Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

Pre-Traumatic Factors Of Career-Related Ptsd: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Michael G. Curtis, Russell T. Hurlburt

McNair Poster Presentations

This paper examined and synthesized the (limited) available literature on the pre-traumatic predictors of PTSD, specifically targeting populations in which traumatic events are experienced frequently because of the requirements of their positions, i.e., firefighters, police, and military personnel. A total of 21 articles were included in the final literature review and were used to assess the current available knowledge of the pre-traumatic traits of career-related PTSD, and address potential gaps in the literature. The culmination of this research was used to create specific risk profiles for each of the high risk careers included in this review, firefighters, police, and military …

A Computational Perspective Of Schizophrenia, Ernesto H. Bedoy, Geoff Powell, Jefferson Kinney

McNair Poster Presentations

The etiology of schizophrenia remains largely elusive, thus dampening the effectiveness of current treatment strategies. Abnormal neural migration and neurogenesis in the hippocampus have been suggested to be involved in schizophrenia (Jakob & Beckmann, 1994). A few approaches, including computational modeling, have investigated schizophrenia as a network disorder. Computational modeling uses mathematics to predict the behavior of biological systems based on the input of a set of parameters collected from laboratory experiments. In this study, we constructed a computational model to explore the ramifications of additional PV neurons migrating to an aberrant location in the hippocampus and interfering with a …

Proximate And Evolutionary Insights Into The Epigenetics Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Levent Sipahi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an important medical and social condition. Although the vast majority of individuals are exposed to traumatic events within their lifetime, a minority subsequently develop diagnosable PTSD. What underlies differential risk and resiliency in the face of trauma is an ongoing research and clinical question with implications for prevention and treatment. Recent work has revealed a putative role of epigenetic variation and modification - most notably DNA methylation - in the etiology of PTSD. That DNA methylation is stable, yet modifiable in response to lived experiences, makes it a strong candidate to mechanistically explain the ontogeny …

Big Five Personality Traits, Pathological Personality Traits, And Psychological Dysregulation: Predicting Aggression And Antisocial Behaviors In Detained Adolescents, Katherine S. L. Lau

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the utility of three different models of personality, namely the social and personality model, the pathological personality traits model, and the psychological dysregulation model, in predicting overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency in a sample of detained boys (ages 12 to 18; M age = 15.31; SD = 1.16). Results indicated that the three personality approaches demonstrated different unique associations with aggression and delinquency. The psychological dysregulation approach, composed of behavioral dysregulation, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive dysregulation, emerged as the overall best predictor of overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency. After controlling for the Big Five personality …

Project 10:13, Julianna Farias

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Project 10:13 ultimately aims to fix the nation's drug problem and eventually change the country's legal structure regarding drug crimes. At this rate this trend is increasing, something must be done to slow down the acceleration of the problem. To do so, Project 10:13 will start with San Antonio, TX. One of the reasons for starting project 10:13 is my first-hand experience with the damage caused by drug abuse. My older sister, now 28, suffered from an addiction to drugs from the age of 16 to the age of 24. For my family and I, those eight years are indescribable. …

Research Brief: "Investing In Vets: Strategies To Help Returning Gulf War Vets Enter The Civilian Work Force Successfully", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study found that corporate leadership, veteran-specific training, and a long-term commitment to veterans’ employment were all significant factors in diminishing barriers to veteran employment and reintegration. In practice, social workers who understand business and organizational change can be leaders in supporting veterans in the workplace, and also in advocating for positive social change for veterans and their families. For employers, increased cultural competence concerning military populations would be helpful. In policy, organizations should work on creating coalitions of corporate leaders who have the power to change policies, programs, and practices, and who will monitor the success of these policy …

Generalizing Anxiety, Center For Public Service

SURGE

As she began reading the list of symptoms, I was making mental check marks next to the ones that applied to me.

Fear of interacting with strangers- check. Fear that others will notice that you look anxious- check. Avoiding doing things or talking to people out of fear of embarrassment- check. Fear of situations in which you may be judged- check. Anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work or school activities- check, check, check. [excerpt]

The Role Of Culture In Making Psychiatric Diagnosis: Hwabyung (火病) And Neurasthenia (神經衰弱), Jonghyun Lee

2013 New England Association for Asian Studies Conference

The Role of Culture in Making Psychiatric Diagnosis: Hwabyung (火病) and Neurasthenia (神經衰弱)

My paper looks at two psychiatric illnesses and discusses their social and cultural dimensions. The two illnesses to be compared are the Korean affliction called hwabyung, and the once-popular Western malady labeled neurasthenia, a common ailment in 19th century America.

