Two studies were conducted to examine the interpersonal world of the depressive. It was hypothesized that depressed subjects would not like nondepressed targets as much as would nondepressed subjects. In addition, it was hypothesized that depressed subjects would feel worse after speaking with nondepressed targets. Finally it was hypothesized that perceived similarity would mediate these effects by covarying with mood and liking measures. To assess these hypotheses, study one had depressed and nondepressed college students speak with one another in either depressed-depressed, nondepressed-depressed, or nondepressed-nondepressed pairs. Measures of liking for the person with whom they conversed, of perceived similarity toward the person with whom they conversed, and of the subject's mood were then taken. Although the results were mixed, it was found that depressed subjects felt worse after speaking to depressed targets, though there were no differences in liking or perceived similarity between the groups. Perceived similarity did covary with most of the liking measures for the depressed and nondepressed subjects. Study two examined whether depressives had best friends who were themselves more depressed than best friends who were nondepressives. It was hypothesized that the best friends of depressives would be more depressed. Furthermore, it was expected that the best friends would also be perceived as more depressed by the subjects. These hypotheses were confirmed when depressives brought their best friends in for a study and the level of depression for these best friends was measured. In addition, the depressed subjects reported feeling worse after speaking with their friends when compared to how the nondepressed subjects reported feeling after speaking with their best friends.

This study investigated the relationship between preferred coping strategies, and major stressors for nondepressed, and depressed chronic pain patients. The subjects for this study were 67 chronic pain patients who are participating in a pain/spinal rehabilitation program. The information collected from the individuals or their records included: (1) basic demographic information, (2) level of activity, (3) level of perceived pain, (4) medication usage, (5) therapist rating of level of stabilization, (6) scores on three inventories including the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Ways of Coping Checklist, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Analyses included an examination of the relationship between level of depression and (1) type of stressors, (2) coping strategies, and (3) level of perceived pain. Further analyses included multiple regression with outcome as defined by therapist ratings at the end of treatment, and patients' ratings at follow up as the criterion variables.

In spite of theoretical models representing a bidirectional pattern of influence between children and mothers (Sameroff & MacKenzie, 2003), few comprehensive longitudinal studies have examined how maternal psychological functioning and child behavior relate to each other over time. This study explored the transactional relationship between child problem behavior (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) and maternal depressive symptoms from toddlerhood to adolescence. The transactional dynamic was conceptualized in two ways—(a) parallel growth and (b) bidirectional effects—in terms of timing, direction, and the magnitude of effects, as well as how effects were moderated by gender and level of maternal depressive symptoms. Data were drawn from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,179). Using advanced statistical techniques in the structural equation modeling framework, such as multivariate latent growth curve models, latent class analyses, and fully autoregressive cross-lagged models, these findings demonstrate that in contrast to the traditional unidirectional maternal effects framework, the transactional dynamic more accurately represents the relationship between maternal and child functioning. Specifically, results indicated that the relationship between child internalizing behavior and maternal depressive symptoms was more strongly characterized as a parallel growth dynamic, whereas child externalizing behavior and maternal depressive symptoms more consistently exerted mutual influence. Bidirectional effects were not restricted to periods of heightened psychosocial stress, such as toddlerhood, adolescence, or transitions in school. Gender and level of maternal depressive symptoms moderated this bidirectional association. Maternal depressive symptoms had the largest effect on child internalizing behavior in middle childhood. Children’s externalizing behaviors in toddlerhood and early childhood had a strong effect on maternal depressive symptoms; the magnitude of this effect was greater than any other pathway from children to mothers or mothers to children. Findings suggest that children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior may serve as a potential risk factor for future increases in maternal depressive symptoms.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, page: 3500. Adviser: Lu-Yu Hwang. Includes bibliographical references.

Transition to parenthood is a major life event that affects both fathers and mothers. Being a potentially stressful period, it can predispose vulnerable individuals to mental health problems. Compared with maternal studies, there is a dearth of longitudinal research on the psychological impact of transition to fatherhood, particularly with anxiety problems. There are emerging studies demonstrating the adverse consequences of paternal postpartum depression on infant outcomes. It is important to investigate paternal postpartum depression and anxiety and address their relationships with poor infant outcomes which will contribute to the recognition of the problems and the development of early intervention. The current study aimed to contribute to greater knowledge on risk factors of paternal postpartum mental health problems, and their adverse impact on infants, as well as understanding the possible mediating mechanisms underlying such a relationship. A total of 654 couples completed self-report questionnaires at third trimester of pregnancy using validated self-report psychological instruments to evaluate fathers' prenatal mental health. Among them, 255 couples were examined longitudinally at six week postpartum for depression and anxiety symptoms, and fathers were also assessed for marital satisfaction, self-esteem, social support, and postpartum attachment with infants. At six months postpartum, 121couples were again surveyed to assess their infants’ temperament and development. According to established cut-offs, 12.0% and 13.1% of fathers experienced significant postpartum depression and anxiety. No demographic risk factors were found for postpartum depression or anxiety. Multiple regression analyses indicated that low martial satisfaction, low self-esteem, fathers having prenatal anxiety and depression, partners having postpartum depression predicted fathers’ postpartum depression. Low marital satisfaction, low self-esteem, poor social support and fathers having prenatal anxiety were significant risk factors for fathers’ postpartum anxiety. Depressed and anxious fathers reported having less patience and tolerance, pleasure in interaction, and affection and pride with their infants. Paternal postpartum depression was related to reduced infants’ falling reactivity, and poor social and total development in infants; while postpartum anxiety was associated with heightened infants’ distress to limitations, reduced failing reactivity and greater sadness. Baron and Kenny’s criteria was used to investigate whether poor paternal attachment with infants mediated these relationships. Pleasure in interaction partially mediated the relationship between paternal postpartum depression and social as well as total development in infants, whereas affection and pride mediated between fathers' postpartum depression and infants' falling reactivity as well as social development. Affection and pride also served as a partial mediator between fathers' postpartum anxiety and infants’ failing reactivity. Findings revealed that paternal postpartum depression and anxiety are significant mental health problems. Low marital satisfaction, low self-esteem, poor social support, prenatal depression and anxiety, and partners' postpartum depression could contribute to these problems. Postpartum depression and anxiety could reduce fathers' attachment with infants, which adversely impacted infants' temperament and development. The current study also addressed that risk factors for paternal postpartum depression and anxiety were different, and they had distinctive environmental pathways affecting infant outcomes. This provides significant implications for designing timely and effective interventions to improve fathers' well-being and proper father-infant interaction. (499 / published_or_final_version / Psychiatry / Master / Master of Philosophy

