Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Narcissism, Sensation Seeking, Depression, Anxiety, And Cognitive Distortions: Comparative Analysis Between Poker And Video Lottery Terminal Players, David Levesque B.A., Serge Sevigny Ph.D., Christian Jacques M.Ps., Isabelle Giroux Ph.D.

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

According to the psycho-structural interaction model, the interaction between structural characteristics of a gambling game and player’s characteristics could foster the development of gambling problems. Those interactions may vary according to the types of game played. This study aims to compare poker and video lottery terminals players (VLTs) on six psychological characteristics (narcissism, sensation seeking, depression, anxiety, cognitive distortions and problem gambling severity) and to examine cognitive distortions as a mediator between personality/mood disturbance and problem gambling severity. The sample consisted of 191 poker players and 81 VLT players. Standard assessments were completed online and by phone within a cross-sectional …

The Effect Of A Computerized Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Intervention On Psychological Factors And Diabetes Management, Cathy A. Bykowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is associated with increased psychological distress which, in turn, is associated with poorer diabetes outcomes. This study examined the impact of a nine-week Internet based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention that targeted stress and mood in people with diabetes. It was hypothesized that the intervention would decrease psychological distress and improve diabetes outcomes and adherence to diabetes treatment regimens. Participants with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 103) or a waiting-list control group (n = 74). ANCOVAs demonstrated significant group effects for the reduction of perceived generalized stress (F (1, 105) = …

The Deception Of Depression: How A Melancholy Mood Can Sink A Marriage, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Logan was a doctoral student studying ancient Italian poetry. His life was filled with shelves of old books and a teaching job where he was supposed to inspire lethargic freshmen. His doctoral adviser was difficult and inconsistent, and Logan was a people- pleaser who worried that his adviser and students were always upset with him. He came to see me at the request of his wife, Yuko, who was starting to panic at his change in personality. “He used to be cheerful, fun-loving, and interested in his work,” she said. “Now he is a zombie. He goes through the motions …

The Earned Income Tax Credit, Mental Health, And Happiness, Casey Boyd-Swan, Chris M. Herbst, John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee

Economics

We study the impact of the earned income tax credit (EITC) on various measures of subjective well-being (SWB) using the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to estimate intent-to-treat effects of the EITC expansion embedded in the 1990 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. We use a difference-in-differences framework that compares the pre-and post-expansion SWB-changes of women likely eligible for the EITC (low-skilled mothers of working age) to the SWB-changes of a comparison group that is likely ineligible (low-skilled, childless women of working age). Our results suggest that the EITC expansion generated sizeable SWB-improvements in the three major categories of SWB …

Longitudinal Examination Of Observed Family Hostility And Adolescent Anxiety And Depression As Mediated By Adolescent Perspective Taking And Empathic Concern, Trevor Dennis Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine hostility in family interaction and its impact on adolescent depression and anxiety with adolescent perspective taking and empathic concern as mediators. Gender differences were also examined. Adolescents were from 353 two-parent families in a large north-western city in the United States and on average were 13.25 years old (SD=1.01) for girls and 13.30 years (SD=.99) for boys at the beginning of the study. This study utilized data from waves 3-5. Earlier waves of data were not used because some of the measures were not available for earlier waves. Results indicated that …

Comorbidity And Quality Of Life In Adults With Hair Pulling Disorder, David C. Houghton, Joyce Maas, Michael P. Twohig, Stephen M. Saunders, Scott N. Compton, Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Martin E. Franklin, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and …

The Illness-Disease Dynamic: Psychological Wellbeing In Type 2 Diabetes: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Claire Mckenzie, Kristina Bennert, David Kessler, Alan Montgomery

The Qualitative Report

Distress and depression often go unrecognised in people with diabetes. In this article, I present an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the lived experience of people with Type 2 diabetes, based on individual in-depth interviews with 10 patients. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of these psychological symptoms through a detailed examination of how patients interpret and respond to their experience of the condition. I propose a revised model for the connection between the disease of diabetes and patients’ lived experiences of illness, as one of embodied coexistence rather than relation. Through my analysis, I …

Rostral Middle Frontal Gyrus Thickness Is Associated With Perceived Stress And Depressive Symptomatology, Lindsay J. Michalski

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elevated stress perception and depression commonly co-occur and have shared genetic and environmental influences, suggesting they may rest upon a common underlying neurobiology. The rostral middle frontal gyrus (RMFG), part of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, is critical for executive function, including emotion regulation and working memory. Variability in RMFG cortical thickness has been associated with both depression and stress-related phenotypes, although the directionality of these associations has been inconsistent thus far. The current study examined healthy participants (n=879) who completed the ongoing family-based Human Connectome Project were included in analyses. RMFG cortical thickness was computed from structural magnetic resonance imaging …

