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(1 - 9 of 9)
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOM FACTORS AND CANNABIS USE
Title
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOM FACTORS AND CANNABIS USE
Creator
Miner, Jacob L.
Date
2018, 2018-05
Description
Substance use and mood disorders are the most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders, with cannabis use and depression being the most...
Show moreSubstance use and mood disorders are the most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders, with cannabis use and depression being the most prevalent. Despite the growing body of evidence examining the relationship between depression and cannabis use, the association is still not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine if depressive symptom type (i.e., somatic vs. cognitive) was differentially associated with severity of past month cannabis use. Due to inconsistencies in the literature, no a priori hypothesis was made. Data for this study were obtained from the 2015 national survey sample sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Depression variables used for the analysis consisted of the 9 symptoms related to a diagnosis of Major Depressive in the DSM-IV. Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that the best fitting measurement models was a two-factor model of depression, with a 4-symptom somatic factor and a 5-symptom cognitive factor. Results of the full structural equation model indicated that neither somatic nor cognitive symptom factors significantly predicted past month cannabis use. There is a need for a better understanding of the way depressive symptoms are associated with cannabis use.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2018
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A Randomized Controlled Trial of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Depression
Title
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Depression
Creator
Antler, Caroline
Date
2020
Description
Almost half of individuals in the US struggling with depression never seek treatment and, of those that do, over half receive inadequate care....
Show moreAlmost half of individuals in the US struggling with depression never seek treatment and, of those that do, over half receive inadequate care. Although the efficacy of CBT for MDD is well established, the rate of individuals receiving psychotherapy has declined. With copious evidence supporting the effectiveness of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of pharmaceuticals, the current study evaluated the potential utility of DTCA of CBT for MDD.One hundred seventy-eight adults with (a) prior exposure to DTCA for antidepressants and (b) no mental health diagnoses or treatment were randomly assigned to view one of three video conditions: CBT for depression (CBT, n = 60), CBT plus information on antidepressants (CBT+MED, n = 58), or Control (arthritis and diabetes Public Service Announcements (PSAs); n = 60). After viewing the video participants completed measures of attitudes about, and willingness to engage in, CBT and antidepressant medication. The study was conducted online with participants being recruited through Prolific and the survey created via Qualtrics.Compared to controls, participants viewing CBT DTCA videos (with or without information on antidepressants) were more willing to engage in CBT, had less public and self-stigma associated with CBT, and believed CBT has less potential for harm. Compared to the CBT group, the CBT+MED group reported greater concern about the risks of disclosing personal information in a therapy setting.These results extend previous findings by applying the DTCA marketing style to a specific diagnosis and type of therapy. Findings indicate that DTCA-style ads for CBT for MDD can be effective in reducing stigma and increasing treatment willingness. They further suggest that DTCA-style marketing of evidence-based psychotherapies can be efficacious when created for specific treatments and disorders. The findings have substantial implications for public health and the dissemination of evidence-based practice.
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The effect of information overload on knowledge recall and related cognitions for an educational program based on the Mental Health First Aid Model
Title
The effect of information overload on knowledge recall and related cognitions for an educational program based on the Mental Health First Aid Model
Creator
Bink, Andrea B.
Date
2020
Description
Early-intervention public health education programs have been effective at teaching a skillset to help others. However, some of these programs...
Show moreEarly-intervention public health education programs have been effective at teaching a skillset to help others. However, some of these programs have also been criticized for delivering more information than is necessary to learn the skill. Receiving too much information could cause information overload and interfere with program goals. The current study investigated the differential effect on outcomes of two trainings: (i) a standard training with lecture material about depression and anxiety (illness-information), and a skillset to guide interpersonal support for someone with depression and anxiety (skill-information); and (ii) a targeted training that omitted the lecture material and only presented the skillset. Predicted outcomes were that the combination of illness-information and skill-information in the standard training would result in information overload and would interfere with skill-information recall and attitude change. The current study also investigated two variables that could influence outcomes: general information overload about mental health (MHIO) and interest in the topic of mental health. Results were that participants in the standard training endorsed significantly more information overload and performed significantly better on recall measures than participants in the targeted training. Both trainings were effective at attitude change. Finally, preexisting MHIO was associated with training information overload, care seeking, and skill-information recall. Preexisting topic interest was associated with skill-information recall. Results suggest that some background lecture material might be necessary to learn how to support someone with depression and anxiety. Also, programs that promote interpersonal support are effective at attitude change no matter how much information they provide.
