No description available.

This study examined the relationships between childhood family of origin (FOO) adversities, coming to terms with them, and adult intimate relationship satisfaction for Native American individuals. The sample consisted of 186 Native American individuals in committed relationships who responded to the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of childhood FOO adversity, whether respondents had come to terms with FOO problems, relationship quality and depression. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that coming to terms buffered the negative effects of childhood family of origin adversities on depression and relationship quality. Results suggest that coming to terms may help Native American individuals deal with FOO adversity and improve intimate relationship quality. Coming to terms with childhood FOO adversity should be considered in the treatment of Native American individuals in intimate relationships. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research has proliferated in the last twenty years with significant research demonstrating the detrimental effects of early childhood adversity. While many measures purport to measure ACEs, very few capture the intensity of ACEs while still calculating the traditional “ACEs tally.” Thus, it is the goal of this dissertation to collect evidence for an expanded ACES measure. The Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (VACE) measure builds upon the original ACEs and captures interval level data. Two survey-based studies were conducted in which convergent and criterion related validity and test-retest reliability evidence were collected. In Study 1, the traditional ACE tally was not significantly related, through a multiple regression analysis, to depressive symptoms, stress, or substance use F(3, 81) = 1.72, p = .169. VACE scores were only significantly related to depressive symptoms with the entire regression model accounting for only 1% of the total variance in the sample who received the VACE measure F (3,81) = 5.024, p = .003. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) scores were related to depressive symptoms and substance use accounting for 2% of the variance in the sample, F (3, 85) = 8.751, p F (3, 357) = 19.33, VACE score was significantly related to depressive symptoms and substance use with the model accounting for 1.8% of the total variance in the sample F (3,359) = 28.844, p CTQ-SF model accounted for 1.9% of the variance in the sample F (3, 359) = 29.37, p VACE was calculated using a Pearson’s r correlation (r = .854, p r = .664, p VACE (n = 38). The test-retest reliability suggests sufficient temporal stability of the measure across time. The primary goals of modifying an existing ACE measurement to capture greater variability and accumulate validity and reliability evidence for this new measure were achieved.

No description available.

Drawing upon traumatic moments of my past as a catalyst, I pursue understanding and acceptance of physical and emotional pain. In this thesis body of work, I employ the intersection of industrial and body imagery in sculptural forms and installation as a corporeal and allegorical account of my lived experience using visual narratives of trepidation and metamorphosis. In my creative practice, I incorporate various materials that create a reference of specific moments from my past. The artworks draw from principles rooted in Buddhism, affect theory, phenomenology, and materiality; incorporating them as tools to comprehend my position in the world and grasp the power of transformation.

The pandemic affected daily life on an unprecedented global scale resulting in the need for adaptation and flexibility to cope with ongoing stress, uncertainty, and loss that may affect couple relationships. Understanding resource loss in the context of mass stress events is critical because resource loss has been defined as the primary agent of stress (Hobfoll, 1989). As such, it is important to understand what factors may have shaped the degree of resource loss incurred during the pandemic. Extant research implies that considering early life adversity may be useful to explore as it may be a form of resource loss and is linked to poorer mental health and relational outcomes in adulthood. Furthermore, the stress sensitization hypothesis posits that childhood adversity may prime individuals to have a lower threshold for later life stress. This study utilizes both the stress sensitization hypothesis and the conservation or resources theory as lenses for understanding how childhood adversity affects pandemic-related resource loss for couples. Given that myriad resource loss was a prominent feature of the pandemic, it will be useful to understand whether childhood adversity sets individuals and couples up to experience greater loss in the context of pandemic-related stressors. Additionally, few studies have addressed the influence of mass stressors in the context of couple relationships using data from both partners. This gap in the literature is problematic because the pandemic's unique constraints and stressors were shared and lived in relationships and mental health distress tends to be interrelated among partners. This study is thus designed to examine how family of origin stress (reported at the outset of pandemic related shutdowns in the US in April 2020) associated with posttraumatic stress (PTSS) 3 months later (July 2020) to, in turn, predict variation in resource losses reported 3 months later (October 2020) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 535 cisgender, heterosexual couples. Findings showed that individual's higher family of origin stress predicted higher levels of their own PTSS at wave 2, and higher PTSS at wave 2 predicted higher levels of couples' shared resource loss at wave 3. Additionally, family of origin stress associated with higher levels of couples' shared experience of loss via higher levels of their own PTSS.

