Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Prenatal Anxiety Sensitivity On Postpartum Anxiety And Depression, Ryann Holman

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for women, with roughly 15% of women experiencing psychopathology during pregnancy and postpartum. The most common mental health concerns during this period are anxiety and depression, which have been linked to adverse outcomes on both mother and baby, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. In understanding their onset, anxiety sensitivity has been found to be a potential mechanism for the development of both anxiety and depressive disorders. The goal of the current study was to examine the association between prenatal anxiety sensitivity and postpartum anxiety and depression. Pregnant women were given a battery …

Anxiety At The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Associations Between Health Anxiety, Covid-19 Anxiety, And Preventative Behaviors, Lauren Elmore

Honors Theses

Following the emergence of COVID-19, there was a significant increase in mental health issues (Shahyad & Mohammadi, 2020). Anxiety was of note (Salari et al., 2020), and preventative behaviors typical of health anxiety were prevalent. Health anxiety is the phenomenon of interpreting benign bodily sensations as symptoms of a more serious disease and is often accompanied with disproportionate thoughts of anxiety. Little work has examined the association between COVID-19 anxiety and health anxiety. The aims of this study were to: 1) characterize COVID-related anxiety symptoms, and 2) examine the bivariate associations of COVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety, and COVID-19 preventative behaviors …

The Relationship Between The Contrast Avoidance Model And Dysfunctions Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Whitney S. Shepherd

Honors Theses

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) features excessive worry, with additional symptoms including sleep disturbances, muscle tension, concentration issues, fatigue, and irritability (APA, 2013). The Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM) posits that those with GAD maintain worry to avoid emotional shifts by engaging in contrast avoidance (CA) tendencies (Newman & Llera, 2011). Additionally, chronic worry is associated with dysfunctional outcomes of GAD such as sleep difficulties and quality of life (QoL; Henning et al., 2007; Smith et al., 2000). Although both CA tendencies and these dysfunctional outcomes of GAD have shown to be related to worry, CA tendencies have yet to be explored …

The Feasibility Of Remote Brief Mindfulness Training And Impact On Anxiety-Related Attention Bias, Hanna Culang

Theses and Dissertations

Brief mindfulness training (BMT) improves anxiety and the allocation of attentional resources. Whether BMT can remediate disruptions in attention associated with anxiety, such as anxiety-related attention bias (AB), remains unclear. This experimental study revealed that BMT significantly improved subjective state mindfulness and state anxiety, but did not influence AB.

Exploring Social Media Usage And Its Effects On College Students' Mental Health: A Mixed-Methods, Intervention Study, Kimanh Le

Health and Kinesiology Theses

Background: Social media can cause detrimental effects to college students’ mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to examine UT Tyler students’ social media usage and its effects on mental health such as depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and the fear of missing out (FoMO). The researcher wanted to see if one specific social media site, Instagram, had more deleterious effects compared to other social media platforms and if reducing time usage would help improve mental health.

Methods: A mixed-methods, intervention design was used. An online quantitative survey link, which contained questions about demographics, social media usage, and mental health …

The Effects Of The Transition From Pre-Nursing To Nursing On Mental Health, Andrew J. Davis, Paige R. Mullins, Kimberly A. Sell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mental health is an ever-growing crisis among adolescents and young adults, with suicide as second leading cause of death and the number of those negatively affected continually on the rise. Transitions are one of the major stressors prevalent among these age groups, placing individuals at risk for mental health deficits. This quantitative voluntary response comparative study assesses the transitional mental health of pre-nursing students and students in the nursing program at East Tennessee State University. Emailed to all with a declared major of pre-nursing or nursing, this study measured mental health using evidenced based assessment tools. The PHQ-9 for depression …

The Effects Of Covid-19 Induced Stress, Anxiety And Depression On The Eating Behavior Of College Women, Natalie Simpson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Increases in the prevalence of disordered eating patterns have been linked to distress and poor mental well-being. Additionally, COVID-19 has been linked to both depressive and anxious symptomatology, along with increased feelings of distress (Fitzpatrick et al., 2020). Because disordered eating is particularly prevalent among college-aged women, this study sought to determine how depression, anxiety, and stress affect eating behaviors of college women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 179 women at Butler University, aged 18-24, gave informed consent before completing a questionnaire pertaining to their demographics, their stress surrounding COVID, and their weight change since March 2020. The …

The Relationship Between Racial Microaggressions, Mental Health, And Academic Self- Efficacy In Black College Students : Is A Supportive Mentor Protective?, Devanté J. Cunningham

