Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Stigma And Social-Emotional Health In Youth With Learning Differences, Kelsey Maki

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth diagnosed with specific learning disorder (SLD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), defined collectively for the purposes of this study as youth with learning differences, experience poorer social-emotional health outcomes in comparison to their typically developing peers. These youth additionally experience stigma from their peers, teachers, and broader community, which may impact social-emotional health. As a secondary data analysis of a larger study, the present study investigated the role of stigma consciousness alongside demographic variables, self-esteem, and peer relationships in social-emotional health outcomes. Due to the possible differences between youth diagnosed with SLD, ADHD, and comorbid SLD/ADHD, group differences …

Queer Lives In Idaho And The Surrounding Region: Impacts Of Anti-Discrimination Laws, High School Environment, And The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mental Health, Ollie Shannon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of Queer people in the Intermountain-West are under- documented by the scientific community. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019. Members of the Queer community have higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts than the general population. Theoretically, we may predict that people experience negative mental health outcomes under situations of reduced social contact and support or during periods of exclusion by conspecifics. My research explores mental health in the Queer community utilizing data collected in an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. …

Depressive Symptoms And Marijuana Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Protective Behavioral Strategies For Marijuana, Nicholas Militello

Master's Theses

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of protective behavioral strategies for marijuana (PBSM) and marijuana use frequency on the relationships depressive symptoms had with hazardous marijuana use and marijuana-related negative consequences in college students Participants were 338 (50.3% male) undergraduate college students age 18 to 25 (M = 22.10; SD = 1.97) who reported marijuana use in the past 30 days. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of depressive symptoms, PBSM use, marijuana use frequency, marijuana-related negative consequences, and hazardous marijuana use through an online survey from a 2018 project. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with …

Pilot Testing A Survey Instrument To Evaluate Eaat Professionals' Views On The Effects Of Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies On Hope And Depression In Court-Involved Youth, Emily Stewart

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT) programs have proven beneficial for individuals with mental, physical and psychological ailments. Only in the last few years have court systems begun to utilize the complex nature of the human-horse relationship to benefit the lives of court-involved youth. Despite its novelty, the few existing studies in this field yield positive results (Frederick et al., 2015). To address the need for further research in this area, a pilot study was conducted. An exploratory survey was given to EAAT professionals to determine their views on the effects of EAAT programs on hope and depression in court-involved …

I Am Out, Now What?: The Double-Edged Sword Of Being Justice-Involved, Eric J. Cazares

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) is at the forefront when it comes to sending its citizens to correctional facilities. The U.S. prison population is estimated to be around 2,100,000, with China trailing at 1,700,000. With staggering incarceration rates, both nationally and locally, officials have begun to act by enacting legislation that would reduce California’s prison population. According to the National Institute of Justice (2015), however, two-thirds (67.8%) of released individuals will recidivate within three years. One critical avenue in reducing recidivism is employment; justice-involved individuals who find employment are less likely to reoffend. Little is known about justice-involved organizational experiences, specifically, …

Risk Factors For Early And Late Onset Depression And Subsequent Risk For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In An Older Adult Population, Jordan Kugler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) was a research study that followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older over the course of 12 years, examining risk and protective factors for dementia. One of these factors was depression history, which has evidence for a connection with dementia, such that those with a history of depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. However, the existing literature has yet to examine sex differences, genetic and psychosocial factors that contribute to earlier or later onset of depression and how these factors in turn might later increase risk for …

A Critical Review On The Moderating Role Of Contextual Factors In The Associations Between Video Gaming And Well-Being, Andree Hartanto, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Jose C. Yong, Matthew H. S. Ng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The appeal of video gaming has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. In view of its increasing popularity, lay people and researchers alike have taken an interest in the psychological consequences of video gaming. However, there seems to be a paradox associated with the effect of video gaming on gamers' well-being—namely, while most video game players cite “fun” as their motivation to play video games, video games continue to hold a notorious reputation among some researchers for being detrimental to mental health and emotional well-being as measured by indicators such as happiness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We suggest …

Preclinical Behavioral Assessment Of Chronic, Intermittent Low-Dose Psilocybin In Rodent Models Of Depression And Anxiety, Harmony I. Risca

