Eleanor Ryan

Date Approved

2019

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Avery

Second Advisor

Dr. Hedeel Evans

Third Advisor

Dr. Marianne Laporte

Abstract

With the growing population of elderly individuals throughout the world, the study of their emotional distress is ever poignant to society. This is especially true when these individuals have cognitive impairment. The research, in regards to Eastern European individuals, is lacking. To gain a better understanding of this understudied population, elderly people with Mild Cognitive impairment (MCI) from both Ukraine and the United States were studied. It was found that the anxiety rates of the Ukrainian MCI group were significantly higher than both the United States MCI group and the Ukraine control (p = 0.004). Purpose The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between cognition and anxiety among individuals with MCI in Ukraine versus those in the United States. In addition to describing anxiety levels in individuals with MCI, research questions included ( I ) is there a difference in anxiety among individuals with aMCI vs. naMCI and (2) is there a difference in anxiety among individuals with MCI in the Ukraine versus the United States? These populations were chosen to describe what differences may been seen within a lower- middle income country and a high income country in terms of reported anxiety among individuals with MCI. Methods Participants were asked demographic questions and a Symptom Questionnaire as well as were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Comparisons between anxiety and the type of MCI, amnestic (n = 90) or nonamnestic (n .., 67), were made for both s MCI AND ANXIETY IN THE US AND UKRAINE groups of elderly individual as well as comparisons between Ukrainian MCI (n = 66) and control groups (11- 66), and an American MCI group (n = 91). These were both community based convince samples who were recruited from a neurology clinic (American) or a primary- care network (Ukranian). Results: It was shown that there were no significant differences in anxiety levels between naMCI and aMCI groups. ANOVA comparison demonstrated that Ukrainian MCI individuals had significantly (p "" 0.004) higher levels of anxiety than subjects with MCI in America and subjects without MCI in the Ukraine. There were no significant differences in anxiety levels between subjects with MCI in the United States and subjects without in the Ukraine. This being said, I 0.6% (n "" 7) of the Ukrainian MCI group and 4% (11 = 4) American MCI group were in the substantial to severe anxiety level range while the Ukrainian

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