Five-Minute Thesis Presentations
Names of presenting authors are in BOLD.
Coping, Social Support and Our Health
The value of quality social support and cognitive-emotional regulation coping in police officers
Jay Nero, Dr. Mary Ann Campbell, Laurett Nwaonumah, Jenna Meagher, and Dr. Caroline Brunelle
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University of New Brunswick
Police officers face occupational and operational stressors in their work, making them vulnerable to mental illness. Social support is a buffer against high stress; however, limited research exists on where officers receive their support and the quality of this support. The current study explored these questions and examined whether social support provides benefits beyond that achieved by the use of cognitive-emotional coping strategies for promoting psychological wellness. A total of 88 police officers (Mage = 41.72, SD = 9.64) completed a survey containing measures of social support type/quality, occupational stressors, mental health symptoms, and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies. Officers most commonly seek support from intimate partners (85.9%) and coworkers (84.9%). Social support quality was significantly related to higher psychological wellness. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that social support predicted lower PTSD symptoms and did so even after accounting for use of cognitive-emotional coping and demographic variables. However, social support did not explain additional variance in other areas of wellness after first accounting for cognitive-emotional coping. Thus, wellness initiatives within policing organizations should include focus on fostering both quality social support and adaptive cognitive-emotional regulation skills.
Jay Nero, Dr. Mary Ann Campbell, Laurett Nwaonumah, Jenna Meagher, and Dr. Caroline Brunelle
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University of New Brunswick
Police officers face occupational and operational stressors in their work, making them vulnerable to mental illness. Social support is a buffer against high stress; however, limited research exists on where officers receive their support and the quality of this support. The current study explored these questions and examined whether social support provides benefits beyond that achieved by the use of cognitive-emotional coping strategies for promoting psychological wellness. A total of 88 police officers (Mage = 41.72, SD = 9.64) completed a survey containing measures of social support type/quality, occupational stressors, mental health symptoms, and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies. Officers most commonly seek support from intimate partners (85.9%) and coworkers (84.9%). Social support quality was significantly related to higher psychological wellness. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that social support predicted lower PTSD symptoms and did so even after accounting for use of cognitive-emotional coping and demographic variables. However, social support did not explain additional variance in other areas of wellness after first accounting for cognitive-emotional coping. Thus, wellness initiatives within policing organizations should include focus on fostering both quality social support and adaptive cognitive-emotional regulation skills.
Video gaming as a predictor of loneliness and social support
Elise Stevens and Dr. David Speed
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
University students often move to attend school, separating them from friends and family. This separation can make them susceptible to loneliness, which is detrimental and exposes them to a range of associated problems, while social support has many protective effects. Online gaming—though it has been associated with negative outcomes, especially in those who play excessively—has been demonstrated to deliver some social support, and could remain available to students while other aspects of their lives change. Participants were 185 students recruited from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. Measures of social support, loneliness, aggression, and gaming behaviour were completed online, and associations were explored through hierarchical linear regression. A negative association between offline cooperative gaming and loneliness was found. Additionally, negative associations between competitive and cooperative online gaming and Belonging social support were found, which were not accompanied by associations with loneliness. No significant associations between gaming and aggression were found. Together, the social support and loneliness findings can be interpreted as an inability of the Belonging subscale to detect online social support. The current study demonstrates some potential benefit and no definite harm from moderate amounts of gaming.
Elise Stevens and Dr. David Speed
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
University students often move to attend school, separating them from friends and family. This separation can make them susceptible to loneliness, which is detrimental and exposes them to a range of associated problems, while social support has many protective effects. Online gaming—though it has been associated with negative outcomes, especially in those who play excessively—has been demonstrated to deliver some social support, and could remain available to students while other aspects of their lives change. Participants were 185 students recruited from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. Measures of social support, loneliness, aggression, and gaming behaviour were completed online, and associations were explored through hierarchical linear regression. A negative association between offline cooperative gaming and loneliness was found. Additionally, negative associations between competitive and cooperative online gaming and Belonging social support were found, which were not accompanied by associations with loneliness. No significant associations between gaming and aggression were found. Together, the social support and loneliness findings can be interpreted as an inability of the Belonging subscale to detect online social support. The current study demonstrates some potential benefit and no definite harm from moderate amounts of gaming.
