Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Influence Of Publicized Suicides On Depressive Symptoms, Kallie R. Stephens, Andrew Terranova

Honors Theses

The aim of the current study was to examine how media influences cognitions and emotions. It was hypothesized that those who viewed a media report on suicide would have higher levels of death thought accessibility, while also displaying a more negative mood. Gender differences were also considered. The study consisted of 71 participants, predominantly White (84.5%) with an average age of 19.93 (SD = 5.41). The design of the study was experimental in nature. Participants viewed either a neutral news report or a news report on suicide. After reading, participants completed a word completion task to measure death thought accessibility …

Neuroticism And Stressful Life Events: Probing Mechanisms Underlying Vulnerability To Stress-Related Depression, Erin Bondy

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elevated neuroticism (N) potentiates the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs). We first replicate this association using longitudinal data (N=971 older adults) from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study. Here, SLEs prospectively predicted future depressive symptoms, especially among those reporting elevated N, even after accounting for prior depressive symptoms and previous SLE exposure (NxSLE interaction: p=0.016, ΔR²=0.003). These findings were further replicated in cross-sectional analyses of the Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS), a young adult college sample with neuroimaging data (n=1,343: NxSLE interaction: p=0.019, ΔR²=0.003). Because evidence suggests that stress may promote depression …

A Mediational Analysis: Investigating The Role Of Academic Self-Efficacy In The Relationship Between Bullying Victimization And Depression, Rachel Elizabeth Doody

Senior Honors Projects

Bullying is one of the most pervasive problems faced during childhood. Bullying victimization has been demonstrated to be strongly associated with numerous mental health outcomes, including depression. Research suggests that self-efficacy may play a role in the relationship between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms. The present study hypothesized that academic self-efficacy would mediate this relationship. Participants (N=206, M_age = 19.5, 70.4% female) were college students who completed Bullying and Relationship Scale– Revised, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated that the overall regression model was significant (β= .19, t (106) = 6.823, …

The Influence Of Neural Reward Processing On Memory In Depression, Nathan M. Hager

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Theories and research suggest that depression involves impaired reward sensitivity and a deficit in memory for rewarding stimuli. Some researchers propose that this memory deficit may result from reduced neural reward sensitivity, which impairs the encoding of reward-related memories, but few studies have directly probed this connection. Such research may benefit from examining the reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential (ERP) previously linked to reduced reward sensitivity in depression. Undergraduates with high or low self-reported depression completed a task in which they chose one of three doors, revealing a neutral word written in a color which indicated an outcome of …

Exploring The Links Between Social Anxiety And Depression In The Maintenance Of Romantic Relationships, Christian M. Hahn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Social anxiety is characterized by fear and avoidance of social encounters and has recently been associated with a variety of difficulties in romantic relationships. Complicating further investigation of these associations is the high degree of comorbidity between social anxiety and depressive symptomatology, which share several similarities in expression despite disparate underlying causes. The present thesis examines the unique influences of social anxiety and depression on a number of central aspects of relationship functioning and provide the first longitudinal investigation of the impacts of actor and partner social anxiety and depression on relationship quality and functioning. In Study 1, three independent …

Baseline And Stress-Induced Cognitive Control Deficits And Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines In Currently, Remitted, And Never Depressed Individuals, Katerina Rnic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Cognitive theories posit that cognitive control deficits promote depression by reducing ability to self-regulate under stress. When activated by stress and accessible to working memory, negative cognitive content and structure (i.e., schemas), may interfere with cognitive control abilities, resulting in even greater declines in executive functioning. Moreover, burgeoning evidence indicates that social stress upregulates inflammation, resulting in a pro-inflammatory phenotype that drives depression pathogenesis. However, cognitive mechanisms underlying this process are not well understood. An objective of this study was to examine depression-related deficits in cognitive control and their association with poor self-regulation. Another purpose was to evaluate the …

The Role Of Social Disconnection In The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Psychological Distress, Samantha Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation investigated the interpersonal mechanisms through which various aspects of perfectionism confer risk for psychological outcomes. Three studies were conducted based on the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (Hewitt, Flett, & Mikail, 2017), which proposes that individuals with higher levels of perfectionism may experience significant social disconnection, which then lead to a variety of maladaptive outcomes. Study 1 examined the longitudinal impacts of trait perfectionism and sense of relatedness on the variance in change in psychological outcomes. Findings showed that negative perceptions of relatedness partially mediated the link between socially prescribed perfectionism and psychological distress three months later; however, this …

