Dwight Mazmanian

Lakehead University · Department of Psychology

Jealousy may have evolved to motivate adaptive compensatory behavior in response to threats to a valued relationship. This suggests that jealousy follows a temporal sequence: A perceived relational threat induces state feelings of jealousy which in turn motivates compensatory behavior, such as mate retention effort. Yet to date, tests of this media...

Objective Accurate information on the frequency and prevalence of manic or mixed episodes is important for therapeutic, prognostic, and safety concerns. We aimed to estimate the risk of relapse of manic and mixed episodes after delivery in women with bipolar I disorder or schizoaffective disorder—bipolar type. Methods Following the Preferred Repor...

Introduction: The focus on perinatal mental health has expanded recently, though there is less research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, a review of the literature was undertaken and coupled with expert clinical insights to discuss current clinical practice recommendations for PTSD in the perinatal period. Areas covered: This...

Introduction: Women are at a high risk of recurrence of depression in the postpartum period. Given the circumscribed duration of the risk period and knowledge of its triggers, postpartum depression should be easily preventable. However, prophylactic drug studies have reported contradictory findings partly due to the heterogeneity of the disorder....

Importance: Driving cessation affects older drivers and, possibly, also care partners (most of whom tend to be women). Although tools exist to assess the effects on family and friends of providing informal care to someone who needs assistance, no tool is available to clinicians that specifically focuses on the effects of driving cessation. Object...

Virtual competence, or using one’s knowledge and skills to achieve goals in virtual settings, is thought to be composed of self-efficacy (i.e., belief in one’s abilities), media skills (i.e., ability to use technology), and social skills. These components may be particularly valuable in virtual team-based settings. Video game players who have first...

Objectification theory was tested to examine the potential mediating role of self-objectification in the relationship between technology-facilitated sexual harassment (TFSH) and psychological functioning in a sample of women (N = 481). The results indicated that TFSH was associated with eating pathology, alcohol use, and sexual functioning. Further...

Many of the pervasive problems that women historically faced in person, such as sexual harassment, can now follow them everywhere through technology. The purpose of this study was to address contextual gaps in the literature about women’s experiences of technology-facilitated sexual harassment (TFSH). Specifically, information about perpetrator and...

Problematic shopping can include uncontrollable and frequent urges to shop. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have influenced these behaviors in several ways, such as through increased online shopping opportunities and pandemic-related stress. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine shopping and other behavioral addi...

Objective: Since depression represents the most predominant mood polarity in bipolar disorder (BD), the prevalence rates of a diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in women with BD and those of a diagnosis of BD in women with PMDD deserve systematic review. Data Sources: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Co...

Background To review the phenomenology, nosology, and treatment of postpartum psychosis. Methods Using the keywords postpartum, puerperal, psychosis, bipolar, mania, depression, classification, nosology, phenomenology, diagnosis, suicide, infanticide, and treatment, four electronic databases, MEDLINE/PubMed (1966–2020), PsycINFO (1806–2020), EMBAS...

Abstract Background: Recent research has illustrated a relationship between problem gambling and loot box content in video games. However, there is limited research on motives to engage with or refrain from loot boxes and whether these overlap with gambling motives. Thus, this study qualitatively examined motives to engage with or refrain from both...

This study examined motives to engage or refrain from engaging with gambling and loot boxes (i.e., in-game “boxes” that can be won within a game or purchased with in-game currency or real money, and which contain a random selection of prizes or objects). University students (n = 321) and community members (n = 279) completed an online questionnaire...

This study examined shopping intentions of Canadian consumers post-COVID-19, and their intentions to specifically support Canadian businesses. Actionable recommendations that domestic businesses could implement to encourage support were also sought. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected online; quantitative data were analyzed by conducti...

Emotional intelligence (EI) is reported to be inversely associated with emotional distress, although the potential role of negative repetitive thoughts in this relationship has not yet been explored. The current investigation examined the links between four facets of trait EI and emotional distress (i.e., symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder [G...

