Browsing by Author "Cyders, Melissa"
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Item A Pilot Study Of A Mental Health Education Program (AMUSE) For Restaurant Employees(2024-08) Muth, A. J.; Salyers, Michelle; Cyders, Melissa; Williams, Jane; Rand, KevinRestaurant workers in the United States (US) face multiple stressors and mental health concerns. Additionally, there are indications that restaurant workers may hold stigmatizing mental health beliefs and are less likely to seek help for mental health concerns. Despite this, there have been no interventions assessed that target restaurant workers’ mental health, well-being, and mental health stigma. The purpose of this study is to provide an initial evaluation of one such intervention, a mental health education course (AMUSE) developed by a restaurant nonprofit (CHOW) focused on mental health in the restaurant industry. As an initial pilot study, we assessed the feasibility and acceptability of AMUSE, and sought to identify potential outcomes, and explore potential moderators and confounds. A combination of quantitative (pre and post measures) and qualitative (follow-up interviews) methods were utilized to collect data. Initial indications show that AMUSE is feasible to deliver and well accepted by those who have taken it. Additionally, participants demonstrated positive changes in help-seeking and self-efficacy after completing the course. Positive changes appeared to be moderated by characteristics of participants’ restaurant work. Despite our expectations, no significant changes were observed for stigma, motivation, social support, well-being, psychological distress, or stress. Future directions and recommendations for AMUSE were discussed based on these findingsItem Concurrent Substance Use and Related Problems among African American Adolescents: A Daily Diary Study(2020-08) Banks, Devin Elizabeth; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Cyders, Melissa; Hensel, Devon; Pietri, EvavaAfrican American adolescents have historically been considered at low risk for substance use relative to the White adolescent majority based on national prevalence estimates. However, during the last decade, African American adolescents’ rates of marijuana use—alone and in combination with other substances—have increased disproportionately relative to those of their White peers. Given the strong relationship between marijuana use and other substance use and the functional consequences associated with concurrent substance use during adolescence, the increase in marijuana use among African American youth may contribute to increased substance-related health disparities across the lifespan. Thus, the current study examined daily associations between marijuana use and other substance use among African American adolescents relative to their White peers. It also examined whether those associations differentially predicted behavioral health consequences among African American adolescents. Participants (N = 35; 42.9% African American) were adolescents age 14-18 who reported past 30-day use of marijuana, alcohol, and/or tobacco products. Respondents completed daily diaries reporting their substance use for 14 consecutive days, followed by self-report measures of internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and substance use problems. Multilevel regression and structural equation models were used to account for the nesting of days within individuals. Participants completed 458 diaries for a completion rate of 93.5%. African American respondents reported greater daily- and individual-level rates of marijuana use and concurrent substance use than White respondents. However, in multilevel models controlling for demographics, marijuana use was not related to concurrent use of alcohol and/or tobacco use and this relationship did not vary by race. Racial differences in the relationship between concurrent substance use and behavioral health consequences were observed such that the relationship was positive among White youth but not African American youth. Findings suggest that African American youth are at high risk for engagement in problematic patterns of substance use but that daily diary methods may not be most appropriate for illuminating these patterns. Despite these unexpected results, disparities in substance-related consequences among African Americans adults persist. Future research should examine long-term rather than proximal consequences of concurrent substance use among African American adolescents.Item E-cigarettes: A novel measure for the expectancies of e-cigarette use as directly compared to cigarette use(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Hershberger, Alexandra; Karyadi, Kenny; Cyders, MelissaBackground: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) were created as an alternative to cigarettes and approximate the look and experience of smoking a cigarette (American Cancer Society, 2014). E-cigs are often marketed as having fewer health risks as compared to cigarettes (Grana & Ling, 2014) and individuals anecdotally report choosing to use e-cigs because they are safer than traditional cigarettes. However, no research has directly compared expectations individuals have about e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. Having positive expectations about e-cigs makes it more likely an individual will choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes. The present study created a novel measure, the Electronic Cigarette Questionnaire (ECQ), to directly compare e-cig and cigarette expectations. Method: Undergraduate students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course voluntarily completed an online survey containing the ECQ and other demographic questions as part of a larger study. Participants received course credit for study completion. Results: Two hundred ninety-one students (mean age=20, SD=4.05, 71.2% white, 75.3% female, 8.3% e-cig users) completed the ECQ and other measures. The reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.93). An exploratory factor analysis using Promax rotation found three factors (eigenvalue>1, supported by scree plot): health related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less harmful to the user’s health than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.93), craving and withdrawal