Students

Graduate Student Research Awards:

Previous recipients

2011

Jenna L. Gress-Smith M.A., Psychology Arizona State University

The primary aim of this research proposal is to investigate resilient profiles in low-income Mexican American mothers. The transition to motherhood can be an emotionally and physically complex time for women, particularly in the context of a stressful low-income environment. Although most low-income women navigate this transition well, a significant number of mothers develop moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Studies estimate postpartum depression (PPD) to be more prevalent in Mexican American mothers, ranging from 21-53%, compared to 10-15% in other samples of postpartum women. PPD can have long-term negative consequences for both mother and infant, affecting maternal physical and mental health and infant cognitive development, physiology and behavior. Health disparities in the prevalence of PPD highlight an urgent need to examine cultural and population specific pathways that buffer against the negative effects of PPD. The transition to motherhood is a critical time to examine resilient processes, which may alleviate the duration or severity of depressive symptoms during the postpartum period.

The proposed research will analyze profiles of resilience during the prenatal period. In alignment with current resilience theories, several domains of resilience will be investigated including psychological, social, and cultural adherence (e.g. maintaining specific cultural traditions). Longitudinal development and recovery from depressive symptoms during the early postpartum period will be predicted by the prenatal resilient profiles. This research will provide a unique opportunity to explore resilient processes in a sample of low-income Mexican American mothers, who are part of an under researched population, the fastest growing ethnic minority group, and have the highest birth rate in the United States, presenting a significant public health concern.

Receiving the Graduate Student Research Award from APA Division 38 greatly helps with the completion of my proposed project and establishing a foundation for my research interests. Ultimately, I hope to conduct research examining domains of resilience in high-risk populations, and resulting mental and physical health outcomes. The award from APA Division 38 makes it possible for me to complete data collection and analyze complex statistical models investigating resilient profiles in low-income Mexican American mothers. The results of this project will help establish my career in health psychology and studying models of resilience. I am very grateful for the opportunities this award provides for me.

Liisa Hantsoo M.A., M.L.A. The Ohio State University

This study investigated associations among dietary intake of PUFAs, the rs174575 polymorphism of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS2) gene, and psychological outcomes. The primary aim was to determine if FADS2 genotype interacts with omega-3 (n-3) or omega-6 (n-6) PUFA dietary intake to influence associations with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, anger, hostility, neuroticism, or optimism. The specific hypotheses were: (1) Dietary n-3 PUFA intake will be inversely associated with depressive symptomatology, anxiety, anger, hostility, and neuroticism, and positively associated with optimism. (2) Comparing rs174575 major allele homozygotes to minor allele carriers, individuals who have FADS2 polymorphisms previously associated with lower plasma levels of EPA and DHA (that is, minor allele carriers) will have higher levels of depressive symptomatology, anxiety, anger, hostility, and neuroticism, and lower optimism scores than major allele homozygotes. (3) The association between n-3 PUFA intake and negatively-valenced psychological outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, hostility, and neuroticism) will be negative in major allele homozygotes. The association between n-6 PUFA intake and negatively-valenced psychological outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, hostility, and neuroticism) will be positive in major allele homozygotes.

This grant allowed me to fund dietary analyses and costs for genotyping reagents for my dissertation research on associations among dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid desaturase genotype, and psychological function.

Liisa Hantsoo's GSRA proposal

Suman "Sue" Lam Doctoral candidate in Social Ecology University of California, Irvine

The proposed program of research will examine the effects of chronic stress and the emotion regulation strategies of suppression and reappraisal on emotional responses and hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis functioning in two populations: healthy undergraduates and those who have experienced repeated natural disasters.

The Division 38 research grant will provide me with crucial funding needed to complete my dissertation. My ultimate goal is to become a professor at a research institution and this award will help me pursue my goals by affording me the opportunity to complete my research, provide me time to publish my findings, and help me disseminate my work to the public.