Des études animales ont montré que l’exposition du foetus à l’adversité affecte le développement cérébral et la régulation d’émotions plus tard. Cette régulation serait reliée aux changements structurels cérébraux, particulièrement au circuit fronto-limbique. Cependant, ces résultats n’ont pas été entièrement répliqués chez l’humain. Le but de cette étude était de tester si l'adversité précoce conduit à des altérations structurelles des régions (orbitofrontal, préfrontal, cingulaire) fronto-limbiques, identifiées comme régions-clés dans la (de)régulation d’émotions. Les mesures principales de l’adversité étaient un poids léger à la naissance et l’hostilité maternelle puisqu’ils étaient parmi les plus prédictifs des résultats développementaux et comportementaux chez l’humain. Les mesures secondaires, incluant le tempérament difficile d’enfant et l’impulsivité en adolescence, étaient utilisées du à leur lien avec le développement cérébral et émotionnel. Les participants étaient des jumeaux identiques, membres de l’Étude des Jumeaux Nouveau-nés du Québec (ÉJNQ, N = 650 paires) suivis depuis 5 mois à 15 ans, leur âge actuel. Ceci a permis de mieux contrôler le facteur génétique et ainsi mieux isoler les effets d’environnement. Trente-sept paires ont été recrutées. La structure cérébrale de chacun, obtenue avec l’imagerie par résonance magnétique, a été analysée avec la régression linéaire. Le poids à la naissance n’a eu aucun effet. L’hostilité maternelle a prédit une réduction de l’aire du gyrus cingulaire postérieur. Tempérament difficile a prédit une réduction de l’aire du cortex orbitofrontal. L’impulsivité était associée avec l’aire et volume du cortex préfrontal réduits. Ces résultats soulignent l’importance des interventions précoces afin d’empêcher des altérations menant à la psychopathologie. / Animal studies have shown that fetal exposure to adversity affects brain development and emotion regulation later on. Emotion regulation would be related to a structural change in the brain, particularly the fronto-limbic circuitry. However, results have not been entirely confirmed in humans. The purpose of the present study was to test whether early adversity leads to structural changes in the fronto-limbic (prefrontal, orbitofrontal and cingulate) regions, previously identified as key areas in emotion (dys)regulation. Main measures of adversity were low birth weight and maternal hostility because these were among the best predictors of developmental and behavioral outcomes in humans. Secondary measures, including difficult child temperament and adolescent impulsivity, were used because of their link with brain and emotion development. Participants were identical twins part of Quebec Study of Newborn Twins (QSNT, N = 650 pairs), followed from 5 months to 15 years, their current age. Using identical twins allowed to better control the genetic factors and, thus, to better isolate the specific effects of early environment. Thirty-seven pairs have been recruited. Each twin’s brain structure was assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and analyzed using linear regression. Birth weight showed no effect on brain structure. Maternal hostility predicted a reduction in cortical area of posterior cingulate gyrus. Difficult child temperament predicted a reduction in cortical area of orbitofrontal cortex. Impulsivity was associated with smaller cortical area and volume in prefrontal cortex. These results highlight the importance of the early interventions in order to prevent the alterations leading to development of psychopathology.

