Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2015, Psychology

Numerous studies suggest the possibility that early maladaptive schemas (Young, Klosko, & Weishaar, 2003) mediate the relation between childhood maltreatment and adult depression, although few studies test this explicitly. Moreover, there are no studies available that examine four early maladaptive schemas associated with both abuse and negative outcomes as mediators of of multiple types of childhood maltreatment (tested individually) and depression. This study of 830 college women examined whether the defectiveness, mistrust, emotional deprivation, and abandonment early maladaptive schemas mediate the relation between childhood maltreatment and adult depressive symptoms. Four forms of childhood maltreatment were individually assessed: emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, and witnessing interparental violence. In addition, the presence of any form of childhood maltreatment (regardless of type) as well as number of types of maltreatment experienced (i.e., polyvictimization) were examined in mediation analyses. Through use of the PROCESS macro, which tests conditional process models, these analyses showed that defectiveness, mistrust, and abandonment, but not emotional deprivation, mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment (i.e., each of the four forms of childhood maltreatment, the presence of any form of maltreatment, and the number of types of maltreatment experienced) and adult depressive symptoms. Clinical implications of the study findings are discussed.

Committee: Terri Messman-Moore Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Aaron Luebbe Ph.D. (Committee Member); Elizabeth Kiel Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rose Marie Ward Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Cognitive Therapy; Mental Health; Psychotherapy

Doctor of Philosophy in Adult Development and Aging, Cleveland State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences

As researchers have become more interested in understanding the lived experience of individuals with dementia, they have begun to expand their focus to various aspects of the experience. This study examined the impact of perceptions, including perceived memory difficulty, dyadic relationship difficulty, and self-efficacy difficulty, as well as the resulting distress of these symptoms on quality of life, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The goals of this study were to: (1) understand the predictive ability of a set of predictors on each well-being outcome, (2) understand incremental variance added by domains of the Stress Process Model for Individuals with Dementia, and (3) understand the predictive power of difficulty vs. distress measures. Using hierarchical regression, the set of difficulty and distress measures predicted significant variance in quality of life (R2 = .25, F (6, 55) = 3.06, p = .001), depressive symptoms (R2 = .27, F (6,55) = 3.43, p = .006), and anxiety symptoms (R2 = .40, F (6,55) = 6.22, p < .001). Secondary strains only added incremental variance above and beyond primary stressors for anxiety symptoms. Lastly, results suggest the importance of difficulty measures, above and beyond distress measures, in predicting well-being outcomes in individuals with dementia. Findings add to the literature by showing the importance of perceptions of difficulty, and distress, which has not been studied prior. Future work should continue to include individuals with dementia in research, while trying to gain a more nuanced understanding of their subjective experiences by including their perceptions of the difficulties they experience.

Committee: Katherine Judge (Advisor); Eric Allard (Committee Member); Linda Francis (Committee Member); Harvey Sterns (Committee Member); Sara Powers (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Nursing

The number of grandmothers providing care to grandchildren has been rising since the 1990's in the United States. Historically, researchers have focused on the psychological health of grandmothers providing care to grandchildren. Less emphasis has been placed on the impact of chronic health conditions on grandmothers. This secondary data analysis examined the relationships between the number of chronic health conditions, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health longitudinally in a sample of grandmothers. Lenz's Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms informed a structural equation model to examine the true causal order between depressive symptoms and self-rated health in grandmothers over time.

Committee: Carol Musil (Committee Chair); Jaclene Zausniewski (Committee Member); Christopher Burant (Committee Member); Elizabeth Tracy (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2009, Sociology

