not delivered to understand use patterns among ages. Our study found that both adolescent and adult female rats chose to inhale nicotine when given the opportunity, showing drug-seeking behavior. Overall, nicotine use was similar between ages. These results could help inform therapies, …

The Mysteries Of Postpartum Ocd: A Systematic Review, Taryn Shaffer

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Background: The research on postpartum mental health is growing, with most focusing on physical and sexual wellness, or well-known mental health symptoms such as psychosis, depression, and stress. However, as the research grows, so does the interest in lesser-known or under-considered postpartum mental health symptoms, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The focus of this research can be the exacerbation of already-present OCD symptoms, or the onset of them during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze research on OCD in pregnant and postpartum women. Specifically, the review included an analysis of measures used to …

Psychedelic Research In The Modern Day: Good Or Bad?, Shane Miller

Mechanical Engineering Student Research

This work is about the usage/safety of psychedelic substances, and I explain whether they are good or bad in terms of other drugs, such as alcohol.

A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Military Spouses With Secondary Traumatic Stress Who Are Married To Veterans Diagnosed With Ptsd, Trisha R. Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) in military spouses whose partners have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC). The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of STS in spouses married to a service member with PTSD? Additional sub-questions addressed changes in worldview, marital satisfaction, and daily functioning. Criterion and snowball sampling were used to select participants who were married to service members with PTSD for the study. Following the hermeneutical phenomenological …

An Exploration Of The Prioritization And Application Of Self-Care For Mental Health Therapists Working Within Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Mental Health Organizations: A Phenomenological Study, Elizabeth Lynn Leyva

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the prioritization and application of self-care for mental health therapists working within Mississippi Gulf Coast community mental health organizations. The theory guiding this study was Milton Rokeach’s belief system theory, which examined the significant impact of beliefs, attitudes, and values on decision-making regarding clinician self-care in personal and professional realms. The central research question for this study asked how mental health therapists in community mental health organizations described their experiences of prioritizing and applying self-care during and outside of therapy practice. There were three subquestions to support the central research …

Heart Rate Variability In The Context Of Mental Health And Substance Use, Sage M. Lopez

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been linked to various areas of cardiovascular disease and mortality in previous research. Within this area, certain mental illnesses and use of psychoactive substances have been associated with low HRV and its health implications. Little research exists that examines the combined effects of mental illness and psychoactive substance use. The current research aims to understand if there is a compounding negative effect of these two factors when studied in tandem. Using a three-phase study design, HRV was analysed at baseline and at physiological relaxation, with participants being included under certain mental health, substance use, or …

An Ethics Of Listening: The Rupture Of Delusion And The Offer Of A New Freedom, Bret Fimiani

Middle Voices

This paper will focus on the topic of listening as an ‘analytic act’ by the analyst (but also by the analysand) and its relation to ethics and the position of the analyst in the field of psychosis. Is the analyst listening for something in particular? The prospect of listening for something supposes that the analyst holds a specific idea of what distinguishes the ‘structure of the address’ in psychosis (versus neurosis). Typically, we say that the analyst is listening for the unconscious, or for the ‘subject’ (of the unconscious). As we are trying to find our bearings in the field …

Creating An Unconscious: Toward A New Ethic Of Residential Treatment, Daniel Garcia

Middle Voices

What is currently nominated “residential treatment” for serious mental illness (SMI) has a long and varied history. From its earliest version as houses for the unproductive, to confinement of and with the unruly and criminally dangerous, to asylumdom, residential treatment has always sought to protect society from those it perceives as actively trying to revoke it. Consequently, the remedies prescribed in defense of civilization have also ranged from the gruesome to the utopian and the seat of responsibility for maintenance of the social order has vacillated between the family and the church, the local community and the state, the psychiatric …

What Are Elementary Phenomena? An Introduction To A Lacanian Conceptualization, Derek Hook Ph.D.