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The Impact of Depression and Cognitive Dietary Restraint on the Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Disordered Eating Behaviors
Title
The Impact of Depression and Cognitive Dietary Restraint on the Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Disordered Eating Behaviors
Creator
Schwartz, Natalie
Date
2020
Description
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by loud snoring and repeated episodes of obstruction in the upper airway during sleep that...
Show moreObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by loud snoring and repeated episodes of obstruction in the upper airway during sleep that cause partial or total stop in the airflow, often resulting in short, disruptive sleep. Sleep disruption as a result of OSA has been shown to result in reduced cognitive functioning and disordered eating behaviors, however, few studies to date have sought to determine whether OSA is associated with disordered eating behaviors. Bariatric patients are asked to restrict their food intake prior to surgery; however, restraint theory suggests that the eating behavior of those intending to restrict their intake can be disinhibited by a variety of conditions, which cause the restrained eater to engage in disinhibited and overeating behaviors. Depression has also demonstrated an association with disordered eating behaviors and cognitive dysfunction. Affect regulation theory is often cited as a possible explanation for this association, with the desire to avoid unpleasant affective states resulting in disordered eating behaviors. A sample of 93 bariatric surgery candidates were recruited from an academic medical center in a large metropolitan city to participate in the current study. Participants were recruited during their routine pre-surgical assessment for bariatric surgery and completed measures of disordered eating and depression. Both body mass index and diagnosis of OSA were obtained from patient medical chart. It was hypothesized that the presence of OSA would be related to higher levels of disordered eating behaviors, including disinhibited eating, frequency of loss of control and frequency of binge eating. Additionally, it was hypothesized that cognitive dietary restraint would moderate the association between OSA and disordered eating in bariatric patients, such that the greater the intent to strictly control food intake (i.e., greater cognitive dietary restraint), the more strongly sleep disturbance will be associated with disordered eating. Finally, it was hypothesized that depression would mediate the association between OSA and disordered eating in bariatric patients, such that depressive symptomatology accounts for the relation between OSA and disordered eating behaviors. Results indicated that the presence of OSA was not related to higher levels of disordered eating behaviors, nor did depression mediate the association between OSA and the disordered eating outcomes. Two of the moderation models were significant, including the disinhibited eating model and the frequency of loss of control over eating model. Although bariatric patients are encouraged to restrict their food intake, findings suggested that restraint does not appear to function as intended in reducing disinhibited eating behaviors in individuals with OSA. The findings for the loss of control model supported restraint theory and suggested that those with OSA who also endorse high restraint are at increased risk for experiencing loss of control over eating, whereas those who do not have cognitive dysfunction associated with OSA may or may not exhibit the same association. The current study highlights the impact of restraint on bariatric patients’ disordered eating behaviors, suggesting that restraint theory may not be entirely applicable to bariatric populations and may depend on the disordered eating behavior being examined. The current study also points to numerous gaps in the current literature and provides future directions for research on OSA and disordered eating in bariatric populations.
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Attitudes of Adults Treated for Depression Toward Technology-Assisted Therapy
Title
Attitudes of Adults Treated for Depression Toward Technology-Assisted Therapy
Creator
Johnston, Winter D.
Date
2021
Description
Depression is associated with functional impairment (Saarni et al., 2007), high economic costs (Cuijpers et al., 2007; Greenberg & Birnbaum,...
