Drawing from Pierre Bourdieu’s socio-cultural approach, this qualitative research project aimed to: (a) understand the responses to current body norms and expectations tied to health and physical appearances amongst underprivileged young women; and; (b) understand to what extent the dominant obesity discourse is inscribed in these women’s bodily habits. Results highlight that participants were aware of the dominant obesity discourse through their perceptions, sentiments, and dispositions towards bodily norms and expectations. Despite their awareness, underprivileged living conditions generated other sets of priorities, such as motherhood, achieving economic stability, completing education, and gaining physical independence which were far greater preoccupations. Underprivileged young women’s ‘choice of the necessary’ is based on optimizing resources and prioritizing needs and responsibilities. Findings support the use of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts which consider the effects of various aspects of underprivileged living conditions on lifestyles.

The present study examined the self-disclosure of socially anxious and depressed-mood women students within the context of a face-to-face dyadic interaction. It also examined the influence of the interaction on their levels of affect, physiological arousal, and acceptance of their partners. The impact of the interaction on their partners' affect and acceptance was also explored. The results showed that anxious and depressed-mood subjects exhibited different, and specific patterns of inappropriate disclosure. The socially anxious subjects exhibited reduced amounts of nonreciprocal disclosure which was best characterized as moderate in nature. The depressed-mood subjects displayed increased amounts of overly intimate, negatively valanced disclosure. The results also indicated that before the interaction the subjects varied on the measures of affect and arousal as a function of their status on the subject selection variables and that the interaction had different effects on the different types of subjects. The socially anxious subjects were characterized by lower preinteraction levels of positive affect and higher levels of negative affect. The interaction had a negative effect on them, it maintained their low levels of positive affect, high levels of negative affect, and increased their levels of physiological arousal. The depressed mood subjects were characterized by lower preinteraction levels of positive affect, and higher levels of negative affect and physiological arousal. The interaction was positive for them, however, as they experienced increases in their positive affect and decreases in their negative affect. The socially anxious subjects were rejected by their partners but induced neither positive nor negative affect in them. The depressed-mood subjects were not rejected by their partners but created an ambivalent emotional reaction in them. The results are discussed within an interpersonal framework and suggest that a reinterpretation of Coyne's (1976) model provides a good conceptual framework to explain these, and other recent results. The possible developmental framework for maladaptive interpersonal behaviours is explored within a modification of Arkin's (1981) social motivational model. The results of this study are also discussed in the context of a tripartite model of anxiety and depression and provide partial support for that model. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

In the proposed study it is hypothesized that resiliency will moderate the relationship between child abuse and psychiatric outcomes. Secondly, it is expected that shame will mediate the above mentioned relationship. Mediation and moderation effects will be tested via SPSS REGRESSION. Data was collected from 160 women at California State University, San Bernardino. The following measures were used to examine the hypothesis: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, Experience of Shame Scale, Self-Esteem Inventory, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, and the Social Support Inventory.

This study used a multi-method approach to explore factors associated with high and low depression in a sample of rural mothers living in poverty. From a sample of 117 women with very high or very low CES-D depression scores, 40 cases were randomly selected for in-depth qualitative analysis. Qualitative comments about a variety of issues were explored including health, mental health, childcare, transportation, community, social support, and family of origin experiences. Quantitative data were then used in response to themes that emerged from the literature and the qualitative findings. All 117 eligible participants were used for quantitative analysis to increase power. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed several critical differences between the two groups. Low risk participants mentioned fewer health issues and less severe health problems as compared to their high risk counterparts. Mental health issues were reported more in the high risk group, with this group being more likely to have multiple family members experiencing symptoms. All participants reported receiving social support, however, the low risk group reported positive social support experiences, while the high risk group reported ambivalent relationships with the people who provided them with social support. Reported family of origin experiences were quite different between the two groups, with the low risk group reporting more positive past and current relationships. Quantitatively, several interesting results were revealed, many confirming the qualitative findings. Mothers showing higher levels of depression reported significantly more health problems for themselves, their partners, and their children. Additionally, participant's work status, income, perceived adequacy of income, childhood welfare use, and presence of partner were significantly related to depression. Low risk respondents were more likely to be working, perceive their income as adequate, and have a partner. They were also less likely to have received welfare as a child and had higher incomes. The findings offer important implications for future research and policy. Risk for depression seems to be related to a variety of factors, indicating that something should be done to minimize an individual's likelihood toward experiencing depression. This study ultimately provided a clearer picture of the existence of depressive symptoms among women with children living in rural poverty. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein found in the blood that is synthesized by the liver and has been extensively studied due to its role in inflammatory and atherosclerotic processes. The importance of this biomarker in its role in vascular risk factors is increased with several lines of evidence pointing to its association with cognitive decline. The association between CRP and depression has been increasingly analyzed by various cross-sectional studies. The research between CRP and depressive symptoms in older women has yet to generate consistent trends. In the present study, a series of regression analyses was used to explore the association between CRP and both cognitive function and depressive symptomatology among a group of rural-dwelling women. Associations were evaluated through the use of data from Project FRONTIER, a rural-based research looking at both physical and cognitive aspects of health in rural-dwelling adults and elders. Comparisons were made between Mexican American women and a group of non-Hispanic Caucasian women. CRP was a significant independent predictor of total depression (beta = -.11, t = -1.99, p =.048). CRP was also a significant independent predictor of symptoms associated with meaningless within depression (beta = -.16, t = -2.94, p =.004). Contrary to prediction, CRP was not a significant independent predictor of overall cognitive function or performance in five specific cognitive domains. There is still needed evaluation on racial/ethnic differences present in regard to the impact of varied health factors on mental health within a culturally rich, rural cohort. It is recommended that future studies utilize standardized measurement of cognitive function to facilitate a more thorough understanding and comparison of change in this particular population.