Middle Voices

What do Lacanians mean when they refer to the notion of elementary phenomena? This idea, crucial to Lacan’s (1993) theorizations of psychosis in Seminar III, refers back to the psychiatric conceptualizations of the late 19th and early 20th century. However, even while citing the influence of others when utilizing the concept, Lacan—characteristically enough— described the concept in his own distinctively psychoanalytic way. The term is particularly important to Lacan in terms of how he thinks about the development of delusions and related psychotic symptoms in relation to the initial onset of psychosis. In this short paper, I aim simply to …

Working With Schizophrenia: Adaptive Work & The Threat Of Despair, Pavan S. Brar

Middle Voices

Commentary

How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) And Antipsychotics Compare To Antipsychotics Alone Impact Inpatient Length Of Stay: A Scoping Review, Morgan E. Johnson, Hailey M. Wade, Y'Esha V. Williams-Click, Rocquell Duncan, Laura Reed Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Cne, Fnap

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Psychosis in adults is a serious psychiatric condition that often necessitates inpatient hospitalization for stabilization and the initiation of medication. Untreated psychosis can lead to poor outcomes, including longer hospital stays, loss of occupational functioning, and a decreased quality of life. While antipsychotic medications are typically the first line of treatment, they can have severe side effects, which may lead to patients discontinuing their use. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for psychosis is an evidence-based intervention that targets maladaptive behaviors associated with the condition. CBT may improve treatment responses when used alongside antipsychotic medication. However, there is limited research on …

The Wager Of Speech, And The Maneuver Of The Dream In The Clinic Of Psychosis, Christopher Meyer

Middle Voices

Psychoanalysis, especially in the clinic of psychosis and extreme states, requires a wager on the part of the analyst. This wager welcomes the speech of the analysand regarding a censored unconscious. In the clinic of psychosis, the analyst’s reference to the dream in the establishment of the frame of the treatment is a maneuver that creates a working space that reveals the subjective history of the analysand. This history concerns key moments of trauma in which the speaking being found themselves without resort or resource to speech or language to represent their experience. The discourse of the delusion arises in …

Psycho-Pathology And Links Between Neurosis And Psychosis, B. Mason Judy, John Dall'aglio

Middle Voices

Commentary

The Secretary Of Alienation: Metaphor And Metapsychology, Anna Kreienberg

Middle Voices

Commentary

An Interview With Stijn Vanheule, Phd Following His Talk: “The Clinic Of Psychoanalysis In Times Of Capitalism”, Stijn Vanheule

Middle Voices

An interview with Stijn Vanheule

Thinking With The Feet In The Clinic Of Psychosis, Jed Wilson

Middle Voices

In his later work, Lacan makes occasional reference to the idea of “thinking with the feet.” An equivocal formulation, it first seems to suggest that thought and language can be regarded as physical processes—not occurring in some homunculan disembodied brain or mind, but in the real of the body. Equally, it can call to mind the idea of thinking “on” one’s feet, in the manner of adaptive improvisation. Going further, could we not also say that it points to the possibility of setting something in motion (as in walking, dancing, going somewhere—all the things we do with the feet) as …

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

A Single Administration Of Psilocybin Is Ineffective In Reversing Ptsd-Like Sequelae In A Rat Model Of Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, Kylie M. King, Marisa J. Savini, Noelle M. Molnar, Evelynn J. Schneider, Savannah E. Straub, Joe Parker, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Allison M. Bach, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Single treatments with psychedelics produce rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects. Psychedelics may also exert anxiolytic effects and be useful in treating more complex psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD. However, less is known about the impact of these agents on PTSD-related symptoms. Thus, we aimed to determine whether a single administration of psilocybin could reverse PTSD-like sequelae induced by stress-enhanced fear learning in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were placed in Context A (circular, white conditioning box) and exposed to several uncontrollable footshocks (Stress) or no footshocks (No Stress). The next day, the rats were placed in Context B (square conditioning box with clear …

Psilocybin And The Related Tryptamine, Norbaeocystin, Exert Acute Anxiogenic Effects That Depend On Sex, Marisa J. Savini, Kylie M. King, Noelle M. Molnar, Evelynn J. Schneider, Savannah E. Straub, Joe Parker, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Allison M. Bach, Andrew Jones, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Single treatments with psychedelics have demonstrated rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects. However, psychedelics often produce unfavorable psychoactive effects that could worsen existing psychological distress. Thus, we compared the effects of psilocybin and the related tryptamine, norbaeocystin, on anxiety-like behavior in male and female rats. In Experiment 1, rats were treated with 1 mg/kg psilocybin (PSIL), 1 mg/kg norbaeocystin (NOR), or vehicle 30 min before a 5-min trial on an elevated plus maze (EPM) or in an open field test (OFT). On the EPM, PSIL led to decreased open arm time and fewer arm entries in males and females. NOR led to …

Silent Struggles: A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Stigma And Help- Seeking Among African Individuals In The U.S, Ololade Ekwere

