Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Communication And Posttraumatic Growth: The Power Of Positive Declarations, Jennifer L. Owen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has explored the relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and communication trends. Yet, there is a gap in research regarding how positive declarations of desired outcomes can influence PTG and be applied in a therapeutic context. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine if positive declarations of psychological growth facilitate PTG after trauma and impact levels of hope, anxiety, or depression. A small pilot study was conducted through six counseling sessions with participants (N = 16) divided into either the control (n = 8) or experimental group (n = 8). A novel Positive Communication Approach (PCA), distinguished by …

What Family Mealtime Brings To The Table, Alicia Kirby Leon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Family mealtimes together appear to play an important role in adolescent mental health. Family mealtime frequency is associated with positive outcomes such as greater well-being, self-esteem, happiness, and better mental health in adolescents. However, the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown left behind even higher levels of depression and anxiety and other mental health concerns in adolescents. Moreover, children from lower SES tend to have higher anxiety levels, depressive affect, and stress. In this study, I proposed to help bridge that gap in the research by examining adolescents from low SES families and help determine how much family mealtimes may benefit …

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Survivors: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post-Traumatic Growth, Quality Of Life, And Unmet Mental Health Needs, Carla Horton Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate levels of PTSD, PTG, QOL, their relationships, and unmet mental health needs of triple-negative breast cancer survivors diagnosed between stages 2b-4 and 2-5 years post-treatment. Participants were recruited through two cancer organizations, breast health navigators, TNBC support groups, and online breast cancer support groups. Sixty-one participants completed the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). Thirty participants completed the optional short answer questions about unmet mental health needs. Participants’ mean score of 48 (SD=12.22) on the PCL-C was higher than 44, PTSD scores …

Factors Affecting Mental Health Of College-Aged Individuals, Jada Shannon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

College can be a trying time for many students, from the stresses of a new academic load to dealing with financial insecurities. This could be a time where mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, are first starting to emerge, and many look to find ways to cope that may not be beneficial. Previous research has looked at many factors individually as to what the underlying factors could be, but none examine the main factors, sleep, physical activity, social media, and digital technology, simultaneously and little is known about how these factors affect anxiety and depression, as well as the …

Alexithymia Profiles And Depression, Anxiety, And Stress, David A. Preece, Ashish Mehta, Kate Petrova, Pilleriin Sikka, Ethan Pemberton, James J. Gross

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Alexithymia is a multidimensional trait comprised of difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is regarded as an important risk factor for emotional disorders, but there are presently limited data on each specific facet of alexithymia, or the extent to which deficits in processing negative emotions, positive emotions, or both, are important. In this study, we address these gaps by using the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) to comprehensively examine the relationships between alexithymia and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Methods: University students (N = 1250) completed the PAQ and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Pearson …

Challenges Faced By Adult Gifted Students Who Have Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phenomenological Study, Dawn M. Nessler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the educational experiences of gifted adult students who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). The theory guiding this phenomenological study was Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration, with a focus on how the tragedy of various natures impacts the development of an individual's identity. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the shared educational experiences of gifted undergraduate students who have experienced a TBI. 12 participants from Strong Minds, Kind Hearts, a Christian counseling and educational office located in Northwest Florida engaged in the study. Stratified sampling was used within the …

Differences In Students' Self-Esteem, Prosocial Behaviors, Classroom Climate, And Participation In Read To Dogs Programs: A Quantitative Comparative Study, Kimberley Anna Brush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This anonymous quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post-test study was designed to determine differences in students' self-esteem, the performance of prosocial behaviors, and teachers' perceptions of the overall classroom climate after participating in Read to Dogs (RTD) programs in elementary and middle schools in East Central, New Jersey. Students with reading difficulties have higher incidences of low self-esteem and self-concept, depression, and anxiety that result in internalizing and externalizing behaviors that impact the classroom climate for all students socially and academically. Student participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and teacher participants completed the grade-appropriate version of the …

Peer Recovery Support Specialists' Attitudes Toward The Therapeutic Use Of Psilocybin To Treat Depression, Tammala Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin are derived from various naturally occurring plants and fungi. During the 1950s and 60s, a great deal of research was conducted to examine the use of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions. However, research was halted in 1970 as a result of political and social pressure. Since 2000, there has been a renewed interest in the potential therapeutic value of psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. There has also been an increasing curiosity regarding attitudes towards psychedelics. While current attitudinal research has primarily focused on mental health providers, and patients, …

Preliminary Efficacy Of A Digital Intervention For Adolescent Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial, Emily Peake, Ian Miller, Jessica Flannery, Lang Chen, Jessica Lake, Aarthi Padmanabhan

Psychology

Background:
Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern; however, access to effective mental health care is limited. Digital therapeutics (DTx) can improve access to evidence-based interventions; however, their efficacy in adolescents is sparsely documented.