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, women carried, birthed, and cared for infants in a drastically changed world. For perinatal women, the sudden increase in stressors compounded an already vulnerable time where they are at an elevated risk of developing symptoms of psychopathology. Moreover, the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing racial health disparities and disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)— particularly perinatal BIPOC women, due to the intersection of their race and perinatal status. This study investigated the relationships between COVID-19-related stressors and postpartum psychopathology using network analysis. Network analysis is used as an alternative technique for investigating the activation and maintenance of psychopathology and is increasingly used to examine the influence of external variables (e.g., stressors) on network dynamics. The relationship between psychological symptoms and stressors is typically examined in a unilinear manner—that is, stress causes psychopathology or vice versa. By using network analysis, we were able to investigate the bidirectional relationship between COVID-19-related stressors and postpartum psychopathology to reveal new insights into the individual stressor-symptom interactions that may underlie the emergence of psychological disorders for the perinatal population during the pandemic. Methods: Participants (N=630) were recruited via social media and listservs and completed an online Qualtrics survey. Data quality measures were used to identify repeated, incomplete, and potentially fraudulent responses, which were removed prior to data analysis. Goldbricker, inter-item correlations, and variance inflation factor analyses were used to address topological overlap and identify statistically unique items to be included in the networks. A comorbidity symptom network was estimated to investigate the relationship between postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms in all participants. Bridge symptoms between the two conditions were identified using bridge analysis and clique percolation analysis. Next, an expanded model was estimated to investigate the relationship between postpartum symptoms and COVID-19-related stressors. Node-wise predictability and moderation analyses were used to investigate the effects of adding external variables (i.e., positive experiences, maternal functioning domains, and predictors of psychopathology) to the expanded model. Finally, moderated networks were estimated to investigate differences in the structure of the comorbidity network and the expanded network for mothers from different racial and ethnic groups. Results: Fear-based symptoms were central in both the comorbidity and expanded networks and bridged postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms in the comorbidity network. The Depressed Mood and two Home Stress domains were central in the expanded network. Additional bridge symptoms in the comorbidity network included feeling overwhelmed, concentration difficulties, and feeling disliked by others, and in the expanded network included the Postpartum Stress, Emotional Stress, and Difficulty Adjusting domains. Moderation analyses revealed that the more mothers felt competent and the less challenging they perceived their infant’s temperament, the weaker the node connections were in their expanded networks. Furthermore, mothers with a history of prenatal depression, prenatal anxiety, or baby blues had denser expanded networks (i.e., stronger and more unique edges) compared to mothers with no history of these conditions. Contrary to expectations, moderation analyses revealed that: 1) social support and engaging in positive experiences during the pandemic strengthened connections between stressors and symptoms; 2) middle-income mothers had denser networks compared to low- and high-income mothers. Finally, racial network comparisons revealed that Black mothers' comorbidity and expanded networks were denser compared to all other racial groups. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the influence of major contextual changes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on network dynamics—that is, previously established peripheral network nodes (e.g., fear) may shift to the center during large-scale events. Therefore, researchers cannot assume that previously identified central nodes will remain as the main drivers of psychopathology irrespective of changes in context, as this may lead to a misdirection of prevention and intervention efforts. Further, our findings underscore that people with multiple intersecting vulnerabilities may be disproportionately impacted by these major events.