The major aim of this dissertation was to investigate how negative spillover shapes mental health status. Following the stress process model, this study also explored whether and how sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., race, gender, and age), family characteristics (i.e., length of marriage/cohabitation, spousal/partner support, and presence of children), socioeconomic resources (i.e., education, income, mortgage-payer status, renter status), and work characteristics (i.e., total work hours, job tenure, skill discretion, decision authority, coworker support, and supervisor support) moderate the relationship between negative spillover and mental health. Data were analyzed from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States 2004-06 (N=1,430) and the key outcome measures were depressive symptoms and anxious mood. With respect to depressive symptoms, the major findings indicated that negative work-to-family spillover increased symptoms. Other findings indicated that the deleterious effects of negative work-to-family spillover were moderated by gender and spousal/partner support, wherein men and individuals with higher levels of spousal/partner support experiences lower levels of depressed mood. While negative family-to-work spillover did not have main effects on depressive symptoms, this type of spillover was moderated by spousal/partner support, which acted as a protectant against spillover even in the case of high levels of negative family-to-work spillover. Similar to depressive symptoms, negative work-to-family spillover increased anxious mood. Moreover, the effect of negative work-to-family spillover on symptoms of anxiety was moderated by length of marriage/cohabitation. Lengthy married or cohabitating relationships reduced the impact of negative work-to-family spillover on anxious mood. Negative family-to-work spillover was not related to anxious symptoms; however, despite the lack of main effects, age did moderate the relationship between th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: C. Andr&#233; Christie-Mizell PhD (Committee Chair) Subjects: Mental Health; Social Psychology; Sociology

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Time spent gaming and depressive symptoms are both variables that the extant literature has identified to have associations with gaming disorder. However, most research that examined time spent gaming as a variable of interest have relied on participant self-report. This study incorporates objective measures of time spent gaming via logged behavioral data, specifically examining longitudinal relationships between time spent gaming, depressive symptoms, and gaming disorder. Additionally, behavioral activation level was examined as a potential mediator of these variables. 98 North American League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics players (82.7% male), with an average age of 22.34 years (SD = 3.67), were recruited to complete three waves of measures assessing negative emotion and game play characteristics over the course of two weeks. The participants also provided consent to link their accounts' behavioral data to their responses. Meaningful differences between objective logged data and subjective self-report estimates of time spent gaming (absolute difference = 5.20 h per week, SD = 7.66) were observed. Self-reported time spent gaming was associated with decreased levels of behavioral activation which in turn were associated with elevated gaming disorder symptoms. Similarly, depressive symptoms were associated with increased gaming disorder symptoms via lower behavioral activation levels. These effects were no longer significant when baseline values of subsequent variables in the mediation path were controlled for. Logged data on time spent gaming did not demonstrate the same pattern of results as self-report. Substantial differences between objective logged data and subjective self-report estimates of time spent gaming align with previously reported discrepancies observed in other studies examining technology use. Significant longitudinal relationships were observed for subjective self-report estimates of time spent gaming and depressive symptoms on gaming disorder (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William Lechner (Advisor); Mary Himmelstein (Committee Member); John Updegraff (Committee Member); Joel Hughes (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, Nursing

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects how the body processes glucose and uses insulin. As a result of improper glucose metabolism, people with T2DM may experience kidney disease, increased risks for macrovascular complications, heart attacks and strokes. Many people diagnosed with T2DM find it difficult cope with necessary lifestyle changes related to medication adherence, diet and overall self-management. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore the relationship of depressive symptoms and food security by race and gender in older adults with T2DM. Outcomes of c-reactive protein (CRP) and HbA1c were used to measure T2DM control. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in c-reactive protein by gender and a statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms by race and gender. There was also a statistically significant difference in food security by gender. Lastly, regression models revealed depressive symptoms influenced CRP. Future research should further explore factors that impact CRP and HbA1c in this population.

Committee: Diana Morris (Committee Chair) Subjects: Black Studies; Endocrinology; Health; Health Care; Mental Health

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Children with disruptive behaviors routinely have strained relationships with their parents. Longitudinal research has consistently demonstrated that increased levels of disruptive child behaviors predict increased levels of negative parenting behaviors and decreased levels of positive parenting behaviors. However, there is presently a dearth of research examining whether specific child behaviors are differentially associated with specific parenting behaviors, and whether associations vary in strength due to parent ADHD or depressive symptoms. As part of a previous study, 90 parent couples were randomly assigned to interact with a 9- to 12-year-old confederate child exhibiting either typical or disruptive behaviors. Observers coded specific child and parent behaviors in each interaction, and parents reported their own ADHD and depressive symptoms. Following adaptive child behaviors, the frequency of positive parenting behaviors was significantly greater than the frequency of negative parenting behaviors. Following disruptive child behaviors, the frequency of negative parenting behaviors was significantly greater than the frequency of positive parenting behaviors. Parent unlabeled praise, reflections, and labeled praise were each uniquely predicted by adaptive child behaviors more strongly than disruptive child behaviors. Parent indirect commands, direct commands, and negative talk were each uniquely predicted by disruptive child behaviors more strongly than adaptive child behaviors. Exploratory analyses yielded mixed results, with several relationships being moderated by parent ADHD or depressive symptoms. Results extend findings among parent-child dyads to the triad setting, clarify the degree of specificity with which parent behaviors are linked to child behaviors in the coercive cycle, and indicate areas for future research.

