Psychology Commons^™

Development Of A New Measure To Assess For Poverty-Based Stress: The Poverty-Based Stressor Scale (Pbss), Brianna N. Allen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Poverty, typically measured by economic well-being or depravation, is the result of systemic flaws built into the structure of society that adversely impact multiple dimensions of health and well-being. The specific stressors that disproportionately impact low-income individuals are called poverty-based stressors, and they encompass multiple categories of risk including physical, psychosocial, and financial risks. Currently, there is not an adequate measure of poverty-based stressors for low-income adults in the United States (U.S.), which restricts our ability to accurately determine the effects of poverty on important health-related outcomes. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of …

Psychological Functioning And Community Support In Adolescents Exposed To A School Shooting, Jessica Taylor Kelly

Dissertations and Theses

This study evaluated the impact of community support, specifically the impact of a trauma-related community-led campaign, on high school youth following a school shooting. Adolescents are at risk for the adverse impacts of trauma exposure (Katsiyannis et al., 2018; Rajan et al., 2019; Heleniak et al., 2016; McDermott & Cobham, 2012; McLean et al., 2013; Schonfeld & Demaria, 2020). However, social support from one’s community has been found to protect against the psychological and functional consequences of exposure to trauma (Bal et al., 2003; Cheng et al., 2014; Derivois et al., 2014. The purpose of this study was to assess …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Impact Of Anxiety On The Sibling Relationship, Maria Hays

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sibling relationships are one of the most critical elements of interpersonal functioning for children. The sibling relationship has been found to be an important foundation for the development of relationships in general, as siblings spend more time together than with anyone else. Mental health of a sibling has been found to impact the quality of the relationship; however, although anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders in children, there is a dearth of literature on its impact on the sibling relationship. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions siblings have about their experiences of …

Assessment Of Adolescent Anxiety, Anna E. Martinez-Snyder

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of any group of disorders among adolescents. Further, the prevalence of anxiety disorders has been shown to increase from adolescence to young adulthood, underscoring the importance of researching adolescent anxiety. Screening for anxiety in adolescents is necessary to identify and treat these disorders, which requires measures with good psychometric properties. One aim of the present study was to examine and compare the psychometric properties of the separation anxiety, social anxiety, panic, and generalized anxiety scales of the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and the Youth Anxiety …

Factors That Affect Anxiety And Acculturation In Syrian Emigrants, Thomas H. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, more than 6 million Syrians have registered as refugees. Many displaced Syrians suffer myriad mental health disorders, including anxiety, which become a burden as they attempt to acculturate into a foreign culture. Research to understand the Syrian refugees has been conducted since the conflict began; however, the findings are inconsistent. Existing academic research does not adequately capture the depth of anxiety of Syrian emigrants, nor does it present an accurate picture of the challenges of acculturation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in anxiety and acculturation based …

Social Media Use And Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katelyn Hughes

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Social media has played a prominent role in society as a safe way of communicating and connecting with friends, family, and others during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. This study examined the general use of social media over the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and correlations with levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress in comparison to how people felt about their social media use before the pandemic. This study collected self-reported introspection on social media use during the pandemic and before the pandemic from Georgia Southern University students to compare if there are less feelings of …

Challenges Among Latine Daca Recipients And Anxiety: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Immigrant-origin Latine young adults (ILYAs) face a challenge that is specific to their developmental period. As ILYAs transition from high school to beyond (e.g., workforce, college, etc.), they begin to grapple with participating in normative experiences for all young adults in the U.S. (e.g., obtaining a driver’s license, getting their first job at 16). The lives of ILYA, particularly those who are DACAmented or DACA eligible, are characterized by the legal and social contradiction that arises from growing up in the U.S. yet facing barriers to full participation in U.S. society. The nonexistent synthesis of the exponentially growing literature in …

The Effects Of Venlafaxine And Voluntary Exercise On Chronic Unpredictable Stress Induced Anxiety, Marly Mcgowan

Senior Independent Study Theses

Anxiety disorders can impair cognition and emotional control, particularly in the face of novel situations, which is concerning due to the high prevalence of such diagnoses. Exposure to unpredictable chronic stress can provide a way to induce anxiety-like behaviors in rodents by disrupting the stress response systems, including the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system. Pharmacological treatments, including SNRIs like venlafaxine, and voluntary exercise are both anxiolytic treatments that can alleviate the impacts of chronic stress. Using unpredictable chronic stress to mimic the human condition, and exposure to venlafaxine and exercise to mitigate the stress, the open field and elevated …

