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Comparing Complex Network and Latent Factor Models of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Title
Comparing Complex Network and Latent Factor Models of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Creator
Smetter, Joseph
Date
2019
Description
Research on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has produced several etiologicalmodels of SAD symptomatology, including a common cause model...
Show moreResearch on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has produced several etiologicalmodels of SAD symptomatology, including a common cause model that conceptualizessymptoms as the result of a single underlying disease process, and the Dual VulnerabilityModel (Young et al., 1991) which posits that psychological symptoms of depressionfollow the onset of vegetative symptoms (e.g. hypersomnia, increased appetite) inindividuals with a vulnerability to seasonal changes. Studies of the structure of SADsymptomatology have been limited in their ability to evaluate these models. This studyused exploratory factor analysis and network analysis to examine baseline winter SADsymptoms (using a modified BDI-II) in 177 adults participating in a randomizedcontrolled trial of light treatment and CBT for SAD (Rohan et al., 2015). The factoranalysis supported a four-factor model that included negative cognition/affect, loss ofvitality, dysregulation, and increases in weight/appetite. The complex network model ofSAD conceptualized the network as a system of interacting symptoms. Results of thenetwork model paralleled those of the factor analysis in producing four communities ofinter-correlated symptoms. In addition to the full symptom network, a directed acyclicgraph was constructed to model causal relations between symptoms. Results suggest thatvegetative symptoms (loss of vitality and appetite/weight) lead ultimately to cognitivesymptoms, with intermediate effects of dysregulation symptoms. This partially supportsthe Dual Vulnerability model. Findings from the factor analysis and the network analysisare compared, and their implications for and treatment of SAD is discussed.
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A Network Analysis to Examine the Construct of Acculturative Stress in Mexican Americans
Title
A Network Analysis to Examine the Construct of Acculturative Stress in Mexican Americans
Creator
Mosqueda, Andrea I
Date
2020
Description
Acculturative stress (AS) is a negative consequence of acculturation and occurs when acculturation is problematic for the individual. There is...
Show moreAcculturative stress (AS) is a negative consequence of acculturation and occurs when acculturation is problematic for the individual. There is a substantial variation in AS phenomena across different cultural/ethnic groups, across individual variables (e.g., sex, age, education, attitude, cognitive style), and across social variables (e.g., contact, social support, status). There does not seem to be one specific way in which AS affects all groups or individuals. Elevated levels of AS are associated with multiple manifest difficulties, including family dysfunction, geographical separation from family, low-income levels, and non-positive expectations for the future. AS has been associated with outcomes such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and feelings of isolation and alienation. Using a network analysis approach, this exploratory study examined the structure of the construct of AS as represented in the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental (SAFE) AS Scale, a measure used to assess the AS construct across four contexts. Results of the network analysis of AS aspects suggest that the AS construct is best understood as a latent variable rather than as a network of interacting AS aspects, and that distress is related to particular aspects of AS. The present study findings suggest a particular model of relations between latent AS, its manifest aspects, and clinical outcomes. Further research can help to better understand the relationship between individual AS aspects (i.e., treatment targets) and treatment goals of impacting AS-related outcomes (e.g., distress), as well as the mechanisms of change.
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