Committee: Brian Wymbs Ph.D. (Advisor); Darcey Allan Ph.D. (Committee Member); Julie Owens Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Stroke survivors with poststroke depressive and anxiety symptoms (PSDAS) have increased mortality and decreased functional independence. Occupational therapy (OT) providers offer valuable insight to the treatment of PSDAS, as OT providers are uniquely qualified to address physical and mental sequelae of stroke. However, only approximately half of OT providers report feeling satisfied with the mental health care they provide to stroke survivors. Rehabilitation after a stroke often begins in inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) and therefore investigation of OT mental health care provided in this setting is warranted. This dissertation encompasses a mixed methodological examination of OT mental health care delivery to stroke survivors in an academic medical center IPR setting. Chapters 2 and 3 present the results of retrospective electronic health record (EHR) analyses of OT provider PSDAS documentation. Descriptive quantitative and directed content EHR analyses were performed to characterize practice for OT providers addressing PSDAS in IPR. Ninety of 213 (42%) stroke survivors admitted to the IPR facility during the 2019 review period were included in the EHR analyses. The results of the descriptive quantitative analysis determined that OT providers (N=23) did not perform any objective PSDAS screens, nor were any goals written to target reduced PSDAS. There were two instances of provider referral; one provider referred to rehabilitation psychology only and another provider referred to both rehabilitation psychology and the attending physiatrist. For the directed content EHR analyses, treatment strategies documented by OT providers were mapped to interventions in an evidence-based review published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy for addressing emotional challenges after stroke. OT providers documented PSDAS interventions among 60 stroke survivors with PSDAS, 67% of included patients. Supportive techniques, including empathetic listening and th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jessica Krok-Schoen (Advisor); Lisa Juckett (Committee Member); Amy Darragh (Committee Member); Deborah Larsen (Committee Member) Subjects: Mental Health; Occupational Therapy; Rehabilitation

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Sociology

The population of older, long-term cancer survivors is growing; however, little is known about how cancer and aging influence older adults' health trajectories differently. The current study attempted to address this knowledge gap by merging two National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded longitudinal studies in Cleveland from 1998 to 2010. The unique cross-sequential design facilitates a comparison between the health changes in long-term (5 years +) older cancer survivors (breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer) and demographically-matched older adults without a history of cancer in the same geographic area within the same period. The study also captured comprehensive information on how socioeconomic status and living arrangements interact with cancer and aging over time. General linear models were employed in the data analysis. The findings showed that early cancer experience did not affect long-term cancer survivors' health status in later life. Conversely, comorbidities, being an African-American, being a woman, having less than a college degree, and living alone significantly decreased the health trajectory in later life for all older adults. Moreover, when compared to other groups, older African-American cancer survivors reported a dramatic decrease in self-reported health after controlling for other conditions. Study findings can inform public policy and social services to offer comprehensive treatment plans and help individuals overcome their diseases and lead longer and healthier lives.

