Psychology Commons^™

Out Of Mind: Undergraduate Predictors Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, Michael S. Lanzaro

Honors Theses

Demographic factors associated with anxiety have been studied extensively and are often characterized by interconnected relationships. These associations between variables provide insight into the predictive ability of anxiety in undergraduate populations. However, few studies if any have investigated the relationships between class level, sex, honors status, and undergraduate specialization as predictors of anxiety among an undergraduate American university sample. The results of this study provide key insight into the psychopathological development of undergraduate students and anxiety levels as it pertains to academic and demographic variables. By using a multiple linear regression analysis, demographic variables of American undergraduate students are compared …

Investigating The Psychological Impact Of Covid-19 Among Healthcare Workers: A Meta-Analysis, Kavita Batra, Tejinder Pal Singh, Manoj Sharma, Ravi Batra, Nena Schvaneveldt

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Previous meta-analyses were conducted during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, which utilized a smaller pool of data. The current meta-analysis aims to provide additional (and updated) evidence related to the psychological impact among healthcare workers. The search strategy was developed by a medical librarian and bibliographical databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for studies examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of healthcare workers. Articles were screened by three reviewers. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model …

The Relationship Between Self-Focus And Anxiety, Katie Leutzinger, Leah Reyna, Carissa L. Philippi

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Researchers have linked self-focus with multiple psychological disorders and forms of maladaptive cognition, such as anxiety and depression. Throughout their lifetime, around 33% of U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, making it the most prevalent mental illness in the country. Anxiety symptoms often co-occur with depressive symptoms, therefore depression and anxiety are often consolidated together in research scenarios. Past studies have shown a positive correlation between negative self-focus and depressive symptoms. However, with anxiety prevalence on the rise, it is worthy of attention independent from depression. This study will look at the relationship between anxiety and negative self-focus. Previous …

Efficacy Of Galcanezumab For Migraine Prevention In Patients With A Medical History Of Anxiety And/Or Depression: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Regain, And Pooled Evolve-1 And Evolve-2 Studies, Todd A. Smitherman, Gretchen E. Tietjen, Kory Schuh, Vladimir Skljarevski, Sarah Lipsius, Deborah N. D’Souza, Eric M. Pearlman

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 Eli Lilly and Company. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC, on behalf of American Headache Society Objective: This post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy of galcanezumab for the prevention of migraine in patients with and without comorbid anxiety and/or depression. Background: Patients with migraine have a higher risk of anxiety and/or depression. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and their potential negative prognostic impact, determining the efficacy of migraine treatments in patients with these comorbidities is important. Methods: The results of 2 phase 3 episodic migraine studies of patients 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 …

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 …

Moderation Of Effects Of Anxiety On Verbal And Visuospatial Short-Term Memory In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachael Arowolo

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit developmental differences in a number of domains, including memory. Short-term memory (STM) has been studied in children with ASD but the findings have been mixed. Children with ASD are also at increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Anxiety has been found to impact short-term (STM) and other cognitive functions in typically developing children. Limited research suggests that trait anxiety is associated with poorer STM in school-aged children with ASD. Given that STM develops throughout early childhood, understanding the impact of anxiety in younger children with ASD may be beneficial in providing the …

Generalized Anxiety Symptoms And Interpersonal Self-Perceptions During Stressors: A Prospective Examination Of Psychological And Biological Stress, Jamie A. Lewis

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms endorse negative emotionality, psychosocial dysfunction, and biological dysregulation. Interpersonal dominance and affiliation have also been linked to GAD symptoms. Little research has examined individuals with GAD symptoms in terms of naturalistic stressors and chronic use of interpersonal behaviors. GAD symptoms, as well as lower dominance and affiliation, have been linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysregulation. However, no studies have examined the unique and interacting contributions of GAD symptoms and interpersonal processes to chronic cortisol levels and distress. College students completed baseline measures of GAD symptoms, measures of interpersonal self-perceptions and distress for five weeks, …

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 …

A New Perspective On Social Media Use, Loneliness, And Cyberbullying, Danielle M. Brecht