Along with the global health challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent research has begun to highlight the mental health challenges and consequences it has also posed. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to examine behavioural addictions, namely gambling, video gaming, and loot box behaviour, in the context of COVID-19. A sa...

There has recently been an increase in the overlap between the gambling and gaming industries, with one notable example being the inclusion of loot boxes in games. With research in this area still being in its infancy, measures that address the overlap between gambling and gaming, as well as loot box engagement, are relatively new and require furth...

Background: Sexual harassment that occurs through technology, also known as technology-facilitated sexual harassment (TFSH), is a relatively new addition to the literature. Although quantitative research on TFSH has increased recently, there are comparatively few qualitative studies that examine personal experiences of TFSH. Methods: In this mixed-...

Since 2011, there has been much discussion and concern about a "replication crisis" in psychology. An inability to reproduce findings in new samples can undermine even basic tenets of psychology. Much attention has been paid to the following practices, which Bishop (2019) described as "the four horsemen of the reproducibility apocalypse": Publicati...

Driving cessation can impact retiring drivers, but we often neglect to consider its effect on caregivers. Caregivers may have to deal with important changes when someone they care for ceases driving, but we have few means to quantify these changes. Hence, we aimed to develop the Caregiver Transportation Scale (CTS) to measure this impact. We develo...

This study examines negative and positive escapism in gamblers, gamers, and individuals who gamble and game. University students (N = 387) completed a battery of online questionnaires that included a demographic information scale, measures of the frequency and type of activity (i.e., gambling, gaming), and modified escapism scales that assessed bot...

The traditional system of classifying postpartum psychiatric disorders into maternity blues, postpartum depression, and puerperal psychosis overlooks the clinical significance of hypomanic, manic, or mixed symptoms in the postpartum period. Although common after childbirth, episodes of hypomania or non‐psychotic mania, as well as mixed states, are...

Objectives: There has been growing interest in examining pain-related activity patterns and their relationships to psychosocial functioning. The Patterns of Activity Measure - Pain (POAM-P) is frequently used to measure three pain-related activity patterns; Avoidance, Overdoing, and Pacing. Although the POAM-P possesses excellent psychometric prop...

The peripartum period appears to be a potent trigger of obsessive-compulsive disorder in women; however, due to the lack of awareness and routine screening, women with obsessive-compulsive disorder may be at risk of under- or misdiagnosis. Unfortunately, the missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis can have serious consequences including symptom persistenc...

Background: Prior to legalization in October 2018, marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug in Canada, with 60-73% of undergraduate students reporting use over their lifetime. Research consistently links marijuana use to negative outcomes such as physical and mental health problems and social, educational, and occupational impairments. Cha...

The purpose of the current study was to examine positive and negative escapism in gamblers, gamers, and individuals who both gamble and game. Students recruited at Lakehead University (N = 384) completed a battery of online questionnaires that included a demographic information scale, measures of the frequency and type of activity (e.g., gambling,...

The present study sought to explore whether changes in measured hormone levels across the menstrual cycle [i.e., estradiol (E), progesterone (P), estradiol:progesterone (E/P) ratio] are related to changes in women's mate preferences. Fifty-two women provided ratings of men's faces (e.g., attractiveness, sexiness, healthiness) and the importance of...

Gambling and online video gaming are becoming less distinct as gambling content is added to online games (e.g., lootboxes). This raises questions about the extent to which gamblers and gamers are similar with respect to demographic variables, the frequency with which they engage in gambling and gaming activities, and their association with substanc...

A number of correlates of social anxiety have been proposed in the literature. These include cognitive processes such as post-event processing and repetitive thinking (rumination), and the use of safety behaviours. Recently, we have shown that non-verbal behaviours associated with social anxiety can be assessed using the Ethological Coding System f...

To examine postpartum recurrence rates of depression comparing women receiving antidepressant treatment to women not being treated with psychotropic medication. This was a prospective study of 130 women with major depressive disorder (MDD) who attended a tertiary care perinatal clinic during and after pregnancy. Depression recurrence was defined as...

