Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1980. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Summary When children are exposed to traumatic events, they might develop many physical and psychological symptoms that need immediate intervention in order to alleviate further adverse consequences. The overall aim of this study is to assess the impact of political violence on behavioral problems, anxiety and depression among the Palestinian children in Gaza Strip. This has also been carried out through taking into consideration some other factors; i.e. gender, age, educational level of the mother, family income, place of residence and periods of exposure. Analytical study was carried out a sample of 130 Palestinian children aged from 9 - 16 years (elementary and preparatory school stages) living in Gaza Strip. These children were assessed during the second school semester using structured self-report questionnaire for possible types of behavioral problems, anxiety and depression as a result of the traumatic events they were exposed to. Rutter's behavioral problem scale for children, Beck's depression scale and Reynolds anxiety scale were used in the study. Main findings 1.It was found that 23.8 % of the children in the case group suffer from a high level of anxiety which needs therapy. 2.By looking at the results, we can see that 18.8% of the children suffer from depression and they need intervention. 3.It was found that 88% of the children whose ages ranged from (9-12) suffered from various kinds of behavioral problems and neurotic symptoms and they need psychological help. 4.Comparing the case group and control group whose ages ranged between 13 and 16 years, we can see that the case group (high trauma) got high scores on anxiety than the control group (low trauma) (t value=4.2 P-value < 0.001). 5.Comparing the case group and control group whose ages ranged between 13 and 16 we can see that the case group (high trauma) got high scores on depression scale than the control group (low trauma) (t value=4.5 P-value < 0.001). 6.It was found that the educational level of the mother was one of the factors that was related to behavioral problems and neurotic symptoms among children. The differences were significant between preparatory and secondary children. 7.By looking to the results, we can find that gender as one of the variables which was examined with its relationship with anxiety and depression was not significant. 8.Periods of exposure were not significant with their relationship with anxiety, depression and behavioral problems in all groups.

No description available.

No description available.

Introduction: The association between smoking and depression has been well established, but the nature of the relationship has not been determined. A synthesis of longitudinal studies examining the onset of smoking and depression among adolescents demonstrated consistent evidence of both smoking predicting depression and depression predicting smoking in multiple populations; however, more work is needed to develop and test the mechanisms associated with the onset of the co-occurrence of smoking and depression. This thesis examines the role of a broad range of potential confounders on the relationship between smoking and depression, and investigates a potential mechanism of effect. Method: Analyses were conducted using the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) cohort which included 1293 students initially aged 12-13 years recruited from all grade seven classes in a convenience sample of ten secondary schools in Montreal, Canada surveyed twenty times over five years. Multiple regressions were performed to examine the temporal relationship of potential confounders on the relationship between smoking and depression and to empirically observe variables that could be intermediate on pathways between smoking and depression. A growth curve model was developed to test the effect of perceived self medication on changes in depression scores over time. Results: A concept map of the smoking and depression relationship in the NDIT cohort was developed according to the results of proportional hazard and fixed effect regressions in which friend smoking, stress, and anxiety-associated variables were identified as intermediate variables. Perceived self-medication was associated with decelerated rates of change of depressive symptoms over times, suggesting that smoking may increase mean levels of stress and depressive symptoms, but may offer the perception of control. Conclusion: In concert, this thesis suggests a model in which stress and the perceived control of psychobiological function using cigarettes lead to the development of increased depressive symptoms and increased cigarette use.

Pregnancy is often portrayed as a happy time for the woman and her family. In reality, many women struggle with negative emotions and moods that can have deleterious effects on the mother, the fetus, and the growing family. Depression is an increasing, worldwide problem, with women in their childbearing years and those of low socioeconomic status the most vulnerable. <p>This study explores depression, as determined by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), in a high-risk sample of pregnant women enrolled in two prenatal programs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. A prevention and population health approach has been used to identify potential determinants and implications of antenatal depression. The data analyzed in this study were from the first cross-sectional portion of a longitudinal, epidemiological study of depression in pregnancy into the postpartum. Women were invited to participate in the study at their first prenatal visit. Data were collected by program staff. <p>The prevalence of depression in this sample of 402 high-risk women was 29.5%, which is similar to other studies of inner-city, low income, and minority women elsewhere in the world. In the final model, antenatal depression was associated with a history of depression, moods going up and down, current smoking status, high levels of stressors, and social support.<p>Factor analysis of the EPDS revealed three underlying factors: Anxiety, Depression, and Self-harm thoughts. The anxiety factor explained most of the variance in the overall EPDS scores in this sample of women. A history of problems with mood fluctuations was significantly associated with anxiety and depression subscales and self-harm. Significantly more women aged 21 and under experienced anxiety, and more Aboriginal women experienced depressive symptoms and self-harm thoughts. Twenty percent of women reported self-harm thoughts in the preceding seven days. Depressed, Aboriginal, and single women, and women who use alcohol were most at risk for self-harm thoughts. <p>The level of depressive symptoms in this sample of women represents a significant public and mental health problem in women already challenged by inequities in their life circumstances. We need to develop public health policy that will support screening and identification of women with depression. Interventions at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention can help to improve the health of women struggling with antenatal depression, promote the optimal intrauterine environment for their unborn children, and reduce the intergenerational transmission of depression.