Show moreDepression is associated with functional impairment (Saarni et al., 2007), high economic costs (Cuijpers et al., 2007; Greenberg & Birnbaum, 2005), and loss of quality of life (Rapaport et al., 2005), and has been named a major reason for illness-related disability worldwide (Vos et al., 2013). Barriers to treatment include being physically limited to access services (Apolinario-Hagen et al., 2018), fear of stigmatization, desire to handle the problem on ones’ own, lack of confidence in the healthcare system (Königbauer et al., 2017), lack of motivation to change, and negative perception of psychological and/or drug treatments (Richards et al., 2015). As technological options have advanced and become more reliable, they have become tools to improve access to care and reduce barriers. Clinicians’ attitudes have been studied pertaining to incorporating different technology modalities into traditional therapy; however, client attitudes are less explored. The present study aims to (1) explore client attitudes towards hypothetical technology-assisted interventions, (2) assess the relative preferences for various technology-assisted interventions, (3) identify correlates of the participant’s preference of different technology-assisted interventions, including: (a) attitudes towards technology-assisted therapy, (b) sociodemographic variables, (c) help-seeking variables (seeking health information, use of technology outside therapy, awareness of technology-assisted options for therapy), (d) previous therapy experience (therapeutic approach, helpfulness of therapy, number of previous therapists), and (4) assess if working alliance with participants’ most recent therapist moderated the effect of therapist condition (current/recent or new) on preferences. The technology options in this study are videoconferencing, online therapy, mobile phones, and virtual reality/avatars. Individuals were asked to imagine continuing therapy using these technological options. Participants viewed videos demonstrating how each technology is used in a therapeutic setting and provided their attitudes and preferences afterwards. The participants consisted of adults who currently or in the recent past have received therapy to treat any severity of depression. Overall, participants had a positive attitude towards technology-assisted therapy. Participants’ relative preference for various technology-assisted interventions and their first-choice modality of therapy did not differ by whether the participant was to keep their same therapist or start therapy with a new therapist. A variety of determinants were associated with greater preference towards the different modalities. Lastly, the strength of working alliance did not moderate whether preferences differed based on staying with the participant’s current/most recent therapist or starting with a new therapist. Limitations, strengths, and conclusions are also discussed.
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Sex Differences in a Network Model of Depressive Symptoms
Title
Sex Differences in a Network Model of Depressive Symptoms
Creator
Ginger, Emily J
Date
2021
Description
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders, with a lifetime prevalence rate of 13-16% and 12-month...
Show moreMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders, with a lifetime prevalence rate of 13-16% and 12-month prevalence rates of 5-7%. It has long been established that the rates of MDD in females is two to three times that of males. Previous research has examined sex differences in the occurrence and severity of MDD symptoms, primarily indicating greater severity of appetite increase and weight gain in females compared to males. The majority of previous research has been conducted assuming the latent factor model that MDD accounts for the symptoms of depression, and sex operates as a mediator or moderator between the latent variable and MDD, or between MDD and its symptoms. The present study used network analysis to examine whether there are sex differences in the relations between symptoms of depression, which might be an important factor for understanding sex differences in prevalence rates of MDD. The present study compared networks of DSM MDD symptoms between currently depressed females and males, and separate networks that also included other symptoms commonly associated with depression (e.g., anxiety, anger). Sex differences were examined using jointly estimated networks, and a Network Comparison Test (NCT) for the independently estimated networks. Results indicated no sex differences in depression symptom networks. These results indicate that depressive symptom networks, or the relations between symptoms are not an important factor for understanding the disparity in sex differences in MDD prevalence rates. Interestingly, non-DSM symptoms were among the strongest and most important symptoms within the network, suggesting future research and diagnostic criteria should consider inclusion of non-DSM symptoms associated with MDD.
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Health Information Seeking, Depression, and Satisfaction with Life in Racial/ethnic Minority vs. White individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries
Title
Health Information Seeking, Depression, and Satisfaction with Life in Racial/ethnic Minority vs. White individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries
Creator
Stipp, Kelsey
Date
2022
Description
Health information is available both traditionally by conversations with health care professionals, and non-traditionally via use of the...