Psychology Theses - Archive

The rates of social media use, cyberbullying, and loneliness are interrelated and simultaneously on the rise. Applying Jensen-Campbell’s Stress Model of Peer Victimization (Knack, Jensen-Campbell, & Baum, 2011) and the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) it is proposed that the negative health effects of social media may be attributed in part to chronic loneliness and cyberbullying. When lonely people recognize a lack of beneficial relationships (i.e., salutary relationship postulate) it may cause their behaviors to become more self-focused (i.e., self-preservation postulate) and they may use social media to fulfill the social disconnect by engaging in cyberbullying perpetration …

Fatalism As A Cultural Influence On Correlates Of Anxiety And Worry In Latino/A Adolescents., Judy Mier-Chairez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence that Latino/as in the United States experience lower rates of anxiety disorders as compared to the non-Latino/a White population has not yet led to the identification of the sources of these differences. Higher rates of anxiety disorders among more acculturated Latino/a individuals compared to those lower in acculturation suggest there are influential cultural variables relevant to anxiety, specifically that there is a loss of a protective Latino/a cultural factor in the acculturation process. Fatalism, an often-cited Latino/a cultural characteristic, emerges as an intriguing candidate for exploration in relation to anxiety due to the shared elements of future orientation and …

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, …

Anxious And Oppositional Behavior Factors In A Community Sample Of Youth With Selective Mutism, Andrew Gerthoffer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Selective mutism (SM) is a childhood disorder characterized by a failure to speak in certain situations (e.g., school, social situations; APA, 2013). SM is best assessed using a comprehensive multimodal strategy (Dow et al., 1995; Krysanski, 2003; Viana et al., 2009; Wong, 2010), including parent reports of a child’s behavior. One commonly used parent report measure is the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). The purpose of the present study was to identify specific CBCL items that may help substantiate SM subtypes in children. The study used confirmatory factor analysis to determine whether a two-factor structure (anxious and …

Using Therapeutic Photography Techniques To Increase The Wellbeing Of College Students, Licia Tourigny, Ivelina Naydenova

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

In this study the benefits of therapeutic photography techniques were analyzed for people with varying degrees of depression and anxiety. In study 1, participants were placed in groups after taking the Beck’s Depression Inventory. After they were placed in groups, they also took Beck’s Anxiety Inventory and the Life Satisfaction Scale. For four weeks, participants were asked to take pictures of what makes them happy and share and discuss them with their groups. After four weeks, they took all three inventories a second time. We found significant results between the pretest and posttest scores of the depression and anxiety inventories; …

Covid Stress Syndrome: Concept, Structure, And Correlates, Steven Taylor, Caeleigh A. Landry, Michelle M. Paluszek, Thomas A. Fergus, Dean Mckay, Gordon J.G. Asmundsone

Covid-19 Digital Research

Research shows that the COVID Stress Scales have a robust multifactorial structure, representing five correlated facets of COVID‐19‐related distress: (a) Fear of the dangerousness of COVID‐19, which includes fear of coming into contact with fomites potentially contaminated with SARSCoV2, (b) worry about socioeconomic costs of COVID‐19 (e.g., worry about personal finances and disruption in the supply chain), (c) xenophobic fears that foreigners are spreading SARSCoV2, (d) traumatic stress symptoms associated with direct or vicarious traumatic exposure to COVID‐19 (nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or images related to COVID‐19), and (e) COVID‐19‐related compulsive checking and reassurance seeking. These factors cohere to form a …

Drinking To Cope: Effects Of Anxiety On Generation Of Self-Regulation Strategies, Lauren Hurd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to utilize motivational and self-regulatory processes, specifically the principle of emotional transfer (PET), to elucidate mechanisms underlying the transition from casual alcohol use to dependence in young adults with elevated anxiety. Utilizing a script-driven imagery procedure, the proposed study examined the effects of manipulated state anxiety on 1) the amount, content, and commitment to freely generated anxiety reduction strategies, and 2) the level of craving for alcohol. Young adult college students (N = 69; ages 18-24; 76.8% women) were randomly assigned to either the high (n = 35) or low (n = 34) anxiety condition. After script …

Anxiety In Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Common And Autism-Related Anxiety Experiences And Their Associations With Individual Characteristics, Boon Yen Lau, Ruth Leong, Mirko Uljarevic, Jian Wei Lerh, Jacqui Rodgers, Matthew J. Hollocks, Mikle South, Helen Mcconachie, Ann Ozsivadjian, Amy V. Van Hecke, Robin Libove, Antonio Hardan, Susan Leekam, Emily Simonoff, Iliana Magiati

