Congratulations to Cindy, Megan, Fides and Puloma for their amazing poster presentations at PURC!
Cindy presented: Differences in Depression, Anxiety and Contributing Psychological Factors among Young Adults from Chinese, Chinese Canadian, and Canadian Backgrounds: A Study Proposal
- Although it is known that culture influences the expression of depression and anxiety, less is known about how it affects vulnerabilities and stressors that precipitate these disorders. Furthermore, research often overlooks nuanced cultural differences like acculturation levels within a group, thereby missing important insights such as the impact of acculturation stressors on international students. This poster outlines the study proposal of an ongoing project that aims to address these knowledge gaps by comparing depression and anxiety among Chinese students of varying acculturation levels, examining cultural influences on disorder progression, and exploring how culture may moderate the stress-disorder association. As cultural competency is ever more crucial in modern society, this study will offer useful insights that enhance our understanding of depression and anxiety.
Megan presented: Does Income Level Moderate the Association of Gender and Rumination?
- Rumination, commonly reported by women, involves repetitively dwelling on negative thoughts post-stress, leading to mental health issues like depression. This gender difference may be due to women facing unique stressors, such as lower income levels, increasing their susceptibility to rumination. The current study explored gender differences in rumination and the impact of income. Men reported higher incomes, but neither gender nor income predicted rumination levels independently. Gender-income interactions did not significantly affect rumination. Future research could explore how income moderates’ gender-rumination links in diverse populations, including other gender identities.
Puloma presented: Effects of Co-rumination & Co-distraction on State-level Rumination in Women
- This study focused on women’s tendency to ruminate, which means repeatedly thinking about and dwelling on problems and distress. I looked at how talking with others either by discussing problems (co-rumination) or engaging in distracting conversations (co-distraction) affects rumination. Findings suggested that women ruminated more in the co-rumination than co-distraction condition. Additionally, their trait tendency to ruminate didn’t necessarily predict how much they ruminated in these interactions. This suggests that engaging in distracting conversations with others can help redirect focus and potentially reduce rumination, regardless of one’s natural tendency to ruminate.
Fides presented: Cultural Stress and Depression: A Comparative Study Among Chinese Domestic and International Students
- Given the increased prevalence of depression among international students, past research has linked minority and cultural stressors to increased depression vulnerability. The present study aims to longitudinally evaluate how cultural stress may uniquely impact depressive outcomes among international and domestic Chinese students.
A special shoutout to Fides who won the Best Poster Award at PURC this year! Congratulations on this amazing achievement!