Thesis (M. A. (Research Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2016 / The study investigated prevalence rates and psychological consequences of bullying in schools within the Sekgosese West Circuit, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province. Participants were identified and drawn through stratified random sampling. The final sample consisted of 670 learners enrolled for Grades 8, 9 and 10, 49% of whom fell in the 14-15 years old age group, and 56% being female. Data were collected using a structured, composite questionnaire, within a cross-sectional research design. The results of the study show that most bullies and the bullied-bullies were male learners, and rates of the bullied were evenly split between male and female learners. The largest proportions of bullies and the bullied-bullies were the youngest and the oldest age groups. The oldest group was the largest group of the bullied. The largest proportions of the bullies and the bullied were in grade 8, and the proportion of the bullied-bullies was almost the same in grades 8 and 10, edging the proportion found in grade 9. The investigation also found that learners who were not involved in bullying experienced the least amounts of psychological distress. However, the bullies, bullied and bullied-bullies obtained mean scores that were not statistically different from each other from the measures of psychological distress used in this study. It is concluded from the results of the study that bullying is common in the Sekgosese West Circuit, and its psychological consequences are same for all the learners who involved in bullying one way or another. It is recommended that the study be replicated in other districts of Limpopo, and the context of bullying itself be considered as a candidate for inclusion in future studies. Key words: Bullied, bully, bullied-bully, learners, psychological distress

The beneficial effects of religion and spiritual factors on cardiovascular functioning have become an area of increasing research. Similarly, considerable research has also investigated the negative effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Little is known, however, about potential protective factors against the deleterious effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Social support has been identified as a potential buffer against the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure, and the current study hypothesized that spirituality, religiosity, and religious support would also buffer the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure. Fifty-eight married couples were recruited from both marital therapists and the community surrounding Brigham Young University. Participants wore ambulatory blood pressure monitors for 24 hours and completed questionnaires which measure marital distress, spirituality, religiosity, religious support and social support. It was found that for normotensive individuals (SBP < 120) spirituality, religious support, and social support have an additive effect of lowering blood pressure on individuals with high marital quality. No effect was found for spirituality, religiosity, or religious support buffering the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure. It was also found that men and women view the relationships between religiosity and social support, and religious support and social support differently. Specifically, social support is more highly related to religiosity and religious support in women compared to men. It appears that for happily-married individuals, spirituality, religious support and social support have an additive effect in lowering blood pressure.

Thesis advisor: Judith A. Vessey / Significance of Problem: Emerging adults (ages 18-30) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are a specific group that experiences worse glycemic control, more frequent severe hypoglycemia and more frequent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) than any other age group. The multiple transitions and stressors associated with the developmental stage of emerging adulthood can magnify and exacerbate the diabetes specific emotional burden of living with T1D, resulting in increased diabetes distress (DD). However, there is no measure of DD specific to the developmental stage of emerging adulthood. Purpose: The purpose of this program of research is to explicate the need for a developmental stage-specific measure of DD, as well as to develop, refine and psychometrically validate a new measure of DD in emerging adults. Method: This multi-phase study employed methods grounded in both item response theory (Rasch analysis) and classical test theory to reduce, refine and validate a new measure of DD in emerging adulthood, entitled the Problem Areas in Diabetes-Emerging Adult version (PAID-EA). In phase 1, data were collected from emerging adults with T1D using a cross-sectional online survey strategy. Rasch methodology was used to reduce and refine the PAID-EA. In phase 2, an additional cross-sectional online survey was conducted using the refined PAID-EA. Classical test theory-based approaches were employed to examine the psychometric properties of the refined measure. Finally, the relationships between scores on the PAID-EA and related constructs and clinical variables were explored. Conclusions: Collectively, this work advances the science by providing insight into how the challenges of emerging adulthood impact life with T1D during this developmental stage and providing a new measure to accurately and validly capture this experience for both clinical and research purposes. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

In this study, we examined distress levels of first-generation college students at intake from an average of 137 university and college counseling centers that participated in data collection with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) between the 2012-2015 academic school years. We gathered descriptive data from the CCMH Standardized Data Set (SDS), and then examined itemized responses from the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 62 (CCAPS-62). Students completed the SDS and CCAPS-62 at intake, and both measures rely on self-report. We divided student data (N = 184,334) into groups based on educational status: first-generation (FG) or non-first generation (NFG), and ethnic minority status: White (W) or minority (M), with several minorities grouped into the M variable. This created four subgroups: first-generation minority (FGM), first-generation White (FGW), non-first-generation minority (NFGM), and non-first-generation White (NFGW). We compared participants according to subgroup across the CCAPS distress index (which utilizes items from the depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress and hostility subscales), and the eight CCAPS distress subscales of: depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, hostility, family distress and substance/alcohol use. We found significant differences on all subscales across subgroups. We ran statistics to determine between subject effects and estimated marginal means and found statically significant results across the distress index and the eight CCAPS distress subscales. Significant results showed the highest levels of distress in FG students, with FGM students higher on the majority of subscales. Further research is needed to understand the different levels and patters of distress in these populations.