related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are more enjoyable to use than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.90), and general use behavior expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less addictive than traditional cigarettes”; 5 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.82). Correlation between all three scales were significant (p<.01; Health x General Use, r=0.562; Health x Craving, r=0.515; General Use x Craving, r=0.585). Frequency of e-cig use (never, a few times a month, a few times a week, at least once a day, 10 or more times per day) was related to higher positive expectations towards e-cigs as compared to cigarettes, F(4, 287)=3.7, p=0.01. Conclusions: Individuals directly compare e-cigs and cigarettes on health-related, craving and withdrawal, and general use expectations. Although cross-sectional, this data suggests the viability of a causal model in which more positive expectations about e-cigs as compared to cigarettes likely influences one’s choice to choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes and leads to more frequent ecig use. Future studies should investigate how these expectations affect later e-cig use and how e-cig advertisements, which often claim that e-cigs are better for your health than cigarettes (Huang et al., 2014; Paek et al., 2014) without strong empirical data to support these claims, can change expectations and subsequent e-cig use. The relationship between the ECQ and e-cig use frequency suggest that this is a valid measure of expectancies towards e-cigs as compared to cigs.Item Effect of Depression Treatment on Somatic Depressive Symptoms and Cardiometabolic Biomarkers among People without Diabetes(2022-05) Shell, Aubrey Lynn; Stewart, Jesse; Hirsh, Adam; Cyders, Melissa; Considine, RobertWhile depression is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, little is known about the effect of depression treatment on diabetes risk markers. Using data from the recently completed eIMPACT trial (NCT02458690, supported by R01 HL122245), I examined if depression intervention improves diabetes risk markers and if improvements in somatic depressive symptoms mediate potential intervention effects. 216 participants (primary care patients ≥50 years with depression and elevated cardiovascular disease risk from a safety net healthcare system) were randomized to 12 months of the eIMPACT intervention (modernized collaborative care intervention involving internet cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT], telephonic CBT, and/or select antidepressants; n=107) or usual primary care for depression (primary care providers supported by embedded behavioral health clinicians and affiliated psychiatrists; n = 109). Given my focus on diabetes risk, I excluded participants who did not attend the post-treatment visit (n = 17) or who had a diabetes history at pre-treatment (n = 73), leaving a final sample of 126 (n=66 intervention, n=60 usual care; Mage = 58 years, 79% women, 50% Black, 47% with income <$10k/year). I computed depressive symptom severity variables from the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-20 (SCL-20) items: hyperphagia (“overeating” item), poor appetite (“poor appetite”), hypersomnia (“sleeping too much”), disturbed sleep (“sleep that is restless or disturbed”) and SCL-15 (mean of items not pertaining to appetite or sleep). I calculated insulin resistance from fasting plasma glucose and insulin using the Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)-2 calculator, body mass index (BMI) from measured height and weight, and plasma concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), leptin, and ghrelin using ELISA kits. Parallel mediation analyses revealed that 12 months of modernized collaborative care for depression improved both directions of sleep symptoms but did not improve poor appetite or hyperphagia – the somatic symptom most consistently linked with increases in HOMA-IR, BMI, hsCRP, and leptin. Of the five cardiometabolic biomarkers examined, the eIMPACT intervention decreased only hsCRP and ghrelin. There were no intervention effects on HOMA-IR, BMI, or leptin. In addition, no somatic depressive symptoms mediated intervention effects on the cardiometabolic biomarkers, nor did race moderate any mediation effects. Further research is warranted to determine best practices for targeting hyperphagia and reducing cardiometabolic disease risk among people with depression.Item Effects of Abstinence in Early Addiction Recovery on Functional Brain Networks and Behaviors(2024-05) Shen, Yitong; Oberlin, Brandon; Cyders, Melissa; Dzemidzic, MarioBackground: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) poses negative health and social consequences, and is costly to affected individuals, loved ones, and society (Whiteford et al., 2013). It is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder, associated with impaired decision making and altered functional connectivity patterns in the brain. Many studies have shown changes in the brain and behaviors after sustained abstinence using within-participant design or between-participant design comparing participants in recovery versus healthy controls (Muller & Meyerhoff, 2021; Wilcox et al., 2019). The purpose of this study was to investigate brain differences between participants in recovery and participants who are actively drinking. Specifically, this study evaluated within- and between-network resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) strengths in the context of the triple network model, which focuses on three key networks for complex perceptual, emotional and behavior processing as well as introspection, theory of mind and self-awareness; the salience network (SN), the central executive network (CEN), and the default mode network (DMN) (Menon, 2019). Moreover, this study assessed the relationship between impulsive choices in temporal decision-making and changes in resting-state functional connectivity patterns in these networks. Methods: This study included two groups: the Recovery Group and the Drinking Group. The Recovery Group included participants who were starting recovery (within one year), met AUD diagnosis criteria or showed lifetime heavy drinking behaviors during a 12-month period, received treatment for substance use disorder for alcohol and/or illicit drugs, and