Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

The Alexander Technique Applied To Dance And The Choreographic Process: Freeing Physical Expression From Trauma-Based Tension, Julia Johnston

Senior Honors Theses

Ballet, contemporary, and modern dancers have expressed incurring trauma during their training and professional dance experiences; in a 2020 survey, 41% of professional dancers and 30% of ballet students reported experiencing or witnessing sexually inappropriate behavior in their respective workplaces and schools (DDP). This is just one example of a potential source of trauma for dancers. The physiological effects of trauma cause physical effects, creating tension in a dancer’s body. Dance relies on physical expression, the expression of thought and feeling through movement, to connect with the audience. Trauma-based tension inhibits a dancer’s range of physical expression and connection to …

The Difficulty In The Diagnosis And Management Of Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome, Sidney Charm D. Reyes

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) is a condition that occurs in about 20% of patients following the abrupt reduction/stoppage of any antidepressant medication that has been taken continuously for at least one month.

Case Presentation: We present a 36-year-old Hispanic woman who initially presented for evaluation of flu-like symptoms (subjective fever, rhinorrhea) and worsening body aches, trouble sleeping, and headaches for the past three days. She also reported recent exposure to a sick co-worker. Rapid flu, strep, and COVID tests came back negative. Pt was diagnosed with a viral URI and was discharged with counseling on supportive treatment. The patient …

Healthcare Service Use, Help-Seeking Behaviors, And Health And Wellbeing In Attenuated Psychosis, Jasmine Ranjbari-Sisan, William D. Spaulding, Tierney K. Lorenz

Honors Theses

Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) receive poorer-than-standard healthcare, contributing to a 20-year reduction in the average life expectancy of persons with SMI. While extant literature describes the health disparities experienced by persons with SMI, little research examines the relationship between attenuated psychotic symptoms, healthcare service use, and help-seeking behaviors that may contribute to the disparities in this vulnerable population. This study explores the relationships between attenuated psychotic symptoms, physical health symptoms and related distress, healthcare service use, and help-seeking intentions to better understand health disparities in vulnerable and marginalized populations, such as individuals with SMI. Only a portion of …

Co-Occurrence Of Depression, Anxiety, And Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress In Postpartum Persons, Shelby Howard, Caitlin Witt, Karla Martin, Ateshi Bhatt, Emily Venable, Sarah Buzhardt, Andrew G. Chapple, Elizabeth F. Sutton

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The study aim was to describe the incidence of depression, anxiety, perinatal-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and their co-occurrences in the early postpartum period in a low-resource OB/GYN clinic serving majority Medicaid-eligible persons. We hypothesized that postpartum persons screening positive for depression will have an increased risk of a positive screen for anxiety and perinatal PTSD. Methods: A retrospective study of postpartum persons receiving care in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was conducted using responses abstracted from the electronic medical record (EMR) of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7), and Perinatal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire-II (PPQII). Categorical distributions …

Childhood-Onset Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Exacerbates Opioid Use Disorder Consequences: Mediation By Impulsive Phenotypes, Liam R. Browning, Ciara Cannoy, Tabitha E. H. Moses, Leslie H. Lundahl Phd, David M. Ledgerwood Phd, Mark K. Greenwald Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent and associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). Yet, little is known about the mechanisms by which ADHD (which is a heterogeneous construct/diagnosis) might alter the trajectory of OUD outcomes.

Aim: This cross-sectional study examines relationships between childhood ADHD (inferred as predating substance use) and the extent to which the effects of ADHD on lifetime heroin-use consequences are mediated by foreshortened time perspective and drug-use impulsivity.

Methods: Individuals who report heroin use (N=214) were screened using the Assessment of Hyperactivity and Attention (AHA), Impulsive Relapse Questionnaire (IRQ), Stanford Time Perception Inventory (STPI), …

Quitting Smoking After A Cancer Diagnosis Is Associated With High-Risk Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio Among Tobacco Use-Related Cancer Survivors, You Lu, Katherine Kwong, James Wells, Andrea Edwards, Zhong Chen, Tung-Sung Tseng, Kun Zhang