Psychological, physical and social factors contributing to well-being: Comparing functional somatic symptom disorders with well-defined autoimmune disorders
Kendra Hebert and Dr. Lisa Best
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Functional somatic symptom disorders (FSS) are characterized by persistent and chronic bodily complaints without a pathological explanation. Patients with these conditions often face scrutiny and stigma that make them feel alienated from the medical community. This research examines how social and medical support affects physical and psychological well-being by comparing FSS (fibromyalgia [FMS] and chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS]) with well-defined autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis [MS], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). A total of 609 participants, many of whom reported having more than one of the target disorders were recruited from social media platforms and online support groups. In order to examine the effects of a single disorder, only individuals who reported having a single target disorder were included, resulting in 111 FMS, 78 CFS, 97 MS and 103 RA participants. Quality of life, physical and psychological well-being, leisure satisfaction, social support, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were assessed using valid psychological questionnaires. Overall, individuals with FSS had worse physical and psychological symptoms, social and medical support, and well-being than those with AD. Both physical symptom severity and psychological distress were correlated with medical and social support for both illness groups. Further, regression analyses indicated a unique role of medical support for participants with FSS. The results supported the hypothesis that individuals with FSSs have worse physical and psychological symptoms, and poorer subjective well-being than those with well defined autoimmune disorders (ADs) in part due to the decreased medical and social support in this group.
Kendra Hebert and Dr. Lisa Best
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Functional somatic symptom disorders (FSS) are characterized by persistent and chronic bodily complaints without a pathological explanation. Patients with these conditions often face scrutiny and stigma that make them feel alienated from the medical community. This research examines how social and medical support affects physical and psychological well-being by comparing FSS (fibromyalgia [FMS] and chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS]) with well-defined autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis [MS], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). A total of 609 participants, many of whom reported having more than one of the target disorders were recruited from social media platforms and online support groups. In order to examine the effects of a single disorder, only individuals who reported having a single target disorder were included, resulting in 111 FMS, 78 CFS, 97 MS and 103 RA participants. Quality of life, physical and psychological well-being, leisure satisfaction, social support, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were assessed using valid psychological questionnaires. Overall, individuals with FSS had worse physical and psychological symptoms, social and medical support, and well-being than those with AD. Both physical symptom severity and psychological distress were correlated with medical and social support for both illness groups. Further, regression analyses indicated a unique role of medical support for participants with FSS. The results supported the hypothesis that individuals with FSSs have worse physical and psychological symptoms, and poorer subjective well-being than those with well defined autoimmune disorders (ADs) in part due to the decreased medical and social support in this group.
Personality and mindfulness predicting physical and psychological health outcomes
Danie Beaulieu and Dr. Lisa Best
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Cross-culturally, subjective well-being is considered central to good health (Diener, 2000). Although physical and psychological wellness are interdependent, research indicates that psychological wellness better predicts physical wellness (Kekäläinen et al., 2019). The Five Factor Model of personality includes Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Open-Mindedness (John et al., 2008). Research supports the role of personality on physical (Bogg & Roberts) and psychological (Clark & Watson, 1991) health; negative consequences are associated with high Neuroticism and low Extraversion. Although mindfulness can improve physical (Crescentini et al., 2018) and psychological (Bränström et al., 2011) outcomes, there is evidence that mindfulness isn’t an independent trait, but is encompassed by Conscientiousness (Chiesa & Serretti, 2010). Our purpose was to examine how personality and mindfulness affect physical and psychological health. Nine hundred participants completed online questionnaires measuring personality (BFI-2), mindfulness (FFMQ), physical (RAND-36), and psychological (SWLS) wellness. Two hierarchical regressions examined the predictors of wellness. Gender, Neuroticism, and SWLS were statistically significant predictors of RAND-36 Total. Age, RAND-36 Total, and Mindfulness-Observing significantly predicted SWLS. In this study, mindfulness acted as an extension of lower Neuroticism rather than higher Conscientiousness. Contrary to previous research, RAND-36 subscale scores accounted for more variability in SWLS, suggesting that physical predictors contribute more to psychological health. At the correlational level, results replicated literature on the effects of personality on physical and psychological wellness. Further, results suggest that aspects of mindfulness may improve overall psychological outcomes. Future research could examine how aspects of mindfulness affect different aspects of wellness
Danie Beaulieu and Dr. Lisa Best