Sue Lam's GSRA proposal

2010

Shiquina L. Andrews, M.S. Doctoral candidate, Clinical Psychology University of Alabama at Birmingham

Infertility confronts 10-15% of American couples, and women tend to be more psychologically distressed following a diagnosis of infertility than men. Though the emotional consequences of infertility can endure, psychological interventions have proven efficacious in reducing anxiety and depression in this population. Aside from therapy, some women use their religious or spiritual background to cope with the crisis of infertility. Given that spiritual or religious issues often arise in infertility and no spiritually-based therapy for infertile women exists, the chief goal of this study is to develop (Phase 1) and evaluate (Phase 2) a group-based, spiritually-integrated psychological intervention for women with infertility. Women with diagnosed primary infertility (n=100) will be recruited and randomized into intervention and comparison groups. Participants in the intervention group will attend six weekly, hour-long sessions addressing common themes that arise in coping with infertility. The intervention group will be compared to a standard-care control group on measures of depression, anxiety, fertility-related stress, religious coping, spiritual transformation, and pregnancy and conception rates at baseline, after the intervention, 3 months post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention.

Not only did this dissertation award provide much-needed means to replicate necessary survey packets and print my intervention protocol and participants’ workbooks, but also the act of completing the application itself was good practice for a novice in the world of grant-writing. Even aside from this, it was very heartening to be validated from established researchers in health psychology. This award is tangible encouragement to continue to hone my skills as a researcher.

Shaquina Andrew's GSRA proposal

Jessie DeAnne Heath M.S. in Clinical Psychology (Ph.D. in progress) Syracuse University

Funding for my dissertation research provided support for a study that is examining the effects of provider stigmatization on the medical care of HIV+ patients. Although many recent studies have documented the existence of stigmatization in medical treatment settings, few have examined its effects and none have utilized an experimental design. The present study tests a conceptual framework to clarify the relationship between provider stigmatization and negative treatment outcomes. In the initial phase, focus groups were conducted with HIV+ patients to identify key elements of stigmatizing treatment experiences to assist in the development of vignettes for the experimental phase. Vignettes contained audio and visual stimuli demonstrating behaviors of medical providers during a typical medical appointment. In the experimental phase, participants (N = 90) were randomly assigned to view either a highly stigmatizing or a non-stigmatizing treatment vignette and then subsequently rate their willingness to engage in HIV care. It was predicted patients assigned to the highly stigmatizing condition would be the most unwilling to engage in HIV care as demonstrated by decreased willingness to (a) remain in care, (b) disclose sexual and substance use risk behaviors, and (c) discuss medication adherence difficulties. It was also hypothesized that patients’ comfort and their perceptions of stigma within the patient-provider interaction would mediate the relationship between stigmatization and willingness to engage in care. Preliminary findings support these hypotheses. Gaining an understanding of the mechanisms underlying the patients’ decisions to engage in care and openly communicate with their providers will highlight areas where changes to provider demeanor or behaviors may be especially helpful. As such, the present study helps to inform the development of interventions to assist healthcare providers in creating more positive treatment experiences for their HIV+ patients to improve implementation of self care and reduction of risk behaviors.

The APA Division 38 student research award provided funds to cover a majority of my participant payments. Without such funds, recruitment of an HIV+ clinical sample would have been difficult and time consuming. I am very appreciative of the Division 38 award and the assistance it has given me in completing my dissertation and pursuing my research interests in HIV stigmatization.

Shu-wen Wang Doctoral candidate in Clinical psychology University of California, Los Angeles

My research study tests a culturally informed theory about the processes underlying ethnic differences between Asian Americans and European Americans in biological and psychological stress responses associated with activating social support. Prior work has shown that Asian Americans experience distress, whereas European Americans are benefited both psychologically and biologically, when mobilizing social support. My experiment uses a cultural framework to investigate whether the context of the support relationship, with regard to the notion of reciprocity, would modulate how support was experienced – as a benefit or as a stressor—for the two groups. Specifically, I hypothesized that support activated in a reciprocal context (i.e., subject asks for support from an individual to whom s/he has provided support in the past) would buffer the stress responses found in prior work and benefit Asian Americans, due to interdependence concerns regarding group harmony and burdening others. A non-reciprocal context (i.e., subject asks for support from an individual from whom s/he has received support in the past) was thought to distress Asian Americans, but benefit European Americans. Subjects participated in a lab stressor, and data on negative mood, behavioral distress, salivary cortisol, and mental health were collected. Results show some support for these hypotheses, suggesting that Asian Americans experience less biological, psychological, and behavioral distress during the lab stressor when they sought support in a reciprocal context compared to a non-reciprocal context; the opposite pattern was observed for European Americans. Further analyses will investigate how these responses are linked with measures of mental health and well-being. These findings have the potential to provide insights into cultural factors that influence biopsychosocial processes by which racial disparities in health behaviors and health outcomes emerge.