Objective:
This study aims to examine the efficacy of a mobile app DTx versus an active control as an adjunct treatment for adolescent depression symptoms.

Methods:
An internet-based open-label randomized control trial was conducted nationwide with a partial crossover design, and 168 adolescents aged 13 to 21 years with symptoms of depression were recruited between November 2020 and September 2021. Participants were randomized (1:1) to …

A Serial Mediation Model Of Depression And Drinking Motives Underlying Problem Drinking Among Hispanic College Women Following Rape, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon, Andrew E. Dials

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Problem drinking and depression are common following sexual assault. The current study applied a coping motives model of drinking and examined the association between rape experiences and problem drinking serially mediated by depression symptoms and coping-depression drinking motives among Hispanic college women. A total of 330 college women were classified into a single rape experience (SGL) group (n = 44), a multiple rape experiences (MLT) group (n = 70), and a no sexual assault experience group (n = 221). Participants completed self-report measures online. Serial mediation analyses with multi-categorical predictors found that significantly increased alcohol consumptions in …

Verbal Learning And Memory Deficits Across Neurological And Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Insights From An Enigma Mega Analysis., Eamonn Kennedy, Spencer W Liebel, Hannah M Lindsey, Shashank Vadlamani, Pui-Wa Lei, Maheen M Adamson, Martin Alda, Silvia Alonso-Lana, Tim J Anderson, Celso Arango, Robert F Asarnow, Mihai Avram, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Talin Babikian, Nerisa Banaj, Laura J Bird, Stefan Borgwardt, Amy Brodtmann, Katharina Brosch, Karen Caeyenberghs, Vince D Calhoun, Nancy D Chiaravalloti, David X Cifu, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, John C Dalrymple-Alford, Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Udo Dannlowski, David Darby, Nicholas Davenport, John Deluca, Covadonga M Diaz-Caneja, Seth G Disner, Ekaterina Dobryakova, Stefan Ehrlich, Carrie Esopenko, Fabio Ferrarelli, Lea E Frank, Carol E Franz, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Helen Genova, Christopher C Giza, Janik Goltermann, Dominik Grotegerd, Marius Gruber, Alfonso Gutierrez-Zotes, Minji Ha, Jan Haavik, Charles Hinkin, Kristen R Hoskinson, Daniela Hubl, Andrei Irimia, Andreas Jansen, Michael Kaess, Xiaojian Kang, Kimbra Kenney, Barbora Keřková, Mohamed Salah Khlif, Minah Kim, Jochen Kindler, Tilo Kircher, Karolina Knížková, Knut K Kolskår, Denise Krch, William S Kremen, Taylor Kuhn, Veena Kumari, Junsoo Kwon, Roberto Langella, Sarah Laskowitz, Jungha Lee, Jean Lengenfelder, Victoria Liou-Johnson, Sara M Lippa, Marianne Løvstad, Astri J Lundervold, Cassandra Marotta, Craig A Marquardt, Paulo Mattos, Ahmad Mayeli, Carrie R Mcdonald, Susanne Meinert, Tracy R Melzer, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo, Chantal Michel, Rajendra A Morey, Benson Mwangi, Daniel J Myall, Igor Nenadić, Mary R Newsome, Abraham Nunes, Terence O'Brien, Viola Oertel, John Ollinger, Alexander Olsen, Victor Ortiz García De La Foz, Mustafa Ozmen, Heath Pardoe, Marise Parent, Fabrizio Piras, Federica Piras, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Jonathan Repple, Geneviève Richard, Jonathan Rodriguez, Mabel Rodriguez, Kelly Rootes-Murdy, Jared Rowland, Nicholas P Ryan, Raymond Salvador, Anne-Marthe Sanders, Andre Schmidt, Jair C Soares, Gianfranco Spalleta, Filip Španiel, Scott R Sponheim, Alena Stasenko, Frederike Stein, Benjamin Straube, April Thames, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Erin B Tone, Ivan Torres, Maya Troyanskaya, Jessica A Turner, Kristine M Ulrichsen, Guillermo Umpierrez, Daniela Vecchio, Elisabet Vilella, Lucy Vivash, William C Walker, Emilio Werden, Lars T Westlye, Krista Wild, Adrian Wroblewski, Mon-Ju Wu, Glenn R Wylie, Lakshmi N Yatham, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Paul M Thompson, Mary Jo Pugh, David F Tate, Frank G Hillary, Elisabeth A Wilde, Emily L Dennis

