1. A College Study of Grief, Depression, and Anxiety
Senior Honors Project
Research Conference
Briana Paulo

2. Background
Who am I?
My project is a combination of my interests in psychology and thanatology
Who am I?
Undergraduate student in psychology and sociology, minor in thanatology
Aspire to go to grad school for clinical psychology
The Combination
Links how we accommodate losses into our everyday lives
The centrality of an event to who we are and how we live our lives

3. Learning Outcomes
Learn how to create a research question and design a study that seeks to answer that question
Submit a proposal worthy of IRB approval
Learn how to effectively carryout a study
Analyze original data and draw conclusions beneficial to the fields of psychology and thanatology

4. Generating a Research Question
literature review
the question

5. How to create a research question
Literature review
Past research has mainly been understanding loss and symptoms of PTSD
Complicated grief vs. grief
Differences and implications for this study
Studies have found:
More losses = more cases of complicated grief
CG levels were elevated in depressed individuals
more symptoms of complicated grief in individuals with PTSD
Higher levels of meaning-making were associated with better grief outcomes; higher level of post-loss attachment were associated with more symptoms of complicated grief
Grief is the emotional response to a past, present, or future loss.
Complicated grief is a heightened state of mourning and grief that is debillitating and troublesome to the everyday functioning of the individual.

6. The Question…
What is the relationship of loss and grieving with more common experiences of depression and anxiety?
I became interested in the relationship between a past loss and more common experiences of anxiety.
Are the symptoms heightened when having experienced a loss?
Are they heightened when the loss is more central to their present-day life?

7. scales design of the study hypotheses the IRB proposal
Designing a Study
scales
design of the study
hypotheses
the IRB proposal

8. The Scales What constructs are being used?
Centrality of Events Scale
Example: “I feel that this event has become a central part of my life story.”
Adult Attitude to Grief Scale
Example: “I feel that I am able to face the emotional pain which comes with my loss.”
How these scales fit together
Choosing depression and anxiety scales
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
CES
Construct: memories of trauma or high-level stress events form reference points ; to what extent are they (1) a reference point, (2) a turning point, and/or (3) a central component of personal identity.
AAG
Explores differences in response to loss: controlled, balanced, overwhelmed
CES and AAG fit together: a controlled or balanced response to grief can relate to the event being a reference point or turning point. An overwhelmed attitude is expected to relate to the event being more central to their identity presently
Depression/anxiety scales: able to measure clinical symptomology of these disorders. Did not include a measure for suicide ideation because then we would have to report it – compromise the confidentiality of the participants in the study

9. Design of the Study Cross-sectional design Web-based Study population
Correlational
Web-based
Study population
Demographics
cross-sectional design: at one period in time, not longitudinal
Correlational: seeking to find a relationship between variables of loss and depression/anxiety – not a causal effect
Study population: undergraduate students, expected age range years
Demographics: primarily white, female, middle class SES

10. Hypotheses
Higher reported centrality of a stressful life event will be associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Less controlled attitude to grief of the individual will be associated with the more symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Positive correlation between centrality of a stressful life event and symptoms of depression/anxiety
Negative correlation between less controlled attitude to grief and more symptoms of depression/anxiety

11. The IRB Proposal (Institutional Review Board)
The importance of informed consent
Components of the application
Overview
Possible risks and harms
Potential to benefit subjects and to the fields
Participants and recruitment
Confidentiality
Informed consent
Belmont report, required for all participants who participate in a study
Includes a description of the project, who to contact for any questions, description of the study and what will be done, risks/discomforts, study benefits, confidentiality, their rights – can opt out
Application
overview: research design, scales
Risks/harms: some possible distress/discomfort because they are asked to reflect on a stressful life event and a loss
Benefits: therapy for individuals who experienced a loss to better tailor it to simultaneous symptoms of depression/anxiety; add to literature on the correlation between grief and PTSD symptoms
Participants: psy 113 students, recruited in class for course credit
Limitations: speak english, have internet access
Confidentiality: no indentifying information asked or kept, will be given an anonymous, random number, only researchers involved will have access to the data

12. analyses to be used looking at moderators
Analytic Plan
analyses to be used
looking at moderators

13. Analytic Plan Correlational study tests Looking at moderators Gender
Age
Correlational study – chi squared tests, possibly t-tests
Moderators:
Gender – females are expected to experience less controlled attitude to grief on basis of women self-reporting more depression
Age – looking at different developmental stages, young vs late adulthood (past research has been in late adulthood)

14. the future short term and long
Conclusion
the future
short term and long

15. Future Plans Anticipated work after graduation Continuing the study
How does this contribute to the field of psychology?
After graduation: working summer camp for children with behavioral disorders, possible research assistant position at Butler, applying to grad school
Continuing the study: