week 6 peer review

Relationship Between Depression (from heartbreak) and Reaction Time

There are many reasons that can cause depression and a cognitive developmental delay, but this review is going to be looking at depression that comes from a relational breakup (heartbreak) and how this effects their reaction time. When an individual undergoes emotional distress that was caused by heartbreak it can lead the individual to negative effects such as, having an increased risk of physical illness and stress-related diseases (Izzati&Takwin, 2018). Young-adults, according to Erikon’s theory are going thought the developmental stage of intimacy versus isolation (Izzati&Tawkin, 2018; Erikson 1968). This proves that young adults are either developing intimate relationships with other individuals or they are being isolated from society. Naturally when an individual is actively pursuing an intimate relationship with another individual and this fails, heartbreak is expected. One should never underestimate the effects that a heartbreak can cause to an individual. Heartbreak can result into emotional distress and even in grief responses (Izzati&Takwin, 2018; Kaczmarek et al., 1990 in Lepore &Greenber, 2002). There can be different levels of heartbreak, an extreme level can cause emotional distress from a heartbreak that can lead a person to horrid scenes, such as psychopathology or even death (Izzati&Takwin, 2018; Field, 2011). Comment by user: Headings are very important. You would have started by illutrating this is an introduction of your work. Comment by user: I did not understand this point. Did you mean through or thought?

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between depression from heartbreak and the effects of cognitive development, more specifically, reaction time in individuals who range from 14-24 years of age. In addition, the participants gender was also investigated and taken into account when examining the relationship between depression from heartbreak and reaction time. The participants were assessed by using the Beck Depression Inventory Scale (Streiner, 2002), the Everyday Cognitive Instrument (Farias et al., 2008), and a sex assigned at birth questionnaire. Results from this study could be beneficial to mental health professionals and individuals of these ages in understanding why they have a slower or faster reaction time than others.

Background of the Study

When an individual does through a relationship breakup this can cause many different negative experiences to happen. Whenever there is an increase of stress coming from an event, there is an increased risk for developing depression (Verhallen et al., 2019). Conducting research studies on stressful and emotional upsetting events can provide for great insight asa to why there are individual differences when talking about stress-related coping and the link for stress and depression. Previous research has shown that the breakup from a romantic relationship can have such a strong emotional upsetting there can be multiple symptoms that are related to sadness, grief, and depression. There can even be a result of having an increased risk of developing a depressive episode(Verhallen et al., 2019). Women have reported for a higher distress score compared to men in the study. In the study (Stoessel et al., () the participants with a relationships breakup in the following six months and experiencing sadness ended over the breakup ended up having the same symptoms of being clinically depression. For women after the break up after four months, they reported high levels of complicated grief (Verhallen et al., 2019). There was also a different brain pattern that was an increased activity in posterior regions such as the cerebellum and decreased in activity in the anterior regions. This was found in these women when they were ruminating about their breakup and the ex-individual in comparison with thinking about an acquaintance. The study by Verhallen et al. (2019) was conducted to examine if the breakup from a romantic relationship could be used as an experimental money for studying a depression-like state. The results from this study indicated that the effects of experiencing a relationship breakup can be captured with two descriptors: “sudden loss” and “lack of positive affect”. The sudden loss and lack of positive affect are both associated with severity of depression and the symptoms. The researchers proposed that this life-event is a viable experimental model that can help with investigating symptoms of depression in individuals who have not been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Comment by user: This word makes the whole statemnt abit hard to understand. Did you mean “goes”? Comment by user: Which exact research has pointed out this? Comment by user: Review this, to ensure proper citation

Rationale/GAP

Although previous studies have found that the working memory becomes altered after a romantic relationship break up, no study to date has examined an individual’s reaction time after a romantic relationship breakup. According to Verhallen et al. (2021), acute stress and even chronic stress has the ability to impair an individual’s effect on working memory in healthy individuals. Chronic stress and dysregulation of stress response can be a leading factor for mood disorders, including depression (Bale, 2006). Resulting from Rose and Ebmeier (2006), depressed participants showed a reduced performance on their working memory task than the healthy control group did. The results from the study by Verhallen et al. (2021) concluded that there is less precuneus activation and identified a working memory-related brain network within their heartbreak population that relates to depressive symptom severity. The results from this study suggest that there is a relationship between depression from heartbreak and cognitive functioning. According to Schoofs et al. (2008), there has been a slower reaction time and lower accuracy rates due to social stress in male subjects. There has not been research conduction on the cognitive development in terms of reaction time from depression that resulted from a heartbreak and that is what this study will be focusing on. Comment by user: Mention the specific gender gap that you will be addressing in your work. Comment by user: Was there any research on female subjects?

Research Questions and Hypotheses

This study’s primary purpose is to explore if depression that is a result from heartbreak is related to having an effect for the individual’s cognitive development, more specifically in their reaction time. The primary research question and hypothesis which guides this study are: Comment by user: I am somehow lost in this statement.

Research Questions

RQ. Is there a relationship between depression (from heartbreak) and reaction time in 14-24-year-olds? 

Hypotheses

H0: There is not a statistically significant relationship between depression (from heartbreak) and reaction time in 14-24-year-old’s.

Ha:There is a statistically significant relationship between depression (from heartbreak) and reaction time in 14-24-year old’s.

Nature of the Study

This quantitative correlational study is aimed at identifying the relationship between depression (from heartbreak) and reaction time in 14-24 yearold’s. The Beck Depression Inventory Scale (Streiner, 2002) and the Everyday Cognitive instrument (Farias et al., 2008) will be conducted by using an online format to evaluate the relationship. Comment by user: State the relationship tested

Significance of the Study

Having an understanding on how depression from a heartbreak can affect an individual’s reaction time in individuals 14-24 years of age is crucial for developing preventions, interventions, and services to help decrease their chances of cognitive impairment. This study can provide information that can help individuals with their mental health, provide coping skills for depression, and give a better understanding as to why individuals may be struggling with their reaction times. This can also give mental health professionals the knowledge to prepare interventions and have more of an understanding of cognitive development for depressed individuals from having their heart broken. The intention of this study is to add to the literature already available about the effects of depression from heart break. This study will allow individuals to participate in treatment’s since they now are aware.