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Quitting smoking could potentially minimize the risk of a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) among tobacco use-related (TUR) cancer survivors. A total of 1263 TUR cancer survivors aged 20 to 85 years old were investigated using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 1999-2018. The primary outcome was the NLR, which was defined as having two levels: high-risk (≥ 3) and low-risk (< 3). The association between smoking cessation time and a high-risk NLR level was analyzed using weighted logistic regression models. Overall, the current smoking rate of TUR cancer survivors was found to be 21.7%. Older age (75 years above), gender and respiratory-related cancers are covariables associated with high risk of NLR levels for individual who identified as Non-Hispanic White (NHW). Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (n = 27) who quit smoking after a cancer diagnosis were associated with the highest risk of a high NLR (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.40-16.61, p = 0.01) compared to NHB nonsmokers (n = 139). These findings suggest that the risk of a high NLR level is strongly associated with the time of smoking cessation in NHB TUR cancer survivors. As a result, NHB TUR cancer survivors should quit smoking as soon as possible because the benefits of quitting smoking were observed over the 5 year period following smoking cessation.

Technology-Enabled Behavioral Health Integration Decreases Emergency Department Utilization, Adam Pardes, Rachelle Rene, Phansy Chun Chun, Mollie Cherson

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Background:

Behavioral health integration allows for patient-centered care, leads to higher levels of provider-patient engagement, and is key to improving patient outcomes. However, behavioral health integration is administratively burdensome and therefore is often not adopted. Technology presents opportunities to increase care team efficiency and improve patient outcomes. The goal of this study was to retrospectively compare clinical outcomes and emergency department utilization in patients using a technology platform compared to patients receiving treatment as usual.

Methods:

The technology platform, NeuroFlow, was deployed to deliver technology-enabled behavioral health integration in 30 clinics, and 598 electronic health records were analyzed.

Results:

In …

Regaining Effort-Based Food Motivation: The Drug Methylphenidate Reverses The Depressive Effects Of Tetrabenazine In Female Rats, Deanna Pietrorazio

Honors Scholar Theses

Tetrabenazine (TBZ), a vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor, depletes dopamine and induces motivational deficits and other depressive symptoms in humans. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a dopamine transport blocker that is used to enhance motivational function. Previous studies have shown that in male rats, TBZ induces a shift in effort-related choice such that a low-effort bias is induced. In male rats this occurs at a dose range of 0.75-1.0 mg/kg TBZ, and this effect is reversible with co-administration of MPH. Recent studies have shown that females need a higher dose of TBZ (2.0 mg/kg) to show the low-effort bias. The …

Prenatal Exposure To A Natural Disaster And Early Development Of Psychiatric Disorders During The Preschool Years: Stress In Pregnancy Study, Yoko Nomura, Jeffrey H. Newcorn, Christine Ginalis, Catherine Heitz, Jeenia Zaki, Farzana Khan, Mardia Nasrin, Kathryn Sie, Donato Deingeniis, Yasmin L. Hurd

Publications and Research

Background: Growing evidence shows an association between in utero exposure to natural disasters and child behavioral problems, but we still know little about the development of specific psychopathology in preschool-aged children. Methods: Preschool children (n = 163, mean age = 3.19, 85.5% racial and ethnic minorities) and their parents (n = 151) were evaluated annually at ages 2–5 to assess the emergence of psychopathology using the Preschool Age Psychopathological Assessment (PAPA), a parent-report structured diagnostic interview developed for preschool-age children. Sixty-six (40.5%) children were exposed to Sandy Storm (SS) in utero and 97 (59.5%) were not. Survival analysis evaluated patterns …

Depression And Its Associated Factors: Perceived Stress, Social Support, Substance Use And Related Sociodemographic Risk Factors In Medical School Residents In Nairobi, Kenya, Sayed Shah Nur Hussein Shah, Ahmed Laving, Violet Caroline Okech-Helu, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Abstract: Background: Little data exists regarding depression and its associated factors in medical residents and doctors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Residents are at high risk of developing depression owing to the stressful nature of their medical practice and academic training. Depression in medical residents leads to decreased clinical efficiency, and poor academic performance; it can also lead to substance abuse and suicide. Our primary aim was to measure depression prevalence among medical residents in Kenya’s largest national teaching and referral hospital. Secondary aims were to describe how depression was associated with perceived stress, perceived social support, substance use, and educational environment. …

Mapping Services At Two Nairobi County Primary Health Facilities: Identifying Challenges And Opportunities In Integrated Mental Health Care As A Universal Health Coverage (Uhc) Priority, Manasi Kumar, Vincent Nyongesa, Martha Kagoya, Byamah B. Mutamba,, Beatrice Amugune, Neha S. Krishnam, Grace Nduku Wambua, Inge Petersen, Onesmus Gachuno, Shekhar Saxena

Brain and Mind Institute

Abstract: Introduction There is a need to scale-up mental health service provision in primary health care. The current extent of integration of mental health in primary care is pertinent to promoting and augmenting mental health at this level. We describe a facility mapping exercise conducted in two low-income/primary health facilities in Kenya to identify existing barriers and facilitators in the delivery of mental health services in general and specifically for peripartum adolescents in primary health care as well as available service resources, cadres, and developmental partners on the ground.