Dissertations

Approximately one-third of African Americans and Caribbean Blacks who require mental health services seek and utilize them (Evans & Sheu, 2019). Research has shown that stigma surrounding mental health treatment contributes to lower rates of professional help-seeking among Black Americans (Pederson, 2023). Despite the growing diversity within the Black community, limited research exists on how stigma influences professional mental health help-seeking among Africans living in the United States.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the effect of public stigma on the mental health help-seeking behaviors of Africans living in the United States. Demographic data were collected, …

Out-Of-Pocket Costs And Antihypertensive Medication Use Among Veterans: A Natural Experiment, Alexander R. Zheutlin, Alexander Chaitoff, Daniel Addo, Joshua A. Jacobs, Catherine G. Derington, Eric L. Stulberg, Peter A. Glynn, Bernardo Modenesi, Jordana B. Cohen, Adam P. Bress

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) control remains suboptimal in the United States despite available low-cost antihypertensive medications. Even small out-of-pocket medication costs may contribute to adherence. We determined whether $0 versus >$0 out-of-pocket costs for antihypertensive medications is associated with differences in adherence, discontinuation, BP control, and cardiovascular outcomes.

METHODS: We included veterans with newly diagnosed hypertension who initiated antihypertensive medication in the Veterans Health Administration from 2004 to 2022. A fuzzy regression discontinuity design with 2-stage residual inclusion leveraged differences in medication copay policy at a 50% service-connected disability threshold (≥50% service-connected disability: $0 out-of-pocket cost versus < 50%: $8 monthly cost). Outcomes included 1-year medication nonadherence (proportion of days covered < 80%), 1-year medication discontinuation (no medication in the final 90 days of the study year), 1-year BP control (systolic BP/diastolic BP < 140/90 mm Hg and < 130/80 mm Hg) and cardiovascular disease events (myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, peripheral artery disease, or stroke).

RESULTS: Among 417 …

Predictors Of Stress Among Bsw And Msw Students At Fhsu, Octavio Ramirez, Annette Clarke Jones

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Chronic stress leads to severe health consequences, including anxiety, depression, burnout, and physical issues like fatigue and sleep disturbances. This study examined factors predicting stress among a sample (n = 101) of BSW and MSW students attending FHSU. The findings showed that sexual orientation, academic grade point average, and marital status were significant predictors of stress among this sample.

Examining Moderators In The Relationship Between Injury/Injury Anxiety And Eating Disturbances In College Women Athletes, Lydia M. Reichley

Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Injury and injury-related anxiety are common in collegiate athletes and may contribute to maladaptive psychological and behavioral outcomes, including eating disturbances. This study examined the relationship between injury/injury anxiety and eating disturbances, and whether athletic identity, injury self-efficacy, and body shame moderated this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used with 57 female collegiate and club athletes from Bellarmine University (M age = 19.98 + 1.37). Participants completed an online survey including the Sport Injury Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBC; …

Balneotherapy For Sleep Improvement And Reducing Depression In Knee Osteoarthritis Patients, Anca Paula Ciurba, Alexandru Bogdan Ilieș, Ionel Haidu, Doriana Ioana Ciobanu, Theodora Ursu, Florin Mihai Marcu, Dorina Ianc

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition and a leading cause of global disability, often associated with pain, depression, and sleep disturbances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of warm mineral water combined with physical therapy on sleep quality, depression and pain intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods: The study involved 101 subjects (68.78±6.92 years) who were assigned to  a control group (CG) or an experimental group (EG). All subjects benefited from physical therapy and electrotherapy for 10 days. The experimental group additionally benefited from therapy with hot mineral water. …

Drd2 Rs6276 Polymorphism And Trait Impulsivity In Individuals With Mixed Behavioral And Substance Addictions, Gabriela Zdunek, Remigiusz Recław, Aleksandra Suchanecka, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Dariusz Larysz, Patryk Ilków, Kinga Łosińska, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Łukasz Jaworski, Anna Grzywacz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background/Objectives: Impulsivity is a key transdiagnostic trait linked to dysregulated reward processing in both behavioral and substance-related addictions, as recognized in DSM-5. Dopaminergic genes, including DRD2, may modulate individual differences in impulsivity, particularly under conditions of increased addiction vulnerability. This study examined whether the DRD2 Exon 8 rs6276 polymorphism predicts impulsivity levels in men with mixed addictive behaviors compared with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 328 males (128 with mixed behavioral and substance addictions and 200 controls) were assessed. Diagnoses were confirmed using the MINI interview, and impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Genotyping of …