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Racial microaggressions are daily, often subtle, verbal, environmental, and behavioral slights and insults targeted at a person or their race. Racial microaggressions can have deleterious effects on the mental health and academic outcomes of Black college students. As research on this relationship increases, it is essential to assess factors that may moderate, or lessen, the impact of racial microaggressions. There is evidence that mentoring, a form of social support, may attune the adverse effects of racial microaggressions on mental health and academic outcomes. The current study explored the relationship between racial microaggressions and mental health and academic outcomes (social anxiety, …

The Role Of Perceived Organizational Support In Anxiety And Depression, Chloe Dingens

Honors Projects

This study seeks to explore the relationships between employees’ levels of perceived organizational support (POS) and their levels of anxiety and depression. Eisenberger et al. (1986, p. 500) defines POS as an employee's perception about how much the organization they work for values them and cares about their well-being. It was hypothesized that workers who experience higher POS will report lower anxiety and depression. Survey data were collected from 494 adults who worked an average of 39.9 hours per week (SD = 8.3). Participants completed survey measures of POS, anxiety, and depression, and reported demographics (e.g., job tenure) that were …

Perceptions Of Risk, Work, And Lifestyle Changes On Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Awatef Ergai, Leeanna Spiva, Lin Li, Ryan Breshears, Ginny Q. Zhan

Faculty Articles

The COVID-19 outbreak is significantly affecting the mental health of healthcare workers worldwide. This study aims to investigate mental health outcomes of healthcare workers in a health system located in the Southeastern US during the first peak of the pandemic and examine the association of specific factors on the mental well-being of healthcare workers. A cross-sectional survey of 388 healthcare workers was conducted. Data were collected using a 79-item questionnaire, which included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) instrument, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instrument, and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and …

Relationship Between Pet And Human Separation Anxiety On Owners’ Anxiety And Physical Health, Noah Ross

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pet ownership has always been thought to be beneficial, but some recent studies have not been consistent with this statement. A possible explanation for this is an unhealthy overdependence that pets and pet owners have developed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. In this paper, I examine whether separation anxiety from pets, people, and separation behavior of pets could be predictors of anxiety and physical health. The first prediction was that pet and non pet owners differed demographically. Also, it was hypothesized that separation anxiety from humans, separation anxiety from pets, but not pet separation behaviors predicted anxiety and …

Pondering Possible Psychological Pandemonium: Covid-19’S Impact On Undergraduate Students’ Distress Levels, Laura Alarcon

Student Theses

The pandemic has altered everything in its path, including a broad impact on mental health, but not everyone has been affected equally. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to examine if previously found differences in how non-Hispanic white and Latinx populations experience anxiety persist and/or were compounded. This study investigated distress levels of Latinx and non-Hispanic white undergraduate students at a public Hispanic Serving Institution both prior to and during the pandemic. A two-way ANOVA was run on a subset of an existing database to assess changes in distress levels between the two populations and timeframes. It was hypothesized that …

The Importance Of Health Anxiety And Emotional Reasoning To Understand Vaccine Hesitancy And Safety Behaviors: Implications For Public Health Campaigns In A Covid_19 Era, Samantha Ballas, Kimberli Treadwell

Honors Scholar Theses

This study examined the impact of health anxiety and emotional reasoning on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and preventative behaviors, hypothesizing that high anxiety and emotional reasoning would predict lower vaccine hesitancy and higher COVID-19 preventative health behavior after controlling for demographic variables. A large international non-probability convenience sample of 532 individuals consented to an online survey in a cross-sectional period from March through August 2021 (one month following availability of vaccinations in the USA). Participants completed questionnaires online. Health anxiety and general anxiety were significantly correlated with COVID-19 preventative behaviors, including mask wearing and social distancing, and emotional reasoning. General anxiety …

Screen Time, Sleep, And Anxiety, Michael Edward Turner

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Prior literature has found evidence for a connection between screen time and a variety of negative health outcomes. These negative health outcomes include symptoms of both generalized and social anxiety, as well as sleep issues involving poorer sleep quality and less sleep overall. There is also evidence that screen time has dramatically increased as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The present research project investigated the relationship between smartphone screen time and anxiety, both generalized and social, as well as sleep duration and sleep quality. This research project breaks down screen time into four separate domains, social media, video …

The Effects Of Executive Function Between Anxiety And Math Achievement In Adolescents, Mckenzie Hall

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Anxiety in Children can develop into pervasive disorders in adulthood if not treated. Research shows dysfunctional Executive Function (EF) and anxiety are both shown to have a negative impact on math achievement in children and adolescents (Trezise & Reeve, 2018; Kalaycioglu, 2015; Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin & Norgate, 2012). Chung, Weyandt, and Swentosky (2014) found biological and neuropsychological support for EF as a unitary and multifaceted processor for regulating our emotional states as well as our daily procedures. Anderson’s (2002) model of Executive Control System (ECS) allows the factors of EF to be examined using a developmental approach towards EF processes. …

