Human Development and Family Studies

This study examined the impact of neighborhood racial discrimination on the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) in a sample of African American women. Participants were 499 women from Georgia and Iowa with no history of MDD who were followed for 9 to 11 years. Several neighborhood characteristics (community social disorder, community cohesion, and community racism) and individual characteristics (negative life events, financial strain, personal outlook, religious involvement, relationship quality, negative affectivity, and individual experiences of racism) were employed as predictors of whether or not the women met criteria for MDD during this period of time. In a multilevel logistic regression analysis, neighborhood-level discrimination as well as individual-level variables including the number of negative life events, financial strain, and negative affectivity were found to be significant predictors of developing MDD. Analyses of cross-level interactions indicated that ...

This study examined factorial invariance, structured means, and association with negative mood of adult attachment across 4 ethnic groups. Online survey data (N ϭ 831) were collected from African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Caucasian college students. Results indicated that the factor structure of the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale did not vary across the 4 groups. Asian Americans and perhaps also (p ϭ .051) Hispanic Americans reported greater attachment anxiety, whereas African Americans and Asian Americans reported greater attachment avoidance than did their Caucasian peers. Attachment anxiety was significantly associated with negative mood in every group, although Asian Americans reported a stronger association than their African American and Caucasian peers. The magnitude of the association between attachment avoidance and negative mood was invariant across the groups.

This study was part of a large double-blind sham surgery-controlled trial designed to determine the effectiveness of transplantation of human embryonic dopamine neurons into the brains of persons with advanced Parkinson's disease. This portion of the study investigated the quality of life (QOL) of participants during the 1 year of double-blind follow-up. Objectives: To determine whether QOL improved more in the transplant group than in the sham surgery group and to investigate outcomes at 1 year based on perceived treatment (the type of surgery patients thought they received). Design: Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the transplant or sham surgery. Reported results are from the 1-year double-blind period. Setting: Participants were recruited from across the United States and Canada. Assessment and surgery were conducted at 2 separate university medical centers. Participants: A volunteer sample of 40 persons with idiopathic Parkinson's disease participated in the transplant ("parent") study, and 30 agreed to participate in the related QOL study: 12 received the transplant and 18 received sham surgery. Interventions: Interventionsintheparentstudyweretransplantationandshambrainsurgery.AssessmentsofQOLwere made at baseline and 4, 8, and 12 months after surgery. Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of the actual transplant and sham surgery groups and the perceived treatment groups on QOL and medical outcomes. We also investigated change over time. Results: There were 2 differences or changes over time in the transplant and sham surgery groups. Based on perceived treatment, or treatment patients thought they received, there were numerous differences and changes over time. In all cases, those who thought they received the transplant reported better scores. Blind ratings by medical staff showed similar results. Conclusions: The placebo effect was very strong in this study, demonstrating the value of placebo-controlled surgical trials.

The development of an adequate assessment instrument is a necessary pre- requisite for social psychological research on loneliness. Two studies provide methodological refinement in the measurement of loneliness. Study 1 presents a revised version of the self-report UCLA ( ...

Background. Decreases in immune responsiveness with age contribute to the increased incidence and severity of infectious disease among elderly adults. The immune response to immunization also decreases with advancing age. Lifestyle factors (exercise, diet) have been established to play an important role in immunosenescence, and the practice of "healthy" behavior may minimize the age-associated decline of immune function. The objective of this study was to determine whether exercise, diet, and psychosocial factors were associated with altered immune response to influenza vaccine. Methods. Adults aged 62 years and older were categorized into one of three groups: active (Ն 20 min vigorous exercise three or more times per week), moderately active (regular exercise but with less intensity, frequency, and/or duration), or sedentary (no exercise). Two weeks postimmunization, serum was frozen for antibody analysis, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured in vitro with influenza vaccine to elicit antigen-specific responses (proliferation and cytokine [IL-2, IFN-␥ , IL-10] production). Cytokines and antibody were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The results demonstrated that anti-influenza IgG and IgM were greater in active as compared with moderately active or sedentary participants. PBMC proliferation was lowest in sedentary subjects. Perceived stress was a significant predictor of IL-2. Greater optimism and social activity were associated with greater IL-10. Daily multivitamin intake was significantly correlated with IL-2. Conclusions. These results suggest that lifestyle factors including exercise may influence immune response to influenza immunization. The practice of regular, vigorous exercise was associated with enhanced immune response following influenza vaccination in older adults. N

This study explored responses of chronic low back pain patients to treatment for different types of patients ("dysfunctional," "interpersonalfy distressed," and "minimizer/adaptive coper"), as classified using the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI). In addition, changes in MPI scores during treatment were examined separately for each patient type. Finally, this study explored the relationships between changes in MPI scores and physical improvement. Between-group differences in improvement were significant, with "dysfunctional" patients showing the most improvement on several scales. MPI scales that best predicted physical improvement differed according to patient type. Implications for treatment of low back pain patients are suggested, based upon differential reactions to treatment and different predictors of physical improvement for each patient group.

