College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item THE WORST OF TIMES? AGING WITH LIMITED FAMILY TIES IN THE UNITED STATES(2024) Liu, Jingwen; Caudillo, Mónica L.; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The drastic demographic and family transitions since the 1970s have raised ongoing discussions about whether older adults fare well socially and psychologically when they are increasingly likely to age alone in the U.S. Based on the social convoy model, the three studies of this dissertation answer this question by extending the focus from the proximal kinship ties to nonkin networks and broader social participation. Particular attention is paid to gender and racial/ethnic differences as demographic and family transitions are experienced unevenly by different social groups. The first study examines how family instability and the deviation from “normative” family trajectories are associated with older adults’ mental health. It found different levels of importance of the structure and instability of family for men and women of different racial/ethnic groups. Moving beyond family and households, the second study explores the substitution effect of extended family, friends, and neighborhoods in the absence of proximal relations. It reveals the “double plight” of Black and Hispanic older adults who may suffer from both a disproportionate exposure to the declining marriage and a lack of supportive distant relations serving as buffer zones in the absence of core kinship ties. The third study disentangles the population-level age and cohort trends of social connectedness, a more comprehensive indicator of individuals’ social wellbeing. It finds distinct intercohort changes in both the overall level of social connectedness and intracohort gender and racial/ethnic disparities. These trends can be partially explained by cohort differences in socioeconomic resources and health. However, societal changes that emphasize the significance of intergenerational solidarity, friendship ties, digital communication, non-religious social participation, and volunteering may play a more significant role. Taken together, this dissertation depicts a mixed picture of different populations who demonstrate varying levels of vulnerability and resilience against the quickly developing society. Therefore, it calls for both the enhancement of social welfare regimes and more positive narratives about unique resilience and strengths for women, racial/ethnic minorities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults.Item GENDER AND SEXUAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AND USE OF CARE IN PRISON(2023) Sherrick, Alyse Natalyn; Bersani, Bianca E.; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Non-white and gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals experience minority stress through stigmatization and marginalization which can lead to higher rates of mental health issues, and limited access to healthcare. Using an intersectionality framework, these mental health issues are compounded for individuals with both GSM and non-white identities. Within the incarceration setting, mental health issues may be exacerbated due to the pains of imprisonment which can lead to frustration and psychological distress, along with differentially adverse experiences for GSM and non-white individuals. This study examines mental health symptoms, diagnoses, and use of care for GSM, non-white, and the intersection of GSM and non-white individuals in correctional facilities using the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates (N=24,234). In nearly all the analyses GSM individuals and GSM non-white individuals had higher rates of mental health symptoms, diagnoses, and care, and non-white individuals had significantly lower rates of mental health symptoms, diagnoses, and use of care. This may indicate that GSM individuals continue to experience pains of imprisonment despite higher use of mental health care, and that there may be a need for GSM-specific mental health care. Non-white individuals may have lower rates of symptoms and diagnoses due to White-centric frames of evaluation and fear of approaching providers for needed healthcare. It may be useful to develop culturally sensitive evaluation criteria for non-white individuals. This study is the first of its kind to look at mental health symptoms of GSM individuals in prison in a nationally representative sample.Item Bias versus Context Models for Integrating Multi-Informant Reports of Youth Mental Health(2021) Makol, Bridget A; De Los Reyes, Andres; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Best practices in youth mental health assessment entail collecting reports from multiple informants. However, multi-informant reports commonly yield different estimates of youth mental health (i.e., informant discrepancies), resulting in various clinical decision-making challenges and necessitating strategies for integrating them. Two leading theoretical models exist for interpreting informant discrepancies. Whereas one model posits that informant discrepancies reflect rater biases and thus depress measurement validity (i.e., bias models), the other posits that they reflect meaningful variations in behavior across social