Dissertations

Recent studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Amidst the overall success of recent clinical trials using a single high dose of psilocybin, anecdotal reports indicate anxiolytic and antidepressant effects following a repeated low dose regimen. As therapeutic outcomes are often tightly intertwined with the individual’s subjective experience, animal models are used as objective measures to investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the putative antidepressant/anxiolytic effects of psychedelics. Three rodent models predictive of anxiolytic or antidepressant effects were used to evaluate effects of chronic intermittent low dose (CILD) psilocybin treatment; the Light/Dark conflict …

The Effect Of Stress, Acculturation, And Heritage Identity On Depression In Arab Americans, Abdul-Rahman Suleiman, Omar Afify, Keith E. Whitfield

Office of the President Faculty Publications

Introduction: Arab Americans are significantly affected by depression with prevalence as high as 50%. Our study assesses whether unique causes of depression such as stress, acculturation, and heritage identity play a role in the high prevalence of depression in Arab Americans. Methods: We surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans using a convenience model. Participants answered questions about their level of perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. They also answered questions regarding their level of acculturation and heritage identity. Finally, participants answered questions regarding their depressive symptoms. A score of 16+ on the depression scale was used as the cut-off for …

Mhealth For The Treatment Of Depression In Primary Care: A Feasibility Study, Krista Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing three mobile applications (apps) designed to ameliorate depressive symptoms within primary care. The secondary aim was to examine whether participants utilizing a mobile app would experience reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in quality of life when compared to a waitlist control condition. Participants (n=3) were recruited from two primary care practices and randomized to: (a) a cognitive-behavioral app, (b) a mindfulness app, (c) a social problem-solving app, or (d) the waitlist control condition. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms and quality of life at …

Coping With Medical School: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Sebastian C K Shaw, John L. Anderson

The Qualitative Report

Anecdotal evidence suggested that hopelessness and helplessness (HH) were often reported by undergraduate medical students. It is known that medical students are more susceptible to high levels of stress and depression than other student groups. There is currently concern about suicide rates in students and high drop-out rates in junior doctors. But what can be said of HH within this population? This study was aimed at eliciting medical students’ experiences of HH. An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted. Participants were recruited from a single medical school. Loosely structured, audio-recorded interviews were carried out. Recordings were then transcribed verbatim, then underwent …

Five Facets Of Mindfulness In Pregnancy And Postpartum Periods, Brianna J. Mcneley

Global Honors Theses

Pregnancy, particularly the postpartum period is high risk for women with preexisting mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. This research investigates if self-reported use of overall mindfulness and individual facets of mindfulness (observe, describe, nonjudging, acting with awareness, and nonreacting), reduce common symptoms associated with these disorders. Pregnant or postpartum participants recruited from social media groups (18+) were asked to self-report symptoms of mania, depression, anxiety, and five facets of mindfulness. Overall mindfulness was significantly negatively correlated with mania, depression, and anxiety, and in particular with nonjudging and acting with awareness. But symptoms were positively correlated …

Depression And Socioeconomic Status In West Virginians, Brittany N. Phillips, Amy Alvarez

Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review

Abstract

The researchers conducted this study in order to determine the relationship between depression and the different socioeconomic statuses in West Virginians. A survey was posted to various social media accounts as well as a classroom forum and data was collected from thirty three individuals who had a permanent residence in West Virginia. A variation of the Depression Test gathered from Mental Health America was used in the study with added questions regarding socioeconomic status as well as descriptive questions, both of which were summed individually and the data was compared using SPSS. Researchers hypothesized that higher depression rates would …

Social Status Insecurity And Body Image Related Health Outcomes: Testing A Moderated Mediation Model, Mingqi Li

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction has been found to be associated with a wide range of maladjustment outcomes and negative behavioral consequences. To identify the sources leading to body dissatisfaction, the present study proposed that an aspect of social cognition specifically regarding peer status, known as social status insecurity, may function as a precursor of body dissatisfaction. This study further examined the associations between social status insecurity and body-image-related health outcomes by focusing on the mediation effects of body dissatisfaction in a sample of 308 Chinese adolescents (117 girls, 191 boys). Furthermore, this study examined whether these mediation processes were moderated by social …

Alliance-Outcome Associations In Interventions For Youth Internalizing Disorders: Identifying Mediators And Moderators, Deepika Bose

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suboptimal treatment response rates in interventions for youth internalizing disorders (anxiety, depression, OCD) highlight a critical need to enhance intervention outcomes. My dissertation project addresses this need by identifying therapeutic process variables that predict intervention outcomes, and examining how, for whom, and under what circumstances they contribute to outcomes. In a series of three manuscripts, I present findings on a systematic review and meta-analysis of alliance-outcome associations in youths receiving intervention for internalizing disorders (Chapter II) and examine variables that may explain or influence alliance-outcome associations in interventions for internalizing problems in university-based (Chapter III) and usual care …