Committee: Eva Kahana (Committee Chair); Kurt Stange (Committee Member); Adam Perzynski (Committee Member); Gary Deimling (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Sociology

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2021, College of Sciences and Health Professions

Not all individuals with dementia (IWDs) experience the progression of their illness similarly. Though recent work has given attention to how IWDs experience the cluster of symptoms in dementia, little work has been conducted with the unique population of veterans with dementia. Stressing the ability of IWDs to self-report and guided by the Stress Process Model for Individuals with Dementia, this study examined the relationships between depressive symptoms and various aspects of the illness experience including objective cognition, perceived memory difficulty, perceived functional difficulty, and dyadic relationship strain. The sample includes IWDs with mild to severe dementia who are veterans (N=69). Significant positive correlations emerged between depressive symptoms and several measures of the illness experience: perceived cognition (r=.48, p<.001), perceived function (r =.43, p<.001), and dyadic relationship strain (r=.32, p=.01). In contrast, objective cognition, measured by a modified version of the Blessed Orientation Memory Concentration test, was not significant (r =-.06, p=.63). A multiple regression found the total variance explained by all independent variables was 32% (R2=.32, F(4,68)=7.58, p<.001), with perceived memory difficulty (B=.26, p<.01) and dyadic relationship strain (B=.25, p=.04) accounting for unique and significant variance in depressive symptoms. Findings add to the literature by showing the importance of IWDs perceptions of their illness and their impact on well-being outcomes. Results also demonstrate the utility and feasibility of including self-reported data from IWDs in research studies. Overall, this study is an exciting first step in addressing the illness experience of the unique population of veterans with dementia.

Committee: Katherine Judge Ph.D. (Advisor); Eric Allard Ph.D. (Committee Member); Toni Bisconti Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Social Welfare

This dissertation investigated the relationship between pain intensity and depressive symptoms for older married adults, and examined whether positive and negative spousal interactions buffered and/or exacerbated the impact of pain intensity on depressive symptoms. The stress process theory (Pearlin, 1989) and social interaction theories (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Rook, 1984) provide the theoretical grounds for hypotheses in this dissertation. The sample consisted of 863 married adults with pain, age 60 and older, obtained from the Health and Retirement Study 2014 data. Hierarchical negative binomial regression models were applied. Results partially supported the relationship between pain intensity (i.e., mild, moderate, or severe pain) and depressive symptoms. The severe pain intensity group showed significantly higher depressive symptoms than the moderate pain group. There was no significant difference in depressive symptoms between the mild and moderate pain groups. Results also partially supported the exacerbating effects of negative spousal interactions (NSI). NSI increased the effect of pain intensity only when respondents reported mild or moderate pain. NSI did not exacerbate the relationship between severe pain intensity and depressive symptoms. This dissertation found inconsistent results about the buffering effect of positive spousal interactions (PSI). PSI buffered the relationship between pain intensity and number of depressive symptoms across all levels of pain intensity when moderating effects of NSI were not controlled. However, PSI was not a significant moderator when the moderating effects of NSI were controlled. Social workers need to educate other healthcare professionals about the necessity of adequate pain treatment, emphasizing that older adults with severe pain are at risk of having higher depressive symptoms. Pain management interventions need to be tailored for older adults with co-occurring severe pain and depressive symptoms. Interventions al (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aloen Townsend (Committee Chair); David Biegel (Committee Member); Elizabeth Tracy (Committee Member); Eva Kahana (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Social Work

Mental health and risky health behaviors issues are a growing concern among Asian American adolescents in the United States. Prior studies have shown that Asian American adolescents are at greater risk for depressive symptoms and substance use, particularly when they face difficulties adjusting to a new or unwelcoming culture. Research has indicated that social cohesion, sense of belonging, and community safety are significant predictors for the level of immigrant adolescents' depressive symptoms. A number of studies have found that depressive symptoms have a strong influence on substance use among Asian American adolescents. Therefore, the pathway of social cohesion, a sense of belonging, community safety, depressive symptoms, and substance use needs attention based on an understanding of unique Asian culture. This study tested the influence of social cohesion, sense of belonging, and community safety on depressive symptoms and substance use. A systematic scoping review of the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms and substance use. And a hierarchical multiple linear regression was performed to examine the regression effect in the relationship of social cohesion and community safety to depressive symptoms. Lastly, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine in the relationship of social cohesion, sense of belonging, and community safety to substance use mediated by depressive symptoms among Asian American adolescents. A systematic scoping review results showed that Asian American adolescents reported high depressive symptoms but low substance use. Family, school, peer relationships, and neighborhood and community environments were strong acculturation related protective factors for depressive symptoms and substance use. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis research result showed that higher social cohesion and community safety level is statistically significantly associated with Asian American adolescents' depressive sympt (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joseph Guada (Advisor); Kathryn Maguire-Jack (Committee Member); Arati Maleku (Committee Member); Susan Yoon (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Social Welfare