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Cross-culturally, subjective well-being is considered central to good health (Diener, 2000). Although physical and psychological wellness are interdependent, research indicates that psychological wellness better predicts physical wellness (Kekäläinen et al., 2019). The Five Factor Model of personality includes Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Open-Mindedness (John et al., 2008). Research supports the role of personality on physical (Bogg & Roberts) and psychological (Clark & Watson, 1991) health; negative consequences are associated with high Neuroticism and low Extraversion. Although mindfulness can improve physical (Crescentini et al., 2018) and psychological (Bränström et al., 2011) outcomes, there is evidence that mindfulness isn’t an independent trait, but is encompassed by Conscientiousness (Chiesa & Serretti, 2010). Our purpose was to examine how personality and mindfulness affect physical and psychological health. Nine hundred participants completed online questionnaires measuring personality (BFI-2), mindfulness (FFMQ), physical (RAND-36), and psychological (SWLS) wellness. Two hierarchical regressions examined the predictors of wellness. Gender, Neuroticism, and SWLS were statistically significant predictors of RAND-36 Total. Age, RAND-36 Total, and Mindfulness-Observing significantly predicted SWLS. In this study, mindfulness acted as an extension of lower Neuroticism rather than higher Conscientiousness. Contrary to previous research, RAND-36 subscale scores accounted for more variability in SWLS, suggesting that physical predictors contribute more to psychological health. At the correlational level, results replicated literature on the effects of personality on physical and psychological wellness. Further, results suggest that aspects of mindfulness may improve overall psychological outcomes. Future research could examine how aspects of mindfulness affect different aspects of wellness
Understanding Medical Decision-Making
Predictors of genetic testing from a psychological perspective: Examining the role of personality, coping behaviours and optimism
Courtney Hebert and Dr. Lilly Both
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Predictive testing attempts to identify a person’s risk for developing a disease later in life. The purpose of the present study was to examine predictors of genetic testing from a psychological perspective grounded in personality theory, optimism and coping behaviours. Participants consisted of 184 undergraduate students who completed an online survey assessing demographic information, personality, coping, and optimism. Treatment availability was assessed using vignettes and open-ended questions were presented. The results from two regression analyses indicated that personality factors predicted the likelihood of going for testing only when treatment options were not available. Specifically, individuals who scored lower on extraversion and negative emotionality, and higher on openness. Common advantages cited for genetic testing were to seek treatment if available, to gain general knowledge on whether they had a gene mutation, and to prepare and plan for the future. Common disadvantages were that the results may be upsetting, a person may feel hopeless or doomed, and that it may cause a person to change how they view and live their life. When treatment options were available, the predictor variables were not statistically significant. Thus, there is a need to further explore variables that influence the decision to go or not go for testing when treatment options are available, as this study failed to do so. On the other hand, when treatment options were not available, individuals who were emotionally stable, introverted and higher in openness were more interested in genetic testing.
Courtney Hebert and Dr. Lilly Both
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
Predictive testing attempts to identify a person’s risk for developing a disease later in life. The purpose of the present study was to examine predictors of genetic testing from a psychological perspective grounded in personality theory, optimism and coping behaviours. Participants consisted of 184 undergraduate students who completed an online survey assessing demographic information, personality, coping, and optimism. Treatment availability was assessed using vignettes and open-ended questions were presented. The results from two regression analyses indicated that personality factors predicted the likelihood of going for testing only when treatment options were not available. Specifically, individuals who scored lower on extraversion and negative emotionality, and higher on openness. Common advantages cited for genetic testing were to seek treatment if available, to gain general knowledge on whether they had a gene mutation, and to prepare and plan for the future. Common disadvantages were that the results may be upsetting, a person may feel hopeless or doomed, and that it may cause a person to change how they view and live their life. When treatment options were available, the predictor variables were not statistically significant. Thus, there is a need to further explore variables that influence the decision to go or not go for testing when treatment options are available, as this study failed to do so. On the other hand, when treatment options were not available, individuals who were emotionally stable, introverted and higher in openness were more interested in genetic testing.
Attitudes toward medical assistance in dying
Joelynn Annoh-Kwafo and Dr. Lilly Both
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward Medical Assistance in Dying. Medical Assistance in Dying, formerly known as Physician Assisted Suicide or Death, occurs when a medical doctor or nurse practitioner aids a patient with end-of-life services. It was legalized in Canada in June 2016, yet little is known about attitudes toward end-of-life care. The present study utilized an online survey to examine demographic and personality characteristics of the participants as well as their attitudes toward Medical Assistance in Dying. In total, 219 participants were recruited from Psychology courses at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, and via social media for individuals in the general public. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine predictors of supporting Medical Assistance in Dying. The results indicated that approximately a quarter of the variance in support for Medical Assistance in Dying was attributed to age (i.e., being younger), place of birth (i.e., being born in Canada), lower religiosity and higher Negative Emotionality (or Neuroticism) scores. Most participants were in favour of the practice under certain conditions, such as being in a great deal of pain, or in an advanced state of irreversible decline. As well, participants felt that Medical Assistance in Dying reduced suffering, but proper consent had to be in place.