Sex drive refers to the strength of sexual motivation. It drives our sexual fantasies, compels us to seek out, attend to and evaluate sexual incentives, regulate our level of sexual arousal, and enable us to copulate or engage in other forms of sex play. There is neither agreement in the literature on how to measure sex drive, nor consensus on the...

Changes in activity patterns frequently accompany the experience of chronic pain. Two activity patterns, avoidance and overdoing, are hypothesized to contribute to the development of ongoing pain and pain-related disability, while activity pacing is frequently introduced to enhance pain management and functioning. Two studies were conducted to asse...

This study assessed the relationship between social anxiety and self-perceived non-verbal behavior using a specific ethogram assessment. Participants (N = 348) completed a battery of questionnaires, including measures of such behavior and social anxiety. Socially anxious participants had stronger endorsement of these non-verbal behaviors than low s...

Increasing gambling knowledge and dispelling erroneous gambling beliefs has been shown to reduce gambling-related harm. Technology has been used to promote responsible gambling and transmit knowledge about gambling misconceptions; interactive software allows individuals to engage with and attend more actively to the presented information. The Respo...

Procrastination is prevalent among students and is associated with negative outcomes, including poor academic performance and psychological distress. Research also suggests that anxiety and depression can exacerbate procrastination; however, the mechanisms associated with the development of procrastination are less understood. The current study aim...

Protective behavioural strategies represent a harm reduction approach that individual gamblers can implement to reduce harm associated with gambling. This review evaluated the empirical evidence to date on the effectiveness of protective behavioural strategies in gambling. The strategies reviewed encompass four broad categories: self-exclusion (a r...

Background: Gambling venues and industry regulators utilize a variety of strategies to reduce potential consumer harm from gambling. These strategies originate at the level of governmental and industry policy, and are distinct from responsible gambling behavioural strategies that individual gamblers may choose to implement. Method: This systemati...

Individuals who have high intolerance of uncertainty are theorized to experience a fear or anxiety response in situations with uncertain outcomes, leading to heightened arousal. In gambling, outcomes are inherently uncertain or random. The current study sought to explore the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty, irrational gambling beli...

Previous women’s health practitioners and researchers have postulated that some women are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes occurring during reproductive events. We hypothesize that some women are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes occurring across their reproductive lifespan. To evaluate this hypothesis, we reviewed findings from...

Despite higher rates of problem gambling among Internet gamblers, little research has been conducted in the area of treating problem Internet gambling. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively examine Internet problem gamblers’ perspectives on their problem gambling treatment experiences, especially in relation to decreasing Internet p...

( Int J Gynaecol Obstet . 2016;133(3):277–283) Pica, the purposeful consumption of nonfood or non-nutritive substances, is commonly reported in women during the period surrounding childbirth. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 does not provide a prevalence estimate for pica, and current prevalence estimates during...

Background Although pica has long been associated with pregnancy, the exact prevalence in this population remains unknown. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of pica during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and to explain variations in prevalence estimates by examining potential moderating variables. Search strategy PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO,...

Recreational and problem gamblers alike hold beliefs about gambling that are dysfunctional. These dysfunctional beliefs have been theorized to play a role in problem gambling behaviour. The current study sought to examine the effects of gambling attitudes and beliefs on problem gambling behaviour across three cohorts. A sample of 308 participants c...

Background: Risk and protective factors for postpartum depression have been extensively studied, and in recent studies an association between breastfeeding and maternal mood has been reported. The present retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the association between breastfeeding-related variables and postpartum depression...

Objective: Activity pacing is frequently included among the strategies provided to individuals with chronic pain to manage pain and improve functioning. Individuals with chronic pain may, however, limit their use of activity pacing because they perceive significant obstacles to its use. This study describes the development of a measure to assess ob...

