Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

It’S All The Rage: An Animated Approach To Screening For Postpartum Depression, Amanda Gorham

Doctoral Dissertations

Postpartum depression presents a complication for mothers which can, in some cases, be severe and even life-threatening. Instruments commonly used to screen for this psychological condition have been challenged by an extensive body of literature, with many mothers being unidentified and even untreated for their symptoms. The presented research introduces a newly developed screening instrument for detecting probable postpartum depression using text-free scenario-based animations, based on the lived experience of the condition as qualified by empirical research and the existing body of literature. Developed items were controlled for quality via Think Aloud Protocol and alignment studies with subject matter experts …

Interparental Conflict Exposure And Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms And Religious Service Attendance In College Students, Geoffrey R. Mabe

Doctoral Dissertations

Conflict between parents is a common domestic experience, often witnessed by children in the home. Young adult children who were exposed to this conflict while in the home may be impacted negatively by these experiences to the point of experiencing depressive symptoms or reduced religious service attendance. Religious service attendance may be a helpful resource for those suffering from depressive symptoms related to parental conflict exposure. In two studies, the present research investigates relationships between three dimensions of interparental conflict – frequency, intensity, and resolution – depressive symptoms, and religious service attendance among college students. Study 1 (N = …

Gender Differences In The Mental Health Of Parents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lucia Regina Gomes

Economics

The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of many in the world. With stay-at-home orders and schools transitioning to remote learning, the mental health of parents specifically has become an important topic for research. This paper utilizes Ordinary Least Squares Regression to examine the effect of gender on depleted mental health among U.S. parents. The results indicate an association between mothers and worsened mental health during the onset of the pandemic in the U.S.

Comparison Of Public Mental Health Stigma In Youth, Desiree A. Clarke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study looked at mental health stigma in youth. Mental health stigma is devaluing, disgracing and disfavoring individuals with mental illness. Participants aged 11-14 completed a measure to rate their stigmatizing beliefs toward peers with either ADHD, depression, or asthma. Their ratings were compared for significance between genders and for the three different conditions: ADHD, depression, and asthma. Significant differences were found between the stigma ratings for asthma, depression and ADHD. ADHD had significantly higher stigma ratings than asthma, and depression had significantly higher stigma ratings than ADHD (on some, but not all, areas rated) and had consistently higher …

The Effects Of Military Sexual Trauma And Depressive Symptoms On Reintegration, Rachel L. Davies

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Reintegration is a challenge for many veterans returning to civilian roles after military service. Difficulties range from an assortment of issues such as self-care to community participation. Military sexual trauma may be an experience that alters or changes veterans and result in difficulty in reintegration. Specifically, it was predicted that military sexual trauma would indirectly affect reintegration, via depressive symptoms. In addition, locus of control was predicted to play a role in how military sexual trauma impacts reintegration with external locus of control acting as a buffer. Participants were a cross-sectional community sample of both female veterans who reported having …

Supporting Survivors Coming Forward, Samanta Herrera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As an intern at Survivors Healing Center an issue that was identified was child sexual abuse cases are too common. The contributing factors that have a correlation to the community problem that was mentioned is denial, emotional maltreatment, and family characteristics. The consequence of the contributing factors led to depression, suicidal and a potential reacurrence of sexual abuse. The purpose of the project was to educate participants on how to support survivors who are coming forward. By educating them the expected outcome was to have some participants leaving with knowledge towards the issue. As a result of addressing the contributing …

Counseling Clients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring Counselors’ Perceived Knowledge, Comfort, And Self-Awareness, Michelle Bradham-Cousar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses continues to rise each year. Counseling is a critical factor in TBI treatment, and although numerous studies have investigated TBI outcomes, a paucity of researchers have studied professional counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with TBI clients. Due to the diversity of counselor caseloads, it is likely that counselors will serve clients with a dual diagnosis that includes TBI. These dual diagnoses include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, psychosis, or another neurocognitive disorder. The purpose of this study was to explore counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with individuals with …

Predictors Of Recovery In Advocacy-Based Refugee Treatment Outcome: The Role Of Prior Traumatic Experiences And Current Chronic Stressors, Meredith A. Blackwell

Psychology ETDs

Refugees are at an increased vulnerability to mental health disorders compared to citizens of wealthier nations. The present study looks at the symptom trajectories of 290 refugees in a psychosocial community-based participatory intervention. A three-level generalized linear mixed model examined the predictive impact of exposure to trauma and chronic stress at baseline on posttraumatic stress and mood symptoms over time. Results showed that only higher chronic stress at baseline was associated with a steeper decrease in both PTSD and mood scores, but these effects differed by nationality. However, with chronic stress entered as a time-varying covariate instead only African participants …