This work addresses issues in the study of gene-environment interaction (GxE) through research of conduct disorder (CD) among adolescents and extends the recent report of significant GxE and subsequent replication studies. A sub-sample of 1,299 individual participants/649 twin pairs and their parents from the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent and Behavioral Development was used for whom Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) genotype, diagnosis of CD, maternal antisocial personality symptoms, and household neglect were obtained. This dissertation (1) tested for GxE by gender using MAOA and childhood adversity using multiple approaches to CD measurement and model assessment, (2) determined whether other mechanisms would explain differences in GxE by gender and (3) identified and assessed other genes and environments related to the interaction MAOA and childhood adversity. Using a multiple regression approach, a main effect of the low/low MAOA genotype remained after controlling other risk factors in females. However, the effects of GxE were modest and were removed by transforming the environmental measures. In contrast, there was no significant effect of the low activity MAOA allele in males although significant GxE was detected and remained after transformation. The sign of the interaction for males was opposite from females, indicating genetic sensitivity to childhood adversity may differ by gender. Upon further investigation, gender differences in GxE were due to genotype-sex interaction and may involve MAOA. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach including a genetic Item Response Theory modeled CD as a trait with continuous liability, since false detection of GxE may result from measurement. In males and females, the inclusion of GxE while controlling for the other covariates was appropriate, but was little improvement in model fit and effect sizes of GxE were small. Other candidate genes functioning in the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter systems were tested for interaction with MAOA to affect risk for CD. Main genetic effects of dopamine transporter genotype and MAOA in the presence of comorbidity were detected. No epistatic effects were detected. The use of random forests systematically assessed the environment and produced several interesting environments that will require more thoughtful consideration before incorporation into a model testing GxE.

Sofrer bullying na infância e na adolescência se configura como fator de risco para a instalação e manutenção de problemas de comportamento e de transtornos psiquiátricos. A adversidade familiar, por sua vez, contribui para o envolvimento em situações de bullying. Os objetivos do presente estudo foram: (1) avaliar e comparar os escores de problemas de comportamento em dois grupos (vítimas e não vítimas de bullying), obtidos por meio do autorrelato e do relato dos professores e (2) verificar correlações entre os escores de adversidade familiar e de problemas de comportamento nos dois grupos. Participaram 154 adolescentes, dos quais 31 (20,1%) foram identificados como vítimas de bullying, por meio da Escala de Violência Escolar (EVE) e da versão traduzida do Peer Assessment. Para avaliar os problemas de comportamento foram utilizadas as versões brasileiras do Youth Self Report/11-18 (YSR) e do Teacher Report Form (TRF). O índice de adversidade familiar (IAF) avaliou o nível de adversidade familiar entre as famílias. Mais adolescentes vítimas de bullying foram avaliados com problemas de comportamento internalizantes, externalizantes e totais em nível clínico, quando comparados ao grupo de não vítimas. As maiores diferenças entre grupos foram verificadas na subescala de Depressão e Ansiedade, a partir do relato dos adolescentes, e na escala de Comportamento Agressivo, de acordo com os professores. Os alunos alvos de bullying relataram mais problemas de comportamento internalizantes (F=13,3 e p=0,001) e menos problemas de comportamento externalizantes (F=6,63 e p=0,013), quando comparados ao relato de seus professores. A presença de discórdia conjugal foi mais frequente em famílias de alunos vítimas de bullying, atingindo diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos ( 2 =4,2 e p=0,04). Houve correlação positiva e ligeira entre os escores de problemas de comportamento, relatados pelos alunos, e os escores de adversidade familiar (=0,288 e p=0,001). Embora os escores de problemas de comportamento, sobretudo internalizantes, relatados por vítimas de bullying tenham sido significativamente superiores aos relatados por não vítimas, e tenham atingido níveis clínicos, os professores parecem não estarem sensíveis a estes indicadores. Identificar problemas de comportamento e características familiares adversas associadas à vitimização, assim como avaliar a percepção dos próprios envolvidos e de seus professores, contribui para o desenvolvimento de medidas preventivas de bullying em escolas brasileiras / Being bullied in childhood and adolescence is configured as a risk factor for the installation and maintenance of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. Family adversity, in turn, contributes to involvement in bullying situations. The aims of the study were: (1) to evaluate and compare the scores of behavior problems in two groups (victims and non-victims of bullying), obtained by self-report and by teachers report, and (2) examine correlations between the scores of family adversity and behavior problems of the two groups. Participated 154 adolescents, of whom, 31 (20.1%) were identified as victims of bullying, through the School Violence Scale (EVE) and through the translated version of the Peer Assessment. To assess the behavioral problems, the Brazilian versions of the Youth Self Report/11-18 (YSR) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF) were used. The family adversity index (LAI), from Rutter, assessed the level of family adversity among the families. Most adolescent victims of bullying were assessed with internalizing problems, externalizing, and total behavior at a clinical level, when compared with non-victims. The biggest differences between groups were found in the subscale of Depression and Anxiety, according to the teenagers and the Aggressive Behavior scale, according to teachers. The target of bullying students reported more internalizing behavior problems (F = 13.3, p = 0.001) and fewer externalizing behavior problems (F = 6.63, p = 0.013), when compared with their teachers. The presence of interparental conflict was more frequent in families of students bullied, reaching statistically significant difference between groups ( 2 = 4.2, p = 0.04). There was a slight and positive correlation between the scores of behavioral problems reported by students and the family adversity scores ( = 0.288, p = 0.001). While scores of behavior problems, especially internalizing, reported by victims of bullying were significantly higher than those reported by non-victims, and have reached clinical levels, the teachers do not seem to be sensitive to these indicators. Identify behavior problems and family characteristics associated with victimization, and to evaluate the perception of the involved and their teachers contribute to the development of preventive measures of bullying in Brazilian schools