About 20% of Americans have experienced depressive symptoms in their lives. Prior research has shown one's neighborhood of residence is an important determinant of one's mental health. However, major limitations in existing research are limited research on older adults, limited studies including both objective and subjective neighborhood stressors, and limited studies including social support as a possible moderator. The purpose of this dissertation was to increase knowledge about the relationships between neighborhood stressors and depressive symptoms among older adults. Applying social disorganization theory and stress process theory, this study investigated the associations between four neighborhood stressors (three objective indicators of neighborhood disadvantage – neighborhood poverty, racial and ethnic composition, residential instability – and one subjective characteristic – perceived neighborhood disorder) and a count of depressive symptoms. This study also tested whether social support (from spouse, child, relatives, and friends) moderated the effects of the neighborhood stressors on depressive symptoms. This dissertation was based on secondary analysis of merged data from the Health and Retirement Study 2010, RAND HRS, U.S. Census 2010, and HRS restricted-use data. The final sample (N = 1,468) were all urban-dwelling; age 50 or older; married or partnered; having at least one child, relative, and friend. This study applied structural equation modeling with Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation. Findings of this dissertation did not support the neighborhood effects hypotheses. Contrary to previous studies, this study found higher neighborhood poverty was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. No other neighborhood stressors were associated with depressive symptoms. Stress buffering effects of social support were not significant, for any neighborhood stressor. Not as a moderator but as a main effect, lower social s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aloen Townsend (Committee Chair) Subjects: Aging; Public Health; Social Psychology; Social Work; Sociology; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Psychology/Clinical

For persons with diabetes, adherence to treatment recommendations, such as medication adherence and following diet and exercise guidelines, is often difficult and subject to multiple influences, including psychological well-being and social stressors. Such influences include self-reported microaggressions, mindfulness, depressive symptoms, self-care behaviors, and glycemic control. A model of relationships between these variables was proposed for testing through structural equation modeling. 337 Participants over the age of 18 years with diagnoses of diabetes were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk website to take a survey of measures assessing these variables. Tests of the hypothesized model indicated poor fit, and the model was respecified to remove diet and exercise behaviors, which resulted in satisfactory fit. Between-groups differences were assessed to investigate potential differences in the model between participants. Findings were generally consistent with hypotheses that better psychological well-being and less frequent microaggressions would be associated with improved self-care behaviors, including diet, exercise, and taking medication regularly. Some differences were noted in the magnitude of relationships between participants from the United States or India, but, the models were generally similar between groups. Limitations included possible misrepresentation of participant character, lack of health literacy, and use of cross-sectional data. This study informs future research on interventions for improvements in treatment adherence for people with diabetes, including interventions for improving mindfulness skills and interventions for decreasing impact of microaggressions.

Committee: William O'Brien PhD (Advisor); Abby Braden PhD (Committee Member); Howard Casey Cromwell PhD (Committee Member); David Tobar PhD (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Psychology/Clinical

The present study used longitudinal data to examine the relationship between sanctification of pregnancy and depressive symptoms in new parents during the Transition to Parenthood (TtP), which covers the third trimester of pregnancy to the infant's first year of life, and how this relationship could be moderated by the infant's temperament. This study used a sample of 164 married, heterosexual couples to separately examine whether each mother and father reports of higher sanctification of pregnancy or reports of more difficult infant temperament at 3 and 6 months predicted less parental depression over a child's first year of life after controlling for the given parent's depression during pregnancy. Sanctification is defined as a psychological process through which aspects of life are perceived as having divine character and significance. Sanctification can involve the perception that a specific aspect life reflects a manifestation of God (i.e., theistic sanctification) and/or sacred qualities (i.e., nontheistic sanctification). In this study, sanctification of pregnancy was measured by asking expecting mothers and fathers about how they viewed their pregnancy as a manifestation of God or as sacred. Child temperament refers to a child's distinctive patterns of emotions and behaviors that are biologically based and begin developing early in life. Using hierarchical regression analyses, sanctification of pregnancy was not found to be a significant predictor of parental depression and there was no significant interaction with child temperament. Post hoc analyses revealed parent gender was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Mothers reported a decrease in depressive symptoms from pregnancy to their child's first year of life, whereas fathers reported an increase in depressive symptoms across these time points. While there were no significant findings regarding sanctification of pregnancy, the TtP remains an important time period to examine and continued rese (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annette Mahoney PhD (Advisor); Anne Gordon PhD (Committee Member); Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Sociology