The objective of the study was to examine the association between lifetime arrest and marijuana-related first arrest with past-year suicide ideation among Black and White people. We used data from Wave-IV (2008–2009; N = 5114) of the publicly available National Adolescent Health Study (Add Health) data. A total of 4313 Non-Hispanic Black and White participants were selected for this study. Logistic regression was used to assess whether lifetime arrest and marijuana-related arrests were associated with past year suicide. Overall, 28.8% of the sample reported lifetime arrest, 6.3% reported lifetime suicide ideation, and 3.7% reported marijuana-related arrest. A significantly higher percentage of Black people (32.3%) in comparison to White people (27.4%) reported lifetime arrest (χ2 = 9.91; p < 0.001; df = 1). Among Black people, lifetime arrest (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI, 1.66–5.35; p < 0.001) and marijuana-related arrest (AOR = 4.09; 95% CI, 1.47–11.35; p < 0.001) were both associated with lifetime suicide ideation. Given the rate of death by suicide among Black people has been rising for two decades, further efforts are needed to educate and inform key stakeholders including law enforcement and policymakers regarding racial disparities in arrests, which may contribute to reducing risk for death by suicide among Black people.

This research project set out to determine whether there is a relationship between the observed leverage levels of South African companies, their profitability, earnings volatility and the probability of financial distress. The relevant body of knowledge against which to execute this research project is known as capital structure theory. Capital structure theory deals with the way in which firms finance themselves. It is concerned with the relationship between the structure of debt, equity and hybrid securities found on the right hand side of the firm’s balance sheet. It is believed that the 2007/8 global financial crisis offers researchers a unique opportunity to gain insight into how the observed leverage levels of firms and their earnings volatility interact to form their probability of financial distress. This area of research is of particular interest since it is commonly believed and frequently stated that South African firms are underleveraged and secondly because there is contrarian research beginning to be published indicating that firms with very little or no debt (commonly referred to as lazy balance sheets) are outperforming their more indebted peers and are being rewarded by investors for their prudence. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Lung cancer patients generally experience high levels of physical and psychological distress and decreased quality of life (QOL). Sense of coherence (SOC) has been conceptualized as a personality orientation reflecting the degree to which an individual perceives their world as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. The present study investigated the associations of SOC with QOL in lung cancer. It also examined potential psychological mediators by which SOC may exert its influences on QOL. Fifty-six participants with non-small cell lung cancer were administered self-report assessments of SOC, QOL and psychological distress. Results revealed that SOC was positively associated with QOL and this relationship may be mediated by depressive symptoms. The current study supports the notion that SOC may be a protective factor with regard to psychological adjustment and QOL in cancer survivors.

The contributions of impulsive and risk-taking behaviour in depressive and bipolar disorders, motivational and motor behaviours in anhedonic and substance addictive states, and the factors, particularly distress and trauma, underlying the development of neuropathology in affective status are described from clinical, epidemiological and laboratory perspectives. In order to distinguish one case factor for biopsychological substrates of health, an array of self-reported characteristics, e.g., positive or negative affect, stress or energy, optimism, etc., that may be predictive or counterpredictive for the propensity for physical exercise and activity were analysed using a linear regression in twelve different studies. Several individual characteristics were found to be markedly and significantly predictive of the exercise propensity, i.e., positive affect, energy, health-seeking behaviour and character, while optimism was of lesser, though significant, importance. Several individual characteristics were found to be significantly counterpredictive: expression of BDI- and HAD-depression, major sleep problems and lack/negligence of healthseeking behaviour. The consequences of physical activity and exercise for both affective well-being, cognitive mobility and neurogenesis is noted, particularly with regard to developmental assets for younger individuals. Affective disorder states may be studied through analyses of personal characteristics that unfold predispositions for symptom-profiles and biomarkers derived from properties of dysfunction, such as impulsiveness, temperament dimensions, anhedonia and 'over-sensitivity', whether interpersonal or to reward.

In this study, we examined distress levels of first-generation college students at intake from an average of 137 university and college counseling centers that participated in data collection with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) between the 2012–2015 academic school years. We gathered descriptive data from the CCMH Standardized Data Set (SDS), and then examined itemized responses from the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 62 (CCAPS-62). Students completed the SDS and CCAPS-62 at intake, and both measures rely on self-report. We divided student data (N = 184,334) into groups based on educational status: first-generation (FG) or non-first generation (NFG), and ethnic minority status: White (W) or minority (M), with several minorities grouped into the M variable. This created four subgroups: first-generation minority (FGM), first-generation White (FGW), non-first-generation minority (NFGM), and non-first-generation White (NFGW). We compared participants according to subgroup across the CCAPS distress index (which utilizes items from the depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress and hostility subscales), and the eight CCAPS distress subscales of: depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, hostility, family distress and substance/alcohol use. We found significant differences on all subscales across subgroups. We ran statistics to determine between subject effects and estimated marginal means and found statically significant results across the distress index and the eight CCAPS distress subscales. Significant results showed the highest levels of distress in FG students, with FGM students higher on the majority of subscales. Further research is needed to understand the different levels and patters of distress in these populations.

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