Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

A Novel Framework To Estimate Cognitive Impairment Via Finger Interaction With Digital Devices, Ashley A Holmes, Shikha Tripathi, Emily Katz, Ijah Mondesire-Crump, Rahul Mahajan, Aaron Ritter, Teresa Arroyo-Gallego, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Measuring cognitive function is essential for characterizing brain health and tracking cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Current tools to accurately evaluate cognitive impairment typically rely on a battery of questionnaires administered during clinical visits which is essential for the acquisition of repeated measurements in longitudinal studies. Previous studies have shown that the remote data collection of passively monitored daily interaction with personal digital devices can measure motor signs in the early stages of synucleinopathies, as well as facilitate longitudinal patient assessment in the real-world scenario with high patient compliance. This was achieved by the automatic discovery …

Parental Barriers Toward Seeking Mental Healthcare For Saudi Children At Risk Of Adhd, Amani Kappi

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder commonly diagnosed in childhood. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of ADHD can lead to the development of other mental illnesses and disruptions in social functioning in adulthood. Therefore, parents can play a crucial role in proactively seeking mental healthcare for children who are at risk for or who have a clear diagnosis of ADHD. Studies in the United Kingdom and the United States highlight many barriers that prevent parents from seeking mental healthcare for their children, such as negative attitudes towards the mental healthcare system and stigma towards mental illnesses.

Cultural differences …

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Quality Of Life Before And After Cosmetic Surgery: Should Body Dysmorphic Disorder Be Considered An Absolute Or Relative Contraindication For Cosmetic Surgery?, Lindsay Conlisk

Capstone Showcase

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) has historically been regarded as a strong contraindication for cosmetic plastic surgery. New research now suggests that the contraindications to cosmetic surgery in patients with BDD may not be so absolute. This paper reviews diagnostic criteria, diagnostic challenges, and current standard of treatment of BDD. It then presents the idea of insight analysis in the BDD patient as a significant factor in determining if patients with BDD may or may not benefit from cosmetic surgery or procedures.

Psychological Resilience In Student-Athletes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Henley Lapid

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the psychological resilience process in student-athletes during the unique adverse context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to answer the following research questions guided by Fisher et al.’s (2019) heuristic framework: (1) What resilience mechanisms, (2) promoting factors, and (3) resilience outcomes were experienced by participants in their resilience demonstrations? and (4) How does the resilience process unfold over time across adverse contexts including the COVID-19 pandemic? Nine student-athletes from Wilfrid Laurier University were interviewed on their experiences demonstrating resilience within and outside of the pandemic. A thematic analysis (Braun …

Social Media Use And Mental Health: An Educational Intervention To Reduce Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents, Natalie Catlett

DNP Projects

Background: Most adolescents spend a great deal of their time using various social media platforms. However, excessive and maladaptive social media use is correlated with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents.

Objective: This project aimed to determine whether an educational intervention could help decrease overall time spent using social media and improve mood and mental health outcomes among adolescents with depression or anxiety disorders.

Methods: This was a quasi-experiment with a pretest and posttest design. An educational intervention about the relationship between social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents and strategies to minimize risk …

Common Features In Compulsive Sexual Behavior, Substance Use Disorders, Personality, Temperament And Attachment—A Narrative Review, Yaniv Efrati, Shane W. Kraus, Gal Kaplan

Psychology Faculty Research

Do addictions share common traits of an “addictive personality” or do different addictions have distinct personality profiles? This narrative review examines the differences in the associations between substance use disorder (SUD) and compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), on the one hand, and personality traits, attachment dispositions, and temperament, on the other hand. We found that both people with a SUD and people with CSBD tended to be more spontaneous, careless, and less reliable, to place self-interest above getting along with others, to show emotional instability and experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, and/or depression, to be less able to …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Fear Of Evaluation, Social Anxiety, And Depression, Michelle Ingraffia

Masters Theses

This study explores fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and fear of positive evaluation (FPE) across social anxiety and depression. The following assessment tools were used to measure fear of positive evaluation, fear of negative evaluation, social anxiety, and depression: Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation - Straightforward, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale – Self Report, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale – Revised. A sample of two hundred and thirty-one participants completed forms online via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Social anxiety was correlated positively with both FNE and FPE; likewise, depression was correlated positively with both FNE …

The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Depression And Anxiety Symptoms During Covid-19, Tene'sha L. Crews, Christina Sheerin