Background. Decreases in immune responsiveness with age contribute to the increased incidence and severity of infectious disease among elderly adults. The immune response to immunization also decreases with advancing age. Lifestyle factors (exercise, diet) have been established to play an important role in immunosenescence, and the practice of "healthy" behavior may minimize the age-associated decline of immune function. The objective of this study was to determine whether exercise, diet, and psychosocial factors were associated with altered immune response to influenza vaccine. Methods. Adults aged 62 years and older were categorized into one of three groups: active (Ն 20 min vigorous exercise three or more times per week), moderately active (regular exercise but with less intensity, frequency, and/or duration), or sedentary (no exercise). Two weeks postimmunization, serum was frozen for antibody analysis, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured in vitro with influenza vaccine to elicit antigen-specific responses (proliferation and cytokine [IL-2, IFN-␥ , IL-10] production). Cytokines and antibody were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The results demonstrated that anti-influenza IgG and IgM were greater in active as compared with moderately active or sedentary participants. PBMC proliferation was lowest in sedentary subjects. Perceived stress was a significant predictor of IL-2. Greater optimism and social activity were associated with greater IL-10. Daily multivitamin intake was significantly correlated with IL-2. Conclusions. These results suggest that lifestyle factors including exercise may influence immune response to influenza immunization. The practice of regular, vigorous exercise was associated with enhanced immune response following influenza vaccination in older adults. N

Fifty-four patients treated in a 3-week inpatient rehabilitation program were randomly assigned to and accepted treatment with electroacupuncture (n = 17) TENS (low intensity transcutaneous nerve stimulation, n = 18) and TENS deadbattery (placebo, n = 18). Outcome measures included estimates of pain (on a Visual Analogue Scale) and disability by both physician and patient, physical measures of trunk strength and spine range of motion, as well as the patient's perceptions of the relative contribution of the education, exercise training, and the electrical stimulation. Analyses of variance were utilized to determine effects of treatment (electroacupuncture, TENS, placebo) across time (admission, discharge, and return) for the outcome measures. There were no significant differences between treatment groups with respect to their overall rehabilitation. All 3 treatment groups ranked the contribution of the education as being greater than the electrical stimulation. However, the electroacupuncture group consistently demonstrated greater improvement on the outcome measures than the other treatment groups. For the visual analogue scale measure of average pain, there was a statistical trend at the return visit suggesting that the acupuncture group was experiencing less pain.

The present study used a person-centered approach to examine resilience in parenting among a sample of young mothers (under age 21 at childbirth). Resilient functioning as a parent was defined as the lack of perpetration of child maltreatment (substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect) in the context of risk. Risk factors were assessed at multiple levels, including family (e.g., negative childhood histories in family of origin) and ecological (e.g., neighborhood poverty, mother's financial stress) levels. Analyses revealed a group of mothers who demonstrated resilience in parenting despite a context of substantial risks from their childhood histories (e.g., negative family relationships) and current ecologies (e.g., economic and neighborhood conditions). Mothers in the resilient group were less likely to a) live with their families of origin, and b) to rely on their own mothers as sources of emotional or caregiving support. Data also indicated that young mothers' resilient functioning as parents was associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms among these mothers, perhaps suggesting a "cost" or limit to resilient parenting functioning in young mothers. Results are discussed in a resilience framework.

As technology becomes ubiquitous in classrooms, faculty will be asked to utilize new technologies in their instruction. Some will accept new ways to teach with technology while others resist. This paper aims to explore the factors that influence faculty to adopt online technology and faculty's concern about the adoption. The focus is on adoption and diffusion of online technology related to faculty development efforts that may help them effectively integrate online technology in their instruction.

Clinical depression; Major depression Definition "A common mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks" (World Health Organization 2019).

Objective: This prospective, longitudinal investigation examined psychological violence across generations. We examined how parent psychological violence experienced during adolescence influenced the stability of one's own intimate partner psychological violence perpetration across time and how psychological violence is related to harsh parenting in adulthood. Method: Data came from 193 parents and their adolescent who participated from adolescence through adulthood. Parental psychological violence was assessed in early adolescence. Partner violence was assessed in late adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood. Harsh parenting to their offspring was assessed in adulthood. Results: Parent psychological violence in early adolescence was associated with one's own intimate partner psychological violence in late adolescence. Partner psychological violence was stable from emerging adulthood to adulthood. Moreover, parental violence was also related to their own harsh parenting in adulthood. Conclusions: Findings suggest that children exposed to parental psychological violence during adolescence may have greater difficulty developing acceptable behaviors in their own romantic relationships over time, as well as parenting their own child in adulthood. Findings highlight the importance for clinicians and policymakers to develop and utilize effective educational and preventive interventions designed toward not only adolescent behaviors, but also that of the parent. Understanding how the family environment impacts current and long-term functioning is important in helping stop the cycle of violence across generations.

This dissertation encompasses two studies that examine the continuity of depressive symptoms across generations and the stability of depressive symptoms within generations across time among a sample of rural American families experiencing the agricultural economic downturn in the 1980s. In the first study, the Family Stress Model (FSM) was utilized to examine the effects of economic pressure on G1 maternal depressive symptoms, G1 mother hostility toward G1 father, G1 mother harsh parenting during G2 adolescence, and G2 depressive symptoms in adulthood. Findings were in support of the FSM in that economic pressure predicted G1 maternal depressive symptoms, which was associated with G1 mother hostility G1 father, that in turn predicted G1 mother harsh parenting during G2 adolescence, and G1 mother harsh parenting was associated with G2 depressive symptoms in adulthood. In the second study, the stability of and reciprocal association between depressive symptoms and couple conflict was assessed across time among a sample of married or cohabiting romantic partners. In addition, the moderating role of emotional support was examined. Contrary to expectations, the reciprocal association between depressive symptoms and couple conflict within and across time points was not supported. Moreover, the interaction between depressive symptoms and emotional support, and the interaction between couple conflict was not significant. However, the results did support stability of depressive symptoms and couple conflict across time, as well as an association between emotional support and couple conflict. These findings provide insight to the specific mechanisms of couple conflict, harsh parenting, and emotional support through which depressive symptoms are sustained.