Joelynn Annoh-Kwafo and Dr. Lilly Both
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward Medical Assistance in Dying. Medical Assistance in Dying, formerly known as Physician Assisted Suicide or Death, occurs when a medical doctor or nurse practitioner aids a patient with end-of-life services. It was legalized in Canada in June 2016, yet little is known about attitudes toward end-of-life care. The present study utilized an online survey to examine demographic and personality characteristics of the participants as well as their attitudes toward Medical Assistance in Dying. In total, 219 participants were recruited from Psychology courses at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, and via social media for individuals in the general public. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine predictors of supporting Medical Assistance in Dying. The results indicated that approximately a quarter of the variance in support for Medical Assistance in Dying was attributed to age (i.e., being younger), place of birth (i.e., being born in Canada), lower religiosity and higher Negative Emotionality (or Neuroticism) scores. Most participants were in favour of the practice under certain conditions, such as being in a great deal of pain, or in an advanced state of irreversible decline. As well, participants felt that Medical Assistance in Dying reduced suffering, but proper consent had to be in place.
Treating Cancer and Its Sequelae
The effect of cancer on suicidal ideations
Adrienne Carpenter (a), Dr. Lisa Best (a), and Dr. Anthony Reiman (b,c)
(a) Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
(b) Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network
(c) Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick
This study examined the physical and psychological implications underlying suicidal ideation in cancer survivors. Determining factors underlying suicidal ideations, such as depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, increase our understanding of practices that individuals with a cancer diagnosis can undertake to decrease feelings of psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation in a sample of cancer survivors, as well as examine how psychological flexibility and mindfulness mitigates the consequences of psychological and physical distress. This study included 350 individuals who have received a cancer diagnosis, and 384 control participants. All participants completed a questionnaire package, which included the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Subjective Well Being Scale. The findings indicate that there was no significant difference in suicidal ideation between the cancer and control participants, but the control participants did have better satisfaction with life overall. Further, mindfulness was negatively correlated with suicidal ideations, indicating that individuals who were more mindful reported less suicidal ideation. There were statistically significant positive correlations between psychological flexibility and suicidal ideation, indicating that individuals with more psychological inflexibility were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Further, among individuals who reported a cancer diagnosis, psychological flexibility, specifically valued actions and openness to experience, contributed significantly to the model, after physical and psychological well-being were controlled. Although the current analyses are correlational, these results suggest that using techniques associated with psychological flexibility might alleviate some of the negative effects of having a cancer diagnosis.
Adrienne Carpenter (a), Dr. Lisa Best (a), and Dr. Anthony Reiman (b,c)
(a) Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
(b) Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network
(c) Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick
This study examined the physical and psychological implications underlying suicidal ideation in cancer survivors. Determining factors underlying suicidal ideations, such as depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, increase our understanding of practices that individuals with a cancer diagnosis can undertake to decrease feelings of psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation in a sample of cancer survivors, as well as examine how psychological flexibility and mindfulness mitigates the consequences of psychological and physical distress. This study included 350 individuals who have received a cancer diagnosis, and 384 control participants. All participants completed a questionnaire package, which included the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Subjective Well Being Scale. The findings indicate that there was no significant difference in suicidal ideation between the cancer and control participants, but the control participants did have better satisfaction with life overall. Further, mindfulness was negatively correlated with suicidal ideations, indicating that individuals who were more mindful reported less suicidal ideation. There were statistically significant positive correlations between psychological flexibility and suicidal ideation, indicating that individuals with more psychological inflexibility were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Further, among individuals who reported a cancer diagnosis, psychological flexibility, specifically valued actions and openness to experience, contributed significantly to the model, after physical and psychological well-being were controlled. Although the current analyses are correlational, these results suggest that using techniques associated with psychological flexibility might alleviate some of the negative effects of having a cancer diagnosis.