Introduction: The association between smoking and depression has been well established, but the nature of the relationship has not been determined. A synthesis of longitudinal studies examining the onset of smoking and depression among adolescents demonstrated consistent evidence of both smoking predicting depression and depression predicting smoking in multiple populations; however, more work is needed to develop and test the mechanisms associated with the onset of the co-occurrence of smoking and depression. This thesis examines the role of a broad range of potential confounders on the relationship between smoking and depression, and investigates a potential mechanism of effect. Method: Analyses were conducted using the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) cohort which included 1293 students initially aged 12-13 years recruited from all grade seven classes in a convenience sample of ten secondary schools in Montreal, Canada surveyed twenty times over five years. Multiple regressions were performed to examine the temporal relationship of potential confounders on the relationship between smoking and depression and to empirically observe variables that could be intermediate on pathways between smoking and depression. A growth curve model was developed to test the effect of perceived self medication on changes in depression scores over time. Results: A concept map of the smoking and depression relationship in the NDIT cohort was developed according to the results of proportional hazard and fixed effect regressions in which friend smoking, stress, and anxiety-associated variables were identified as intermediate variables. Perceived self-medication was associated with decelerated rates of change of depressive symptoms over times, suggesting that smoking may increase mean levels of stress and depressive symptoms, but may offer the perception of control. Conclusion: In concert, this thesis suggests a model in which stress and the perceived control of psychobiological function using cigarettes lead to the development of increased depressive symptoms and increased cigarette use.

Många av oss kommer någon gång i livet att drabbasav depression och enligt forskning blir sjukdomen allt vanligare. Syftet var att belysabestämningsfaktorer rörande upplevd livskvalitet hos vuxna med depression. Metoden en systematisk litteraturstudiegenomfördes med induktiv ansats där 12 vetenskapliga artiklar utgör grunden förresultatet. Resultatet visade attsamhörighet, familjen och vården var faktorer som påverkade livskvalitetenpositivt. Samtidigt som ensamhet, vardagssysslor och försämrad sexuell hälsa bidrogtill försämrad livskvalitet. Slutsatsen blevatt samhörighet, i familjen ellermed andra, är den viktigaste delen i att få en så god upplevelse avlivskvalitet som möjligt under depressionen. Detta då det skapar en viktigt medtrygghet och ett stöd från människor runt omkring patienten

ABSTRACT “DEPRESSION IS A MEDICAL CONDITION”: EXPLORING THE MEDICALIZATION OF DEPRESSION ON SSRI WEBSITES Sociologists of medicine have become increasingly interested in mental health over the last two decades (Pilgrim and Rogers, 2005). Known as the “common cold” of mental illness, depression affects millions around the globe. The social understanding of depression has been shaped by a phenomenon known as medicalization, where an unusual behavior or state of being is labeled illness or disorder or disease, and addressed through rationalized medical intervention. The medicalization of depression is particularly evident on SSRI websites. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are a popular class of antidepressants used to treat depression. Pharmaceutical companies who manufacture these medications now advertise their products on the Internet, an increasingly popular source for health information. This thesis is a critical, empirical investigation of the medicalization of depression on SSRI websites. Five major research questions guide this study. First, how is depression portrayed on the websites? Second, what are the means used to construct this portrayal? Third, who is the apparent target audience? Fourth, what assumptions are made about this audience? Finally, what is absent from or silent in the websites? These questions are answered using an analytical framework called Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This framework is both a theoretical orientation and a methodological process (Fairclough, 1992). This study reveals that medicalization has a strong impact on the portrayal of depression on the websites, and is the major perspective from which the issue is approached. The depressed person is seen to be affected by depression in a variety of ways, including being ill with a medical condition and at risk for further difficulty if treatment is not handled properly. A variety of means are used to construct the portrayal of depression, including structural means such as interactional controls, linguistic means such as word choices and meanings, and visual means such as the use of diagrams and caricatures. Embedded in the text are a number of indicators which highlight some apparent assumptions about the targeted audience, such as insurance coverage and general literacy. Absences or silences in the texts include a failure to discuss the prevention of depression. The most significant finding concerns “the symptom/side-effect” problem; this dilemma highlights the lack of clarity around definitions of recovery and mental health as well as the purpose of taking medications. It also reveals that, while the application of the medicalized perspective to depression is certainly useful given the efficacy of antidepressant drugs for many people, it is not infallible and requires careful critical consideration.

Abstract Cognitive theories of emotional disorders predict that individuals suffering from an emotional disorder exhibit increased interference for stimuli that are idiosyncratic to their disorder (Williams, Mathews, & MacLeod, 1996). However, due to inconsistent results, there is debate as to whether attention disrupting effects for negative information occur in depression. Suitability of experimental stimuli employed to elicit attentional biases is a commonly cited limitation that may have contributed to these inconsistencies. The present investigation was designed to examine the influence of rumination on the operation of attentional biases in depression using a digit-parity task. Depressed and never-depressed participants were required to make a speeded judgement about the parity of two digits flanking a to-be-ignored centrally presented word. Depressed individuals displayed longer digit-parity response times for depression-relevant words relative to never-depressed individuals. Furthermore, depressed individuals displayed the longest digit-parity response times for word stimuli relevant to the idiosyncratic content of their ruminative thoughts. These findings highlight the importance of studying the idiosyncratic content of each depressed individuals ruminative themes when investigating attentional biases within this population.