showed ongoing intentions and efforts to maintain recovery (n=18, 6 females, mean age=32.4±7.4, 17 White, mean years of education=14.5±3.1, average days of abstinence prior to interview days=78.2±45.7). The Drinking Group included participants who were currently drinking that met diagnosis criteria for AUD or showed heavy drinking behaviors (n=49, 24 females, mean age=31.7±6.4, 29 White, mean years of education=13.6±2.3). Participants underwent an initial screen day where structured interviews were conducted to evaluate the number of lifetime AUD criteria and prior drinking patterns. On the study day, participants completed computer tasks and questionnaires prior to their functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) sessions. Participants in the Recovery Group received a virtual reality (VR) intervention targeting future self-continuity where they interacted with avatars that are versions of themselves (present self and future selves in recovery and relapsed) prior to MRI sessions. All participants completed baseline Delay Discounting (DD) to measure intertemporal choice preferences prior to the fMRI sessions and prior to the VR intervention for the Recovery Group. Results: This study did not find any significant differences in within- and between-network rsFC strength of regions of interest of this study within the triple networks between participants in recovery and those who were actively drinking. The study found that participants in recovery showed a greater preference for delayed rewards (measured by DD task) compared to participants who are actively drinking. Additionally, measures of self-reported impulsivity and impulsive decision-making were associated with resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) strength between regions within the Salience Network (SN), and between the SN and Central Executive Network (CEN). Specifically, baseline delayed reward preference was positively associated with the rsFC between two SN hubs: left dorsal anterior insula (dAIC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The rsFC between the left dACC (SN) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC; CEN) negatively associated with subscales (including negative urgency, lack of perseverance, and lack of premeditation) of self-reported impulsivity measured by the Urgency-Premeditation-Perseverance-Sensation Seeking-Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) impulsive behavior scale. Together, these results suggested that there was an emerging pattern where enhanced the rsFC strength in these regions associated with higher impulsive tendencies. The exploratory analysis showed that the rsFC strength between the right precuneus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was related to abstinence length in participants in recovery. Conclusions: These findings indicated that participants in recovery exhibited higher delayed reward preference compared to participants who were actively drinking, alongside a significant relationship between measures of impulsivity and the rsFC within the SN and between the SN and CEN. These results highlighted the importance of the SN and its dynamic interaction with the CEN in self-reported impulsivity and impulsive decision making in addiction. Additionally, this study found that within-network functional connectivity strength in the DMN was related to abstinence length, suggesting that repairment in the rsFC strength within DMN might be integral to the process of addiction recovery.Item Effects of sexting on perceptions of sexual intent, sexual consent, and responsibility in sexual encounters(2017-05) Dir, Allyson L.; Cyders, MelissaSexting has been linked to a range of sexual behaviors, including sexual assault; however, the mechanism through which sexting increases the risk for sexual assault is unknown. One explanation for the role of sexting in sexual assault could be due to gender differences in sexting and sexual communication. The current study examined men’s and women’s perceptions of sexting as a form of communicating sexual intent and sexual consent, and how sexting influences attributions of responsibility and blame in sexual encounters and alleged sexual assault. Additionally, considering the role of alcohol in sexual assault, the study also examined how both sexting and alcohol influenced individuals’ perceptions of a sexual scenario. Method:Using a factorial vignette design, N = 525 college students (48.6% women; 71% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes regarding a sexual scenario between a man and woman (John and Jennifer), with sexting and/or alcohol involved. Results: Significant differences in sexting vs. texting conditions were seen for perceptions of sexual intent (F = 147.28, p< .01) and sexual consent (F = 105.86, p< .01). Men were more likely to perceive that sexual consent was exchanged (F = 9.16, p< .01) and to interpret the sext as a consent cue (F = 7.82, p< .01). John was attributed more responsibility/blame across all conditions (F = 154.58, p< .01); however, Jennifer was attributed more blame in the sexting conditions (F = 9.16, p< .01). Conclusion: Results suggest that despite sexting as a signal of sexual interest, there are differences in how men and women perceive sexting as sexual consent, which may influence the risk for sexual assault. Additionally, there are differential effects of sexting for men vs. women, such that women may be judged more harshly for sexting, suggesting evidence of the sexual double standard. Results offer important implications for sexual assault prevention and sexual gender roles.Item Everyone Wants An "A": The Role of Academic Expectations in Academic Performance(2019-08) Fortney, Sarah Katherine; Rand, Kevin L.; Cyders, Melissa; Stewart, Jesse C.Expectations are a key aspect of human success and behavior that predict outcomes in a variety of settings, including academics. Trait expectations (e.g., hope and optimism) and previous experiences appear relevant to the formation of specific expectations. Specific expectations predict outcomes, with positive expectations predicting better outcomes. In academics, positive specific expectations predict improved academic performance; however, there are aspects of this relationship that are unclear. This study sought to examine the formation of specific academic expectations