Bipolar disorder is a serious and pervasive disorder characterized by episodes of depression, hypomania, or mania and affects individuals to varying degrees of severity. The risk for mood episodes is elevated during the postpartum period compared to other time points in a woman’s life. Regrettably, detection of clinically significant mood episodes,...

Emerging research suggests that a relationship exists between breastfeeding and postpartum depression; however, the direction and precise nature of this relationship are not yet clear. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum depression as it has been examined in the empirical lite...

Objective: An association between endometriosis and psychiatric disturbances has been identified by some researchers. The purpose of this systematic review was to consolidate existing empirical findings to clarify the association between endometriosis and psychiatric conditions. Data sources: We searched three electronic databases (Medline/PubMe...

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine relationships between gonadal hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone), body shape, body mass index (BMI), and symptoms of disordered eating, in healthy young women. Method: Fifty-two free-cycling women completed subscales from the Eating Disorder Inventory 3 (EDI-3; Body Dissatisfac...

Older adults are increasingly being targeted by traditional gambling venues, despite an arguably increased vulnerability from gambling loss. However, the gambling industry is changing, with more gambling opportunities through online venues, as well as provincially-sanctioned Internet gambling. The current study examined gambling attitudes, beliefs,...

Research indicates that mindfulness is linked to higher-order neurocognitive control processes, and the associated executive functions and self-regulation capacities needed in daily life. The current study examines the roles of executive function and self-regulation in the link between dispositional mindfulness and well-being using a multi-method,...

Gambling incentives have largely targeted older adults and the current study sought to explore gambling practices within this age group. A sample of 133 older adults aged 60 plus was collected from an Ontario population. Specifically frequency of playing various gambling games, money spent on gambling games, and favourite game were analyzed. It was...

Lottery gambling is the most common form of gambling in Canada, and lottery tickets and instant win tickets are the most frequently played games. Differences between lottery ticket gambling and instant win ticket gambling were examined by using a large-scale Canadian data set (N 5 25,780). Lottery ticket gambling was associated with being older, ma...

Middle phalangeal hair (MPH) is a trait frequently examined in anthropological studies throughout the 20th century. MPH is found on the back of the middle segment of the fingers, excluding the thumb. Typically, researchers examined the presence and absence of hair in various populations, and described it in terms of age, ancestry, and sex. Recently...

Previous research has shown that anxiety and depression symptoms are negatively associated with measures of intelligence. However, this research has often not taken state distress and test anxiety into account, and recent findings indicate possible positive relationships between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worry, and intelligence. The prese...

Self-regulation facilitates coping with academic stress and demands. This pilot study examined the effects of four consecutive mindfulness meditation classes on self-regulation and executive function in graduate students. Self-report measures of mindfulness, self-regulation, and executive functions were completed before and after the mindful-ness c...

Adolescent substance use disorders are a major public health concern. Given the many challenges associated with treating this population, ongoing research in this area is imperative. The purpose of the current study was to provide a preliminary examination of the substance use outcomes associated with an adolescent residential treatment program tha...

Several studies have found higher rates of problem gambling among Internet gamblers than non-Internet gamblers. Because of easy access and convenience, along with other gaming characteristics, many researchers in the field have advanced the argument that Internet gambling is potentially more addictive and problematic than land-based gambling activi...

The authors regret that in our comment on Thorell et al. (2013), Mushquash et al., (2014), the confidence intervals (CIs) for sensitivity, specificity, PV+ PV- were computed incorrectly. In each case, the sample size used in computing the Wilson score CI was the overall N for the 2x2 table rather than the appropriate row or column total. As a resul...

The aim of the present study was to determine the rate of, and risk factors for, a change in diagnosis from major depressive disorder to bipolar disorder, and from bipolar II disorder to bipolar I disorder in pregnancy and postpartum. Patients with a prior history of major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder were recruited between 24 and 28...

We sought to determine if we could reduce symptoms of depression in individuals with a traumatic brain injury using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. The study was conducted in a community setting. We enrolled adults with symptoms of depression after a traumatic brain injury. We conducted a randomized controlled trial; participants were randomiz...

