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Kelsey Pritchard Thesis Final.pdf (667.39 KB)

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An Interpersonal Model of Depression: A Psychophysiological Perspective

Pritchard, Kelsey Jay
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1460405442

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, College of Sciences and Health Professions.
This study examined whether parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity predicts depression risk through excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) which subsequently erodes social support and generates stress. Recent theories suggest that the PNS evolved to regulate social interaction and that the PNS is associated with depression and interpersonal deficits. Therefore, PNS deficits may be associated to ERS, given its interpersonal function. Participants (N= 65) completed measures of ERS, interpersonal stressors, social support quality, depression symptoms, and a protocol that measured indices of the PNS (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) at rest and during a paced breathing task. Multiple mediator models were used to examine the mediation of PNS activity on depression via ERS, interpersonal stress, and social support quality. Results suggest that PNS activity predicts ERS behavior that, in turn, predicts depression symptoms via interpersonal stress. High PNS activity, a purported marker of adaptive functioning, was related to greater use of a maladaptive interpersonal response (ERS), which subsequently predicted greater social support at a trend level. Findings provide new evidence of PNS activity in relation to interpersonal behavior and depression, and suggest the need to consider psychophysiology as a context for understanding depression risk and interpersonal processes.
Ilya Yaroslavsky, PhD (Advisor)
Eric Allard, PhD (Committee Member)
Amir Poreh, PhD (Committee Member)
Kenneth Vail, PhD (Committee Member)
60 p.
Clinical Psychology; Physiological Psychology; Psychology
depression; excessive reassurance seeking; social support; stress; respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pritchard, K. J. (2016). An Interpersonal Model of Depression: A Psychophysiological Perspective [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1460405442

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pritchard, Kelsey. An Interpersonal Model of Depression: A Psychophysiological Perspective . 2016. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1460405442.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pritchard, Kelsey. "An Interpersonal Model of Depression: A Psychophysiological Perspective ." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1460405442

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1460405442
2,676
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.