Event Calendar

You are invited to attend the defense of the doctoral dissertation 

Bidirectional Effects of Daily Free-Living Physical Activity and Affective Distress in the Context of Perimenstrum
Biological females are disproportionately affected by anxiety and mood disorders and uniquely experience reproductive-related mood disorders, characterized in part by affective symptoms. During the days immediately prior to and during menses (i.e., perimenstrum), naturally cycling females experience a unique hormonal vulnerability window in which affective symptoms are expected to peak. Physical activity, among other lifestyle factors, appears to attenuate these affective symptoms, particularly in an intervention context. Yet, little is known about how affective symptoms and free-living physical activity fluctuate in tandem naturalistically. Further, it remains unknown if perimenstrum conditionally affects these associations. The present study examined bidirectional associations between device-measured physical activity (i.e., daily step count and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) and affective symptoms among naturally cycling biological females (N=68; Mage = 27.5, SD=5.7). Multi-level models allowed for the examination of within- and between-person effects, and perimenstrual status was tested as a dichotomous moderator (1=perimenstrual days; 0=all other days in the menstrual cycle). Both previous-day and same-day associations were evaluated. Results indicated that the interaction of between-person step count and perimenstrual status significantly predicted same-day affective symptoms (b = -0.01, se = 0.01, p = 0.039). Additionally, within-person increases in MVPA predicted lower same-day affective symptoms in a main effects model (b = -0.01, se = 0.00, p = 0.014). Analyses were extended post-hoc to include negative affect as an outcome related to affective symptoms (collectively called affective distress). In doing so, a global pattern emerged with higher physical activity across the sample associated with lower same-day affective distress. All findings should be interpreted cautiously, as significance was not retained following sensitivity analyses. These findings signal an effect of physical activity on affective distress, though findings appear to be acute, contextual, and in need of replication.

Thesis advisor: Dr. Samantha Farris

You are invited to attend the defense of the doctoral dissertation 

Real-Time Associations Between Emotional Responses to Social Media and Mood Differ by Adolescent: Implications for Risk and Resilience
Adolescents may be differentially vulnerable to the mental health effects of social media use. Specifically, some may experience stronger links between emotional reactions to social media (ERSM) and mood. This study examined, in real time, whether adolescents vary in the strength of their relationships between negative ERSM and depressed mood and whether these differences are associated with indices of mental health risk and resilience. Adolescent participants (N=131; ages 14-17) completed baseline assessments, followed by eight weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), three times daily. EMA surveys assessed ERSM (negative and positive), depressed mood, positive affect, and suicidal thoughts. A subsample (n=58) reported negative and positive reactions to in-person experiences and their emotion regulation strategy following negative ERSM. A dynamic structural equation model tested both group-level and person-specific (n=1) relationships between negative ERSM and depressed mood, accounting for prior depressed mood. Person-specific beta values (slopes) were extracted and examined in relation to baseline and ongoing mental health risk and protective factors. Adolescents displayed substantial heterogeneity in their ERSM/mood relationships, including 57.5% with positive, or “expected,” relationships, 37% with neutral relationships and 5.5% with inverse relationships. ERSM-mood relationships (beta values) were associated with baseline depression (p < .001), anxiety (p = .002), suicidal thoughts (p < .001), and nonsuicidal self-injury (p < .001), but not suicide attempts (p = .10). Throughout the EMA period, beta values were associated with higher levels of depressed mood (p < .001), suicidal thoughts (p < .001), mood volatility (negative: p < .001; positive: p = .004), and lower levels of positive affect (p = .02). However, beta values were not associated with frequency or intensity of negative or positive ERSM or in-person reactions/experiences (ps > .05). Beta values were also not associated with use of specific emotion regulation strategies or strategy diversity (ps > .05).  These findings suggest that adolescents vary widely, even on a proximal timescale, in how tightly their negative ERSM is coupled with overall mood. Stronger coupling was not explained by frequency or intensity of negative or positive experiences or by emotion regulation strategies but was associated with higher levels of mental health concerns. Notably, on most prompts, adolescents reported using no emotion regulation strategy. Future research should continue to probe how and for whom social media use may impact adolescent mental health.

Thesis advisor: Dr. Jessica Hamilton

You are invited to attend the defense of the doctoral dissertation 

The impact of puberty development on suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury: A focus on transgender and gender diverse youth
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are at elevated risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and behaviors as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Pubertal development may represent a particularly high-risk time frame for TGD youth, due to the potential for gender dysphoria. This study aims to examine differences in pubertal development, SI, and NSSI between TGD and cisgender youth. Further, this study seeks to understand whether there are interactions between pubertal development and gender minority status and the impact of such interactions on SI and NSSI. This study utilizes a sample of 198 adolescents recently discharged from acute psychiatric care who participated in a 4-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study. Participants completed measures of pubertal development, SI, and NSSI at baseline. Momentary passive SI, active SI, NSSI ideation, and NSSI behaviors were assessed through EMA surveys. Analyses leveraged ordinary least squares linear regression, binary logistic regressions, and multi-level linear regressions. There were no significant differences in pubertal development, SI, nor NSSI between TGD and cisgender participants. More advanced pubertal development was associated with greater past-week SI, lifetime NSSI behavior, passive and active suicidal ideation, and NSSI ideation, with no evidence of moderation by gender identity. There were no significant findings for the impact of growth spurts, acne, nor body hair on SI- and NSSI-related outcomes among TGD participants. TGD participants assigned female at birth who reported having had their period had lower recent NSSI behavior. Among TGD participants assigned male at birth, greater voice changes were predictive of reduced passive SI, active SI, and NSSI ideation, however these effects were no longer significant after the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure was applied. Given that puberty is marked by profound hormonal, physical, and social changes, targeted intervention efforts are essential to help youth navigate associated mental health challenges. The differential patterns observed in specific pubertal changes among TGD youth underscore the importance of tailored, developmentally informed care. Mental and physical healthcare providers should leverage this knowledge to offer targeted support, whether by facilitating access to potentially life-saving gender-affirming care, or by helping youth cope with the psychological distress that may accompany pubertal changes.

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Evan Kleiman