Thorell et al. (2013) reported high sensitivity and high "raw specificity" of electrodermal hyporeactivity for suicide in patients with bipolar, unipolar, and other (comprised of dysthymia/mixed depressive/personality/adjustment features) depression. Further, they suggested that electrodermal hyporeactivity is a trait marker for suicidal propensity...

Bipolar I and II disorder are chronic and severe psychiatric illnesses that affect many women. Furthermore, women are at increased risk for mood episodes during the postpartum period compared with non-postpartum periods. Unfortunately, identification of clinically significant depressive or (hypo)manic episodes can be challenging. Delays in detectio...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a relatively new therapeutic approach that is rooted in mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy. Leading MBCT requires a radically different method than other forms of group facilitation. We are currently conducting a multi-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a mindful...

Although professionals conducting parenting capacity assessments (PCAs) frequently rely on test validity scales to measure parental efforts at social desirability, very limited data is available on their performance. The current study found strong concurrent validity between the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and Millon Clinical Multiaxial...

Bipolar disorder is a serious and often chronic disorder characterized by episodes of depression, hypomania, mania or mixed states that affects many individuals worldwide, and is a leading cause of years of 'healthy' life lost as a result of disability and premature mortality. For women, bipolar disorder tends to cluster during the childbearing yea...

Several lines of research suggest that reproductive events may affect the course of bipolar disorder (BD) in some women. With respect to the menstrual cycle, the focus has been on dysphoric symptoms [e.g., premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)], and the exacerbation of depression, in the premenstrual phase. This article reviews the literature on t...

The addition of the "with peripartum onset" specifier for mood episodes in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and broadening the scope of the specifier to include hypomanic episodes, are welcome changes. However, the peripartum onset specifier, by failing to distinguish between "prepartum" onset and "pos...

Objectives: Changes in activity frequently occur as a consequence of ongoing pain. Three activity patterns commonly observed among individuals with ongoing pain are avoidance, overdoing, and pacing. We conducted 2 studies investigating these activity patterns, their interrelationships, and their associations with key psychosocial factors. Study 1...

The Internet has become a major means of accessing a variety of gambling activities. As a result, there is concern that the Internet may provide more opportunities for consumers to engage in problematic gambling behaviours. The current study examined factors related to Internet gambling and problem gambling in a university student sample (N = 325)....

Perfectionism is known to be associated with various maladaptive outcomes, yet little research has examined mechanisms underlying perfectionism or potential protective factors. This study investigated worry and rumination as mediators between perfectionism and psychological distress in university students (N=213), and related the multiple mediator...

Objective: Although pregnant and postpartum women are presumed to be at greater risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) than the general population, the evidence has been inconclusive. This meta-analysis provides an estimate of OCD prevalence in pregnant and postpartum women and synthesizes the evidence that pregnant and postpartum women are at...

Objective: This study aims to determine whether the severity of physical symptoms experienced during perimenopause can be predicted by physical symptoms experienced during past reproductive events (ie, symptoms experienced during pregnancy, the postpartum period, the premenstrual phase, and hormonal contraceptive use). Methods: Two hundred ninet...

People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) hold both positive and negative beliefs about worry. Dugas and Koerner (2005) view positive beliefs as one of the maintaining factors in GAD. Wells (2005) argues that the positive beliefs regarding worry are not unique to GAD and that it is the negative beliefs about worry that maintain GAD. Ruscio and...

Factors associated with recent suicide attempts were examined in clients who sought treatment at an addictions facility between 2001 and 2008. Clients who reported being hospitalized for attempting suicide in the past year (n = 76) were compared to all other clients (n = 5914) on demographic, mental health, substance use, and problem gambling varia...

An existing database was used to compare problem gamblers (N = 138) who presented for treatment of their gambling problem to two other groups: alcohol and/or drug addiction clients who also had a gambling problem (N = 280) or who did not have a gambling problem (N = 2178). Clients with gambling as their primary problem were more likely to be female...