Linda Berg-Cross

Depressive Symptoms and Birth Outcomes among Pregnant Teenagers

STUDY OBJECTIVE Few studies have examined the effects of maternal depressive symptoms among adolescent women. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on birth outcomes of infants born to adolescent mothers. DESIGN The medical records of pregnant adolescent patients were examined. Information about maternal depressive symptoms and birth outcomes was collected. SETTING Data were collected at Washington Hospital Center, a nonprofit, community-based hospital that serves residents throughout the Washington, DC area. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 294 African-American and Latina adolescent mothers. Mean age was 16.2 years (standard deviation [SD] 1.4). Based on self-reports of depressive symptoms, adolescents were categorized by the following: no reported symptoms, depressive symptoms without SI/SA (suicidal ideation or attempt), and depressive symptoms with SI/SA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Infant birth weight and gestational age at delivery. RESULTS Over one-quarter of pregnant adolescents in this study reported symptoms of depression. Adolescents reporting depressive symptoms with SI/SA delivered babies that weighed 239.5 grams (98.3% confidence interval [CI] 3.9 to 475.1) less than babies born to mothers reporting depressive symptoms without SI/SA. There was no association between reported symptoms and gestational age. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that compared to nonpregnant teens and adults, pregnant teens may have an increased risk for depression. Additionally, pregnant adolescents with suicidal ideation are at greater risk for delivering infants of lower birth weight compared with teens reporting depressive symptoms without SI/SA and teens reporting no symptoms. This study supports the need for early screening and treatment of depression for young pregnant women.

The Impact of the Recession on College Students

This article had three goals: (a) to provide a brief economic review of the relationship between recessionary times, institutional reactions, and the life trajectory of recession-era college students; (b) to discuss the recession-related psychosocial stressors facing todays college students; and (c) to discuss how counseling centers can help students and make resources available to staff and students.

An Exploration of Motivations of Fine Art Students in Relation to Mental and Physical Well-Being

College art students are an overlooked minority population whose culture, career motivations, and mental health risks have not been studied, and there has been little to no specialized outreach to this population. This article describes the stereotypes associated with fine art students and the data available that confirms or refutes those stereotypes. It then reports an initial investigation of fine artists that assesses their mental and physical health as well as their career motivations. The discussion focuses on the implications for college counseling centers.

International Education, the Internet, and the "Three Kings" Experiment.

The current project linked students in three universities in a guided discussion of the movie, Three Kings. The goals were to assess the viability of having students from three different courses, in three different universities, in three different countries find common ground to have intellectual discussions via the Internet and to assess how responsive students would be to answering structured questions as a stimulus for intellectual discussions. We also wanted to understand how the Three Kings was perceived by students in the United States, England, and the Netherlands. Overall, there were 19 students who contributed a total of 217 conversational threads (distinct entries). Conversations were lively and interactive. Content analysis revealed that race relations within the United States, U.S. policy in Iraq, and the depiction of American values were the “big” global messages of the film.

Effects of an Orientation Program on Mobile Transfer Students

A group orientation program was designed and carried out to aid the adjustment of mobile seventh and eighth grade transfer students to their new schools. Students in the treatment program were compared to others in both placebo and no-treatment control conditions on various measures of school and emotional adjustment. The measures included state measures of anxiety, depression, and hostility; a problem checklist; and orientation and attitude questionnaires. Adjustment data were collected at the beginning and end of the treatment program. It was found that transfer students in the orientation-treatment program were less anxious, depressed and hostile, reported fewer school and personal problems, had more positive attitudes towards school, and were better oriented at the end of the treatment program than transfer students in the control conditions.

Sleep Competing Activities and Sleep Problems in Minority College Students

This study addressed health disparities in sleep duration, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness among African-American college students. To investigate evening behaviors promoting insufficient and inadequate sleep, we assessed electronic (e.g., computer and music) and nonelectronic (e.g., socializing) sleep competing activities (SCA). Students (N = 154) were recruited from a Historically Black College (HBCU). The results showed more dysfunction than has previously been reported in college populations, with HBCU students reporting very short sleep durations, high levels of daytime sleepiness, and poor sleep quality. These students engaged in many activities during the evening, and these activities predicted unhealthy sleep. Whereas electronic and nonelectronic activities significantly impacted sleep quality and sleep duration, only electronic activities were significantly related to sleep latency and only nonelectronic activities were significantly related to daytime sleepiness. We conclude that sleep is a major concern for college students and, in particular, racial minority college students. Understanding the role of SCA can help address the various environmental barriers for successful treatment of these young adults.

Relationship Satisfaction in Native Koreans and Korean Americans as a Function of Alexithymia, Emotional Intelligence, and Marital Vows Orientation

The common stereotype of the inexpressive Asian, holding all emotions at bay, continues in our expectations of how Asian couples relate in intimate relationships. There is also a widely held belief that Asian marriages embrace more covenant-oriented commitments, compromising individual freedom and expression for the sake of harmony and integration of the couple. The current study attempted to test these stereotypes among Koreans living in the United States and Native Koreans. Results indicated that the dominant culture significantly shapes the expression and importance of alexithymia among Koreans, but when Koreans are a minority group, traditional beliefs may exert an even greater influence on the covenantal aspects of the couple relationship. Most interestingly, couples with only one Korean member had very different results than the other groups; most notably in a strong significant negative relationship between emotional intelligence and relationship satisfaction.

Counseling Patients with Chronic Lung Disease: Interdisciplinary Strategies for Reducing Distress

Patients with chronic lung disease (CLD) experience a progressively debilitating loss of lung function over time. The symptom of breathlessness is commonly cited as the most distressing aspect of living with CLD, whether due to emphysema, asthma, interstitial lung disease, or cystic fibrosis. Current therapies, both allopathic and alternative, target relief of symptoms, but do not reverse loss of lung function. As a result, anxiety and depression are prevalent among patients with CLD. Counseling patients on how to live with their disease and maximize functionality is a critical but often overlooked aspect of patient care. This chapter focuses on the approach to counseling patients with CLD, addressing five pillars of optimum functioning.