Our Thoughts Matter: The Mental Health Of College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caitlin Zarzeczny

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the mental health of undergraduate college students within the context of COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cognitions about health threat and engagement in protective health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were (N = 276) undergraduate students attending the University of North Florida. Students completed a SONA systems survey between March 2021 and December 2021. Participants received course credit for completing the survey. Survey questions were taken from the Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Prevention Effectiveness Protocols scale (Prasetyo et al., 2020). Three types of variables were assessed: demographics, perceived threat, and planned action. Correlational …

Growth Mindsets Of Anxiety: Do The Benefits To Individual Flourishing Come With Societal Costs?, Crystal L. Hoyt, Jeni L. Burnette, Emma Nash, Whitney Becker, Joseph Billingsley

Psychology Faculty Publications

Believing anxiety can change is a predictor of wellbeing, in part, because such beliefs – known as growth mindsets – predict weaker threat appraisals, which in turn improves psychological functioning. However, feeling a sense of personal threat facilitates social activism, and thus growth mindsets may undermine such action. Across six studies (N = 1761), including cross-sectional and experimental approaches (3 pre-registered), growth mindsets predict flourishing, including wellbeing, resilience, and grit. We find that growth mindsets indirectly predict reduced activism against social threats through reduced threat appraisals, which are critical motivators of activism. The total effect linking growth mindsets to activism …

Growth Mindsets Of Anxiety: Do The Benefits To Individual Flourishing Come With Societal Costs?, Crystal L. Hoyt, Jeni L. Burnette, Emma Nash, Whitney Becker, Joseph Billingsley

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Believing anxiety can change is a predictor of wellbeing, in part, because such beliefs – known as growth mindsets – predict weaker threat appraisals, which in turn improves psychological functioning. However, feeling a sense of personal threat facilitates social activism, and thus growth mindsets may undermine such action. Across six studies (N = 1761), including cross-sectional and experimental approaches (3 pre-registered), growth mindsets predict flourishing, including wellbeing, resilience, and grit. We find that growth mindsets indirectly predict reduced activism against social threats through reduced threat appraisals, which are critical motivators of activism. The total effect linking growth mindsets to activism …

From Burnout To Occupational Depression: Recent Developments In Research On Job-Related Distress And Occupational Health, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi

Publications and Research

Job-related distress has been a focal concern in occupational health science. Job-related distress has a well-documented health-damaging and life-threatening character, not to mention its economic cost. In this article, we review recent developments in research on job-related distress and examine ongoing changes in how job-related distress is conceptualized and assessed. By adopting an approach that is theoretically, empirically, and clinically informed, we demonstrate how the construct of burnout and its measures, long favored in research on job-related distress, have proved to be problematic. We underline a new recommendation for addressing job-related distress within the long-established framework of depression research. In …

Exposure To Prenatal Maternal Distress And Infant White Matter Neurodevelopment, Catherine H. Demers, Maria M. Bagonis, Khalid Al-Ali, Sarah E. Garcia, Martin A. Styner, John H. Gilmore, M. Camille Hoffman, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

The prenatal period represents a critical time for brain growth and development. These rapid neurological advances render the fetus susceptible to various influences with life-long implications for mental health. Maternal distress signals are a dominant early life influence, contributing to birth outcomes and risk for offspring psychopathology. This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the association between prenatal maternal distress and infant white matter microstructure. Participants included a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 85 mother–infant dyads. Prenatal distress was assessed at 17 and 29 weeks’ gestational age (GA). Infant structural data were collected via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 42–45 weeks’ …

The Effects Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy On Pain Thresholds And Anxiodepressive Behaviors In A Pre-Clinical Fibromyalgia Pain Model, Cassie Mae Argenbright

Psychology Theses - Archive

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic, widespread pain disorder generally of a non-inflammatory nature. FM has many known affective and cognitive comorbidities, including fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive deficits, and mood disturbances. As a result, FM treatment approaches are mixed in nature and lack a robust characterization that address symptoms on a sensory, affective, and cognitive level. However, there is promise in the implementation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for alleviating fibromyalgia pain and comorbidities, despite no work investigating the efficacy of this treatment in prominent preclinical FM models. Thus, this project aims to investigate the affective components, specifically anhedonia and anxiety, …