The Role Of Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy And Shame In The Relationship Between Variants Of Self-Blame And Psychological Outcomes, Melody Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Exposure to sexual violence is associated with deleterious mental health consequences (Campbell et al., 2009). Survivors’ perceptions of self-blame can exacerbate these difficulties (Miller at al., 2007). Characterological self-blame has been associated with negative outcomes (e.g., PTSD, depression, & anxiety; Hassija & Gray, 2013; Janoff-Bulman, 1979). On the other hand, behavioral self-blame may be more adaptive, especially when the victim believes they have control over their future behavior (Hassija & Gray, 2013). However, the underlying mechanisms that account for both variants of self-blame’s impacts warrant further investigation. We predicted that posttraumatic shame, conceptualized as negative attributions and criticisms towards the …

Stigma And Anxiety As Barriers To Help-Seeking Among University Of Richmond Students, Allison Walters

Honors Theses

There is a growing need for mental health services in the United States due to increased rates of psychopathology. Emerging adults, ages ranging from 18 to 24 years, experience high rates of psychopathology and thus have a strong need for available mental health treatments (Eisenberg et al., 2007). Despite this need and the efficacy of mental health treatment as a whole, there are many barriers to treatment utilization, including stigma. This study examines level of anxiety and stigma as barriers to help-seeking using data collected through the Healthy Minds Survey at the University of Richmond. Moderation analyses revealed that anxiety …

Analysis Of Test Anxiety In Human Anatomy And Physiology I Students At The University Of Mississippi, Anne Piazza

Honors Theses

Student anxiety, specifically test anxiety, is common hindrance to student performance in various courses including Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Mississippi. Through a sequence of three surveys we collected demographic information, anxiety data related to the course, and test anxiety in general We researched factors that could potentially influence student anxiety such as at what point in the semester the student is evaluated, when students feel the most stressed, outcomes on previous evaluations, and perceived outcomes of the course. We also examined what effect the anxiety has on the student such as lowered performance, lowered test scores, …

Anxiety & Icebreakers, Sara Jurkiewicz

Honors Projects

Icebreakers are a common activity conducted at colleges and universities at various times during a student’s career. They may be performed at orientations, class meetings, in student organizations, and even in jobs. Anxiety can arise from participants in icebreakers for various reasons and as anxiety is a health concern, it is important to consider the impact icebreakers can have on students. Anxiety is related to shyness and sociability of a person as these traits can impact how a person participates in life.

Examining The Relationship Between Functionally Assessed Parental Behavior And Child Anxiety, Allison Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Etiological theories of child anxiety suggest an interaction of multiple factors that lead to the development and maintenance of child anxiety. Environmental influence, specifically that involving the family or parent, has been a target area of study for decades. Additionally, functional assessment of behavior indicates that certain behaviors may be maintained primarily by specific functions. Functional assessment has been successful at identifying functions of problematic behavior and planning treatment accordingly. However, in the realm of child internalizing disorders, research has not utilized functional assessment in this way. Acknowledging the impact of parental behavior on child anxiety as well as the …

Exploring The Relationship Between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Creativity, Anna Shea Hall, Anna Shea Hall

Honors College Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an important topic to study because of its prevalence, impact, and a multitude of unknown interactions of the disorder with creativity. Creativity is a cognitive process defined by lessened cognitive control and lower inhibitions in the prefrontal cortex (Chrysikou, 2018), which are characteristics of ADHD (APA, 2017; Brunkhorst-Kanaan et al., 2021; Kirov & Brand, 2014; Laugesen et al., 2017; Moen et al., 2014; Staikova et al., 2013) This study explored how ADHD is connected with three sub-variables of creativity: divergent thinking, uniqueness of generated ideas, and flow of ideas. Connections were explored via a survey of …

Strengthening Adolescents With Anxiety Through Drama Therapy, Jeremy M. Moeller

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Strengthening Adolescents with Anxiety Through Drama Therapy

Jeremy Moeller

In recent years the issues associated with social anxiety have become increasingly common in adolescents. With these issues becoming more common it is important that they continue to be nurtured and helped. With so many forms of therapy though it may be hard for someone to find a practice that suits them. That is where drama therapy comes in. Drama therapy is a fairly new practice that helps these adolescents to become more expressive and engaging in their everyday lives, decrease their social anxieties, and build a new sense of confidence …

