Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Rationale: Depression is one of the most common illnesses in the United States today. More than 19 million adults living in the US (9.5% of the population) suffer from a depressive disorder. While 80% of those suffering from depression can be treated successfully, few sufferers are treated properly or even diagnosed. Depression is estimated to cost the nation $44 billion a year in productivity losses for those between the ages of 25 – 44. Of the $44 billion, $12 billion can be attributed to lost workdays, with an additional $11 billion attributed to decreased productivity due to the symptoms of depression. These costs do not include any influences from the depression symptoms of a spouse or family member on the productivity of an individual. These external depression symptoms not only impact an individual’s depression symptoms, but may also lead to a disruption the productivity of others in the household.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine what impact a spouse’s depression
symptoms have on their partner’s depression symptoms, work hours, and labor market status. These new estimates will be used to determine more accurate measures of the true cost of depression symptoms by including the impact of the spouse.

Methodology: This paper uses data from the Rand version of the Health and Retirement Study (RandHRS). The RandHRS is a streamlined version of the first 5 waves of the HRS. The RandHRS one of the most comprehensive and detailed data sets that collects information on both individuals who were at least 51 years old in 1991 and their spouses. This paper exploits the rich individual and spousal data, including mental health and labor market data, to determine the impact of a spouse’s depression symptoms on their partner’s depression symptoms, work hours and labor market status. A sample selection estimator is used to show that individuals with a higher number of depression symptoms may self-select out of the labor force and/or retire. In addition, the panel nature of the data allows the model to account for the timing of depression symptoms and labor market exit.

Results: This study finds that while the individual’s work hours and labor market status are both negatively associated with that individual’s depression symptoms, a spouse’s depression symptoms are negatively associated with an individual’s labor market status only. Also, this paper shows that without controlling for both spousal depression symptoms and sample selection estimates of the impact of individual depression symptoms on the labor market decisions of an individual will be inaccurate.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Researchers have been interested in social patterns of distress for many years [Mirowsky and Ross, 1986]. Most of this interest has focused on between person differences. Researchers also use distress as a way to indicate the effect of life circumstances on individuals. Despite all of this interest in distress itself and in distress as an indicator of social situations, little research has focused on within person variations in distress. The focus of this project is to assess how individual's respond to changes in life situations, using distress as an indicator. All of the study participants have Rhuematoid Arthritis (RA). We address the following questions: Do distress levels vary for individuals over time? What factors are associated with times of greater or lesser distress? Are circumstances that are associated with between person differences in distress also associated with variations within individuals over time? What theoretical approach is best suited to understanding the consequences of changes in life circumstances over time?
We find that changes in pain, employment hours, domestic responsibilities and mostly social support are associated with changes in distress. Only the paind-distress association is moderated by gender, and the employment-distress association is moderated by length of time with RA. Psychological distress does vary over time and is responsive to within person changes in both circumstances and symptoms.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study examines the progression over time of two conditions, depressive symptoms and heavy drinking, among adolescents. Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Study, a nationally representative school-based sample of adolescents interviewed in 1994-1995 and reassessed in 1995-1996 (N=14,736). Depressive symptoms are measured by a 16-item version of the CES-D and heavy drinking is based on reports of both frequency and quantity of alcohol use among regular drinkers in the past year. Basic multilevel models were used to control for the effects of school context while estimating the relationship of depressive and drinking over time. Each outcome evidenced strong stability over time and there was significant variation among schools. Multivariate analyses yielded that increasing symptoms of depression are associated with current heavy alcohol use, being female, older, an ethnic minority, having lower income, and living in a non-intact family. The odds of becoming a heavy drinker increases over time for teens with current high levels of depressive symptoms, as well as those who are male, older, non-Hispanic White, and living in a non-intact family. This study reveals that depressive symptoms and heavy drinking are interrelated among adolescents, although different sociodemographic risk patterns emerge for each outcome.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Abstract:

This paper argues that a central reason why half of the citizens of the United States are presently being diagnosed with a mental health disorder lies within certain pathogenic elements in the American culture of individualism. The same pathogenic elements are equally to be found within the European American paradigm of mental health and within the culture of psychotherapy, which dominates American society at the dawn of the Third Millennium. American Individualism, spawned by the Protestant ethic, fueled through centuries of immigration, and strengthened by capitalism and the scientific/technological paradigm, has been transformed into a prison by our present culture of psychotherapy. The discipline of Psychotherapy, invented to support and heal middle class European family through the existential trauma of industrialization and the scientific paradigm, has actually exacerbated the illness of western society, by further undermining the institution of the family, and further discombobulating the already confused meanings of our Judeo-Christian heritage. The paper postulates that there are three essential conditions for human and societal welfare: Physical Nurture, Contextual Authority and Interpersonal Attachment. These conditions, when present in balance, allow human beings to survive through the life span, and allow societies to prosper through generations and beyond. In present day America, the unraveling of Family cohesion has weakened the condition of interpersonal attachment and the unraveling of Meaning has weakened the condition of Contextual Authority. As a result, American Consumer Culture is sinking into a desperate struggle to over satisfy our thirst for the third condition, Physical Nurture.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Although studies reveal substantial mental health treatment needs among youth in the juvenile justice system, this statewide study is the first to examine mental health needs of serious young offenders who were transferred through adult court and incarcerated in adult prison. We administered the Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) and the MAYSI-2 in a sample of 149 youthful offenders (age 16-18) in adult prison, and compared results to juvenile justice samples. Youth in prison revealed greater distress and treatment needs across every domain measured. Results underscore the need for developmentally appropriate mental health treatment for juveniles waived into prison.