The Role Of Embodied Metaphor In The Relationship Between Vestibular Dysfunction, Anxiety And The Self, Kaitlyn Abrams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is considerable evidence that vestibular dysfunction and anxiety are correlated. Clinical and philosophical arguments suggest that a loss of sense of self, experienced through symptoms like derealization and depersonalization, might contribute to this relationship. The present study used a mixed methods approach, including Systematic Metaphor Analysis, to analyze written short answer and quantitative survey data from one hundred and thirteen participants with vestibular disorders. The Systematic Metaphor Analysis revealed several primary metaphor concepts which elucidated the connections between concrete experience and abstract concepts in vestibular dysfunction. These included metaphors of Agency, Stability, Orientation, Self-Object, and Figure-Ground. Primary metaphors for …

What Long-Term Effects Occur From Combat Deployment In Effecting Later Adaptation To Civilian Life?, Corey E. Waites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study shows the effects that combat exposure can have on an individual by compiling information gained from surveys and collecting data from Facebook interactions. Members of the study who were deployed to the Southern area of Baghdad, Iraq, between 2003-2005 were included in this research after they voluntarily responded to an initial group message on Facebook to members of the 703rd medical company members. This research sets out to determine how a review of the veterans of the US Army 3rd Infantry Division 703rd medical unit between the years 2003-2005 in Iraq can tell us about the long-term effects …

Associations Between Religiosity And Perinatal Anxiety Symptoms Among Women Of Mexican Descent, Kayla M. Osman, Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Over half of pregnant women experience anxiety symptoms, however perinatal mental health disparities exist. Women of Mexican descent exhibit higher levels of anxiety symptoms which may be linked to sociocultural stressors. However, little is known about culturally relevant factors that may protect against anxiety in this fast-growing population, such as religiosity, an important facet of Mexican culture.

Methods

Pregnant women of Mexican descent (n = 197) were recruited from a local community clinic and followed into the postpartum period. Women completed surveys assessing religiosity, acculturation, acculturative stress, and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Higher levels of religiosity were associated …

A Scoping Review Investigating Relationships Between Depression, Anxiety, And The Prep Care Continuum In The United States, Sarah J. Miller, Sayward Harrison, Kamla Devi Sanasi-Bhola

Faculty Publications

Men who have sex with men and transgender women in the United States are at increased risk for HIV and may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a once-a-day pill to prevent HIV. Due to stigma and discrimination, sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations are also at risk for depression and anxiety. This scoping review sought to identify literature addressing relationships between the PrEP care continuum, depression, and anxiety among SGM individuals and others at high risk for HIV. We conducted a systematic review of four databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and identified 692 unique articles that …

Trajectories Of Heart Activity Across Infancy To Early Childhood Differentially Predict Autism And Anxiety Symptoms In Fragile X Syndrome, Abigail Hogan Ph.D., Erin Hunt, Kayla Smith, Conner Black, Katherine Bangert, Jessica Klusek Ph.D., Ccc-Slp, Jane Roberts

Faculty Publications

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a monogenic disorder characterized by high rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety. A longstanding "hyperarousal hypothesis" in FXS has argued that ANS dysfunction underpins many symptoms of FXS. However, the developmental onset and trajectory of ANS dysfunction, as well as the consequences of ANS dysfunction on later psychiatric symptoms, remain poorly understood in FXS. Insight into the emergence, trajectory, and consequences of ANS dysfunction across early development in FXS has critical implications for prevention, intervention, and optimal outcomes in both typical and atypical development. This longitudinal study investigated whether and when males with …

Does Decentering Mediate The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Stress And Anxiety?, Hana Hannah Lee

Theses and Dissertations

College students are stressed and unsuccessful efforts to cope can increase risk for poor mental health, including anxiety (American College Health, 2019). Research suggests mindfulness (Bamber & Schneider, 2016) and adaptive emotion regulation (Desrosiers et al. 2013b) can buffer against the deleterious effects of distress. Decentering, a mindful emotion regulation strategy (Chambers et al., 2009), is postulated to be a mechanism by which mindfulness can lead to better mental health (Shapiro et al. 2006). Specific facets of trait mindfulness, namely Nonjudging (NJ) and Nonreactivity (NR) (Mizera et al. 2016), are directly involved in regulating one's emotions, which can help reduce …

The Multicultural Distress, Depression, Anxiety, And Stress Levels Of Black Undergraduate Students As Compared To Asian, Latinx, And White Undergraduate Students, Franklin Dickerson Turner

Journal of Research Initiatives

College students who experienced poor academic performance, depression, and anxiety reported having higher levels of stress than those students who were more successful academically (Andrews & Wilding, 2004; Bennett, 2003). It is also known that marginalized students have a higher tendency to experience stress. This study took a systematic look at levels of Multicultural distress, stress, depression, and anxiety as reported by Asian, Black, Latin, and White students at a major urban university. The findings indicated no significant differences in the general stress, depression, and anxiety levels based on a students’ race. However, Asian, Black, and Latin students had a …