Student and Faculty Publications

Deficits in memory performance have been linked to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. While many studies have assessed the memory impacts of individual conditions, this study considers a broader perspective by evaluating how memory recall is differentially associated with nine common neuropsychiatric conditions using data drawn from 55 international studies, aggregating 15,883 unique participants aged 15–90. The effects of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder on immediate, short-, and long-delay verbal learning and memory (VLM) scores were estimated relative to matched healthy individuals. Random forest …

Spiritual Disciplines And Mental Resiliency: The Effectiveness Of Spiritual Coping Mechanisms To Decrease Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Alysa Lynn Vanderweerd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The outcome of anxiety and depression’s symptomology is an ever-rising global economy cost of 1 trillion U.S. dollars, due to medical costs and loss of productivity, leading researchers and clinicians to search for effective cost saving solutions (Chodavadia et al., 2023). Religion/Spirituality (RS) based cognitive therapy treatments are recognized in alleviating maladaptive behaviors and cognitive distortions, offering comfort to the afflicted, hope and belief that God is available for the seeker (Ramos et al., 2018). Therefore, the researcher conducted an internet-based, self-paced intervention of a mixed methods study of a 40-Day Biblical Worldview Educational Treatment Program of a convenience sample …

The Effects Of Online Learning On Mental Health During A Pandemic, Christina J. Mcrae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of online learning on mental health. The focus included six aspects: academic performance, physical activity, social isolation, food insecurity and other stressors, pros and cons, and religion and mental health. Each aspect included advantages and disadvantages that adolescent students experienced. The study included 6th - 12th graders attending a Charter school. The eligibility requirement was that participants participated in online learning during the 2020-2021 school year. Academic performance data was obtained from the school office for students who attended the school during online learning and requested from parents if they attended other schools. Both positive …

Childhood Trauma And The Impact On Education, Lakisha Yvetta Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research aims to evaluate the complex relationship between childhood trauma and mental health disorders of bipolar, anxiety, and depression and their impact on education. Childhood trauma and mental health disorders have been on the rise, creating the need to understand their impact on educational outcomes. Thus, the study's purpose is to comprehend the present gaps in comprehending how these elements, childhood trauma, and mental health disorders affect educational outcomes such as grades and attendance rates. Data from 1000 students between the ages of 12 to 18 years from New York City was utilized. The method of analysis used for …

Bidirectional Relationships Between Use Of Popular Social Media Platforms And Anxiety, Depression, And Social Support, Olivia Dick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes among young populations has been a cause for increasing concern in research. However, the directionality of these relationships remains ambiguous due to existing literature being largely cross-sectional and having limited focus on individual platforms. This study aimed to explore the bidirectional relationship between social media use across prominent platforms and various mental healthrelated outcomes among young adults. A sample of 203 young adults, ages 18-29, completed baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments measuring social media use across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, and perceived friend …

The Effect Of Crime On Mental Health In South Africa, Magda Tsaneva, Lauren-Kate Laplante

Economics

This paper examines the impact of district-level crime rates in South Africa on individual depression symptoms. We use panel data from the National Income Dynamics Survey collected between 2008 and 2014 and estimate an individual fixed effects regression model, thus controlling for characteristics of the individual's environment that could affect crime and mental health. We find that an increase of one standard deviation in property (violent) crime is associated with a 7.2 (8.7) percentage point increase in the probability of depression symptoms. Analysis of potential mechanisms suggests that indirect exposure to crime likely affects mental health by increasing stress rather …

Relations Among Self-Disclosure, Digital Communications Behavior, And Mental Health In College Students During And After Covid-19, Estephanie Baez-Vazquez

Honors College

This study aimed to investigate adolescents’ comfort in self-disclosing (i.e., sharing personal information with another) in both face-to-face and electronic communication contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic and currently. In addition, the role of several possible moderating factors, including gender, sexuality, depression, and social anxiety, was examined. Participants were 137 college students between 18 and 20 years of age who responded to an online survey assessing their depressive symptomatology, social anxiety symptomatology, and comfort in several aspects of self- disclosure within electronic and face-to-face settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and currently.

Results indicated that there were no significant differences in comfort …

Impact Of Framing Depression On Illness Perceptions And Coping Strategies, Abby Mcginnis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study aimed to adopt an experimental design used by Schroder et al. (2023) to investigate how framing of depression (as a disease vs a functional signal) impacts illness perceptions and coping strategies. Participants were given the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) to assess depression severity and prime participants for the framing condition. Each condition had five videos describing depression and the corresponding frameworks. Perceived control, timeline, and causes of depression were measured using the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). Participants were given the brief-COPE questionnaire to measure coping strategies, such as avoidant and problem-focused. There were no differences …

Student Mental Health During And After The Coronavirus Pandemic, Olivia Harner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The educational setting serves as an influential force when considering the impacts that school can have on student mental health. Following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, research revealed negative effects on mental health for a variety of populations across the globe; however, comprehensive reviews about the effect that the pandemic had on the mental health of American K-12 students are limited. Consequently, the purpose of this specialist project is to evaluate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of American students in grades K-12 through a review of literature. Utilizing PRISMA procedures, 19 articles were selected …

Navigating Mental Health During Covid-19: Considerations Of Childhood Adversity, Pandemic Stress, And Loneliness, Linnea Rose Swanson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this dissertation study was twofold. First, to determine if the addition of bullying victimization to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire (Felitti et al., 1998) would result in a stronger measure of childhood adversity; second to examine the interaction between ACEs, pandemic stress, loneliness, and internalizing symptoms in a sample of young adults living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. ACEs are linked to negative outcomes in adulthood including mental health problems, stress, and loneliness. During the pandemic, increased levels of stress and loneliness were associated with higher rates of internalizing disorders among young adults. …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Universal Depression Screenings In The High School Setting, Telisha Anthony Msn, Fnp-Bc, Jennifer Thorsen Bsn, Rn, Jackie Sharp Dnp, Pmhnp-Bc, Sharon Little Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Depression in adolescents is rising each year. Early detection of depression has been shown to result in better health outcomes and success in school. This scoping review aims to evaluate the implementation of universal depression screenings in the high school setting and how this detection of depression and initiation of treatment.

Methods

From August 2022 to November 2023, we used the Medline, PubMed, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO databases, using specific keywords related to depression in adolescents. Of the 38 articles found, 10 were chosen after extensive article critique. The publication dates ranged from 2014-2023, were full-text, and from …

Reciprocal Relationships Between Stress And Depressive Symptoms: The Essential Role Of The Nucleus Accumbens, Yizhou Ma, Peter Kochunov, Mark D Kvarta, Tara Legates, Bhim M Adhikari, Joshua Chiappelli, Andrew Van Der Vaart, Eric L Goldwaser, Heather Bruce, Kathryn S Hatch, Si Gao, Shuo Chen, Ann Summerfelt, Thomas E Nichols, L Elliot Hong

Student and Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Stress and depression have a reciprocal relationship, but the neural underpinnings of this reciprocity are unclear. We investigated neuroimaging phenotypes that facilitate the reciprocity between stress and depressive symptoms.

METHODS: In total, 22 195 participants (52.0% females) from the population-based UK Biobank study completed two visits (initial visit: 2006-2010, age = 55.0 ± 7.5 [40-70] years; second visit: 2014-2019; age = 62.7 ± 7.5 [44-80] years). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between self-report stressful life events (SLEs) and depressive symptoms. Cross-sectional data were used to examine the overlap between neuroimaging correlates of SLEs and …

Investigating The Potential Double-Edged Score Of Immigration-Related Stress, Discrimination, And Mental Health Access, Arthur R. Andrews, Kevin Escobar, Sandra Mariely Estrada Gonzalez, Sara Reyes, Laura M. Acosta

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior work has suggested that discrimination and immigration-related stress may impede mental health care seeking and utilization among Latinx populations. These effects may be more nuanced as both discrimination and immigration-related stress may increase symptomology, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Both symptoms may, in turn, prompt attempts to seek care. The current study examined the direct effects of discrimination and immigration-related stress on care access, as well as potentially indirect effects with PTSD and depression symptoms as mediators. Interviews and online surveys were completed with 234 Latinx residents of the Midwest, assessing everyday discrimination, discrimination in healthcare, PTSD …