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The focus of the research study is to explore chronically ill African American, Latino, and White patients' causal attributions of symptoms of depression and factors that predict depression care treatment preferences among these groups. Research has demonstrated that perception of illness impacts what treatments a person will deem appropriate for their mental health problems and from whom they will seek treatment. Research also indicates that certain ethnic groups are more likely to seek treatment for their symptoms of depression in the primary care setting. Yet, it is unclear how they actually perceive their symptoms and what best predicts the treatments that they are likely to consider acceptable. A convenient sample of 109 HIV+ adults, 79 diabetic adults, and 3 adults with both conditions were recruited for this study. Participants had to be receiving services for either HIV, diabetes, or both conditions in one of the three central Austin facilities and be a representative from one of three racial/ethnic groups: African Americans, Latino, and White. Differences were found across ethnicity with regard to causal beliefs and treatment preferences for the symptoms of depression both among the HIV and the diabetic subgroups. Latinos in both groups were more likely than Whites to prefer counseling or a single form of treatment over combined treatment methods. Diabetic Latinos were more likely to prefer counseling for symptoms of depression. HIV seropositive individuals who reported the least number of symptoms of physical illness were more likely to attribute their symptoms of depression to stressful life events, whereas those who reported the greatest number of symptoms of physical illness were more likely to attribute their symptoms of depression to their medical illness. Additionally among the HIV subgroup, individuals who reported high stress tended to predict the preferences for treatment provided by a psychiatrist/psychologist and Whites scored highest on this factor. Finally, differences in depression scores across race/ethnicity were also revealed. The utility of assessing a patient's understanding of symptoms of depression in order to determine how personal illness models impact treatment preferences and knowledge of patient's causal attributions can aid medical social workers and physicians in collaborative management of chronic illness and depression are discussed.

The process of social problem-solving appears to consist of several general stages including problem orientation, problem definition, generation of alternatives, and decision making. A significant number of studies have found that depressed individuals have a more negative orientation towards their problems and generate a smaller number of less effective solutions on pencil-and-paper measures. Rumination in response to a dysphoric mood has been found to exacerbate feelings of sadness and social problem-solving deficits, while efforts at distraction have been found to reduce or eliminate these effects. To date, nearly all of the research on social problem-solving has utilized pencil-and-paper measures of how individuals feel they would respond to hypothetical problems. The current investigation was designed to evaluate the social problem-solving ability of dysphoric and non-dysphoric participants while talking with a counselor in an analogue counseling interview.More specifically, this study examined the effects of dysphoria and the use of temporary distraction techniques on the social problem-solving ability of 84 female undergraduate students. A structured problem-solving interview and corresponding coding system was designed to measure D'Zurilla and Goldfried's (1971) stages of problem-solving. The coding system yielded high levels of internal consistency, content validity, and construct validity. Forty-one dysphoric females and 43 non-dysphoric females were randomly assigned to either a rumination or distraction task. Dysphoric participants in the rumination condition reported increased levels of sadness, whereas dysphoric participants in the distraction condition reported decreased levels of sadness. After engaging in the rumination or distraction task, each participant was asked to talk with a female counselor during a structured problem-solving interview. Results of a 2 (dysphoric/non-dysphoric) X 2 (rumination/distraction) MANOVA yielded a non-significant interaction effect and a significant difference for the main effect of dysphoria on participants' ratings of problem severity and confidence in solving the problem. Dysphoric participants, whether given a rumination or distraction task, reported a more negative orientation towards their problems, but did not display any deficits in their ability to describe the problem, generate effective solutions, or choose an effective solution. The current findings underscore the need for more naturalistic, behavioral measurements of problem-solving ability and call into question the assumption that depressed individuals exhibit social problem-solving deficits. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study was designed to investiate the relationship between marital satisfaction and adherence to dysfunctional beliefs concerning the marital relationship among married couples in their twenties and retired married couples 65 years of age and older. Additionally, adherence to socially desirable response sets was also measured.Marital satisfaction among older couples was significantly higher than that of younger couples (p < .001). Older men demonstrated significantly greater adherence to dysfunctional beliefs about marriage than younger men (p < .01), while these beliefs were not significantly different for older and younger women. Older couples also demonstrated significantly greater adherence to socially desirable response sets than younger couples (p < .001 for women and p < .01 for men).Increased marital satisfaction was significantly correlated with decreased adherence to dysfunctional beliefs for all subjects (p < .001 for older women and p < .01 for all others) and with greater social desirability responding for all subjects except younger women (p < .01). Level of marital satisfaction among older couples was most influenced by that of one's spouse, while the satisfaction of younger couples was most affected by one's adherence to the belief that disagreement is destructive to the marriage. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

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).