Des études animales ont montré que l’exposition du foetus à l’adversité affecte le développement cérébral et la régulation d’émotions plus tard. Cette régulation serait reliée aux changements structurels cérébraux, particulièrement au circuit fronto-limbique. Cependant, ces résultats n’ont pas été entièrement répliqués chez l’humain. Le but de cette étude était de tester si l'adversité précoce conduit à des altérations structurelles des régions (orbitofrontal, préfrontal, cingulaire) fronto-limbiques, identifiées comme régions-clés dans la (de)régulation d’émotions. Les mesures principales de l’adversité étaient un poids léger à la naissance et l’hostilité maternelle puisqu’ils étaient parmi les plus prédictifs des résultats développementaux et comportementaux chez l’humain. Les mesures secondaires, incluant le tempérament difficile d’enfant et l’impulsivité en adolescence, étaient utilisées du à leur lien avec le développement cérébral et émotionnel. Les participants étaient des jumeaux identiques, membres de l’Étude des Jumeaux Nouveau-nés du Québec (ÉJNQ, N = 650 paires) suivis depuis 5 mois à 15 ans, leur âge actuel. Ceci a permis de mieux contrôler le facteur génétique et ainsi mieux isoler les effets d’environnement. Trente-sept paires ont été recrutées. La structure cérébrale de chacun, obtenue avec l’imagerie par résonance magnétique, a été analysée avec la régression linéaire. Le poids à la naissance n’a eu aucun effet. L’hostilité maternelle a prédit une réduction de l’aire du gyrus cingulaire postérieur. Tempérament difficile a prédit une réduction de l’aire du cortex orbitofrontal. L’impulsivité était associée avec l’aire et volume du cortex préfrontal réduits. Ces résultats soulignent l’importance des interventions précoces afin d’empêcher des altérations menant à la psychopathologie. / Animal studies have shown that fetal exposure to adversity affects brain development and emotion regulation later on. Emotion regulation would be related to a structural change in the brain, particularly the fronto-limbic circuitry. However, results have not been entirely confirmed in humans. The purpose of the present study was to test whether early adversity leads to structural changes in the fronto-limbic (prefrontal, orbitofrontal and cingulate) regions, previously identified as key areas in emotion (dys)regulation. Main measures of adversity were low birth weight and maternal hostility because these were among the best predictors of developmental and behavioral outcomes in humans. Secondary measures, including difficult child temperament and adolescent impulsivity, were used because of their link with brain and emotion development. Participants were identical twins part of Quebec Study of Newborn Twins (QSNT, N = 650 pairs), followed from 5 months to 15 years, their current age. Using identical twins allowed to better control the genetic factors and, thus, to better isolate the specific effects of early environment. Thirty-seven pairs have been recruited. Each twin’s brain structure was assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and analyzed using linear regression. Birth weight showed no effect on brain structure. Maternal hostility predicted a reduction in cortical area of posterior cingulate gyrus. Difficult child temperament predicted a reduction in cortical area of orbitofrontal cortex. Impulsivity was associated with smaller cortical area and volume in prefrontal cortex. These results highlight the importance of the early interventions in order to prevent the alterations leading to development of psychopathology.