Generating Alternative Solutions When Depression Is The Problem, Benjamin Todd Johnson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Generating alternative solutions for problem situations is a key component of effective problem solving. This process is used to generate a variety of potential options for managing a problem, from which the most effective approach or combination of approaches can be selected for implementation. Impaired alternatives generation provides fewer options from which to select a response, reducing the likelihood that a highly effective approach will be available for implementation, potentially leaving problems unresolved, generating additional problems, and fostering a sense of hopelessness and depression. Depression has been found to impair problem solving further by reducing engagement in the problem solving …

Assessing A Cognitive Model Of Trauma-Related Sleep Disturbance, Rebecca Chesher

Dissertations

Sleep disturbance is a symptom of many mental health disorders that may negatively affect cognition and mood. Trauma-related sleep disturbance is a core reaction of traumatic stress and PTSD, similar to symptoms experienced by individuals with insomnia or other sleep-wake disorders. Although the cause and symptom progression of trauma-related sleep disturbance may be very different, research and clinical practice assess and treat it with measures and interventions designed for general insomnia. Using a cognitive model of insomnia modified for trauma-related sleep disturbance, the current study assessed the relations between select trauma and sleep variables within the proposed constructs of: 1) …

Insomnia In Subclinical Paranoid Participants, Lauren J. Bennett-Leleux

Psychology and Counseling Theses

Insomnia has always been thought to be a consequence of schizophrenia and may be predicted by paranoid thoughts. Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have reported symptoms of insomnia, which can in turn increase psychosis. It is thought that these symptoms can come from decreased daytime activity, reduced cognitive functioning, or distress from psychotic experiences increasing arousal (Waite et al., 2016a; Hodgenkins et al., 2015; Stubbset et al., 2016). However, recent evidence has demonstrated that insomnia can predict later paranoid thoughts. Individuals with comorbid psychotic disorder and insomnia tend to have more severe psychotic experiences such as paranoid thoughts (Freeman …

Factor Invariance Of Anxiety And Depression Measures In Autism, Elizabeth Patrice Mckernan

Dissertations - ALL

This study examined factorial invariance of three self-report measures of psychiatric symptoms—the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS; Kessler et al., 2005), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R; Eaton, Smith, Ybarra, Muntaner, & Tien, 2004), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)—using a convenience sample of 434 adults surveyed though Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were sorted into two groups based on their score on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ; Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Skinner, Martin, & Clubley, 2001). Of 423 participants included in the final sample, 203 were included in the low ASD traits group …

Affective, Physiological, And Cognitive Response To Imagery- And Verbally-Based Rumination And Distraction In Adolescence, Hannah Lawrence

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, rumination and interventions for rumination have largely been verbal in focus. Rumination has been conceptualized as dwelling on negative affect in the form of verbal thought, and interventions aim to interrupt cycles of rumination using verbal strategies. Yet, emerging evidence suggests that many individuals dwell on negative affect in the form of imagery (e.g., Lawrence, Haigh, Siegle, & Schwartz-Mette, 2018) and that imagery-based interventions may be even more effective (e.g., Arntz, 2012). This is not surprising as imagery is more affectively arousing (Holmes & Mathews, 2010), physiologically stimulating (Vrana, Cuthbert, & Lang, 1986), and realistic/vivid (Mathews, Ridgeway, & …

Personalized Models Of Social Anxiety Disorder And Depression, Marilyn L. Piccirillo

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an important risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD) and together this comorbidity constitutes a highly impairing syndrome and vicious cycle of symptomatology, associated with tremendous health costs and societal burden. Despite much group-level research examining risk factor for MDD specifically, there is limited group and individual-level research evaluating how individuals with SAD transition into depressive episodes. Clinical and theoretical evidence suggests that each patient may exhibit a unique personalized pattern of risk factors. These idiographic patterns may contradict relationships seen at the group level. In this dissertation, women (N = 35) with SAD and …

Decision-Making Difficulty In Major Depression: Understanding Indecisiveness And The Role Of Expected Affect, Haijing Wu Hallenbeck

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making difficulty is a prevalent symptom among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Decision-making difficulty has been found to be pervasive across different areas of decision-making in current MDD; however, its exact nature for some areas (e.g., indecisiveness) is not well characterized, and the extent to which it is a scar of MDD is not determined. Furthermore, affective disturbances (e.g., in expected affect) have been theorized to contribute to decision-making difficulty in MDD, but empirical studies are needed to test this theory. In my two-study dissertation on depression, Study 1 focused on the dimensionality and validity of indecisiveness, and Study …

