Thesis (M.S. in Psychology)--Vanderbilt University, Aug. 2004. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Includes bibliographic references (p. 91-100).

Includes bibliographic references (p. 103-117).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Deborah Jacobvitz. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 2006. / "Athumia" appears in Greek letters on t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-77).

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2005. / Gregory Jurkovic, committee chair; Julia Perilla, Gabriel Kuperminc, committee members. Electronic text (51 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Aug.14, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-51).

The influence of cognitive organization, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive "subtype" on the perceptions of negative life events is explored. BDI scores are used to delineate symptomatic and non-symptomatic groups. Construct content (sociotropic versus autonomous, as first defined by Beck) is used to identify predominant schema-type. Subjects completed a Problematic Situations Questionnaire with Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale. Results indicate that depressed individuals display more dysfunctional attitudes and negative affect in all types of negative situations; further the endorsement of dysfunctional attitudes is significantly more likely to occur in the context of schema-congruent situations. Findings are discussed a) in terms of the utility of personal constructs in the assessment of schema-type and b) in accordance with a person-event interactional model of depression.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication on auditory skills in clinically depressed subjects. Experimental subjects prescribed an SSRI were tested in a medicated and an unmedicated condition, and the test results were compared. Furthermore, the experimental group was compared with a control group consisting of normal subjects. Test measures included pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex thresholds, and auditory electrophysiologic measures such as auditory brainstem and auditory late responses. An assessment scale for depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II) was also used. Results indicated statistically significant differences for the BDI-II between the control and experimental groups for both conditions. Electrophysiologic measures indicated a significantly shorter latency for auditory late potential P1 at 55 dBnSL, and a significantly larger amplitude at 45 dBnSL for the N1/P2 component for the unmedicated group. Although the other measures showed trends, they did not reach significance.

Depression is the most common psychological sequela associated with stroke, affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors (Hackett, Yapa, Parag, & Anderson, 2005) with corresponding impacts on spouses, partners, or other informal caregivers (Han & Haley, 1999; Low, Payne, & Roderick, 1999). Although stroke is more common in older persons, persons of all ages are at risk for stroke and especially post-stroke depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2007; Barker-Collo, 2007; Hughes, Giobbie-Hurder, Weaver, Kubal, & Henderson, 1999). One of the factors which could explain increased risk of depression is "biographical disruption" (Bury, 1982), which happens when couples experience chronic illnesses that are developmentally off schedule or unexpected (Faircloth, Boylstei, Rittman, Young, & Gubrium, 2004; Pound, Gompertz, & Ebrahim, 1998; Roding, Lindstrom, Malms, & Ohman, 2003). The goal of this dissertation study was to examine modifiable factors associated with depression in stroke survivor-spouse dyads, including the potential moderating effects of biographical disruption. This goal was accomplished by pursuing three specific aims: (1) investigating the extent to which dyad-level factors are associated with current depression in stroke survivor-spouse dyads, above and beyond the influence of individual-level factors; (2) investigating the extent to which biographical disruption associated with stroke moderates the strength of association between individual and dyad-level factors and depression; and (3) exploring additional individual- and dyad-level features of disruption from stroke not included in the structured portion of the interview, and to explore how the experience of stroke may be different for couples in different developmental stages of life. Thirty-two recent stroke survivor-spouse dyads were interviewed using a combination of standardized measures and semi-structured interviews. Results showed that several dyad-level factors such as relationship quality, illness appraisal, and coping patterns were significant predictors of depression for survivors and spouses. The presence of biographical disruption did not statistically moderate these relationships, although the qualitative aspect of the study uncovered many aspects of disruption not addressed in the structured interview and the illness experience was clearly unique for couples in different developmental stages. These results have relevance for the development of effective interventions for post-stroke depression in couples, and are encouraging with respect to operationalizing and measuring the notion of biographical disruption from chronic illness across the lifespan.

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