Further Evaluation Of The Associations Between Psychopathic Traits And Symptoms Of Ptsd And Depression In A Nonclinical Sample, Nicholas Kavish, Danielle Boisvert, Eric M. Cooke, Richard H. Lewis, Matthias Woeckener, Jessica Wells, Todd A. Armstrong

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Examining psychopathic traits at the factor or facet level has revealed that various aspects of psychopathy may be differentially related, even in opposing directions, to important outcomes (e.g., intelligence, emotion regulation). Empirical work on relations between psychopathy and internalizing disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, has provided evidence for a positive association with antisocial traits. However, findings for the affective domain have been more equivocal. The current study (N = 732) sought to replicate past findings of the positive association of antisocial psychopathic traits with higher levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms, and to further explore …

The Power Of Video Games: How Celeste And Hellblade Address Mental Health, Victor M. Ortiz

Communication Studies

The media has the power to educate audiences on topics through effective storytelling. This paper shows how video games as a medium possess unique potential to affect players through interactive experiences. Two video games titled Celeste and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice serve as examples of social cognitive learning through media exposure. This paper conducts a content analysis on the two titles. From the analysis, we learn the stories in Celeste and Hellblade aim to help those who play them learn how to cope with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The literature review section discusses past research done on …

Incorporating Religion Into Therapy To Better Treat Depression, Jacob Tubbs

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment option for depression. Often, CBT is only effective at masking the symptoms of depression without helping the person overcome depression altogether; thus, it may benefit CBT patients if alternative therapies are combined with CBT. Incorporating the patient’s religion into therapy is an alternative that may help many people. A large percentage of Americans are still religious or spiritual. This literature review discusses methods of building a personalized version of CBT that incorporates the patient’s religion, or religiously integrated CBT (RCBT), and the effects …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Women, Ava Stallone

Honors Scholar Theses

The impact of COVID-19 is placing a large strain on women. This can be seen through reports of mental health and financial concerns. Women are more vulnerable to COVID-19 related economic effects due to existing gender inequalities, which in turn may also have a negative effect on mental health. Through this study gender disproportion is looked at between mental health and COVID-19 financial concerns among women and men. The aim is to asses how COVID-19 financial concerns may be contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. It is hypothesized that; women will report worse mental health and greater economic concerns than …

The Implementation Of Mindfulness And Dance/Movement Therapy For Women With Postpartum Depression: A Literature Review, Angel Nga Ying Chan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review discusses the impact and effectiveness of using mindfulness-based interventions and a dance/movement therapy approach on mothers with postpartum depression (PPD) to promote their holistic well-being. The experience of giving birth and the transition to motherhood can be rewarding and remarkable, yet challenging and overwhelming. It is widely suggested if a mother who suffers from postpartum depression is left untreated and unattended, the ongoing depression and emotional distress can have negative impacts on their child’s well-being and development. The practice of mindfulness with women with PPD is suggested to be significant in reducing depression and improving psychological well-being …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

Neuro-Informed Music Therapy For The Treatment Of Anxiety And Depression: A Literature Review, Sarah E. Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis project is a literature review of research specifically regarding the neuroscience and neurochemistry of music and how it can inform music therapy treatment of mental health. Mental health is a large, overarching term that includes many disorders that refer to one’s psychological and/or emotional condition(s), which further includes an individual’s social well-being. This can include, but is not limited to, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper will focus in on a research-based, neuro-informed music therapy treatment of anxiety and depression. The goal of this paper was to provide research toward a future method in …

The Benefits Of Clay For Adolescents In The Inpatient Setting: Development Of A Method, Lauren Sideravage

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescence is a period of time where there is continuous change in one’s social, emotional, and physical development. In severe situations, these changes could contribute to two of the most common mental disorders in teens, one being mood disorders and the other being anxiety disorders. Arts based interventions were administered to measure and test if using clay through touch and movement could reduce anxiety and stress for adolescents in a psychiatric inpatient setting, leading to greater mental well-being and increased stabilization. Patients participated in a three-part group that focused on different clay techniques, including rolling, flattening, and free choice. Color …

The Effect Of Depression, Anxiety, And Stress On Heart Rate Variability During Self-Critical And Self-Compassionate Exercises, Derek C. Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