School-Based Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Adolescents With Anxiety: A Pilot Trial, Julie M. Petersen, Carter H. Davis, Tyler L. Renshaw, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent diagnoses in youth, often resulting in impaired social and school functioning. Research on treatments for youth anxiety is primarily based in traditional clinical settings. However, integrating youth psychotherapies into the school environment improves access to evidence-based care. The present study is a pilot, randomized waitlist-controlled trial of a school-based, group acceptance and commitment therapy-based (ACT) intervention for adolescents with anxiety. Students at two separate schools (N = 26) with elevated anxiety were randomized to a 12-week waitlist or to immediate treatment. Participants in the immediate treatment condition reported statistically significant decreases …

Testing Theoretical Assumptions Underlying The Relation Between Anxiety, Mind Wandering, And Task-Switching: A Diffusion Model Analysis, Andree Hartanto, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite the well-documented negative effects of anxiety on task-switching (switch costs), few studies have directly tested major theoretical assumptions about (a) the specific processing component of task-switching that is impaired by anxiety, (b) anxious individuals’ strategies during task-switching, and (c) the mediating role of mind wandering in the relation between anxiety and task-switching. We addressed these issues using a stochastic diffusion model analysis and novel thought-probe technique in the task-switching paradigm. Our results suggest that the locus of impaired switch costs under state anxiety lies in the efficiency of task-set reconfiguration and not in proactive interference processing. Moreover, state anxiety …

Introspective Meditation Before Seeking Pleasurable Activities As A Stress Reduction Tool Among College Students: A Multi-Theory Model-Based Pilot Study, Manoj Sharma, Amar Kanekar, Kavita Batra, Traci Hayes, Ram Lakhan

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

In the realm of behavioral interventions, a combined approach of yoga and a cognitive-behavioral strategy in the form of introspective meditation (manan-dhyana) may offer benefits as a stress management tool. This pilot study focuses on introspective meditation performed before seeking pleasurable activities, which is a self-reflection about whether to pursue a goal that will bring sensory pleasure in life. A non-probability sample of college students was recruited from a mid-sized Southern University of the United States using a 52-items web-based survey built in Qualtrics. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were used to analyze data. Of total 65 students, only 21.5% …

Differences In Distress Between Rural And Non-Rural Appalachian Breast Cancer Patient / Caregiver Dyads During The First Year Of Treatment, Jordan Tasman, Callie D. Mcadams, Jillian Lloyd, Ashton J. Brooks, Patricia Nola Eugene Roberson

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Breast cancer patients and their caregivers living in rural Appalachia face substantial health disparities compared to their non-rural Appalachian counterparts. However, there is limited research on how these specific health disparities in rural Appalachian communities may impact patient psychological distress and caregiver strain during the first year of breast cancer treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to assess differences in patient psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and caregiver strain between rural non-rural Appalachian breast-cancer-affected dyads (patients and their caregivers) during the first year of treatment.

Methods: A total of 48 Appalachian breast cancer patients (with a …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices In Teachers, Shawn M. Martin Hettinga

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Mindfulness training has been identified as a promising means for cultivating social and emotional competencies and reducing stress. The purpose of the quantitative pre-post study using convenience sampling of educators in a rural K-12 in the Arkansas River Valley was to examine whether teachers’ participation in mindfulness activities were associated with changes in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction. The study used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and measured the responses from novice (0-3 years) and experienced (4+ years) teachers. The findings revealed that there was no difference between the …

Exploring American Parents’ Lived Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Ramifications For Well-Being, Astrida S. Kaugars, Lindsay E. Holly, Mary Tait, Debra L. Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The objective of this study was to document the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and families in the United States.

Methods

Parents’ experiences during the pandemic were examined using an online survey (N = 564) collected during May and June 2020.

Results

Parents reported experiencing a high frequency of COVID-19-related events (e.g., job loss and health concerns) and impact on their lives. Parents’ experiences with COVID-19, as well as self-reported perceived increase in home labor, experiences with assisting children with remote schooling, and work-life conflict were all significantly associated with higher levels of parental role …

Exploring American Parents' Lived Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Ramifications For Well-Being, Astrida S. Kaugars, Lindsay E. Holly, Mary Tait, Debra L. Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The objective of this study was to document the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and families in the United States.

Methods

Parents’ experiences during the pandemic were examined using an online survey (N = 564) collected during May and June 2020.

Results

Parents reported experiencing a high frequency of COVID-19-related events (e.g., job loss and health concerns) and impact on their lives. Parents’ experiences with COVID-19, as well as self-reported perceived increase in home labor, experiences with assisting children with remote schooling, and work-life conflict were all significantly associated with higher levels of parental role …

Editorial: Individual Differences In Cognition And Affects In The Era Of Pandemic And Machine Learning, Andrea Vranic, Yang Jiang, Xiaopeng Zhao

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.