UROP Posters

The rise of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global surge in exposure to disaster and crisis-related media. Increases in poor mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression, are associated with increased exposure to such media content (Abbas et al., 2021; Riehm et al., 2020; Zhao & Zhou, 2020). In recent years, social media has become one of the most widely used sources for news; approximately 48% of adult Americans receive their news from social media (Pew Research Center, 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in social media use due to social distancing and …

Psychosocial Factors Of Covid-19 Impact Oral Health, Neeru Ramaswami Bds, Ms, Mph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The impact of psychosocial factors on oral health during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. This article, part of National Children’s Dental Health Month, focuses on adolescent oral health and eating disorders, authored by experts from the University of Michigan. With a dramatic increase in eating disorders among Michigan adolescents during the pandemic, especially affecting transgender and diverse youth, identifying such issues is crucial. General dentists, in an ideal position for interaction, can play a vital role in addressing these challenges, emphasizing the need for continued education and collaboration.

The Impact Of Mindful Breathing On Stress Of Employees Working From Home, Lindsey Goldberg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This DNP project was designed to decrease stress among employees working from home (WFH) by educating them on mindful breathing practices. Through the implementation of a mindful breathing activity, the intended project outcome was to improve stress levels of employees working from their homes. Mindful breathing is an evidence-based strategy that has demonstrated decreased stress levels. Mindful breathing was implemented among two companies employing an estimate of 170 WFH employees to improve health and well-being with potential long-term positive impact on sustainability of organizations in the post-COVID, work from home environment. The participants were invited to perform 8-minutes of daily …

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Of Smoking Cessation Induction Treatment For Rural, Underserved Cancer Survivors Across The Continuum Of Motivation To Quit, William Bowling

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The United States’ smoking prevalence has decreased substantially, but this public health improvement is unevenly distributed across the population. A promising individual-level approach to cancer control equity is to develop more acceptable and efficacious interventions that are widely disseminated to rural and other disadvantaged cancer survivors. Smoking cessation induction focuses not on long-term abstinence, but on engaging people in the process of making quit attempts and may be ideal for hard-to-reach populations. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a smoking cessation induction intervention designed for rural cancer survivors. The treatment …

A Novel Approach To Reducing Adiposity Among Young Men, Jean M. Reading

Theses and Dissertations

Background

Lifestyle intervention is the first line treatment for obesity. Yet, young men are underrepresented in lifestyle interventions, which is posited to be the result of unmet needs and overall low concern for weight management. The aims of this dissertation are to:

Papers 1 and 2: Test the preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of a self-guided lifestyle intervention for young men.

Paper 3: Explore the behavioral and physiological factors associated with changes in adiposity among young men and women enrolled in a more intensive lifestyle intervention.

Results

Papers 1 and 2: The self-guided intervention produced modest weight …

Defiantly Childlike: Using Aesthetic Resistance To Heal, Sarah K. Reagan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines an alternative processing mechanism surrounding the act of healing after traumatic experiences in life. Using a methodology of iterative patterning and tool-pathing, a collection of inflatable garments and wooden mannequins analyzes defense mechanisms learned in early childhood development. This work highlights an essential body of recent scholarship that takes cuteification seriously to restore a childlike approach to mastering fear. This paper will review the definitions of cuteness and childlike humor and then describe how visual culture has implemented these components to subvert established power.

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Factors Associated With Intention To Disclose Concussive Symptoms In Active Duty Soldiers, Carly Beck

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Concussion disclosure is a heavily researched topic, and while previous literature has explored predictors of concussion disclosure in numerous populations, research within the active duty Soldier population is limited. This study further explored predictors of concussion disclosure to a medical professional or leadership in the active duty Solider population through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to 181 active duty Soldiers. Descriptive statistics were used to report frequency of high intention to disclose concussive symptoms among demographics, and a multivariate regression model was used to assess significant predictors of intention …

Values Engagement As A Predictor Of Eating Disorder Severity In Female Adolescents With Eating Disorders, Julie M. Petersen, Jennifer L. Barney, Tyson S. Barrett, Tera S. Lensegrav-Benson, Benita Quakenbush-Roberts, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Values are freely chosen life directions and/or qualities of being that can motivate behavior change. There is nascent support for the utility of values work as a part of the therapeutic process across treatments, particularly in third wave therapy approaches (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy). However, therapeutic values work is underresearched in clinical samples of youth. The aim of the present study is to examine the role of the two distinct values processes (engagement and obstruction), body image inflexibility, alongside other common comorbid symptoms of eating disorders (anxiety, depression) in a sample of female adolescents with eating disorders attending a …