The cognitions of individuals who experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress have been well documented, but their physiological reactions have not. The present study examines the physiological reactions of individuals with elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during a self-critical and self-compassionate writing exercise to see if there is a difference in comparison to healthy participants. This study is a secondary analysis of data that was collected from a randomized controlled trial where participants followed a protocol. This protocol consisted of a 5-minute baseline, a 10-minute breathing exercise or nature video, 5-minutes of a self-critical writing exercise, 5-minutes …

Fearful Versus Dismissive Beliefs About Emotion: Divergent Pathways To Non-Acceptance Of Emotion, Natasha Haradhvala Bailen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High non-acceptance of emotion, or the rejection of one’s own emotional experience as bad or unacceptable, is consistently associated with depressive pathology, including elevated depressive symptoms and past and current major depressive (MDD) diagnoses. To progress toward a fuller understanding of non-acceptance and depressive pathology, it is important to identify other associated constructs that could theoretically contribute to this association. Indirect evidence suggests that negative beliefs about emotion—that is, stable underlying negative beliefs about the meaning, value, or consequences of one’s emotions—could be one such factor, as could negative emotion intensity and emotional clarity (or the degree to which one …

Vegetarian Diets, Maybe Not As Healthy As You Think, Darryl Goh, Debbie Chan, Merson Hoo, Ian Wong

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

Many are approaching vegetarianism as a viable diet option in recent years, presuming that adopting a vegetarian diet would provide health benefits. This paper explores the possibilities of physical and mental effects that vegetarianism may have on humans and its extent by the use of regression analysis. To measure the possible impacts vegetarian diets may hold on both the physiology and physical aspects of humans, we have utilized the measures of life expectancy and prevalence of depression respectively. Cross-sectional data were examined from sources such as the World Health Organization, Our World In Data and the World Bank, with figures …

Racial Microaggressions And Mental Health: Internalized Racism As A Mediator And Black Identity And Social Support As Moderators, Steven M. Sanders

ETD Archive

Internalized racism, also referred to as appropriated racial oppression, refers to the phenomenon of people of color adopting negative racist messages about their worth and abilities. The internalization of racism by members of the targeted group results in an experience of self-degradation and self-alienation and the assumption of one’s inferiority, which is directly related to issues of self-esteem, self-confidence, shame, depression, and anxiety. This study used structural regression with moderation and mediation to explore the possibility of internalized racism as a mediating variable and black identity and perceived social support as possible moderators. A sample of 639 participants (MAge = …

Rates Of Anxiety And Depression Are High Among Young Adults During Covid-19, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

This data slice uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey to compare the percentage of U.S. young adults (ages 18-29) who reported experiencing anxiety or depression during a two-week period in late March 2021 by race/ethnicity. The brief shows much lower rates of self-reported anxiety among Non-Hispanic Blacks than among other racial/ethnic groups but no significant racial/ethnic differences in self-reported depression.

Breaking The Cognitive Spell: Cognitive Fusion Mediates The Relation Of Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity And Rumination In Undergraduate College Students, Jacey L. Anderberg

Honors Thesis

Rumination (i.e., intrusive and repetitive self-directed thinking) predicts the onset, severity, and maintenance of depression (Galecki & Talarowska, 2017). Ruminative behavior is positively associated with cognitive anxiety sensitivity (i.e., fear of losing internal control; CAS), which may be attributed to cognitive vulnerabilities of depression. However, researchers have not clarified the link between these variables, and mechanisms responsible for change in CAS following treatment are unclear (Tull & Gratz, 2008). Accordingly, clarification of intermediate factors that may be targeted in psychosocial interventions appears warranted. Cognitive fusion (i.e., engaging with thoughts as true reflections of reality rather than products of thinking; CF) …

Examining Rumination, Devaluation Of Positivity, And Depressive Symptoms Via Community‐Based Network Analysis, Duncan Jordan

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Objective: Components of rumination, including brooding and reflection, as well as devaluating prospective positivity, may help maintain depressive symptoms. We examined these components together for the first time using network analysis. Methods: We examined the robustness of rumination communities of closely related items in one network and then examined the interrelationships between rumination communities, devaluation of positivity, and depression, in a second network. Results: Three rumination communities emerged, replicating findings of Bernstein et al. (2019). Within a dense network, nodes representing brooding, reflective pondering, and difficulty trusting positive feelings were most influential. In addition, the node representing the depressive symptom …