Behavioral Science
Bridget Escobar
The United Health Foundation reports that psychological distress has been steadily increasing since the 2010s in the United States. There is no evidence that people do not know how to be compassionate. However, kindness towards others and oneself appears to be decreasing in the US. Do unkind people lack compassion? Are people using their compassion to be less kind? Or is the increase in psychological distress reducing the capacity of people to be kind? The literature is unclear. Understanding these links may clarify how to build supportive communities. Over 300 undergraduate students at a private Christian liberal arts university reported their psychological distress, compassion, and religious practices, and completed standardized measures to answer this question. Moderation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between these variables. Results indicated that psychological distress moderates the relationship between compassion and prosocial behaviors, compassion and kindness toward self, and compassion and kindness towards others. These findings indicate that high levels of psychological distress appear to inhibit kindness -- both kindness towards oneself and kindness towards others. The implications of these findings are discussed both for college student communities and for the United States as a whole.
Women Carry the Burden; Men Carry the Risk? Sex and Age Differences in Depression and Poor Mental Health Outcomes
Leah Hardcastle
Depression arises from interactions among adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), psychosocial factors (e.g., loneliness), social determinants of health, and lifestyle/behavioral factors. Although sex differences are documented, whether disparities reflect greater exposure, greater vulnerability, or both remains unclear. Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2024 data were analyzed (survey-weighted N≈4,000–6,500). Survey-weighted prevalence estimates and modified Poisson regression examined sex and age differences in depression outcomes, poor mental health, and risk factor exposure. Consistent with prior research, women reported a higher prevalence of lifetime depression diagnosis. The current findings extend these sex differences to depression symptoms during the past 12 months and poor mental health during the previous 30 days, indicating persistent disparities across multiple time frames. ACEs were the strongest modifiable contributor to lifetime depression diagnosis, whereas psychosocial factors, particularly loneliness, contributed most strongly to depression symptoms and poor mental health outcomes. While women carried a greater burden of risk factor exposure, men often appeared more susceptible to these exposures, with stronger increases in depression-related outcomes. Higher depression prevalence among women may partly reflect greater cumulative exposure to risk factors, whereas men may be more vulnerable to mental health consequences of equivalent exposures. Loneliness emerged as the most consistent predictor across outcomes, highlighting social connectedness as a key intervention target. Notably, mental health burden was highest among adults aged 18–24 years. Prevention efforts should prioritize high-burden groups such as young women while recognizing that lower prevalence among men may conceal heightened vulnerability to psychosocial adversity.
Body Image and Eating Behaviors: Examining the Relationship Between Body Image Perceptions and Nutritional Habits Among College Students
Kenidy Bennett
Lamar University
College students experience increased exposure to social comparison, peer influence, and societal expectations that can affect body image perceptions and nutrition-related behaviors. This study examines the social, psychological, and societal factors associated with body image concerns among college students, explores how body image perceptions influence eating habits and nutritional intake, and investigates the role of peer norms and social media exposure in shaping dietary decision-making. It was hypothesized that greater body image concerns would be associated with less healthy nutrition-related behaviors and that peer norms and social media influence would be significantly related to dietary decision-making. A pretest-posttest quantitative research design was implemented with 25 undergraduate students at Lamar University. Participants completed questionnaires before and after a brief educational presentation grounded in Transformative Learning Theory. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted to examine relationships among body image perceptions, nutrition-related behaviors, peer norms, and social media influence. Results indicated that participants reported moderate levels of body comparison, body dissatisfaction, and perceived pressure to achieve societal body ideals. Body image concerns were positively associated with nutrition-related risk behaviors, while peer norms and social media influence were significantly associated with nutrition-related decision-making. Although participants demonstrated small improvements following the educational presentation, these changes were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that social and psychological influences play an important role in shaping body image perceptions and nutrition-related behaviors among college students, highlighting the need for educational strategies that promote healthy body image and informed nutrition choices.