Child death is among the most traumatic experiences a parent can endure. Prior studies have shown that this event is associated with immediate and protracted detriments to parents' psychological well-being earlier in the life course. Yet research examining child death experienced in mid-to-late life is scant. Moreover, no study has considered whether and how the death of a child may influence parents' psychological well-being differently across various racial-ethnic groups. To fill these gaps in the literature, I applied growth curve models to the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study to address two research aims. First, I mapped a trajectory of bereaved parents' depressive symptoms before and after child death and compared it to that of nonbereaved parents among adults aged 50 and older. Second, I compared the depressive symptoms trajectories of bereaved black and Hispanic parents to that of bereaved white parents. On average, both mothers and fathers experienced an immediate elevation in depressive symptoms following child death. It took bereaved mothers about 5 years to recover to depressive symptoms levels comparable to nonbereaved mothers' but bereaved fathers never fully recovered. Results from the second aim painted a more nuanced picture. Parental bereavement was equally detrimental in the short- and long-term for white, black, and Hispanic mothers, who all recovered in about 4 years, as well as for white and Hispanic fathers, who recovered in 6 years, suggesting child death is an acute stressor. However, black fathers displayed resilience as resistance to the initial detrimental effect of parental bereavement by reporting a surprising reduction in depressive symptoms immediately following child death. Black fathers who experienced child death reported worse well-being relative to white fathers both prior to and after child death, and even after reporting a decrease in depressive symptoms following bereavement, never reverted to nonbereaved levels of depress (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: I-Fen Lin Dr. (Advisor); Susan Brown Dr. (Committee Member); Wendy Manning Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

MA, Kent State University, 2019, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Attachment is inextricably linked to emotion, although less is known about positive emotion and dynamic measures of emotion in middle childhood. The development of a secure attachment relationship is also predictive of a child's depressive symptoms, and this relationship has been proposed to be explained by a mechanism such as emotion. The goal of the present study is therefore to investigate associations among attachment, emotion, and depressive symptoms by (1) examining how average and dynamic measures of negative and positive emotion are related to attachment patterns and (2) investigating measures of emotion as mechanisms explaining the relation between attachment patterns and depressive symptoms in middle childhood. Parent-child attachment was coded from a story stem method, emotion was reported via daily diaries, and depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the Children's Depression Inventory 2. In a sample of Midwestern children (N=102, M=10.4 years), attachment security was not related to emotion; greater attachment avoidance was associated with less mean positive emotion; greater attachment ambivalence was associated with greater mean negative emotion and mean positive emotion; and greater attachment disorganization was associated with greater positive emotion instability. The association between attachment ambivalence and depressive symptoms was not explained by mean negative emotion. These findings provide insight into the emotion profiles for different attachment patterns in middle childhood and have clinical implications for children's well-being and mental health.

Committee: Kathryn Kerns Ph.D. (Advisor); Jeffrey Ciesla Ph.D. (Committee Member); Karin Coifman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Christopher Flessner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2019, Social Welfare

