Divorce is consistently rated among life's most distressing psychological experiences. Following marital dissolution, the risk for Major Depressive Disorder onset is increased by three to tenfold, and a subset of these adults will become stuck on pathways toward mental illness. With approximately 2.5 million adults newly impacted by the end of marriage each year, efforts to understand risk and protective mechanisms are of national import and critical for developing treatments and preventions. The proposed research examines two domains of self-regulatory functioning (cognitive organization and autonomic response patterning) in order to shed light on the association between marital dissolution, depression severity, and physical health outcomes. In a laboratory study, self-report, physiological, and cognitive processing reaction time data will be collected from 105 recently separated adults, two-thirds of whom report mild to moderate depression, to examine three specific aims.
Aim 1 explores the association between explicit and implicit measures of cognitive organization by comparing self-reported adjustment to loss-related attention and memory tasks;
Aim 2 examines whether these information processing measures predict depression severity after controlling for self-reported adjustment and other covariates; and, Aim 3 examines the cognitive processes through which depression severity impacts heart rate variability, contractility, and electrodermal responses during a divorce-specific mental activation task and a standardized acute stress challenge. Correlation and multiple regression analyses, including formal tests of statistical mediation and moderation, will be used to analyze the study aims and hypotheses. It is anticipated that integrative research of this nature can help elucidate the basic self-regulatory mechanisms that heighten risk for or protect against affective disorders and poor physical health outcomes in the aftermath of divorce.

Public Health Relevance

Divorce is among the most stressful life events a person can experience, and a significant proportion of adults develop diagnosable Major Depression following marital dissolution. This research examines the predictors of post-divorce depression and how these mood disturbances can negatively impact physical health outcomes. A better understanding of the associations between divorce, depression, and health is critical for developing improved prevention and treatment programs. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03MH074637-02
Application #
7243429
Study Section
Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Emotion, Stress and Health Study Section (MESH)
Program Officer
Sanislow, Charles A
Project Start
2006-07-01
Project End
2009-06-30
Budget Start
2007-07-01
Budget End
2009-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$73,311
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Arizona
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
806345617
City
Tucson
State
AZ
Country
United States
Zip Code
85721
Grinberg, Austin M; O'Hara, Karey L; Sbarra, David A (2018) Preliminary evidence of attenuated blood pressure reactivity to acute stress in adults following a recent marital separation. Psychol Health 33:430-444
Bourassa, Kyle J; Allen, John J B; Mehl, Matthias R et al. (2017) Impact of Narrative Expressive Writing on Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, and Blood Pressure After Marital Separation. Psychosom Med 79:697-705
Bourassa, Kyle J; Hasselmo, Karen; Sbarra, David A (2016) Heart Rate Variability Moderates the Association Between Separation-Related Psychological Distress and Blood Pressure Reactivity Over Time. Psychol Sci 27:1123-35
Sbarra, David A (2015) Divorce and health: current trends and future directions. Psychosom Med 77:227-36
Krietsch, Kendra N; Mason, Ashley E; Sbarra, David A (2014) Sleep complaints predict increases in resting blood pressure following marital separation. Health Psychol 33:1204-13
Sbarra, David A; Boals, Adriel; Mason, Ashley E et al. (2013) Expressive Writing Can Impede Emotional Recovery Following Marital Separation. Clin Psychol Sci 1:120-134
Sbarra, David A; Borelli, Jessica L (2013) Heart rate variability moderates the association between attachment avoidance and self-concept reorganization following marital separation. Int J Psychophysiol 88:253-60
Borelli, Jessica L; Sbarra, David A; Randall, Ashley K et al. (2013) Linguistic indicators of wives' attachment security and communal orientation during military deployment. Fam Process 52:535-54
Mason, Ashley E; Sbarra, David A; Bryan, Amanda E B et al. (2012) Staying connected when coming apart: The psychological correlates of contact and sex with an ex-partner. J Soc Clin Psychol 31:488-507
Sbarra, David A; Hasselmo, Karen; Nojopranoto, Widyasita (2012) Divorce and Death: A Case Study for Health Psychology. Soc Personal Psychol Compass 6:905-919

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