Tag: Poster 95

Examining Variables Associated With the Underdiagnoses Of Depression in Mexico 

Presenter(s): Aida Goma Petit − Anthropology (Double Concentration In Biological Anthropology And Archaeology)

Faculty Mentor(s): Josh Snodgrass , Alicia DeLouize

Poster 95

Research Area: Anthropology, Global Health, Depression, Global Mental Health

Depression is a leading contributor to disease burden worldwide. Although there are known and effective treatments for depression, far fewer than half of those affected by the disease will receive treatment, in part due to barriers in health care access contributing to underdiagnosis. Using the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 1 dataset, this study examines older adults (50+ years old) in Mexico (n = 1,725) to determine factors that may lead to depression as determined by a symptom-based algorithm, but not self-reported clinical depression diagnosis. We hypothesized that men were more likely to have depression without a self-reported clinical diagnosis. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the effects of sex, age, education, wealth, marital status, social relationships, and residence location (urban vs. rural) on depression diagnosis. Model 1 showed that females were, in fact, more likely than males to have depression without a self-reported diagnosis (β= 0.60, p = 0.006), but age (β = 0.00, p = 0.71) was not significant.

In model 2, being female was still a significant predictor of depression without a diagnosis (β= 0.62, p = 0.007) despite controlling for lower education (β = -0.03, p = 0.005) and more difficulty with interpersonal relationships (β = 0.45, p < 0.001). Age, wealth, marital status, and residence location (urban/rural) were not associated with undiagnosed depression. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating gender differences, improving education, and ameliorating social barriers to provide proper diagnosis and care for depression.

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Mindfulness and the P300

Presenter(s): Josephine Swift

Faculty Mentor(s): Jennifer Lewis & Don Tucker

Poster 95

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Mindfulness is a state of awareness that allows an individual to more effectively monitor their cognition and emotions. The ways in which mindfulness impacts aspects of cognition, including attention and attentional control, are still being researched. The current study examines how dispositional mindfulness is related to individuals’ attention and attentional control as measured through dense-array EEG (dEEG). We examined participant’s (n=72) scores on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006) and their event-related potentials (ERPs) generated from completing the color-word Stroop task modified for dEEG recording. Response times were also recorded. ERP waveform amplitude differences for the P300, an ERP associated with attentional processes, did not significantly differ by category (i.e., Incongruent, Congruent). However, preliminary analyses showed a relationship between self-reported mindfulness and the amplitude of the P300 (across both categories), whereas higher scores on the FFMQ were associated with attenuated P300 amplitudes. Decreased P300 amplitudes may indicate the deployment of less attentional resources. It’s possible that individuals who are more mindful, have naturally increased attention and therefore require less attentional resources in a cognitively demanding task. Mindfulness has been found to be an effective intervention for mood disorders, particularly anxiety disorders (Blanck et al. 2018). Understanding the particular ways that mindfulness impacts cognition may lead to a further understanding of the mechanisms by which mindfulness improves anxiety symptoms and thus improve treatment.