Assessing Sex Differences In The Effects Of Short-Term Rem Sleep On Anxiety- And Depressive-Like Behaviors In Rats, Nadia Meshkati

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Findings from both human and animal studies suggest rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disturbances following a traumatic event can lead to inability to extinguish the fear association, and eventually influence the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, research has demonstrated that sleep disruptions, including REM sleep deprivation (RSD), increases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and states in animals and people, with evidence of sex differences. Furthermore, it has yet to be determined whether short-term RSD, a more natural animal model of PTSD, can influence affective state of subjects. The present study applied short-term RSD to investigate sex differences in the …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Sport-Specific Thoughts And Emotions And Anxiety And Depression In College Athletes, Marina Elizabeth Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health difficulties affecting student athletes, who notoriously reject mental health interventions that are not sport-relevant. This study will assist in understanding the extent to which sport-relevant thoughts and emotions impact depression and anxiety in collegiate athletes. Two-hundred and twenty-five NCAA athletes competing at the Division, I, II, or III level were administered the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC), Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results of correlational analyses revealed a significant relationship between SIC Dysfunctional Thinking (in training and competition) and anxiety (GAD-7) and depressive (PHQ-9) symptoms, …

Essays On Emotional Well-Being, Health Insurance Disparities And Health Insurance Markets, Disha Shende

Economics ETDs

This dissertation has three research papers. First paper looks at the effect of social networks on emotional well-being of cancer patients by studying the response of social networks on their depression symptoms. Using the data from a primary survey conducted in Nepal, the study finds that social networks significantly reduce depression symptoms among cancer patients. The results strongly advocate for the importance of the social networks in improving their emotional well-being. Second paper examines the health coverage disparities among Hispanic and non-Hispanic young adults in five southwestern states of the United States. Using the pooled data from American Community Survey …

Trauma Exposure, Depressive Symptoms, And Responding To Positive Events And Affect In Young Adults, Jana Desimone Wozniak

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between trauma exposure and responding to positive affect and events is unclear. Depression may co-occur with trauma exposure, and may also independently predict responding to positive affect and events. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between trauma exposure, depressive symptoms, and responding to positive affect and positive life events among young adults. Participants were 277 (84.8% female, 56.3% Caucasian) undergraduates ages 18-39 (M = 19.67, SD = 2.22). At baseline, ANCOVAs were used to examine the relationships between trauma exposed/non-trauma exposed groups, as well as high/low depressive symptom groups, on responding to positive …

Baby On The Way, Sex Gone Away? A Dyadic Investigation Of Sexual Satisfaction In Pregnancy, David Brent Allsop

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that having high sexual satisfaction during pregnancy is difficult for couples. This negative trend is important considering that low sexual satisfaction can negatively affect both relationship satisfaction, psychological health, and child outcomes. However, there is evidence that this trend does not apply to all and different groups of couples exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction in pregnancy. Guided by family systems theory and the biopsychosocial model, the current study explored if different subsets of couples, composed of pregnant wives and husbands, exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and what factors distinguish potential subsets. Using …

Do Anxiety, Depression, And Mental Health Treatment Impact Christian College Student Religiosity/Spirituality?, Matthew J. Ditty

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The majority of Americans report religious affiliation and participate in religious practices. Several studies have sought to analyze the protective factors of religiosity, especially as it relates to mental and physical health issues. However, little research has been conducted which explores the relationship between religiosity/spirituality (R/S), mental health, and its treatment status.

This study sought to determine whether participants’ mental health problems (anxiety and depression) and treatment status (treatment versus no treatment) were related to their religiosity/spirituality and if severity of pathology and treatment engagement significantly affected R/S. Results suggest subjects can be aggregated into two meaningful groups: one that …

Depression, Music Choice, And Affective Outcomes In Daily Life, Sunkyung Yoon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persons with depression consistently report a preference for sad music. Are such preferences maladaptive or beneficial? We tested this question in a 3-part study that examined 77 participants’ (39 with and 38 without clinical depression) music choice in daily life, affective outcomes, and the reasons for music choice. During a 3-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA), participants chose a song from a pre-set music library of happy and sad songs and rated their affect before and after hearing the chosen song. In addition, we analyzed the characteristics (e.g., tempo) of participants’ free song choices over 7 days (from participants’ Spotfiy music …

Scope Of Attention Variation As A Function Of Anxiety And Depression, Kathleen O'Donnell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As a social species, correct emotional perception is so vital, that the human brain has evolved a mechanism to control attentional choices by exerting a narrowed field of perception during danger, called the scope of attention (SoA). The SoA determines what information will be focused on or ignored by blocking the perception of non-relevant items and increasing selective focus on danger; even if danger is merely a sad-face. The emotional items blocked from perception cannot be remembered because they were never perceived. But, attention-control to emotional stimuli also varies with mood, as seen in mood-disorders. A mood-disorder’s effect upon the …

Reducing Depression And Anxiety With Equine Activities, Denise Todd

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Anxiety and depression are among the most popular mental health issues in the United States and across the globe, as many people continue to face personal, familial, and systemic challenges in their lives. It is believed that equine activities (those that involve interactions with horses) can play a significant role in alleviating anxiety and depression levels in adults. So far, however, the existing scholarship contains just a handful of studies supporting such a claim. Using a pre-experimental design, this study sought to extend the mental health literature by assessing the impact of equine activities on anxiety and depression among …

The Association Between Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms, Selfesteem, And Personality Traits, Basma Mubarak Yaslam Bensumaidea

Theses

A number of international studies have investigated the association between problematic internet use (PIU), personality traits, and psychopathology, however, despite their widespread prevalence, such investigations in the Middle East region remain rare. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between PIU and depression, self-esteem, and personality traits in a sample of 350 university students, aged between 17 and 33 years (mage=20.69, SD=2.14), who were residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Participants completed several assessments of sociodemographic variables, a validated measure of PIU, depression, self-esteem, and a measure of their personality traits. A total of 75.1% of the sample was determined …

Depressed & Dis-Eased: Storytelling, Melancholia And The Rhetorical Affordances Of Affect, Carlee Franklin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Because racial oppression is often internalized, this thesis examines literature written by POC about protagonists of color struggling with depression. The pieces are Gwendolyn Brooks’ Maud Martha, Haruki Murakami’s “Tony Takitani,” and Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Using literary concepts informed by Black feminist theory, decolonial theory, and affect studies, as well as rhetorical frameworks of silence and listening, this thesis attempts to better understand how the relationship between depression and racial oppression work to color the life expectancy and perspectives of depressed people of color

Moving Through Depression: Development Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Method In Psychiatric Inpatient Care, Melissa Olmedo

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Short-term psychiatric hospitalization is a challenging health care model due to its short duration of care, treating the highest risk psychiatric population. Priority care within a short-term psychiatric hospitalization involves monitoring a patient’s safety for stabilization by decreasing acute mental health symptoms. Holistic psychotherapy treatment options are needed to meet the severity of patients’ symptoms for effective stabilization within a short-term model of care. This paper investigates the first implementation of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) method within two short-term units in a notable Boston hospital. The DMT group called Mindful Movement was facilitated weekly as single sessions to adults ranging …

Rhythm And Safety Of Social Engagement: Polyvagal Theory Informed Dance/Movement Therapy, Suzanne Weare

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The polyvagal theory has exerted great influence on the field of clinical therapy since the 1990s by proposing an understanding of the psychological expression seen in clients as a reflection of their physiological state of safety or threat of danger. When affect and psychological states are viewed through the lens of the autonomic nervous system directed by neuroception through bidirectional vagal nerve information, therapeutic presence and somatic therapy practices, such as those utilized in the field of dance/movement therapy, become more conceivable as best practices to treat a variety of psychological conditions to include trauma recovery, autism spectrum disorders, and …

How Can Art Therapy Be Utilized To Improve The Mental Health And Quality Of Life Of Pediatric Oncology Patients?, Emily Golubowski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pediatric oncology patients and survivors endure multiple obstacles related to physical health and recovery during and after their treatment time. In addition, mental health complications related to adjustment, anxiety, depression, and stress can complicate the overall quality of life and functioning of individuals who have endured this diagnosis and treatment. As an intervention, art therapy can provide relief from physical symptom management, relieve mental health symptoms and stressors, and improve overall quality of life. Art therapy directives and professional work can assist in teaching appropriate coping skills, enhance emotional intelligence, improve communication, restore a sense of control, and improve overall …

Examination Of Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety Sensitivity, And Depression In An Undergraduate Sample, Dasha Grace

Honors Theses

Sleep contributes to overall well-being, mental health, and daily functioning. Sleep disturbances negatively affect psychological, physiological, and biological processing, and the quality of sleep is similarly affected by these processes. The effects of sleep disturbance call for a greater understanding of depression and anxiety sensitivity among college students. Studies have found that sleep disturbance affects nearly 90% of the college student population. The aims of the current study were to examine: 1) types and rates of sleep disturbance among a sample of college students, 2) associations between sleep disturbance, AS, and depression symptoms, and 3) AS and depression symptoms by …