Project Director

Madden, Julie

Department Examiner

Howell, Ashley

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Language has been widely recognized as a crucial form of social connection, providing both contextual and semantic information, including intonation, pitch, rate of speech, and pauses. As mental health conditions begin to rise while mental health providers begin to decrease, research in psychology has focused on investigating other factors that may aid in the diagnosis of mental health disorders. Research has indicated that physiological factors, including vocal production, may highlight specific shifts in speech patterns or vocal characteristics. Limited research has been conducted to investigate the possible implications for the emerging adult population, despite the group obtaining the highest prevalence of depression. The present study builds on this research by evaluating the relationship between the prevalence of depressive symptoms and pitch characteristics and articulation rate among the emerging adult population. A sample of 23 students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga completed an online survey that assessed vocal responses to several prompts and depressive symptoms. Findings did not suggest a significant relationship between pitch characteristics and depressive symptoms. However, findings did suggest that those with higher depressive symptoms did express a faster articulation rate for most of the structured prompts. The continuation of this research area may provide key features that enhance early identification of depressive symptoms and, thus, improve access to mental health resources.

Acknowledgments

The development and refinement of this research endeavor brought forth extreme dedication and diligent support from numerous wonderful individuals. Firstly, I would like to dedicate my sincerest gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Julie Madden. Thank you for always believing in me and cultivating a welcoming environment that allowed my ideas to flourish. I truly enjoyed receiving the privilege to work with you. I would also like to thank Dr. Ashley Howell, who assisted tremendously and provided valuable insight into this research endeavor. I am also extremely grateful for my research assistance from Joshua Kilgore. Thank you so much for all your help with this project. I am forever indebted to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the UTC Honors College, and the UTC Psychology Department for their continued support of my academic growth. Thank you for promoting critical thinking and ensuring a well-rounded education for all the students who pursue your programs. To my friends at UTC, you have provided me with a beautiful experience and allowed me to grow in both my academic pursuits and personal experiences. Thank you. Finally, my sincerest gratitude is to my family. Mom, Dad, and Logan: thank you for ensuring that I was able to pursue higher education and for always allowing me to chase and pursue my dreams. I love you all.

IRB Number

25-060

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

12-2025

Subject

Depression, Mental--Diagnosis; Psycholinguistics; Speech--Physiological aspects; Voice--Psychological aspects

Keyword

Depression; voice production; mental health

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

Theses

Extent

i, 52 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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Psychology Commons

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