The Impact Of Racial Microaggressions And Major Discriminatory Events On Mental Health, Florence Lui

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current study, a secondary data analysis, sought to determine the number and nature of latent groups for experiences of spectrum racial discrimination (i.e., both major and microaggressive racial discrimination) in a sample of emerging adults from a people of color (POC)-majority public university setting in the United States, and to understand the role of socio-demographic variables in defining each group. In addition, the study aimed to ascertain the extent to which endorsing spectrum racial discrimination experiences predicted anxiety and/or depression above the effects of general, non-race-related stress. Finally, the analyses gauged the mediating and/or moderating role of coping in …

Clinical Characteristics And Neuroanatomical Predictors Of Acute Antidepressant Outcome For Patients With Comorbid Depression And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Jeffrey N. Motter

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Older adults presenting with both a depressive disorder (DEP) and cognitive impairment (CI) represent a unique, understudied population. The classification of cognitive impairment severity continues to be debated though it has recently been subtyped into late (LMCI) versus early (EMCI) stages. Previous studies have found associations between treatment outcome and both cortical thickness and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), though report inconsistent directionality and affected regions. In this study, we examined baseline clinical characteristics and neuroanatomical features as prognostic indicators for older adults with comorbid DEP and CI participating in an open antidepressant trial. EMCI is hypothesized to have greater …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Adolescent Depression, Anhedonia, And Behavioral Therapy, Alison A. Delizza

Dissertations

Adolescent depression is a significant public health problem, however the current characterization of depression as a categorical label is problematic for understanding individual phenomenology, interindividual variability, and best treatment practices (Lewinsohn, Solomon, Seeley, & Zeiss, 2000). Anhedonia has been posited as a process underlying depression that may contribute to poorer outcomes (Gabbay, 2015). The current project examines large samples of adolescents diagnosed with depression to identify common features at a symptom level and the relationship these features have with behavioral therapy outcomes. Four phases of analyses were completed to 1) examine symptomology of multiple depressed adolescent samples in order to …

A Randomized Controlled Trial: Attachment-Based Family And Nondirective Supportive Treatments For Youth Who Are Suicidal, Guy S. Diamond, Roger R. Kobak, E. Stephanie Krauthamer Ewing, Suzanne A. Levy, Joanna L. Herres, Jody M. Russon, Robert J. Gallop

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) compared with a family-enhanced nondirective supportive therapy (FE-NST) for decreasing adolescents’ suicide ideation and depressive symptoms. Method: A randomized controlled trial of 129 adolescents who are suicidal ages 12- to 18-years-old (49% were African American) were randomized to ABFT (n ¼ 66) or FE-NST (n ¼ 63) for 16 weeks of treatment. Assessments occurred at baseline and 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. Trajectory of change and clinical recovery were calculated for suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms. Results: There was no significant between-group difference in the rate of change in …

Infant Emotion Regulation With Mothers And Fathers: The Roles Of Infant Temperament And Parent Psychopathology, Ashley Quigley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The ability to regulate emotions is a key part of infants’ social and emotional development, but this ability may differ due to different factors internal and external to the infant. The current study examined the association between infant temperament and parent psychopathology to predict emotion regulation strategies in a sample of 4-montholds using the diathesis-stress model (Monroe & Simons, 1991). Parent-report questionnaires were used to measure infant temperament (the Infant-Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, IBQ-R; Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003) and parental psychopathology (Inventory of Depression and Anxiety, IDAS; Watson et al., 2007). Infants’ use of parent-focused, attentional distraction, and self-soothing strategies were rated …

Risk And Resistance Factors For Depression And Anxiety Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Laura Reinman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Depression and anxiety are common problems for adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is important to understand both risk and resiliency factors contributing to psychological outcomes among youth with SCD in order to prevent and effectively treat such problems. To better elucidate contributing factors to depression and anxiety among youth with SCD selected risk and resiliency factors from the risk-and-resistance model adapted for SCD were examined (Barakat, Lash, Lutz, & Nicolaou, 2006). The risk factor of fatigue and resistance/resiliency factors of cognitive appraisal of stress and self-concept are of focus because they have been understudied, and their temporal …

The Influence Of Adhd Symptoms And Social Functioning On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In College Students, Danielle Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired social functioning in children and adolescents. ADHD and poor social functioning have been shown to be separately associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms as well. However, little research has examined these associations among college students. College is a transitional period of increased stress and exposure to new social situations for all students, but may be even more challenging for those with ADHD, who are already at risk for increased internalizing problems and impairment in social functioning. The current study aimed to examine the influence of ADHD symptoms …