Dataset: Knowledge And Attitude Retention Following An Implicit Bias Classroom Workshop, Yuanyuan Zhou, Joel Purkiss, Malvika Juneja, Jocelyn Greely, Anitra Beasley, Anne Gill

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Baylor College of Medicine provides a classroom-based implicit bias workshop to all third-year medical students to increase students’ awareness of their unconscious bias and develop strategies for reducing health care disparities. The workshop meets our immediate goals and objectives. However, we are unsure if the benefit would be long-term or diminish over time.

Methods: To examine the concept retention from the implicit bias classroom workshop, we administered a self-developed seven-item seven-point Likert-scale survey to our medical students at pre-, post-, and one-year post-workshop attendance.

Results: The data set was comprised of survey results from two cohorts of our third …

Moderate Prenatal Ethanol Exposure, Sex, And Housing Modify Spatial Navigation Behavior And Hippocampal Cell Firing In Adult Rodents, Christy Magcalas

Psychology ETDs

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with structural and physiological changes that impact the central nervous system and can result in persistent negative consequences in a broad spectrum of cognitive and behavioral domains including deficits in spatial learning and memory and behavioral flexibility. The current study focuses on examining the behavioral and mechanistic consequences of PAE, sex and housing. Rats were tested in the Morris Water Task where they were trained to navigate to a goal location and tested in a pool shift manipulation. There were no significant differences between PAE treatment, sex, or housing groups during training, but there …

Depression As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Perceived Injustice And Neuropsychological Performance Validity Among Individuals Previously Diagnosed With A Concussion, Jeremiah Lum

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Concussion is one of the most common conditions seen within rehabilitation and neuropsychology. Given that many concussions are diagnosed following litigation-associated injuries, it is unsurprising that malingered neurocognitive deficit (i.e., deliberate underperformance on cognitive instruments in the interest of secondary gain) has dominated the concussion literature. Although the identification of malingering is essential to ethical assessment, its presence or absence is not the sole determinant of performance validity as a whole. Rather, performance validity is a broad construct involving effort, which refers to examinees’ investment in performing at capacity levels; emerging research suggests this can be affected by psychological factors …

Peer-Led Building Resilience And Enhancing Social-Emotional Skills Program, Danielle K. Enrico

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of the Capstone experience was to develop and implement a five-week peer-led building resilience and social-emotional skills training program at a public high school. This program addressed high school students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding resources, social-emotional skills, and resilience. A questionnaire was administered pre and post-program to measure effectiveness. The results indicated an increase in scores, demonstrating a clearer understanding in all three areas.

Digital Stress Management In Cancer: Testing Stressproffen In A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial, Elin Børøsund, Shawna L. Ehlers, Matthew M. Clark, Michael A. Andrykowski, Milada Cvancarova Småstuen, Lise Solberg Nes

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-behavioral stress management interventions are associated with improved psychological well-being for cancer survivors. The availability of, access to, and outreach of these in-person interventions are limited, however. The current study, therefore, evaluated the efficacy of StressProffen, a digital application (app)-based stress management intervention for cancer survivors, in a 12-month randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: Cancer survivors 1 year or less after their treatment (N = 172) were randomized to the StressProffen intervention (n = 84) or a usual-care control group (n = 88). The intervention was delivered in a simple blended care model: 1) 1 in-person introduction session, 2) 10 …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Alcohol Craving And Demand On Obsessive And Compulsive Drinking Characteristics: The Role Of Impulsivity, James V. Turner Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This study’s goal was to test a novel model of obsessive-compulsive thoughts about drinking. Young adults completed tasks measuring potential drinking characteristics. Findings indicated demand was related to higher OCTD, a significant effect of CIC on OCTD via demand, and that the relationship was particularly strong for impulsive individuals.