Suicide Attempts From Adolescence Into Young Adulthood: A System Dynamics Perspective For Intervention And Prevention, Saras Yu Chung

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the reduction of suicide-related deaths has been a national priority for over a decade (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001) and over $22 million per year (National Institutes of Health, 2015) have been invested to prevent suicide, rates of suicide have not declined (CDC, 2012). In fact, for some groups of adolescents, these rates seem to be on the ride (Wasserman, Cheng, & Jiang, 2005). The ineffectiveness in reducing deaths by suicide despite increased funding and coordinated efforts suggests the need for a new perspective on examining why and how adolescents begin to desire and attempt suicide …

Sickness Of The Soul: Language Mediated Understandings Of Depression Across Cultures, Elyssa M. Fogleman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Through the use of word association tasks and semi-structured interviews, the present study gathered information on the current dominant understandings of “depression” in America and “yuutsu” and “utsubyou” in Japan. The results were compared to the findings of a similar study that was conducted in the mid 1970s that aimed to find connections between language and the subjective experience of depression. In comparing the responses from the 1970s and the present, it was found that the dominant understanding of depression has been subject to change. These changes can be attributed to larger shifts in the sociopolitical climate, the proliferation of …

Religiosity And Internalized Homonegativity: The Effect Of Religious Conservatism On Depression In Sexual Minorities, Matthew Thaxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minorities report higher rates of mental illnesses than the general population, most notably depression. This study focuses on the relationship between religious commitment in sexual minorities, internalized homonegativity, and depression. In order to do this, 265 participants answered a survey that consisted of inventories to test for sexual orientation, religious commitment, political and religious views, and internalized homonegativity. Participants came from Abilene Christian University and LGBT groups from the surrounding Abilene, Texas area. Of the 265 participants, 33 self-identified as a sexual minority. The data from those that identified as a sexual minority was analyzed to find correlations between …

A Brief Rational Disputation Exercise Enhances Cardiovascular, Anxiety, And Affective Recovery Following Worry-Recall, Michelle Rosalie Di Paolo

Theses and Dissertations

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (Ellis, 1958), educates a client on the relationship between one’s irrational beliefs (IBs) and the dysfunctional emotional/behavioral consequences of maintaining those beliefs such as symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep dysfunction (Ellis, Gordan, Neenan, & Palmer, 1997), symptoms also commonly correlated with high trait perseverative cognition (PC; Verkuil, Brosschot, de Beurs, & Thayer, 2009). In addition to symptoms of anxiety and depression, high levels of PC, a construct comprised of measures of trait worry and rumination, have been linked to acute cardiovascular (CV) health concerns that overtime when left unmitigated may lead to chronic conditions …

Ethnic Differences In Depressive Symptoms And Risky Behaviors Among Hispanics And Non-Hispanic Whites, Irma De Santiago

Honors College Theses

There is limited research on Hispanics in regards to experiencing depressive symptoms and the risk factors that accompany it. Understanding how these symptoms manifest in different ethnic groups can lead to the development of appropriate interventions to lower diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic differences in depressive symptoms, ethnic differences in risky behaviors, and to see if the association between depressive symptoms and risky behaviors differs by ethnicity. There were 401 young participants, ages 18 to 25; however, because of the goals of the study we only analyzed the data of 312 participants. Of the participants …

Mindfulness And The Oncology Patient: A Systematic Review, Kristina Babcock

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This systematic review was designed to gather and analyze data available regarding the effectiveness of mindfulness practice in decreasing depression or anxiety for oncology/hematology patients. The electronic databases used to identify studies for this review included the University of St. Thomas’ Summon Data Base, Psychinfo, Social Work Abstracts, SocINDEX and St. Catherine University’s Academic Search Premier. Sixteen quantitative studies met criteria and were reviewed and analyzed. All sixteen studies were divided between the categories of post cancer treatment/cancer survivors or active cancer diagnosis. The three major themes that surfaced within these two categories were depression, anxiety and stress. The studies …

Clinical Social Work Interventions For Nursing Home Residents With Depression, Ellen Grosh

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The populations of older adults is growing. Nursing home residents, in particular, are some of the most vulnerable members of society. Depression is more common in nursing home residents than it is in older adults who live in the community. Clinical social workers are trained to be psychotherapists, and it is important for these professionals to know which types of therapy are most effective for nursing home residents with depression. This systematic literature review was designed to sample the most recent research on psychotherapeutic interventions that are effective in addressing depression in nursing home residents. Specific search criteria were chosen …