Examining Early Maladaptive Schemas, Depression, And Health Behaviors, Juliana D'Onofrio

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic disease continues to predominate the leading causes of death and account for the majority of healthcare expenditures in the United States. Researchers have identified that engagement in negative health behaviors, such as eating a poor diet, physical inactivity, risky sexual activity, nicotine and illicit drug use, and excessive alcohol consumption is a key risk factor for developing chronic disease later in life. In order to help motivate individuals to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, understanding why an individual might engage in negative health behaviors is warranted. Young's schema theory is a social cognitive theory that explores early maladaptive schemas …

Disentangling The Impact Of Poor Sleep From Depressive Symptoms On Emotion Regulation, Kimberly O'Leary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Depressive symptoms and sleep are both strongly associated with deficits in emotional functioning (Durmer & Dinges, 2005; van der Helm & Walker, 2010). Although sleep and depression are tightly intertwined, understanding their independent and conjoint impact on emotional functioning is imperative. Given the limitations of previous designs, the primary goal of this study was to examine the separate impact of poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms on emotion regulation. In order to accomplish this goal, we preselected groups on the basis of their sleep and depression profiles: individuals with mainly sleep problems (N = 30), individuals with mainly depressive symptoms …

The Role Of Sexual Self-Schema And Psychological Distress In The Relationship Between Sexual Victimization And Sexual Functioning And Satisfaction, Alexandra Medina

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual assault (SA) has been associated with various negative psychological consequences for survivors. Recent studies have shown an association between the history of sexual assault and sexual dysfunction among female survivors of sexual victimization. Specifically, sexual assault survivors experience difficulties with aspects of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-schemas (Rellini & Meston, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested a sequential mediational model in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault Disclosure Reactions On Interpersonal Factors And Mental Health, Lindsey Chesus

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual victimization is experienced by about 20% of women and two percent of men (Black et al., 2011). Disclosure of these incidences is high, with about 90% of survivors speaking out at least once about their assault (Ullman & Peter-Hagene, 2014). Though disclosure rates appear high, common reactions given by formal (e.g. law enforcement) and informal (e.g. a friend) sources are negative and counterintuitive to survivor growth (Ullman & Brecklin, 2002). Often studied with military veterans and suicide, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belonging are tied to social disconnect and perceived rejection from interpersonal support systems, and often follow stressful life …

Cognitive Functioning, Depression, And Strengths As Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Multiple Sclerosis, Tara Annthea Crouch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at significant risk for decreased quality of life, partly due to associated cognitive impairment (Højsgaard Chow et al., 2018). A discrepancy often exists between objective and perceived measures of cognitive impairment (Middleton et al., 2006); the paths through which they predict quality of life for MS patients remain unclear (Baumstarck-Barrau, et al., 2011). Objective cognitive functioning as well as one’s perceptions of it may differentially impact quality of life, and therefore may or may not act through the same mechanisms to impact quality of life. Depression is one possible mediator known to impact quality …

The Role Of Self-Compassion In The Relationship Between Moral Injury And Psychological Distress Among Military Veterans, Mernyll Manalo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

While there is considerable research linking trauma to psychological distress, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among military populations, some service members may develop other variants of psychological difficulties following exposure to traumatic life events. For example, moral injury, a more recently studied outcome within the field of trauma, is conceptualized to occur when a person perceives their response to a morally challenging situation as a transgression that may lead to an incongruence with their morals producing moral emotions (i.e., shame, guilt, and anxiety; Litz et al., 2009). The current study investigated the role of self-compassion in the relationship between …

What Symptoms Of Disordered Gambling, Disordered Eating, Anxiety, And Depression Co-Occur? The Explanatory Power Of Network Analysis, Nassim Tabri, Melissa Salmon, Samantha Hollingshead, Michael Wohl

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

An abstract (not to exceed 200 words)

Disordered gamblers often exhibit comorbid psychiatric disorders, however, little is known about how or why these disorders co-occur. We posit that comorbidity is likely the result of one or more symptoms of disordered gambling being strongly associated with one or more symptoms of other disorders. To test this idea, we conducted a network analysis to identify relations between individual symptoms of disordered gambling, disordered eating, anxiety, and depression in a representative sample of Canadians from the Bay of Quinte region of Ontario (N=4121). Results indicated that chasing one’s losses was a central symptom …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