The study investigated the beliefs and practices of Sotho antenatal women. The aim was to describe the beliefs and practices of Sotho antenatal women in order to contribute to the identification of guidelines for a teaching programme for both midwives and traditional birth attendants. A non-experimental, qualitative research approach, which was exploratory-descriptive and contextual in nature, guided the researcher to explore and describe the beliefs and practices of Sotho antenatal women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Sotho antenatal women as well as traditional birth attendants. Six themes emerged from the study through the interviews:  the nature of pregnancy  prescriptive practices  restrictive practices  sexual activity  the practice of clinic attendants  the practice of attending traditional birth attendants / Health Studies / M.A (Department of Health Studies)

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the incidence of depression, post-traumatic stress symptomatology, anger and guilt in a shelter sample of 40 battered women. In addition, the presence of dysfunctional, evaluative beliefs, as viewed from a Rational-emotive perspective, was investigated, as well as the relationship between dysfunctional beliefs and symptoms of psychopathology. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Anger Diagnostic Scale, Trauma Related Guilt Inventory and Survey of Personal Beliefs. It was found that 63% of the participants showed moderate to severe levels of depression, while 59% manifested high post-traumatic stress symptomatology. Between 38% and 50% experienced problems with anger whilst 48.5% showed moderate guilt. In general, these symptoms did not correlate with the age of participants or with the duration or frequency of abuse, except for anger which was related to a history of childhood sexual and/or physical abuse. The results of the Survey of Personal Beliefs indicated that the group displayed Otherand Self-directed Demands, Awfulizing, Low Frustration-tolerance and Negative Selfworth. Only Low Frustration-tolerance (underestimation of coping skills) correlated significantly with levels of depression, anger and guilt. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die insidensie van depressie, post-traumatiese stressimptome, woede en skuldgevoelens in 'n groep van 40 vroulike slagoffers van gesinsgeweld, wat die huweliksverhouding verlaat het en in 'n skuiling vir mishandelde vroue opgeneem is, ondersoek. Die disfunksionele, evaluerende kognisies, soos deur die Rasioneel-emotiewe gedragsterapie gepostuleer, asook die korrelasie tussen hierdie kognisies en die simptome van psigopatologie, is ook ondersoek. Deelnemers het die Beck Depression Inventory, Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Anger Diagnostic Scale, Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory en Survey of Personal Beliefs voltooi. Die resultate het aangedui dat 63% van die deelnemers matige tot ernstige vlakke van depressie getoon het, terwyl hoë post-traumatiese stressimptomatologie by 59% voorgekom het. Tussen 38% en 50% het probleme met woede getoon, terwyl matige skuldgevoelens by 48.5% voorgekom het. Oor die algemeen het hierdie simptome nie verband getoon met die ouderdom van deelnemers of met die duur of frekwensie van die mishandeling nie, behalwe die vlak van woede wat 'n verband getoon het met 'n geskiedenis van kindermolestering. Tellings op die Survey of Personal Beliefs het aangedui dat die groep die disfunksionele, evaluerende kognisies van Self- en Ander-gerigte Eise, Katastrofering, Lae Frustrasie - toleransie en Negatiewe Selfwaarde getoon het. Slegs Lae Frustrasie-toleransie (onderskatting van hanteringsvaardighede) het beduidend met vlak van depressie, woede en skuldgevoelens gekorreleer.

The performances of 114 eating disordered females on measures of individual and family functioning were examined via t-tests, analyses of variance, and chi squares analyses. Subjects met DSM-III-R criteria for anorexia nervosa, anorexia nervosa with bulimia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified. Measures included selected scales of the MMPI, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Eating Disorder Questionnaire, the Moos Family Environment Scale, and the Berren-Shisslak Family Dynamics Survey. First, performances on the measures were compared to normative samples and across diagnostic groups. As expected, the subjects differed from normative samples on many dependent measures, but the diagnostic groups differed little among themselves. Next, an examination of 45 clinical features suggested that subjects were not as symptomatically distinct as diagnosis might imply. Finally, diagnosis was set aside to examine the relationships of specific clinical features to the measures of individual and family functioning. These features included age, weight history, food binges, vomiting, laxative and diuretic use, food restriction, menstrual history, exercise, drug and alcohol abuse, symptom severity, inpatient treatment history, and additional diagnosis. Surprisingly, a history of anorectic weight was not related to any of the measures, but amenorrhea emerged as a clinical feature of some import, not just among the anorectic subjects but among subjects generally. Other findings suggested that patients who binge have difficulty with separation, that binges may be a metaphor for unsatisfied cravings for nurturance, and that vomiting and exercise may enhance a sense of separateness while laxative use may represent the private expulsion of anger. The need for family involvement in treatment was highlighted by many relationships between the clinical features and indices of family dysfunction.