and the relationship between these expectations and academic performance. The current study aimed to replicate previous research about the unique influences of academic expectations, expand this knowledge by examining possible mechanisms of the relationship between academic expectations and academic performance, and test how previous academic experience affected this relationship. Results of this study showed that previous GPA and optimism, but not hope, predicted academic expectations. Academic expectations predicted academic performance, but this relationship was not mediated by study time or stress. Finally, previous GPA moderated the relationship between academic expectations and academic performance, such that the positive association between academic expectations and academic performance was stronger for those with poorer prior performance.Item Here’s how Americans coped during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic(The Conversation US, Inc., 2020-04-09) Cyders, Melissa; Prestigiacomo, Christiana; Plawecki, Martin H.; Liu, Melissa; Psychology, School of ScienceItem HiTOP-based Optimal Personalized Assignment to Abstinence from Alcohol: A Precision Medicine Approach(2024-08) Argyriou, Evangelia; Cyders, Melissa; Wu, Wei; Stewart, Jesse; Plawecki, MartinAbstinence from drinking has traditionally been the primary goal of alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment; however, there is evidence that individuals respond differently when trying to be abstinent from alcohol. The main goal of my study was to use a novel precision medicine approach to optimize assignment to short-term abstinence from alcohol based on a variety of individual characteristics. The sample consisted of 97 moderate-to-heavy drinkers aged 21-35. A within-subjects design was employed where each participant completed two counter-balanced intravenous alcohol sessions (one following abstinence and one during usual drinking). For the primary aim of this study (N = 47), crossover generalized outcome weighted learning was used to estimate an optimal individualized assignment rule to short-term abstinence based on prescriptive factors, including HiTOP-relevant dimensions and other characteristics. For a secondary aim (N = 50), logistic regression was used to test whether the subgroups estimated by the optimal rule were associated with a set of genetic and behavioral factors related to AUD, and subjective perceptions to alcohol intoxication. Findings showed that an estimated rule with higher granularity – higher-specificity traits and demographics – led to lower alcohol consumption overall compared with one-size-fits-all rules (i.e., assigning everyone to abstinence or assigning no one to abstinence). The effect sizes of the difference were small-to-medium and fell short of statistical significance. Family history of AUD had a positive trend association with benefit from abstinence, with one standard deviation increase in family history of AUD being associated with twice as high odds of being assigned to abstinence. Due to the limited sample size, the results should be interpreted with caution. Study results provided preliminary evidence that an individualized assignment rule based on relatively simple and easily accessible individual characteristics can lead to lower alcohol consumption than that observed if everyone or no one was assigned to abstinence (i.e., one-size-fits-all approach). Genetic predispositions reflected in family history of AUD may be a potential mechanism linking the assessed prescriptive factors with abstinence response, which is worth further exploration.Item Implementation of a Brief Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Group in High Schools for At-Risk Youth: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study(JMIR, 2022-05-12) Zapolski, Tamika; Whitener, MacKenzie; Khazvand, Shirin; Crichlow, Queenisha; Revilla, Rebecca; Salgado, Eduardo F.; Aalsma, Matthew; Cyders, Melissa; Salyers, Michelle; Wu, Wei; Psychology, School of ScienceBackground: Adolescence is a developmental period marked by engagement in risk-taking behaviors, especially among impulsive or emotionally dysregulated youth. Thus, interventions that teach skills to reduce the risk of negative outcomes associated with emotional dysregulation are required. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have been developed to address both adolescent emotional dysregulation and risk-taking behaviors; however, current programs have mostly been implemented among younger youth and are used as a tier 1 universal intervention rather than a targeted tier 2 intervention for youth identified with emotional regulation difficulties. Objective: This study aimed to address the need for SEL programming that can be delivered in schools, particularly for older youth who have difficulties with emotional or behavioral dysregulation, to reduce the risk of health-risk behaviors among this population. Methods: Here, we outline the implementation of an SEL intervention titled Going 4 Goals, a 9-session adaptation of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) program delivered to at-risk high school students in a school setting. The primary objectives of the study are to test whether participating in the skills group intervention produces significant increases in the core DBT-A skills of mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, while also producing significant decreases in substance use and risky behaviors. These primary outcomes are based on changes in participant scores between baseline and after the intervention and follow-ups at 1, 3, and 6 months compared with a control group of youth participating in the school's health curriculum at the same time points. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted with intervention participants and school staff to examine acceptability and facilitators of and barriers to the intervention. Results: A total of 171 participants across 13 groups had been enrolled in the intervention, with data collection ending December 2021. Data analysis will begin in the spring of 2022, with expected results to be published in the spring of 2023. Conclusions: This paper describes the protocol of the 9-session school-based adaptation of the DBT-A intervention and discusses the strengths and limitations of the study and future directions.