The Role Of Cognitive Distortions In The Longitudinal Relationship Between Problematic Drinking And Depressive Symptoms, Monica F. Tomlinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation investigated the mechanisms by which problematic drinking contributes to depressive symptoms in two longitudinal, prospective, cohort-design studies. Distorted cognitive processes (dysfunctional attitudes, negatively-biased information processing, and rumination) were proposed as mediators in the relationship between problematic drinking and depressive symptoms over time. Study 1 (N = 1090) assessed participants’ levels of problematic drinking, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive symptoms at three-month intervals for one year. Findings indicated that the social and occupational consequences of alcohol use (e.g., interpersonal conflict) significantly predicted depressive symptoms. The amount and frequency of alcohol consumption did not. Therefore, impairment, but not level of …

Internal Versus External Predictors Of Physical Activity In Youth, Paige Marie Ryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Physical activity (PA) participation has been linked to broad health benefits including reduced risk of chronic diseases (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2008). PA participation is important for youth as it sets the precedent for continued engagement and improved long-term health. Nonetheless, adolescents have some of the lowest rates of physical activity, and subsequently obesity rates in youth have exponentially increased in the past few decades (CDC, 2013). Therefore, determining predictors of PA for adolescents is of vital importance. Many studies focus on barriers to PA in youth, but few include both facilitating and inhibiting factors of youth PA participation. …

The Effect Of A Substance Use Intervention On Co-Occurring Adolescent Depression Symptoms, Elizabeth Ann Lehinger Phd

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The comorbidity of substance use and depression among adolescents has been strongly established but less is known about their reciprocal impact over time. Examining these variables in the context of an intervention provides information about how changes in one effect the other. The current study examines the effect of a school-based Motivational Interviewing (MI) intervention, Project READY, on co-occurring substance use and depressive symptoms in adolescents (N = 103; ages 13-18, mean = 16) from the greater Seattle area. We hypothesized: (a) the quantity and frequency of substance use will decrease from pre-treatment to post-treatment follow up; (b) the …

Rsa In Young Adults: Identifying Naturally-Occurring Response Patterns And Correlates, Brittany K. Willey

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Few studies have focused on the joint contributions of baseline and stress-responsive RSA on mental health outcomes, and no research to date has examined naturally-occurring profiles of RSA, which may be more predictive of emotion regulation ability and mental health outcomes than looking at either component of RSA alone. Participants were 235 (87.1% female, 73.6% Caucasian) undergraduates ages 18-39 (M = 19.62, SD = 2.12). In Part 1, latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) was used to identify naturally-occurring physiological profiles accounting for both resting and stress-reactive RSA among young adults. In Part 2, multivariate ANCOVAs were used to predict …

Understanding Comorbid Depression In The Context Of Ptsd Through Underlying Dimensions, Melissa Turkel

Dissertations

Depression co-occurs with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at a high rate, resulting in numerous complications for pathology and treatment. More research is needed regarding variables that may explain this common comorbidity. One possible variable is that of underlying dimensions, latent factors that give rise to these manifestations of psychopathology. This study explored potential underlying mechanisms of comorbid PTSD and depression, including negative affect, rumination, emotion dysregulation, neuroticism, and behavioral inhibition. While previous studies have investigated these dimensions individually, there is a dearth of research that simultaneously investigates multiple dimensions or determines the relative contributions of underlying dimensions to psychopathology. Thus, the …

Absolutist Thinking And Depression, Katherine Cohen

Senior Theses

A key characteristic of depression is the presence of cognitive biases (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study added to the growing literature examining absolutist thinking as a potential cognitive bias associated with depression. We used data from a survey conducted at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus which included 116 students to compare the use of absolutist words in participants’ writing with their depressive symptomatology. We further compared the difference in the use of absolutist words in participants’ responses about success versus their responses about failure. Results revealed that there was not a significant relationship between BDI scores ( …

Relation Of Depression Symptoms To Sustained Reward And Loss Sensitivity, Michael P. Berry, Ema Tanovic, Jutta Joormann, Charles A. Sanislow

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy For Blind And Visually Impaired Adults: Acceptance, Problem-Solving, And Cognitive Distortions, Collin D. Mullins

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study sought to explore the efficacy of group Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) adapted for individuals living with visual impairment. Specifically, this study investigated changes in quality of life, levels of acceptance, problem-solving, depression, and cognitive distortions following treatment. A group of ten participants (N = 10) were recruited in a large Northeastern city from a non-profit organization providing programming to individuals with visual impairment. Combined pretest-posttest experimental and qualitative study designs were utilized. Individuals were assessed using measures to acquire baseline and outcomes on depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), acceptance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II), quality of life (World Health Organization Quality …