A Correlational Study Of The Resilience Factors That Promote Mental Health In First Responders, Tamara Rae Grayson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Too often, the title first responder (FR) has been correlated with mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, substance use, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There was a need to address the mental health of this unique at-risk population prior to developing a mindset that being a FR translates into also suffering from mental illness, due to repeated exposure to traumatic situations. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify the resilience factors in FRs, what unique and untreated exposure to traumatic events looks like in FRs, what normal treatment and early interventions for mental illnesses in FRs is, the …

Invarianza De La Escala De Evaluación De Las Relaciones Intrafamiliares En Padres Con Y Sin Migración De Retorno Y Salud Mental [Invariance Of The Intrafamily Relations Evaluation Scale In Parents With And Without Return Migration And Mental Health], María Elena Rivera Heredia, Patricia Andrade Palos, Jaime Fuentes Balderrama, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Se analizaron las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Evaluación de las Relaciones Intrafamiliares (ERI) en padres de familia que retornaron a México y que tienen hijos e hijas menores de edad nacidos en E.E.U.U., así como en padres mexicanos sin experiencia migratoria. Participaron189 padres (92 retornados y 97 sin migración). Se llevaron a cabo Análisis Factoriales Exploratorios y Confirmatorios para derivar una versión culturalmente invariante. Una vez obtenidas las evidencias de invarianza configural, métrica, escalar, estricta y estructural, se encontró mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales que la unión y apoyo familiar se asocian con la sintomatología depresiva y …

A Prospective Longitudinal Study Of Depression, Perceived Stress, And Perceived Control In Resettled Syrian Refugees’ Mental Health And Psychosocial Adaptation, B.C.H Kuo, Lance M. Rappaport

Psychology Publications

This prospective study examined the psychosocial adaptation of a community sample of newly resettled Syrian refugees in Canada (N = 235). Specifically, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and perceived control were collected in Arabic at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Two theory-informed, cross-lagged panel models demonstrated that higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted lower perceived self-efficacy and lower perceived control at 1-year follow-up. Similarly, baseline depressive symptoms were concurrently correlated with higher perceived helplessness, lower perceived self-efficacy, and lower perceived control. Secondary regression analyses further demonstrated that baseline depressive symptoms predicted lower perceived social support and higher anxiety symptoms, though neither were …

Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (Hapi-Infant): Assessing Infant Anhedonia And Its Prospective Association With Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Jessica L. Irwin, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist.

Methods

We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). …

Profiles Of Activity Engagement And Depression Trajectories As Covid-19 Restrictions Were Relaxed, Jonathan L. Chia, Andree Hartanto, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Given elevated depression rates since the onset of the pandemic and potential downstream implications, this research examined the association between activity engagement and depression among middle-aged and older adults postlockdown. This study aimed to (a) identify activity engagement profiles among middle-aged and older adults, (b) understand factors associated with profile memberships, and (c) compare depression trajectories across profiles as COVID-19 restrictions eased over 16 months in Singapore. This longitudinal study involved 6,568 middle-aged and older adults. Latent growth analysis was first conducted to obtain estimates of depression trajectories for each individual. Latent profile analysis was then conducted to identify different …

The Association Between Coping-Motivated Drinking And Alcohol-Related Consequences., Jacob D. Salser, Ian A. Mcnamara, Ryan W. Carpenter

Undergraduate Research Symposium

ABSTRACT. Background: College students’ alcohol use is an important topic of research. Past research indicates that people who drink to cope are at a higher risk for alcohol-related consequences compared to other drinking motives (i.e., enhancement, social, or conformity motives). This project aims to analyze drinking motives, specifically the subscales of coping-anxiety motives and coping-depressive motives, and their association with alcohol-related consequences in a unique population. In addition, the moderating effects of stress will be tested.

Methods: The data for this project was collected through a survey that was given to students (N=176) at the University of Missouri …

“It’S Not That We Care Less”: Insights Into Health Care Utilization For Comorbid Diabetes And Depression Among Latinos, Sharon Borja, Miriam G. Valdovinos, Kenia M. Rivera, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Robin Gearing, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite robust knowledge regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting Latino* access to healthcare, limited research has explored service utilization in the context of comorbid conditions like diabetes and depression. This qualitative study, embedded in a larger mixed-methods project, aimed to investigate perceptions held by Latinos and their social support systems (i.e., family members) regarding comorbid diabetes and depression and to identify barriers and facilitators to their help-seeking behaviors and treatment engagement. Bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted eight focus groups with 94 participants in a large U.S. metropolitan area and were primarily conducted in Spanish. The participants either had a …