User:SShearer

About Me

Hello! I am Sydney Shearer, a rising senior from Juniata College in central Pennsylvania. I am working towards a double major in Data Science (concentration in Psychology) and Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science. During the summer of 2021, I am participating in an REU at Marquette University, working on research concerned with Preventing Postpartum Mental Health Problems with Dr. Sabirat Rubya.

Project Description

(From Marquette REU Project Description)

"Postpartum mood disorders represent a major public health issue in the USA affecting between 10% and 20% of mothers. Pregnancy and stressors related to caring for a newborn may increase the risk of poor mental health among women, which in turn may have serious detrimental effects on the health and well-being of the mother and her child. Approximately 1 in 7 women suffer from postpartum depression. The negative effects of postpartum depression on child growth and development, both immediate and long lasting, include impaired attachment, behavior problems, social and cognitive limitations, and low self-esteem. While many studies have been conducted on the prevalence, risk factors and successful treatment rates of it, very few studies have focused on the role of technology to address and meet the mental health needs during postpartum. The goal of this study is to develop a better understanding of maternal postpartum mental health and to design mHealth technology that they will be able to use for assessing and dealing with their mental health problems. Students on this project will conduct interviews and surveys on new mothers to understand their mental health needs and strategies for help-seeking. They may also have the opportunity to develop and prototype new system design ideas for improving postpartum mental health and wellbeing based on research findings."

Work Log

Week 1

Tuesday 6/1

• Attend REU Orientation (1.5 hours)
• Attend Mini Data Science Bootcamp (4 hours)
• Begin reading papers provided by Dr. Rubya (1.5 hours)

Wednesday 6/2

• Continue Mini Data Science Bootcamp (6 hours)
• Update wiki page (0.5 hours)

Thursday 6/3

• Continue reading papers provided by Dr. Rubya (2 hours)
• Attend Dr. Brylow's talk on Good Research Practices (1 hour)
• Meet with Dr. Rubya for introductions and to create a research plan for the summer (1 hour)
• Update wiki page (0.5 hours)
• Begin keyword searches on Google Scholar (1 hour)

Friday 6/4

• Gain access to databases through Marquette VPN (1 hour)
• Attempt various keyword searches for literature across databases (3.5 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Week 2

Monday 6/7

• Attend Responsible Conduct of Research Training (5 hours)
• Begin to narrow down found literature (2.5 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Tuesday 6/8

• Continue various keyword searches for literature across databases (2 hours)
• Continue to narrow down found literature (2 hours)
• Compile notes from previously read papers (0.5 hours)
• Review references from previously read papers (1 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Wednesday 6/9

• Begin online portion of Responsible Conduct of Research Training (5.5 hours)
• Attend REU Professional Event covering Technical Writing (1 hour)
• Update wiki page, prepare schedule for tomorrow's meeting, and reflect (0.5 hours)

Thursday 6/10

• Complete online portion of Responsible Conduct of Research Training (5 hours)
• Meet with Dr. Rubya (0.5 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)
• Attempted to continue keyword searches but faced difficulty with Marquette VPN (0.5 hours)

Friday 6/11

• Continue various keyword searches for literature across databases and begin filling out paperwork related to systematic literature review (4 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Week 3

Monday 6/14

• Continue various keyword searches for literature across databases and filling out paperwork related to systematic literature review (5.5 hours)
• Read one paper (Doherty et al. 2019) found during systematic literature review and fill out related paperwork (1.5 hour)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Tuesday 6/15

• Continue filtering through literature and filling out paperwork related to systematic literature review (5 hours)
• Read one paper (Zuccolo et al. 2021) found during systematic literature review and fill out related paperwork (1.5 hours)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Wednesday 6/16

• Continue filtering through literature and filling out paperwork related to systematic literature review (2.5 hours)
• Read two papers (Feldman et al. and Barry et al.) found during systematic literature review and fill out related paperwork (2.75 hours)
• Attend REU Professional Event -- Student Check Ins & Research Presentation (0.5 hours)
• Redo RCR training module 2 (1 hour)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Thursday 6/17

• Prepare for meeting and meet with Dr. Rubya, organize materials post-meeting (1.75 hours)
• Finalize paperwork related to systematic literature review (2.5 hours)
• Prepare social media post with Kirsten Boeh (0.5 hours)
• Search Google for online perinatal mental health communities (1 hour)
• Begin creating slides for 6/30 Mini Presentation (0.75 hours)
• Read papers (Gao et al.; not relevant) (King et al.) found during systematic literature review and fill out related paperwork (1 hour)
• Update wiki page and reflect (0.5 hours)

Friday 6/18

• Work on slides for 6/30 Mini Presentation
• Read one paper found during systematic literature review and fill out related paperwork
• Update wiki page and reflect, prepare schedule for next week
• Browse website related to researched mental health apps
• Perform a Google Scholar search for related literature
• Find related statistics through Pew Research Center (or other trustworthy sources)
• Add questions to interview protocol/paper summaries