Neurasthenia was defined as “a disorder characterized by feelings of fatigue and lassitude,” which is caused by the nervous system. That definition could fit most people at some time or another. Hwabyung, on the other hand, means “fire illness.” Koreans believe that chronic distress can …

Stress And Eating: A Dual Role For Bombesin-Like Peptides, Zul Merali, S. Graitson, J. C. Mackay, P. Kent

Brain and Mind Institute

The current obesity "epidemic" in the developed world is a major health concern; over half of adult Canadians are now classified as overweight or obese. Although the reasons for high obesity rates remain unknown, an important factor appears to be the role stressors play in overconsumption of food and weight gain. In this context, increased stressor exposure and/or perceived stress may influence eating behavior and food choices. Stress-induced anorexia is often noted in rats exposed to chronic stress (e.g., repeated restraint) and access to standard Chow diet; associated reduced consumption and weight loss. However, if a similar stressor exposure takes …

Long Term Effectiveness Of Cognitive Behavior Therapy For Treatment Of Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Tahira Perveen, Sajid Mahmood, Ibrahim Gosadi, Jaishri Mehraj, Sana Sadiq Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: The existing trials on the long term effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for the treatment of postpartum depression have conflicting results. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to summarize the current evidence.
Methodology: Literature search was performed using electronic databases Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PsychINFO were explored from January 2000 to March 2013.
All peer-reviewed English-published randomized controlled trials were eligible if they assessed the long term (at least at 24 weeks post partum) effectiveness of CBT versus standard postpartum care for prevention of postpartum depression. Data from eligible studies were …

A Comparison Of Attention Bias Paradigms Related To Insomnia, Nathaniel Maloney

Theses and Dissertations

Attentional bias to sleep related stimuli by poor sleepers has been reported as a factor in initiating and maintaining sleep disturbance. In this study, three paradigms (Flicker, Posner, and Stroop) were used in comparison to further investigate the role of attentional biases in Primary Insomnia. Participants (n=117) were split into good sleepers and poor sleepers using a median split with the Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale (PIRS). Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) as the covariate, two-way mixed modality ANCOVAs were conducted for each paradigm revealing no significant differences in word type, quality of sleep, or the interaction …

Are Your Parents To Blame? Disentangling Temperament, Parenting Style, And Schemas In The Development Of Depressive Symptoms, Jenny Delorme

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined Jeffrey Young's Schema Theory (1990; 2003) and its influence in understanding the etiological factors related to depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that there would be significant interactions between parenting and temperament traits. It was also hypothesized that The Defectiveness and Insufficient Self Control EMSs would mediate the relationship between the significant parenting/temperament interactions and depressive symptoms. Participants were administered the Young Schema Questionnaire Short form-3 to measure the endorsement of schemas; the Beck Depression Inventory to measure symptoms of depression; the Young Parenting Inventory to measure perceived parenting; and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire to measure temperament traits. …

Spirituality And Alcohol Consumption In A General Population, Nicole Keenan

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between spirituality and alcohol consumption in a general population because spirituality is important when it comes to the treatment and continued recovery from addiction. In order to measure spirituality, we used three psychometrically tested measures; The Intrinsic Spirituality Scale, the Spiritual Intelligence Self Report Inventory, and the Spiritual Assessment Inventory. To measure alcohol consumption we utilized the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Results sustain the multidimensionality and overlap between spirituality and religion and the need for more complete definitions. Our findings support the buffering relationship between spirituality and alcohol consumption as well as a relationship …

Locus Of Control And Quality Of Life In Individuals With Schizotypy, Rachael Paulbeck

Theses and Dissertations

The present study collected data from 200 undergraduate students (106 male, 94 female) and sought to examine the relationship between levels of stress, cognitive processes related to stress management (Locus of Control- LOC; Sense of Coherence; SOC), and quality of life (QOL) across varying levels of risk for developing schizophrenia. Results indicated that high-risk individuals are significantly more likely to have an external locus of control (F=4.121, p=.018) supporting hypothesis 1. Counter to our second hypothesis, locus of control was not directly associated with QOL. However, LOC was correlated with both stress and level of risk for schizophrenia which (in …