The Graduate Student Research Award from Division 38 provided the funds needed for salivary cortisol assays, a critical component of my research study for which a key strength was the multi-method approach to measuring stress response (i.e., biological, behavioral, psychological). Without these funds, I would not have been able to obtain a large enough sample size for data analysis. Receiving this award has allowed me to complete data collection and has provided me with rigorous training opportunities. I am continuing in this program of research, investigating cultural influences on the experience of support in relationships, and am currently starting a follow-up study that further examines these processes.

Shu-wen Wang's GSRA proposal

2009

Andrea Croom Doctoral candidate, Clinical Psychology University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

This study examined the role that extended family, particularly grandparents, have in facilitating diabetes management in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. We wanted to explore the hypothesis that grandparent involvement with diabetes management might be particularly important in Latino families, because research has consistently shown stronger levels of familial obligation and more frequent intergenerational interactions in this population. The study was conducted as a supplement to a larger study examining Latino and Caucasian families of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The sample included 75 Latino and 75 age- and sex-matched Caucasian children with type 1 diabetes, their mothers, and one grandparent. Through multiple reporters we aimed to understand the form and degree of grandparent involvement with adolescent’s diabetes management, factors that might increase or decrease levels of grandparent involvement, indirect and direct pathways between grandparent involvement and adolescent’s diabetes management, and how grandparent involvement is associated with child and maternal well-being.

The Division 38 Research Award allowed us to include grandparents as additional reporters in our larger study. Grandparents were often unable to come to the research appointments and so the money provided by the research award allowed us to conduct telephone interviews and mail packets for the grandparents to complete at home. We were also able to reimburse the grandparents for their time, which contributed to higher recruitment rates.

Andrea Croom's GSRA proposal

Ann Marie Hernandez, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio

Hispanics are more likely to die from breast cancer compared to non-Hispanic whites matched on stage and age at diagnosis. Higher mortality rates among Hispanics are attributed to cancer-related disparities across the cancer continuum including later-stage detection. While research has shown that socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the development and maintenance of cancer-related disparities, differences persist when these factors are controlled. Thus far, research on cultural factors and cognitions surrounding cancer is limited. The current study investigated illness representations of cancer and their determinants among Hispanic men and women (N = 120) using a cross-sectional survey approach. The study sample was comprised of predominantly first generation, employed Hispanic women in their early-thirties from Mexico. Most had not resided in the U.S. for more than 5-9 years. Half of the sample reported an annual income of $20,001 - $30,000 and completing at least a middle school education. While the majority indicated that they did not have health insurance, most indicated that they did have a regular source of health care. Additionally, while most had not been diagnosed with cancer, nearly half of the sample knew of someone diagnosed with cancer. Descriptive data regarding illness identity, illness coherence, timeline, causes, consequences, and controllability are provided. Results suggest that demographic factors (i.e.acculturation, education, and income), cultural constructs (i.e. fatalism and familism), intrapersonal factors (state and trait anxiety), and previous experience with cancer were associated with illness representations of breast cancer. The study adds to the literature by systematically investigate illness representations of breast cancer and their determinants among a diverse sample of Hispanic men and women. This is a significant first step that can be used to guide and develop effective and culturally appropriate interventions that ultimately reduce disparities across the cancer continuum.

The American Psychological Association, Division 38 Student Research Award (2009) afforded me the opportunity to meet all the objectives outlined in my dissertation. The award allowed me to meet my recruitment goals and complete my dissertation in a timely fashion. Furthermore, the financial support allowed me to improve upon my design and make a significant contribution to the literature.