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Anxiety is common in autism spectrum disorder. Many anxiety symptoms in autism spectrum disorder are consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) anxiety disorders (termed “common” anxieties), but others may be qualitatively different, likely relating to autism spectrum disorder traits (herein termed “autism-related” anxieties). To date, few studies have examined both “common” and “autism-related” anxiety experiences in autism spectrum disorder. We explored caregiver-reported Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent version data from a multi-site (United Kingdom, Singapore, and United States) pooled database of 870 6- to 18-year-old participants with autism spectrum disorder, of whom 287 provided at least …

Parent And Child Emotion And Distress Responses Associated With Parental Accommodation Of Child Anxiety Symptoms, Erin E. O'Connor, Lindsay E. Holly, Lydia L. Chevalier, Donna B. Pincus, David A. Langer

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

Parental accommodation contributes to the maintenance of child anxiety and related symptoms. The current study examines the contributions of parent and child factors to parental accommodation in a sample of anxious youth.

Methods

Sixty-four treatment-seeking youth (6–16 years) and their mothers, as well as a subset of fathers (N = 41) reported on parental accommodation, parental distress and emotion regulation, child psychopathology, child externalizing behaviors, and child intolerance of uncertainty.

Results

Parental accommodation was not related to parental distress or emotion regulation. Parents who viewed their child as being more symptomatic (e.g., anxious, externalizing, and intolerant of uncertainty) …

Analytical Study Of Some Psychological Aspects Of The Players Of The Jordanian University Football Team., عايد زريقات, أسامة عبد الفتاح, وليد الحموري

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

This study aims to identify the causes and manifestations of high levels of anxiety and nervousness among of players of the Jordanian University football team, as well as the role of the coach in the direction of the player in the case of high level of nervousness and anxiety. To achieve this, the researchers used the descriptive method in his survey method on a sample of trainers of these clubs (N = 25). To collect the study data, the researchers used the questionnaire as a tool, with a final form of (4) domains and (23) paragraphs. To treat data statistically, …

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 …

An Investigation Of Athletic Buoyancy In Adult Recreational And Sport Club Athletes, Jackie Rae Victoriano Calhoun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Athletic buoyancy is the ability of an athlete to effectively handle the daily setbacks and challenges they face during training and competition. Although buoyancy has received ample research in the academic domain, a dearth of information exists regarding buoyancy in the athletic domain. Therefore, the overall purpose of this dissertation was to investigate athletic buoyancy’s independent contribution to sport psychology while also exploring antecedents and outcomes in adult athletes.

Study 1 compared athletic buoyancy to other cognate constructs, or similar constructs, to determine their conceptual boundaries. A one-time, online questionnaire was distributed to 294 recreational athletes (M age = …

Antagonizing Serotonin 2a (5-Ht2a) Receptors Attenuates Methamphetamine-Induced Reward And Blocks Methamphetamine-Induced Anxiety-Like Behaviors In Adult Male Rats, John T. Madden

Psychology ETDs

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a highly addictive and widely abused psychostimulant. Research indicates that the selective 5-HT_2A receptor antagonist M100907 attenuates several psychostimulant-induced behaviors, including conditioned place preference (CPP). However, these findings have not yet been extended to Meth. The present study investigated the effects of M100907 on the acquisition of Meth-CPP and Meth-induced anxiety.

Adult male rats were tested using an unbiased two-chamber apparatus across eight consecutive days. Prior to Meth administration, rats were pretreated with M100907 and placed into their initially non-preferred chamber. After four Meth conditioning sessions, the effects of M100907 on Meth-induced changes in CPP were …

Abstract Art And Its Effects On Stress In High School Students: Development Of A Method, Shera Weintraub

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Stress in schools has become an increasing problem within the United States. Adolescents struggle with high rates and high levels of anxiety due to many pressures surrounding them, especially expectations from school. Due to their growing brains, stress and anxiety during this time can affect future functioning. It is crucial that teens learn ways to manage stress levels now, so they can develop healthy coping skills that can continue into adulthood. There has been plenty of research on art therapy and its benefits for mental health in this population. This study investigates the effects of abstract art on stress …

Sources Of Anxiety In Emerging Adult Relationships: A Qualitative Analysis, Kayla Gay