Yoga For Depression And Anxiety: A Systematic Review, Rachel Hanson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Yoga is a 3,000 year-old practice that has evolved into a holistic approach to general wellness and healing. Yoga is beginning to be recognized by researchers and clinicians as a complementary therapy that encompasses multiple components of healing that are being singled out or used in pieces as parts of traditional treatment methods. The purpose of this research is to conduct an exhaustive review of the research that has been performed on using yoga or yoga therapy to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. This review will focus on how yoga is being used to address symptoms of depression …

Substance Use Disorder Co-Occurring With Anxiety And/Or Depression: Evidence-Based Cbt, Donara Rudman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in lieu of current treatment as usual or the siloed system for treating Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or mental health diagnosis independently. The review examines clients who have been diagnosed with co-occurring SUD and anxiety and/or depression and are receiving treatment to help reduce substance use and anxiety and/or depression symptomology. The present research study endeavored to distinguish individual aspects that may lead to more successful treatment outcomes using CBT to treat SUD with anxiety and/or depression co- currently in one integrated treatment program. …

Utilizing Act Daily As A Self-Guided Mobile App Intervention For Depression And Anxiety In A College Counseling Center, Jack A. Haeger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

College counseling centers (CCCs) have experienced funding and staffing setbacks in recent years, resulting in higher caseloads, counselor burnout, and bloated waitlists. Mobile Health (mHealth) interventions may offer a cost-effective and innovative solution. The authors developed ACT Daily, a prototype mHealth app based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This study examined the feasibility and possible efficacy of ACT Daily as a brief intervention for individuals placed on CCC waitlists.

A sample of 11 depressed/anxious clients waitlisted at a local CCC enrolled in the study, which followed a pre-post, open trial design. Participants received a brief online training that covered …

Predictors Of Decision-Making And Well-Being Among Victims Of Sexual Assault, Allishia Michelle Walton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

After sexual assaults, victims face many decisions regarding disclosure and reporting. Most research identifying risk factors for poor health among sexual assault victims, including assault typology, prior victimization, and substance use, does little to contextualize decision-making and reflective framing among sexual assault victims. Yet the real or perceived reactions of friends, family, and law enforcement can have a lot to do with how victims come to view their decisions in hindsight. The concordance between their decisions immediately following the assault and the decisions they wish they had made in retrospect can have substantial implications for mental health and well-being. Using …

Predicting Depression In Older Adults: Community Vs. Nursing Home, Hannah Vitello, Skye Leedahl

Senior Honors Projects

With the population of the United States slowly growing older, the issues surrounding long-term services and supports (LTSS) will become more prevalent. Little research has been done comparing older adults living in nursing homes to older adults living in the community, especially regarding mental health and depression. Depression is a mental illness that affects people emotionally and physically, as well as mentally, which can lead easily into other health complications in the older adult population. This study seeks to determine if factors such as demographics, health, social interaction, and family relationships affect mental health in nursing home residents differently than …

The Associations Between Reflective Rumination And Related Constructs, Bryanna P. Plummer

Honors College

According to the Response Styles Theory, the way in which an individual responds to depressed mood influences the duration and severity of one’s depressed mood (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). In particular, a ruminative response, or tendency to repeatedly think about the causes and consequences of one’s depressed mood is hypothesized to worsen depressed mood (Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco & Lyubomirsky, 2008). Research examining the measure of rumination using the Ruminative Response Scale (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991), Treynor, Gonzalez and Nolen-Hoeksema (2003) has yielded two distinct subtypes of rumination: brooding and reflection. Brooding was conceptualized as a maladaptive form of rumination, while reflection was thought …

The Association Between Depression, Spirituality And Religiosity, And Alcohol Use In College Students At A Faith Based University, Kylee M. Craggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use is a prevalent concern on college campuses. There are a number of factors that may place students at a high risk for developing alcohol dependency. Similarly, protective factors have been identified as a means to keep drinking levels in the low-risk range. In a sample of 581 students from Abilene Christian University, researchers sought to better understand the association between depression, spirituality, religiosity, and alcohol use in college students at a faith based university. Results indicated that students who were most at risk for high levels of drinking were those who identified as the male gender, those who …

The Relationship Between Different Dating Violence Profiles, Mental Health Problems And Mental Well-Being Among Canadian Youth, Kelsey E. Macdonald

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study examined the relationships among teen dating violence, mental health problems and mental well-being in 338 adolescents aged 14-21 (54% female). Secondary data were retrieved from an evaluation of a small groups healthy relationship program. Participants were grouped into four different dating violence profiles based on self-reported perpetration and victimization: not involved, perpetrators, victims and combined. Generalized Linear Models were used to examine the similarities and differences across types on depression, anxiety, mental well-being and binge drinking. Results suggested that the victims and combined profiles experienced greater mental health problems and decreased mental well-being compared to other profiles. …