contexts (e.g., home, school) and thus enhance measurement validity (i.e., context models). Although greater empirical support exists for context models relative to bias models, measurement models extending from both bias (i.e., Trifactor Model [TFM]) and context (i.e., Trait Score Satellite Model [TSSM]) models have been developed. Across two studies, I rigorously compared the TFM and TSSM. In Study 1, a systematic review of TFM and TSSM research (n = 47) revealed that, relative to TFM studies, TSSM studies were more likely to include (a) informants who varied in where they observe behavior (e.g., parent [home] vs. teacher [school]) and (b) more informants. In Study 2, I subjected these models to validation testing using a sample (n = 134) that included three informants’ reports of adolescent social anxiety and independent ratings of adolescent behavior within peer interactions. I found satisfactory fit for both models when integrating all three informants’ reports. However, when predicting well-established, independent criterion variables (i.e., observed behavior, referral status), the primary score derived from the TSSM outperformed each individual informant’s report, a composite of informants’ reports, and the primary TFM-derived score. Relative to the TFM, the TSSM (a) more closely aligns with best practices in evidence-based assessment of youth mental health, and (b) more effectively integrates multi-informant reports in data conditions where informant discrepancies reflect valid information. When using measurement models designed to integrate multi-informant reports, users of these models must subject them to rigorous validation testing to discern their applicability to the data conditions in which they will be applied. In turn, integrating multi-informant reports requires explicitly linking theory, quantitative methodology, and empirical support observed within relevant data conditions.Item Stress, Mental Health, and Self-Care among Refugee Teachers in Malaysia(2020) Gosnell, Nicole; O'Neal, Colleen; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The mental health of post-conflict refugee teachers is understudied, yet critically important given the current refugee crisis which has displaced more than 70 million people (UNHCR, 2019). Teachers in hidden refugee schools are often refugees themselves, have little teacher education, and are faced with overwhelming classroom demands and other unique stressors. This study utilizes a mixed method design to examine stress, mental health (i.e., depression, and anxiety), and self-care among teachers in hidden refugee schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Quantitative data are archival, collected in Malaysia in 2013. Quantitative study participants included 97 primarily Burmese refugee teachers and 26 non-refugee teachers living in Malaysia. Quantitative measures included (a) Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS); (b) a self-care strategies questionnaire, and (c) a demographic questionnaire. Quantitative results suggest that refugee teachers have significantly higher rates of mental health and stress, but lower rates of self-care as compared to their non-refugee peer teachers. In addition, higher rates of self-care are associated with lower rates of mental health symptoms and stress rates; the association is moderated by age. Qualitative data were collected in June 2018 via individual interviews with eleven Burmese refugee teachers working in Malaysia. Qualitative results shed light on the unique definitions and experiences of stress, mental health, and self-care among refugee teachers in the context of macrolevel factors. Overall, this dissertation found that macrolevel factors unique to being a refugee impact refugees’ rates, experiences, and definitions of microlevel mental health symptoms, stress, and self-care.Item Appealing to Masculinity or Empathy?: Educating Men to Recognize Warning Signs of Dating Violence(2018) Kearney, Monica Sherri; O'Brien, Karen M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Dating violence continues to be a social concern for young adults (Barrick, Krebs, & Lindquist, 2013). Dating violence occurs often on college campuses, with between 16% and 50% of college women reporting experiences of dating violence prior to graduation (Knowledge Networks, 2011; Murray & Kardatzke, 2007). However, over half of college students reported that it is difficult to identify warning signs of dating violence (Knowledge Networks, 2011). Moreover, one study determined that undergraduate, heterosexual men have more difficulty recognizing warning signs of dating violence than undergraduate heterosexual women (Kearney & O’Brien, 2016). Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess multiple strategies to increase recognition of warning signs of dating violence and engagement in an online dating violence intervention with a sample of heterosexual college men. Participants were assigned randomly to one of four conditions: (1) the appeal to masculinity condition, (2) the appeal to empathy condition, (3) the combined appeal to masculinity and empathy condition, or (4) the control condition. Participants were instructed to watch the first component of STOP Dating Violence (O’Brien et al., 2016), a short online video intervention developed to educate college students about dating violence. Participants in the control condition received the standard intervention, while participants in the experimental conditions viewed a brief (one minute) introduction before beginning the intervention. Results indicated that all participants demonstrated an increase in ability to recognize warning signs of dating violence after participating in the intervention. Moreover, there was an interaction of time and condition for three dimensions of dating violence warning signs. However, condition did not have an effect on engagement with the intervention material. The results and future directions for research are discussed.Item Intersectional experiences, stigma-related stress, and psychological health among Black LGB communities(2018) Jackson, Skyler; Mohr, Jonathan J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Contemporary theories of stigma-related stress (Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Krieger, 2014; Meyer, 2003) suggest that marginalized populations face chronic experiences of prejudice and discrimination due to their minority statuses—and that these stressful events undermine psychological health. Research based on this perspective typically (a) focus on one aspect of identity (e.g., sexual orientation) in isolation from other salient aspects of identity (e.g., race), (b) test temporal theories of discrimination and health using cross-sectional study designs, and (c) focus on experiences of stigmatization, overlooking the potential role of positive, identity-supportive experiences in mental health. The present study uses daily diary methods to explore the prevalence and day-to-day correlates of intersectional experiences (IEs) in a sample of 131 Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Every evening for one week, participants reported both negative and positive IEs from the last 24 hours, and completed measures of identity conflict, rumination, and affect. Across 849 combined study days, participants described 97 negative IEs (11.4% of days) and 263 positive IEs (31.0% of days). Multilevel regression was used to test concurrent and temporal relations between daily IEs and mood—as well as the mediating roles of identity conflict and rumination—at the within-person and between-person levels. Negative IEs were associated with identity conflict and negative affect at both the within- and between-person levels, and negative rumination at the within-person level only. Positive IEs predicted positive rumination and positive affect (but not identity conflict) at the within- and between-person levels. Results indicated that identity conflict mediated the concurrent association between negative IEs and negative affect (but not between positive IEs and positive affect) at both levels of analysis. Negative rumination mediated the concurrent association of negative IEs and negative affect at the within-person level (but not the between-person level). The study also produced a significant indirect path from positive IEs to positive affect, mediated through positive rumination, at both levels of analysis. No direct or indirect lag-effects were demonstrated in which IEs predicted next day outcomes. This microlongitudinal investigation is among the first to quantitatively capture the prevalence and day-to-day correlates of intersectional experiences among LGB people of color.Item MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTION REGULATION AMONG REFUGEE STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA(2016) Gosnell, Nicole; O'Neal, Colleen R; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The global refugee crisis has propelled over 65.3 million refugees into flight, including 33 million children (UNHCR, 2016). This study utilizes a mixed-methods design to examine mental health and emotion regulation among post-conflict Southeast Asian refugee children. To understand stressors that may cause mental health challenges, this study explores themes raised in qualitative interviews addressing oppression in Burma, flight to Malaysia, and life in Malaysia. Quantitative study participants included 90 refugee children in Malaysia aged 10-19 years (M = 14.22, 74.4% Burmese, 51.1% female). Measures included the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and the Emotions as a Child (EAC) Qualitative participants included four refugee boys who participated in a group interview about their individual experiences. This study examined: rates of PTSD and MDD among refugee students, the relation between emotion regulation and mental health, and the unique post-conflict stressors experienced by refugee children.Item Why Does Employment Discrimination Persist against People with Mental Illness? Effects of Negative Stereotypes, Power, and Differential Discrimination(2016) Hipes, Crosby; Lucas, Jeffrey; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Mental illness affects a sizable minority of Americans at any given time, yet many people with mental illness (hereafter PWMI) remain unemployed or underemployed relative to the general population. Research has suggested that part of the reason for this is discrimination toward PWMI. This research