• Effects of Familial Substance Use on the Association between Childhood Physical Abuse and Adult Depressive Symptoms

      Cain, Lylli America; Department of Psychological Sciences (Augusta University, 2014-12)
      The objective of this study was to determine whether familial substance use serves as a moderating variable between childhood physical abuse and depressive symptomatology in adulthood. Two hypotheses were proposed: (a) that reports of childhood physical abuse and later adult depressive symptoms would correlate positively, and (b) that childhood physical abuse would be more strongly associated with adult depressive symptoms under conditions of substance use on the part of the person committing the abuse. To test these hypotheses, I asked participants about their experiences with childhood physical abuse and their current risk for depression. I also asked whether the person committing the abuse did so while under the influence of alcohol or another drug. The associations among the variables of interest (i.e., childhood physical abuse, familial substance use, and depressive symptoms scores) were not significantly correlated. Reasons for these outcomes and potential future directions for research are discussed.
    • The Effects of Relaxing and Energizing Piano Music on Anxiety

      Santiago, Ashley M.; Department of Psychological Sciences (Augusta University, 2016-05)
      Music therapy has been studied for decades in order to investigate how and to what extent music can help people cope, or recover, from physical and mental issues. The most commonly reported mental health concern in the U.S. is anxiety (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5, 2013). Studies have shown that listening to classical styled music decreases people’s anxiety most when compared to other genres (Burns et al. 2002; Labbe, Schmidt, Babin, & Pharr, 2007), but no studies have investigated the effects of relaxing versus energizing music on human emotions or behavior. Similarly, I could find no research that explored the effect of a particular instrument, such as piano, on emotional outcomes. The aim of the present study is to determine which type of piano music, relaxing or energizing, decreases anxiety the most after the introduction of a cognitive stressor. [Introduction]
    • Operant Responding for Alcohol: A Specially Bred Animal Model of Anxiety and Alcohol Use Disorder

      Berg, Warren S.C.; Department of Psychological Sciences (Augusta University, 2017-05)
      Alcohol abuse and dependence affects a significant portion of the United States population. In America alone, approximately 17 million adults ages 18 and older and an estimated 855,000 adolescents ages 12-meet diagnostic criteria for addiction (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2016). In order to be diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), an individual must meet specific criteria detailed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). According to the most recent edition (DSM–5), a person meeting at least two of 11 criteria during a 12-month period meets the diagnostic criteria for an AUD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The severity of an AUD—mild, moderate, or severe—is based on the number of criteria met (see Appendix B for a list of the 11 diagnostic criteria for AUD). Unfortunately, not everyone seeks assistance for their addiction. According to a report published in 2015 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), fewer than 10% of individuals with an AUD received treatment at a specialized facility. Thus, this is a very serious health concern. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that those who do receive treatment will get better. That is, despite extensive research on the etiology of AUD, high incidence, low treatment numbers, and broad treatment methodologies, researchers and clinicians have a tenuous understanding of this disorder at best. [Introduction]