Economic Pressure, Individual And Family Processes, And Children’S Reticence In Romanian Families, Susanne Olsen Roper, Jennifer George, Larry J. Nelson, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Franklin O. Poulsen

Faculty Publications

Using Conger’s family stress model as a theoretical framework, a series of mediated associations among economic hardship, perceived economic pressure, parental depression, marital conflict, psychologically controlling parenting, and children’s reticent behaviors in Romanian families were studied. The sample consisted of 121 Romanian mothers and fathers of 4–5-year-old children. Children’s kindergarten teachers living in urban and rural locations evaluated child reticence. Findings generally support the family stress model. Structural equation modeling showed that after controlling for living in a rural location, economic pressure was indirectly linked with marital conflict through depression. Depression was indirectly related to psychological control through marital conflict, …

Preventing Suicide In Discharged Service Members: A Proposed Research Study, Kyri Barilone

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

We have designed this study in order to explore the growing problem of veteran suicide. Recently, suicide has become one of the most common causes of death among service members; however, little is known about how to reduce this growing epidemic. As a result, we have chosen to look into possible ways to reduce depression and suicidal ideation in discharged service members.

Determinants Of Resource Needs And Utilization Among Refugees Over Time, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Aldhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study examined refugees’ resource needs and utilization over time, investigated the relationships between pre-displacement/socio-demographic variables and resource needs and utilization, and explored the role of resource needs and utilization on psychiatric symptom trajectories. Methods: Iraqi refugees to the United States (N = 298) were assessed upon arrival and at 1-year intervals for 2 years for socio-demographic variables and pre-displacement trauma experiences, their need for and utilization of 14 different resources, and PTSD and depressive symptoms. Results: Although refugees reported reduction of some needs over time (e.g., need for cash assistance declined from 99 to 71 %), other needs …

A Randomized Depression Prevention Trial Comparing Interpersonal Psychotherapy—Adolescent Skills Training To Group Counseling In Schools, J. F. Young, J. S. Benas, C. M. Schueler, R. Gallop, Jane Gillham, L. Mufson

Psychology Faculty Works

Given the rise in depression disorders in adolescence, it is important to develop and study depression prevention programs for this age group. The current study examined the efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), a group prevention program for adolescent depression, in comparison to group programs that are typically delivered in school settings. In this indicated prevention trial, 186 adolescents with elevated depression symptoms were randomized to receive IPT-AST delivered by research staff or group counseling (GC) delivered by school counselors. Hierarchical linear modeling examined differences in rates of change in depressive symptoms and overall functioning from baseline to the …

Insomnia Is Associated With Suicide Attempt In Middle-Aged And Older Adults With Depression, Daniel Kay, Alexandre Y. Dombrovski, Daniel J. Buysse, Charles F. Reynolds Iii, Amy Begley, Katalin Szanto

Faculty Publications

Background—Insomnia increases in prevalence with age, is strongly associated with depression, and has been identified as a risk factor for suicide in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether insomnia severity varies between those who have attempted suicide (n = 72), those who only contemplate suicide (n = 28), and those who are depressed but have no suicidal ideation or attempt history (n = 35).

Methods—Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age 44–87, M = 66 years) with depression. Insomnia severity was measured as the sum of the early, middle, and late insomnia items from the …

Mediators Of The Relationship Between Depression And Alcohol-Related Harm: The Role Of Alexithymia, Impulsivity And Negative Reinforcement Outcome Expectancies, Andrew Brauer Mcgrath, Dennis E. Mcchargue Ph.D.

UCARE Research Products

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of alcohol misuse on college campuses is a considerable problem. Depression is commonly found to be related to increases in alcohol related harm; however, not frequently found to be directly related to increases in alcohol use. This pattern suggests that there are factors related to depression that exaggerate alcohol problems other than the association between depression and the amount of alcohol used. This study examined the relationship between depression and alcohol related harm in college binge drinkers, focusing on emotional, behavioral, and cognitive variables believed to mediate the association. The roles of alexithymia, impulsivity, and …

Relationship Satisfaction And Coparenting Over The Transition To Parenthood: Depression, Division Of Labor, And Child Temperament As Moderators, Jessica Block

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The transition to parenthood is a uniquely important time in the human experience. New parents must reorganize their patterns of behavior and respective roles in order to include and care for a new child. Parents’ ability to navigate this process has great implications for child adjustment and healthy development. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association of relationship satisfaction over the transition to parenthood and early coparenting interactions. The archival data utilized were collected as part of a longitudinal study of first time parents funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) …