Ann Marie Hernandez's GSRA proposal

Sarah Linke Doctoral candidate, Clinical Psychology Joint Doctoral Program, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego

Sarah Linke's GSRA proposal

Natalie Stevens, M.A. Doctoral candidate in Clinical psychology Rush University Medical Center

Summary of Findings from Research Study “Measuring Perceived Control and Satisfaction with the Childbirth Experience.”

Drawing from a person-environment fit theory of satisfaction, the current study examined the validity of two new instruments to assess perceived control over the childbirth environment (PCCh) and satisfaction with the childbirth experience (SWCh). Items constructed from existing measures and qualitative data were administered to 187 women who had given birth to a healthy infant in the last four months. Exploratory factor analysis supported single-factor structures for the PCCh and the SWCh, with high internal consistency reliability for both instruments (alpha > .90). The PCCh was significantly correlated with childbirth self-efficacy and childbirth satisfaction. The SWCh was only moderately correlated with positive and negative affect, and childbirth self-efficacy. Scores on both instruments were inversely correlated with postpartum stress symptoms. Additional analyses revealed that perceived control accounted for more variance in childbirth satisfaction than obstetric variables such as labor pain, duration of labor, obstetric complications, and having an unplanned cesarean section. Results of these analyses provide preliminary support for measures that will have utility for future longitudinal studies as well as clinical practice.

The APA Division 38 Graduate Student Research Award was a tremendous asset in pursuing my research goals. I submitted the application for this project the first time in 2008. Although it was not funded at that time, I received invaluable feedback from reviewers that helped me to address important concerns in my proposal. Upon a second submission in 2009, the award made it possible to fund the research project and offer compensation to participants recruited from hospital clinics and online. Shortly after completing data collection and write up of this study, I accepted a postdoctoral fellowship position in the Behavioral Sciences department at Rush University Medical Center. In this position I will work closely with perinatal health care providers to conduct a longitudinal study of childbirth outcomes, examining whether congruence between desire for control and perceived control is associated with positive perceptions of birth and postpartum health.

Natalie Stevens's GSRA proposal

2008

Ashley M. Fox, Ph.D. Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Fellow Yale School of Public Health

The HIV-Poverty Thesis Re-examined: Poverty, wealth or inequality as an underlying cause of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses the counterintuitive finding from population surveys that wealthier rather than poorer individuals are more likely to be living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of population data, researchers largely assumed that poverty increased individual vulnerability to contracting HIV through a variety of social and biological mechanisms. Other research suggested, however, that risky sexual behavior patterns were more common among wealthier “sugar-daddys” who could attract multiple partners through exchange sex. Although sugar-daddy relationships are believed to be more prevalent in wealthier, urban settings in Africa, previous studies that unveiled the finding that wealthier individuals have higher HIV infection rates failed to disaggregate between rich and poor regions within countries and have only assessed the national level distribution of HIV risk by wealth. In addition, studies focusing only on an individual’s wealth have failed to take into account how economic inequality within a region may increase risk for HIV through increased exchange sex. Using population data from sixteen Demographic and Health Surveys with linked HIV test results in sub-Saharan Africa, this study tested previous findings that wealthier individuals have higher HIV infection rates using a multi-level model of regions nested within countries. The study finds that disaggregating within countries by rich and poor regions and urban and rural areas that wealthier individuals are indeed more likely to be infected with HIV in poorer regions and rural areas. Poorer individuals are more likely to be living with HIV in wealthier regions and urban settings, however. Further, inequality increases risk for HIV over and above the contribution of individual wealth- individuals that live in more unequal settings have a higher odds of being infected with HIV. These findings are partially explained by sexual behavior patterns. This study adds additional nuance to research that finds that either poverty or wealth on its own acts as an underlying driver of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa.

I am very grateful to the APA Division 38 Student Research Award for their support of this research. The additional funding provided by the APA Division was invaluable to carrying out my research. Though my research did not require primary data collection the additional funding and support provided through the APA Division helped to offset a number of costs associated with supplies, software, and computing equipment. The award has also lent credibility to the research and has been a helpful additional qualification in subsequent job searches. The results of this research have been published in Public Health Reports and several other manuscripts related to this project are currently in preparation.

© 2012, APA Division 38
All rights reserved.