Mental Health Treatment In Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Utilizing Assessment To Inform Treatment, Sarah Riccio

Dissertations

Youth in juvenile correctional facilities face a wide range of mental health difficulties. Over the years, the juvenile justice system has prioritized the need for providing appropriate and effective treatment services to youth throughout their detainment. Despite these ongoing efforts, treatment practices in juvenile correctional facilities continue to fall short. This study will first focus on assessment practices within these facilities and the impact current practices have on diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of comprehensive evaluations for informing diagnosis and determining the individual treatment needs of detained youth. An integrated approach to assessment will …

Maintaining Physical Activity During Covid-19: The Influence Of Psychosocial Variables In Individuals With Back Pain, Heidi Stabbert

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Stressor events, such as COVID-19, may trigger adaptive or maladaptive pain management strategies among individuals with persistent low back pain (LBP). Individuals with lower fear avoidance, depression and anxiety, and greater positive affect and quality of life may better maintain positive pain management strategies during stressor events. This study investigated psychosocial characteristics of individuals with LBP who demonstrated adaptive pain management strategies during COVID-19, indicated by maintenance of physical activity (PA). Individuals with persistent LBP (age 22.4 (3.4) years, n=25) from an existing longitudinal cohort participated. Participants completed a baseline survey prior to COVID-19 quantifying demographics, pain characteristics, the Physical …

Functional Seizures: The Patient’S Perspective Of A Diagnostic And Treatment Odyssey, Heather J. Andrini, Sydni L. Au Hoy, Ashley M. Okhovat, Juliana Lockman, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Functional seizures can be challenging to properly diagnose, often leading to delays in treatment. The etiology of functional seizures is multifactorial, with psychological factors identified in many, but not all cases. Misdiagnosis may occur due to clinical features mimicking other medical conditions. Once a correct diagnosis is reached, delivery of definitive, evidence-based treatment may be challenging due to limited availability of specialized resources. Research shows psychological education and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have the greatest efficacy. However, individual differences, including acceptance of the diagnosis, therapeutic alliance, duration of symptoms, comorbidities, and access to care may influence outcomes. There is a …

Independent And Combined Associations Between Multiple Lifestyle Behaviours And Academic Grades Of Inner Urban And Peri-Urban High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study In Chongqing, China, Zhengjie Cai, Jinli Xian, Camila Araujo, Ziwei Zhang, Hongyu Zhou, Huan Peng, Manoj Sharma, Yong Zhao

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Objectives This study aims to assess the independent and combined associations between multiple lifestyle behaviours and academic grades of inner urban high school students (IUHSSs) and peri-urban high school students (PUHSSs). Design A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants There are 1481 high school students (49.9% boys) in this study, who were enrolled from one inner urban and two peri-urban schools in Chongqing, China. Outcome measures Academic grades were assessed based on the students’ self-reported grade ranking in the last cumulative examination. Results In IUHSSs and PUHSSs, high frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was unlikely to obtain high academic grades (OR …

Boosting Brain Waves Improves Memory, Richard J. Addante, Mairy Yousif, Rosemarie Valencia, Constance Greenwood, Raechel Marino

Psychology Faculty Publications

Have you ever wanted to improve your memory? Or have you struggled to remember what you studied? Memory uses special patterns of activity in the brain. This experiment tested a new way to create brain wave patterns that help with memory. We wanted to see if we could improve memory by using lights and sounds that teach the brain waves to be in sync. People wore special goggles that made flashes of light and headphones that made beeping noises. This trained the brain through a process called entrainment. The entrainment put the brain in sync at a specific brain wave …

Daily Phonatory Activity Of Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Jeff Searl, Angela M. Dietsch

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study evaluated the amount of phonatory activity of Persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD) compared to adults without Parkinson’s disease measured over 3 days. The relationship between the amount of phonatory activity and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score was assessed as were differences in voicing activity across 3 days of data collection.

Methods

Fifteen PwPD receiving dopaminergic medication and fifteen age and sex matched adults without Parkinson’s disease completed the VHI and then wore a VocaLog vocal monitor (VM) for 3 consecutive days. From the VM data, the number of 1-second windows with dB sound pressure level > 0 …

Construct Validity For The Self-Reported Competency And Sub-Construct Associated Characteristics Of Romanian Physicians In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mohammad H Rahbar, Iuliana Dobrescu, Shezeen Gillani, Manouchehr Hessabi, Sori Kim, Mihaela Stancu, Florina Rad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Lack of physicians' knowledge regarding mental health, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could have adverse effects on affected individuals' health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to provide construct validity for a modified questionnaire in order to determine the self-reported competency for underlying sub-constructs in ASD, make inferences on perceived competence in ASD based on a sample of Romanian physicians, and identify physicians' characteristics associated with these sub-domains of competency.

METHODS: For this survey, we modified a questionnaire that was used in Pakistan and Turkey, and administered it to a sample of 383 practicing physicians …