investigated mechanisms that affect employment discrimination against PWMI. Drawing from theories on stigma and power, three studies assessed 1) the stereotyping of workers with mental illness as unfit for workplace success, 2) the impact of positive information on countering these negative stereotypes, and whether negatively-stereotyped conditions elicited discrimination; and 3) the effects of power on mental illness stigma components. I made a series of predictions related to theories on the Stereotype Content Model, illness attribution, the contact hypothesis, gender and mental health, and power. Studies tested predictions using, 1) an online vignette survey measuring attitudes, 2) an online survey measuring responses to fictitious applications for a middle management position, and 3) a laboratory experiment in which some participants were primed to feel powerful and some were not. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that PWMI were routinely stigmatized as incompetent, dangerous, and lacking valued employment attributes, relative to a control condition. This was especially evident for workers presented as having PTSD from wartime service and workers with schizophrenia, and when the worker was a woman. Study 2 showed that, although both war-related PTSD and schizophrenia evoke negative stereotypes, only schizophrenia evoked hiring discrimination. Finally, Study 3 found no effect of being primed to feel powerful on stigmatizing attitudes toward a person with symptoms of schizophrenia. Taken together, findings suggest that employment discrimination towards PWMI is driven by negative stereotypes; but, stereotypes might not lead to actual hiring discrimination for some labeled individuals.Item Childhood Attention Problems and the Development of Comorbid Symptoms at the Transition to High School: The Mediating Role of Parent and Peer Relationships(2015) LeMoine, Kaitlyn Ashley; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for the development of depression and delinquent behavior. Children and adolescents with ADHD also experience difficulty creating/maintaining high quality friendships and parent-child relationships, and these difficulties may contribute to the development of co-morbid internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescence. However, there is limited research examining whether high quality friendships and parent-child relationships mediate the relation between ADHD and the emergence of these co-morbid symptoms at the transition to high school. This study examines the mediating role of relationship quality in the association between ADHD and depressive symptoms/delinquent behaviors at this developmentally significant transition point. Results revealed significant indirect effects of grade 6 attention problems on grade 9 depressive symptoms through friendship quality and quality of the mother-child relationship in grade 8. Interventions targeting parent and peer relationships may be valuable for youth with ADHD to promote successful transitions to high school.Item A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationship between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Anxiety among Youth: Distress Tolerance as a Mediating and Moderating Factor(2014) Banducci, Anne Nicole; Lejuez, Carl; MacPherson, Laura; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Background: Anxiety is the most common psychological problem experienced by youth. A number of factors are associated with the emergence of anxiety, including individual and environmental factors. Two such factors include childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and low distress tolerance (DT). The current study aimed to understand how more severe CEA and lower DT impacted anxiety symptoms among community youth. Specifically, we examined low DT both as a moderator and mediator in the relationship between CEA and anxiety. Methods: Participants were two cohorts of community youth. Cohort 1 included 244 youth (54% male, 50% White, 35% Black, 3% Hispanic, 11% mixed/other) with a mean baseline age of 12.01 years (SD = 0.82) assessed annually over five years. Cohort 2 included 109 youth (60% male, 11% White, 79% Black, 10% mixed/other) with a mean baseline age of 10.87 years (SD = 1.28) assessed annually over three years. Measures included the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and Behavioral Indicator of Resiliency to Distress. Results: In cohort 1, more severe CEA was associated with higher anxiety at baseline and with sharper decreases in anxiety over time. Lower DT was associated with higher anxiety at baseline, but did not predict changes in anxiety over time. Distress tolerance significantly moderated the relationship between CEA and anxiety, such that youth with both low DT and more severe CEA had the highest anxiety across all five assessments. Results using data from cohort 2 were not significant. Conclusions: These findings suggest lower DT amplifies the relationship between CEA and anxiety, such that youth with lower DT, who have been abused, are less likely to experience normalization in anxiety symptoms over time compared to youth with higher DT. These findings are in line with diathesis-stress models common to developmental psychopathology.