Show moreHealth information is available both traditionally by conversations with health care professionals, and non-traditionally via use of the Internet and other media sources. Health information is crucial to individuals with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), to promote health, minimize comorbidities, and improve quality of life (QOL). Methods of health information seeking have been shown to differ between individuals who are racial/ethnic minority individuals and individuals who are White. Existing research appears to show health information seeking may increase QOL in populations with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities. However, it is unclear how aspects of QOL differ between individuals within the SCI population by race/ethnicity. The present study used Chi Square analyses to test racial/ethnic group differences in health information seeking and multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to test whether method of health information seeking and aspects of QOL, specifically depression and satisfaction with life, were moderated by race/ethnicity. An adult sample of 9,403 individuals with SCI who completed a survey on their injury, health, and QOL between 2011 and 2016 was used. Participants identified their source of health information as traditional (i.e., conversations with health care professionals) or non-traditional (e.g., newspaper, television, radio, etc.). Results indicated non-traditional sources of health information were utilized more frequently regardless of race/ethnicity. Unexpectedly, moderation results suggested that associations between source of health information and depression and satisfaction with life did not differ by race/ethnicity. However, source of health information was associated with satisfaction with life and depression for the entire sample. Study findings demonstrate the shift towards non-traditional (e.g., newspaper, television, radio, etc.) health information seeking within the SCI population. Further, findings support previous empirical work demonstrating the association between method of health information seeking and depression and satisfaction with life. These findings can be used to improve dissemination of accurate health information to the SCI population via non-traditional sources. Further research should include more diverse samples of individuals to better understand health information seeking as well as depression and satisfaction with life within the SCI population.
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CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER: INTERPERSONAL FACTORS AND DEPRESSION AS PARALLEL-SERIAL MEDIATORS BETWEEN STIGMA AND SUICIDAL IDEATION
Title
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER: INTERPERSONAL FACTORS AND DEPRESSION AS PARALLEL-SERIAL MEDIATORS BETWEEN STIGMA AND SUICIDAL IDEATION
Creator
Tsen, Jonathan Y.
Date
2022
Description
Background/Objectives: This study applied Joiner's Interpersonal PsychologicalTheory to a caregiver population, by describing relationships...
Show moreBackground/Objectives: This study applied Joiner's Interpersonal PsychologicalTheory to a caregiver population, by describing relationships among affiliate stigma, thwarted-belongingess (TB), perceived-burdensomeness (PB), and depression, and suicidal ideation (SI). Participants/Setting: 243 adult caregivers participated in this study via Prolific Academic and caregiver-related websites. Design/Main Outcome Measures: This study used a cross-sectional, survey-based design including demographics, the Affiliate Stigma Scale (α=.93), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15 (α=.95), Center of Epidemiology Studies–Depression-10 (α=.90), and Depressive Symptom Inventory— Suicide Subscale (α = .91) via Qualtrics. Analyses run on SPSSv27/Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Results: Parallel-serial mediation found after controlling for covariates that the total indirect effect of affiliate stigma on SI through both TB and PB then through depression was significant, B = .0271, SE = .0062, β = .1659, 95%CI [.0152, .0393]. Conclusions: Findings indicated that affiliate stigma indirectly affected SI through both TB and PB then through depression. Interventions to improve caregiver wellbeing should capitalize on both improving interpersonal functioning and depressive symptoms in tandem in order to reduce SI risk.
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Stigma, depression, and help-seeking: Experiences of parents/caregivers of children with mental health challenges
Title
Stigma, depression, and help-seeking: Experiences of parents/caregivers of children with mental health challenges
Creator
Serchuk, Marisa D.
Date
2023
Description
The impacts of stigma on people with lived-experience are widely recognized, however, stigma has been noted to extend to family members. The...
Show moreThe impacts of stigma on people with lived-experience are widely recognized, however, stigma has been noted to extend to family members. The current investigation examines how specific types of stigma experienced by parents/caregivers (N=250) of children with mental health challenges are related to symptoms of depression and attitudes towards help-seeking. Results found that higher levels of public stigma, self-stigma, and vicarious stigma were associated with higher levels of depression and were differentially associated with attitudes towards help-seeking. Findings from this investigation add to the small body of literature examining stigma experienced by parents/caregivers of children with mental health challenges.
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