Method and measures This study utilized a qualitative evidence synthesis through …

Is There An Optimal Screening Tool For Identifying Perinatal Depression Within Clinical Settings Of Sub-Saharan Africa?, Anna Larsen, Jillian Pintye, Amritha Bhat, Manasi Kumar, John Kinuthia, Pamela Y. Collins, Grace John Stewart

Brain and Mind Institute

Abstract: Depression is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide and the most common complication of the perinatal period. Women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are disproportionately impacted by perinatal depression. Maternal and child health (MCH) clinics are widely attended in SSA, offering a potential access point for depression screening. Yet, selection of optimal depression screening instruments for use within MCH clinics in SSA remains unclear. We synthesized evidence depicting relative strength of perinatal depression screening scales for use among African perinatal women within four evaluation domains: 1) diagnostic performance, 2) cultural adaptation, 3) feasibility and ease of implementation, …

Historical Trauma Response Scores As A Function Of Unresolved Grief And Substance Use Disorder In American Indian Populations, Andrew R. Saunders

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract

Researchers are interested in the outcomes of interventions, specifically, measuring historical trauma (HT) among American Indian/Alaska Native communities and the long-term distress and substance abuse as a result of historical trauma response (HTR). Previous literature has implicated limitations in the clinical conceptualization of the relationship between intergenerational transfer of HTR and substance abuse. The aim of the current study is to examine treatment efficacy of 50 homosexual, American Indian males randomized to a culturally-adapted juxtaposition of (1) Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), (2) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and (3) Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention (HTUG), or (4) waitlisted on …

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation And Gut Microbiome Effects On Psychiatric Illnesses, Mona Seresht

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Articles

Despite the medical advances that have been made in regards to mental health, psychiatric medications, and alternative therapies, many patients continue to suffer day in and day out, unable to live the type of life they desire. Many times, the medication route includes many episodes of trial and error, side effects, and no significant improvement in actual symptoms. Therapy, although effective, typically necessitates a supplemental medication for the best results. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a method where feces from a healthy donor is transferred to an affected patient, typically via colonoscopy. Theoretically, this alters the gut microbiome in a …

Assessing The Effect Of Chronic Dopamine Receptor 2 Blockade As A Potential Model Of Secondary Negative Symptoms In Rats Using The Fr5/Chow Feeding Choice Task, Cyrene Nicholas

Honors Scholar Theses

Haloperidol, a dopamine (DA) D2 receptor antagonist, is an antipsychotic drug which is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are often characterized by elevated striatal dopamine, which is speculated to have a role in producing positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, as well as symptoms related to motivational salience and reward prediction. Individuals with schizophrenia also exhibit negative symptoms, such as amotivation, anergia, fatigue, and apathy among others. While some negative symptoms of schizophrenia are inherent to the pathophysiology, other negative symptoms are hypothesized to be partially induced by chronic exposure to antipsychotic …

Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo

Honors Scholar Theses

PRISM (Promoting Resilience in Self-Management) is a mindfulness-based intervention that aims to strengthen emotion regulation skills among individuals by employing cognitive behavioral therapy components. The purpose of the current study is to identify the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression, as well as to examine the changes in emotion regulation strategies of participants by comparing pre and post test data. The participants were voluntarily recruited from the Cornerstone Foundation, a homeless shelter, food pantry, and community center in Vernon, CT. The 13 participants completed PRISM through four weeks of two-hour workshop sessions in a small-group format. Results indicate …

Analytic Hierarchy Process: An Innovative Technique For Culturally Tailoring Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Health Disparities, Jaime A. Corvin, Isabella Chan, Claudia X. Aguado, Ian Dollman, Junius Gonzales