The Freshman Experience, Stephanie Mannon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory research was to investigate if change in sexual risk-taking behavior between high school and college can be predicted as a function of the interaction of person and situation traits. College, conceptualized as a backspace (situation) construct, and personality traits (sensation-seeking, neuroticism, extraversion) conducive to deviant behavior were examined. While significant risky behavior was reported for all students (n = 252), hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher levels of the specified personality traits in combination with on-campus backspace residential status was not predictive of greater change in engagement in sexual risk-taking behavior. Implications for future research …

Impact Of Postpartum Anxiety And Depression On Child’S Mental Development From Two Peri-Urban Communities Of Karachi, Pakistan: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Niloufer Sultan Ali, Sadia Mahmud, Asia Khan, Badar Sabir Ali

Department of Family Medicine

Background

Postpartum anxiety and depression has detrimental effects on the overall mental development of children. This study aims to assess the impact of postpartum anxiety and depression on children’s mental development on all sub-scales in a Pakistani population.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two peri-urban communities of Karachi, a mega city of Pakistan, to assess the impact of postpartum anxiety and depression on children’s growth and mental development. A total of 420 women were enrolled, who had given consent out of 651 pregnant women identified, during February 2004 to December 2005. Data for socio-demographic, home environment and family …

Content Analysis Of Cognitive Distortions In Pedophiles' Online Forum Posts, Lyndsie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, sexual encounters between adults and children were rarely reported to authorities, and thus considered a rare problem. However, as many as 33% of girls and 14% of boys experience sexual encounters with adults and as a result may experience consequences such as aversive feelings regarding the act of sex, substance abuse, and self-mutilation. Such consequences lead research to examine pedophile's cognitive distortions. This exploratory study examined pedophiles' website forum posts to determine if any posters demonstrated cognitive distortions. Four independent raters used content analysis to determine which cognitive distortions were demonstrated by the examined pedophiles. Results suggested that cognitive …

Dimensions Of Suicidality: Analyzing The Domains Of The Sis-Map Suicide Risk Assessment Instrument And The Development Of A Brief Screener, Megan Johnston, Charles Nelson, Amresh Shrivastava

Data and Test Instruments

This study aimed at validating the domains of suicidality assessed by the Scale for Impact of Suicidality—Management, Assessment and Planning of Care (SISMAP) and creating a brief screener based on the full scale. A total of 50 individuals with suicidal ideation were given the SIS-MAP interview. Support was found for these domains of suicide risk; in particular, the subscales of ideation and protective factors for suicide risk were highly reliable. For each domain of suicidality, items most predictive of total risk index scores were selected to create a brief screener aimed at expediting the assessment process. The screener was reliable, …

Treatment Of Psychiatric Inpatients With Relationship Dysfunction Using A Short Term Cognitive Interpersonal Intervention: A Pilot Study, Tamra Rasberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Relationship conflict for the psychiatric patient can have significant detrimental effects. There are specific types of interactions that can increase conflict and predict the potential for relapse; these have been identified by research and designated as components of Expressed Emotion (EE). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) have been very effective when targeting specific psychiatric diagnoses, but less effective when addressing relationship conflict. The majority of studies addressing relationship conflict have taken place in an outpatient, long-term setting. There is limited research that utilizes an inpatient short-term intensive therapy with relationship conflict as its sole focus, targeting areas …

A Community-Based Wellness Program To Reduce Depression In African Americans: Results From A Pilot Intervention, Christina Nicolaidis, Corliss Mckeever, Sandra Meucci

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

African-Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to find antidepressants acceptable or seek care for depression.

Objective

To develop and pilot-test a culturally-tailored, community-based, psycho-educational wellness and exercise promotion program to reduce depressive symptoms in African-Americans.

Methods

Participants were African-Americans with moderate depressive symptoms, who were interested in exercise, but were not exercising regularly. They attended a 6-week psycho-educational group program during which they set personal activity goals and learned depression self-management skills. We conducted pre- and post-intervention surveys and post-intervention feedback sessions.

Results

21 African-Americans participated in the intervention. The program had excellent attendance and satisfaction. We found …