A growing body of research suggests that neighborhood social and institutional characteristics may affect adolescents' depressive symptoms. However, less research has tested psychological mechanisms by which adolescents may internalize characteristics of their environments, and fewer studies have examined how neighborhood and family environments interact in ways that promote resilience from depressive symptoms. Informed by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory as well as Bandura's self-efficacy theory, this study examined the effects of neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, and institutional characteristics on adolescent depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through neighborhood self-efficacy. This study also examined whether or not those effects changed according to adolescents' higher or lower filial self-efficacy. This dissertation utilizes data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) in order to test latent variable structural equation models, and multigroup latent variable structural equation models, to explore the degree to which adolescents' neighborhood self-efficacy intervened upon links between their neighborhood characteristics and depressive symptoms. Latent variable structural equation models were tested on a sample of 1,390 Chicago adolescents within six months of their 9th or 12th birthdays at baseline. Multigroup latent variable structural equation models were tested on a slightly reduced sample of 1,135 Chicago adolescents. Analysis results suggest that neighborhood self-efficacy may convey some effect of neighborhood disorder on depressive symptoms such that adolescents living in more disordered neighborhoods report less neighborhood self-efficacy which, in turn, predicts more depressive symptoms over time. Further, adolescents living in neighborhoods with more youth-centered institutional resources reported both more neighborhood self-efficacy and fewer depressive symptoms. Finally, structura (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Megan R. Holmes Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Claudia J. Coulton Ph.D. (Committee Member); David L. Hussey Ph.D. (Committee Member); Adam T. Perzynski Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Public Health; Social Research; Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2019, Nursing

Currently, the global prevalence of dementia is an estimated 35.6 million people and is expected to rise up to 65.7 million by 2030. Caring for people with dementia can easily lead to a negative feeling such as compassion fatigue and depression, but these could be reduced by cognitive and behavioral skills that constitute resourcefulness. This study examined the current living situation for Thai caregivers of elders with dementia and relationships among contextual factors, resourcefulness, compassion fatigue, and depressive symptoms. Research Questions: 1) What are characteristics of Thai caregivers of elders with dementia, and their perceptions of characteristics of care recipients and their caregiving situation? 2) How do contextual factors impact resourcefulness, compassion fatigue, and depressive symptoms? 3) How are resourcefulness, compassion fatigue, and depressive symptoms related? This study was guided by the Resourcefulness Theory Model by Zauszniewski. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used in this study. Study participants were 140 Thai caregivers of elders with dementia from the Prasat Neurological Institute in Thailand. Data were collected using a Demographic Questionnaire, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and Thai translations of the Resourcefulness Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results: The average score of compassion fatigue was 36.76 (SD = 7.43), indicating low compassion fatigue. The average score of resourcefulness was 91.69 (SD = 18.78), indicating use of a moderate level of resourcefulness skills, while the average score on depressive symptoms was 32.40 (SD = 7.88), indicating moderate depressive symptomatology. Caregiving hours had a significant positive impact on resourcefulness. Caregiver burden had a significant positive impact on depressive symptoms. However, marital status and age of care recipient had a significant negative impact on depressive symptoms. Only the age of the care re (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jaclene Zauszniewski (Committee Chair); Christopher Burant (Committee Member); Evanne Juratovac (Committee Member); Eva Kahana (Committee Member) Subjects: Gerontology; Health Care; Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2018, Gerontology

Driving offers people a sense of independence, the ability to connect with other people, and access to goods and services. Yet, many older Americans reduce or cease driving each year, with detrimental effects. Previous studies have shown associations between driving cessation, decreased social engagement, increased numbers of depressive symptoms, and mortality. Little information examines driving reduction and social engagement. Role theory and stressors occurring during life transitions may provide a theoretical understanding of these outcomes. This study uses four administrations of Health and Retirement Study survey data to determine whether driving reduction and/or cessation are associated with increased numbers of depressive symptoms or decreased levels of social engagement that takes place away from the home setting. Additionally, this study examines the effects of driving reduction and cessation on depressive symptoms when considering levels of social engagement that may occur within the home setting and aims to determine if in-home social engagement mitigates depressive symptoms after driving reduction or cessation. Finally, this study considers males and females separately to determine if gender differences occur. Results indicated that depressive symptoms increase and away from home social engagement decreases after driving reduction, but not cessation, for both men and women. When factoring in at-home social engagement, depressive symptoms still increase after driving reduction, but not cessation. Additionally, when considering the direct and interactive effects of in-home social engagement on depressive symptoms after driving reduction or cessation, mitigating effects of in-home social engagement were not evident. These results suggest that practitioners may wish to allocate resources to extend the safe driving careers of older adults and provide transportation to older adults who reduce or stop driving. Given these results, increasing in-home (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: J. Scott Brown PhD (Committee Chair) Subjects: Gerontology