Honors Projects

Anxiety is a fairly common experience for individuals, but when this anxiety is extreme or prolonged, it can have detrimental effects both emotionally and physically. Previous research has shown that romantic relationships can have both positive and negative impacts on the mental health and levels of anxiety for individuals and that a number of stressors can create anxiety between romantic partners. The aim of this study was to examine the causes and sources of anxiety experienced by emerging adults specifically within their romantic relationships. A sample of six respondents from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS) who had the highest …

Socioeconomic Status And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Pregnant Women, Meagan Mandabach

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is a period of great change in a woman’s body as her baby develops. During this period, women commonly experience symptoms of anxiety (Dennis et al., 2017) and depression (Shidhaye & Giri, 2014). Literature has suggested that socioeconomic status (SES) can contribute to the severity at which pregnant women experience anxiety and depression (Arora & Aeri, 2019; Field et al., 2008; Shagufta & Shams, 2019), and women of low socioeconomic status may be more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy (Field et al., 2008). The present study aimed to assess the relationships between household income …

The Impact Of Anxiety On College Students' Academic Lives, Alex Connolly

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Anxiety appears to be a problem facing many college students. The literature on anxiety in college students is expansive, but there is very little research on how students are able to balance their anxiety with academics. The researches in this study conducted semi-structured interviews with five students, four males and one female, at James Madison University on how their anxiety impacts their academics and what they do to succeed. The students came from a limited sample size but were varied in their mental health diagnoses. The results of the study showed many different techniques that students used to combat anxiety. …

The Spectral Nature Of Anxiety Disorders: Examining Similarities In Clinical And Subclinical Populations, Alexandra M. Muir

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the leading mental illnesses in the United States today (Alvarez et al., 2012). However, a large number of individuals have their lives disrupted by the symptoms of anxiety, but their symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed with GAD. These individuals, much like individuals with GAD, have high trait anxiety, differential brain structure and function, and hypervigilant performance monitoring. Further understanding the neural correlates related to subclinical generalized anxiety disorder and how the neural mechanisms involved relate to daily functioning is of utmost importance. Since there are individuals suffering from subclinical anxiety …

Triad Of Anxiety: A Qualitative Analysis For Anxiety In Nursing Student Collegiate-Athletes, Morgan Vanderschaaf, Sharon Webb, Abby Garlock

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

Anxiety and resulting implications are prevalent for collegiate athletes who are also in nursing studies. These authors conducted a qualitative research study to analyze perceptions of nursing student-athlete’s anxiety and feelings of perfectionism. Three main research questions were investigated: What impact does anxiety have on a nursing student-athletes? How does perfectionism affect a nursing-student athlete's anxiety? How can coaches and professors aid in the reduction of the nursing student-athlete's anxiety? Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded. Resulting phenomena led to the concept of the Triad of Anxiety. Results indicated that nursing student-athletes experienced perceived threats, negative internal experiences, and …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Covid Stress Scales, Steven Taylor, Caeleigh A. Landry, Michelle M. Paluszek, Thomas A. Fergus, Dean Mckay, Gordon J.G. Asmundsone

Covid-19 Digital Research

Research and clinical observations suggest that during times of pandemic many people exhibit stress- or anxiety-related responses that include fear of becoming infected, fear of coming into contact with possibly contaminated objects or surfaces, fear of foreigners who might be carrying infection (i.e., disease-related xenophobia), fear of the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, compulsive checking and reassurance-seeking regarding possible pandemic-related threats, and traumatic stress symptoms about the pandemic (e.g., nightmares, intrusive thoughts). We developed the 36-item COVID Stress Scales (CSS) to measure these features, as they pertain to COVID-19. The CSS were developed to better understand and assess COVID-19-related distress. …

What's All The Buzzy About? Using Cryotherapy And Vibration For Pain During Vaccinations In Children, Marta L. Byma

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Vaccinations are the most common painful needle procedure, with an estimated 12 billion injections given per year (CDC, 2019). The usual method for administration of vaccinations is through needle puncture, which is often painful. Children often report receiving a shot as one of the most feared and painful experiences (McMurtry et al., 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve patient experiences by decreasing the pain that is associated with vaccinations through the use of a nonpharmacological method for comfort via the Buzzy® device. After thorough analysis and synthesis of the literature, the Buzzy® device that …