A new approach to monitoring lung cancer therapy response: Exosomal miRNA profiling
Josh Stanton (a), Angkoon Phinyomark (b), Dr. Erik Scheme (b), Dr. Anthony Reiman (a,c), and Dr. Alli Murugesan (a)
(a) Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick
(b) Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
(c) Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network
Despite treatment advances for lung cancer, the disease remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths globally. Current lung cancer monitoring methods include computed tomography and positron emission tomography which are resource intensive, taxing on the patient, and can lack accuracy. A promising new avenue for monitoring treatment response of patients is through liquid biopsy, specifically exosomal biomarkers. Exosomes are small, extracellular vesicles present in all body fluids, that act as intercellular communicators and have been found to be increased in cancer patients. Using a cohort of 45 patients from the Saint John Regional Hospital with advanced small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) (pre- and post-treatment) and non-cancer control group, blood plasma exosomes were isolated; and characterized by immunoblotting, Zetasizer, and transmission election microscopy. Expression of exo-miRNA was analyzed via high-throughput TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) Human MicroRNA array cards. Characterization confirmed the good quality of isolated exosomes. Interestingly, exo-miRNA content yield was found to be significantly greater in controls, while no significant difference was observed between lung cancer treatment groups/subtypes. Our data reveals that four exo-miRNAs were significantly upregulated in pre-treatment over post-treatment, and four others significantly upregulated compared to control exosomes suggesting their specificity to lung cancer. Validations involving a larger independent cohort will further confirm the monitoring potential of exosomes in lung cancer.
Josh Stanton (a), Angkoon Phinyomark (b), Dr. Erik Scheme (b), Dr. Anthony Reiman (a,c), and Dr. Alli Murugesan (a)
(a) Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick
(b) Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
(c) Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network
Despite treatment advances for lung cancer, the disease remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths globally. Current lung cancer monitoring methods include computed tomography and positron emission tomography which are resource intensive, taxing on the patient, and can lack accuracy. A promising new avenue for monitoring treatment response of patients is through liquid biopsy, specifically exosomal biomarkers. Exosomes are small, extracellular vesicles present in all body fluids, that act as intercellular communicators and have been found to be increased in cancer patients. Using a cohort of 45 patients from the Saint John Regional Hospital with advanced small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) (pre- and post-treatment) and non-cancer control group, blood plasma exosomes were isolated; and characterized by immunoblotting, Zetasizer, and transmission election microscopy. Expression of exo-miRNA was analyzed via high-throughput TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) Human MicroRNA array cards. Characterization confirmed the good quality of isolated exosomes. Interestingly, exo-miRNA content yield was found to be significantly greater in controls, while no significant difference was observed between lung cancer treatment groups/subtypes. Our data reveals that four exo-miRNAs were significantly upregulated in pre-treatment over post-treatment, and four others significantly upregulated compared to control exosomes suggesting their specificity to lung cancer. Validations involving a larger independent cohort will further confirm the monitoring potential of exosomes in lung cancer.
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Promising treatment potential of a potent caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) analog for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Katie Luiker (a), Lauren Hogan (a), Dr. Anthony Reiman (a,b), Dr. Mohamed Touaibia (c) and Dr. Alli Murugesan (a) (a) Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick (b) Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network (c) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton |
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common, aggressive type of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma affecting roughly 6 in 100 000 people/year with a median age of 64. Current treatment for DLBCL is particularly toxic to elderly patients, in some cases causing death and while less toxic therapies have been developed, these are less effective. The resistance to current chemotherapies in the majority of elderly DLBCL patients demonstrates the need to develop new anticancer treatments. Interferon regulatory factor (IRF4) is key to proper B-cell development and elevated levels of IRF4 have been implicated in lymphoid cancers. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) has been identified as a regulator of IRF4 expression and cell proliferation. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a natural compound present in bee glue, is a potent inhibitor of NF-kB. Hence, we evaluated the potential of CAPE analogs using two human DLBCL cell lines, U2932 and OCI-Ly3. CAPE analogs were synthesized and screened using PrestoBlue cell viability assays. The growth inhibitory effect of CAPE analogs in comparison with standard immunomodulatory drugs (lenalidomide) was assessed. Apoptotic effect was analyzed by flow cytometry and downstream effects of CAPE analogs were determined by immunoblotting methods. Our screening data revealed a potent analog with longer hydrocarbon chain than CAPE exhibits greater cell growth inhibition and apoptotic effect than CAPE itself. We found decreased expression of IRF4 and other cereblon pathway proteins by the potent CAPE analog. In summary, these results suggest that CAPE analogs are promising and could lead to new improved treatment for DLBCL patients.