The Bidirectional Effects Of Serious Conduct Problems, Anxiety, And Trauma Exposure: Implications For Our Understanding Of The Development Of Callous-Unemotional Traits, Emily Lynne Robertson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The association of anxiety and trauma with childhood conduct problems has long been the focus of research, and more recently this area of research has become critical to understanding the development of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Research in samples of children and adolescents has indicated that those elevated on both CU traits and anxiety seem to show more severe externalizing behaviors and are more likely to show histories of trauma. These findings have typically been interpreted as being indicative of a unique casual pathway to CU traits in those high on anxiety. However, an alternative explanation is that the higher rates …

Exploring The Experience Of Anxiety Among Final Year Students At University: A Thematic Analysis, Catriona Keane, Daniel Waldeck, Andrew Holliman, Simon Goodman, Kubra Choudhry

The Qualitative Report

The transition from undergraduate study to a postgraduate career can be an anxiety provoking experience for many students. In this study, we explore the shared experience of five “anxious” undergraduate students as they transition from higher education towards their postgraduate careers. Using a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five female undergraduate students from different courses at a UK university. A thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes: perceived pressure without sufficient support, and concerns about next steps. The findings suggested the final year is emotionally demanding, and students felt as though there was a lack of provision to manage …

The Effects Of Matched And Mismatched Social Support On Anxious And Depressive Symptoms In Women With Multiple Sclerosis, Elena A. Thomopoulos

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

There have been many significant findings and contributions to the literature on multiple sclerosis (MS) concerning both physical and mental well-being of individuals who are diagnosed with this illness. While MS is more commonly known now, more than before, there are many obstacles and challenges individuals diagnosed with MS face than people realize. Symptoms that affect individuals with MS are not easily recognized such as fatigue, blurry vision, issues with dexterity, bodily pain, numbness in extremities, and more. Due to the nature of this disease, and many adaptations in life individuals have to make due to their symptoms, studies …

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 …

School-Based Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Adolescents With Anxiety, Julie M. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mental health problems, particularly anxiety, are a growing problem in adolescents. Some treatments (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy) have been shown effective for youth anxiety, but do not help all adolescents. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a treatment supported for anxiety in adults, has yet to be fully researched in adolescents. ACT is a flexible therapy that is understood to be appropriate, if not ideal, for younger populations and schools. The present study compares a school-based, group ACT for adolescents with anxiety to a waitlist.

Adolescents (N = 26) with anxiety were randomized to a 12 week waitlist or to participate …

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Measures Of Anxiety And Sensory Processing, Elizabeth R. Troutwine

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Auditory sensory gating, a type of sensory processing, is a physiological mechanism that allows the brain to filter out and respond less to redundant sensory information. Poor sensory gating has been found in clinical groups such as Alzheimer’s dementia (Jessen et al., 2001), bipolar I disorder (Lijffijt et al., 2009), schizophrenia (Patterson et al., 2008), and other anxiety-related psychopathologies such as panic disorder (Ghisolfi et al., 2006), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Orr et al., 2002), and obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD) (Hashimoto, 2007). Research is limited regarding effects of chronic worry and anxiety on sensory gating ability. This study will explore the relationship …

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 …

Effects Of Parenting By Lying In Childhood On Adult Lying, Internalizing Behaviors, And Relationship Quality, Bailey Dodd, Esther K. Malm

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Parenting by lying is a phenomenon in which parents lie to their children, usually for a positive goal, and has been the subject of new parenting research. This study tested the associations between parenting by lying in childhood, lying to parents in young adulthood, and parent–child relationship quality. Secondly, we examined the mechanisms through which these constructs were all related to internalizing behaviors in young adulthood, specifically—stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Young adult participants between the ages of 18 and 24 (N = 206) responded to questions about parenting strategies experienced in childhood, their current adult functioning, lying to parents, …

Cerebellum-Seeded Functional Connectivity Changes In Trait-Anxious Individuals Undergoing Attention Bias Modification Training, Katherine Elwell

All NMU Master's Theses

Anxiety and anxiety related disorders are increasing at a drastic rate in the past decade, with the NIMH reporting that 31.1% of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety is commonly characterized by increased attention bias to threat. Attention Bias Modification (ABM) is a new treatment used to reduce individual’s attention bias towards threat. The extent to which ABM leads to underlying neural changes is still unknown. The cerebellum is a neglected brain structure, with new research provides evidence that cerebellum’s functional connectivity and shared networks with threat processing regions has a direct …