Publications from Provost Junius J. Gonzales

Latinos in the United States represent a disproportionate burden of illness and disease and face barriers to accessing health care and related resources. Culturally tailored, evidence-based interventions hold promise in addressing many of these challenges. Yet, ensuring patient voice is vital in the successful development and implementation of such interventions. Thus, this paper examines the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to inform the augmentation and implementation of an evidence-based chronic disease self-management programme for underserved Latinos living with both minor depression and chronic illness. The process of AHP allows for direct input from the individuals that would utilize such …

Attitudes Towards Mental Illness In American Evangelical Communities, Supernaturalism, And Stigmatization, Nahanni Freeman, Isaac Baldwin

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

Social-cognitive variables and religious attributions regarding mental illness were examined with a homogeneous sample of 180 American Evangelical Christians, using a novel tool and the Mental Health Knowledge Scale (MAKS). In the first trial, participants were randomly assigned to one of two Bible verse priming conditions, which made salient willpower, faith and anxiety-reduction or the suffering Christ. Priming effects revealed that those exposed to the willpower-faith admonishment condition showed lower stigma on the MAKS and stronger condition recognition scores. Participants who endorsed unilateral religious causes and solutions to mental illness also presented with less knowledge about mental health disorders and …

Somatic Symptom And Related Disorders: A Case Of Illness Anxiety Disorder In A Young Relatively Treatment Naive African American Male, Linda Zhang, Richard P. Leggett, Harrison Ross Galicki, William B. Dehart

Psychiatry

Somatic symptom and related disorders (including illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder) is a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) replacing somatoform and related disorders in the DSM-4 Text Revision. This classification eliminated the requirement that somatic symptoms must be nonorganic in nature, in an effort to reliably detect more cases of significant health anxiety than previously with DSM-4 criteria. Illness anxiety disorder is a primary anxiety disorder characterized by persistent preoccupation or excessive concern about having or developing an undiagnosed disease despite medical evaluation and reassurance. It is considered a …

Recent Trends, Current Research In Cyberpsychology: A Literature Review, Amarjit Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Singh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Cyberpsychology refers to the study of the mind and behavior in the context of interactions with technology. It is an emerging branch, which has focused on the psychological aspects connected to the increasing presence and usages of technology in modern lives. This paper traces recent advancement and trends of Cyberpsychology is an emerging domain of knowledge and goes on the give a literature review of the same. An analysis of the recent research and literature covering 300 most relevant research papers from the period of 2012 to 15, August 2019 was conducted to determine and shape the research pattern based …

Measuring Neural Time Series Data In A Sensory Deprivation Tank, Jackson Gregory, Tian Lan, Uri Maoz, Amir Raz

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

We are interested in studying the neurological and physiological effects of the float pod, also known as REST therapy, or sensory deprivation tank. Float pods rely on the concept of depriving most senses (from sound and light to temperature and proprioception) in a pool filled with buoyant salt water at body temperature. While float pods are most commonly used in spa environments, we intend to look at the potential benefits of floating under the empirical lens. In this study, we aim to measure neural activity using electroencephalography (EEG). We intend to look at the different levels of relaxation and the …

Bet You Can’T Eat Just One: Binge Eating Disorder Promotion In American Food Advertising, Debbie Danowski

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

"Eat Like Andy“; "What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?“ For well over a century, American food manufacturers have been competing for consumers’ attention through the use of catchy jingles, iconic characters and celebrities. At the same time, the products being advertised contain greater amounts of addictive ingredients, which encourage binge eating resulting in an unprecedented obesity epidemic. Combine this with the full-scale commercialization of the culture today“. Jhally identifies and the powerful impact of food advertisements becomes clear as does the need to evaluate these ads. As Kilbourne noted nearly a quarter of a century ago, the majority …

Measuring Novel Antecedents Of Mental Illness: The Questionnaire Of Unpredictability In Childhood, Laura M. Glynn, Hal S. Stern, Mariann A. Howland, Victoria B. Risbrough, Dewleen G. Baker, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia P. Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Increasing evidence indicates that, in addition to poverty, maternal depression, and other well-established factors, unpredictability of maternal and environmental signals early in life influences trajectories of brain development, determining risk for subsequent mental illness. However, whereas most risk factors for later vulnerability to mental illness are readily measured using existing, clinically available tools, there are no similar measures for assessing early-life unpredictability. Here we validate the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) and examine its associations with mental health in the context of other indicators of childhood adversity (e.g., traumatic life events, socioeconomic status, and parenting quality). The QUIC was …

Identifying Clinical Distinctions Between Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Eating Disorders In Adolescents, Natalie Marie Perkins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Eating disorders and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are pervasive behaviors that typically begin in early to mid-adolescence. They commonly co-occur, resulting in increasingly negative psychological and physical outcomes than either behavior alone. Emotion reactivity and family functioning have been studied in relation to both eating disorders and NSSI. Both constructs have demonstrated strong relationships to these behaviors, but emotion reactivity appears to be more strongly associated with NSSI, while family functioning appears to be more strongly related to eating disorders. The current study sought to determine whether emotion reactivity and family functioning could differentiate between adolescents with only an eating disorder, …

Treating Adhd With Suggestion: Neurofeedback And Placebo Therapeutics, Robert T. Thibault, Samuel Vassière, Jay A. Olson, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: We propose that clinicians can use suggestion to help treat conditions such as ADHD. Methods: We use EEG neurofeedback as a case study, alongside evidence from a recent pilot experiment utilizing a sham MRI scanner to highlight the therapeutic potential of suggestion-based treatments. Results: The medical literature demonstrates that many practitioners already prescribe treatments that hardly outperform placebo comparators. Moreover, the sham MRI experiment showed that, even with full disclosure of the procedure, suggestion alone can reduce the symptomatology of ADHD. Conclusion: Non-deceptive suggestion-based treatments, especially those drawing on accessories from neuroscience, may offer a safe complement and potential …

Resilience Concepts In Psychiatry Demonstrated With Bipolar Disorder, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Maj-Liz Persson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Background: The term resilience describes stress–response patterns of subjects across scientific disciplines. In ecology, advances have been made to clearly distinguish resilience definitions based on underlying mechanistic assumptions. Engineering resilience (rebound) is used for describing the ability of subjects to recover from adverse conditions (disturbances), and is the rate of recovery. In contrast, the ecological resilience definition considers a systemic change: when complex systems (including humans) respond to disturbances by reorganizing into a new regime (stable state) where structural and functional aspects have fundamentally changed relative to the prior regime. In this context, resilience is an emergent property of complex …

Mental Disorder And Criminal Justice, Stephen J. Morse

All Faculty Scholarship

This paper is a chapter that will appear in REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE: A REPORT OF THE ACADEMY FOR JUSTICE BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SCHOLARSHIP AND REFORM (Erik Luna ed., Academy for Justice 2018). The criminal law treats some people with severe mental disorders doctrinally and practically differently at virtually every stage of the criminal justice process, beginning with potential incompetence to stand trial and ending with the question of competence to be executed, and such people have special needs when they are in the system. This chapter begins by exploring the fundamental mental health information necessary to make informed judgements …

Temperament Factors And Dimensional, Latent Bifactor Models Of Child Psychopathology: Transdiagnostic And Specific Associations In Two Youth Samples, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Hannah Snyder, Jami F. Young, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Common emotional and behavioral symptoms co-occur and are associated with core temperament factors. This study investigated links between temperament and dimensional, latent psychopathology factors, including a general common psychopathology factor (p factor) and specific latent internalizing and externalizing liabilities, as captured by a bifactor model, in two independent samples of youth. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that temperament factors of negative affectivity (NA), positive affectivity (PA), and effortful control (EC) could serve as both transdiagnostic and specific risks in relation to recent bifactor models of child psychopathology. Sample 1 included 571 youth (average age 13.6, SD = 2.37, range 9.3–17.5) …

The G. Stanley Hall Papers, Granville Stanley Hall

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The papers of Granville Stanley Hall, Clark University's first president, include family and professional correspondence, official University correspondence, and correspondence with former students of Hall's.

Accommodating Hyperaroused Information Processing In Persons At Risk For Alcoholism, Kellianne Clark, Jaclyn Cutler

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In the search for the factors related to the heightened alcoholism risk in adult children of alcoholics (ACOA), it has been reported that these persons possess a high incidence of attention deficit disorders (ADD) as determined by clinical assessment instruments. However, investigations of alcoholism risk and ADD indicate that, in contrast to the hypoarousal model of ADD, the ACOA’s attention problems represent hyperarousal of attention mechanisms resulting in reduced ability to select and encode relevant information. If true, then unlike persons with ADD, clinical and cognitive assessments of ACOAs would benefit if the ACOA was provided with more time to …