Evolution of the network pattern of posttraumatic stress symptoms among children and adolescents exposed to a disaster

Patterns and relationships of prolonged grief, post-traumatic stress, and depressive symptoms in Chinese shidu parents: Latent profile and network analyses

Parents who experience the trauma of losing an only child are called "shidu" parents in China. There are individual differences in post-loss outcomes.1,061 Chinese shidu parents were asked to complete questionnaires assessing prolonged grief, post-traumatic stress, and depressive symptoms. The mean age of the sample was 59.68 (SD = 7.52), with the average time since the loss was 9.46 years (SD = 7.05). Most participants were female (62.3%). The main cause of the loss was an unnatural case (52.7%). Latent profile analysis was used to identify similar symptom patterns. Network analysis was used to explore the relationships among symptoms within different subgroups. A two-profile model based on symptom severity identified a "low symptom severity" subgroup (n = 419) and a "high symptom severity" subgroup (n = 642). In the low symptom severity subgroup network, the most central symptoms were loss of interest, feeling numb, and meaninglessness. In the high symptom severity subgroup network, the most central symptoms were physiological cue reactivity, emotional pain, and feeling easily startled. Individual differences in the post-loss outcomes of Chinese shidu parents are reflected not only in symptom patterns but also in the relationships among symptoms.

Brazilian Scale for Evaluation of Mental Health Care Needs: Additional Evidence

OBJECTIVE

To investigate validity evidence of the Brazilian Scale for Evaluation of Mental Health Care Needs (CuidaSM).

METHODS

This is a psychometric study, which seeks additional evidence of internal structure. Data collection was carried out in 11 Primary Health Care (PHC) services , which implement the Health Care Planning (HCP) methodology, distributed across the five Brazilian regions. The preliminary version of CuidaSM, containing a block self-referred by the user and another block evaluated by PHC professionals, was applied to users aged 18 or over who attended the PHC services for consultation with a higher education professional. The techniques of confirmatory factor analysis and network analysis were used to investigate validity evidence. For the primary data of the confirmatory factor analysis, the factorial loads and the item's predictive power (R2) were used. Six model adjustment indices were adopted and reliability was measured by three indicators using Bayesian estimation.

RESULTS

A total of 879 users participated in the study. By confirmatory factor analysis, factorial loads ranged from 0.43 to 0.99 and R2 from 0.19 to 0.98. Both the primary indicators and the model adequacy indices were established at satisfactory and consistent levels. The network analysis showed that the items were appropriately associated with their peers, respecting the established dimensions, which again indicates the sustainability and stability of the proposed model.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings confirm a consistent and reliable model of the instrument, through a combination of techniques. Considering the importance of using solid instruments in clinical practice, CuidaSM is a promising tool for population-based management and network care organization, aligned with HCP proposals.

Validation of the internal structure of the Brazilian Dental Vulnerability Scale

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate evidence of validity of internal structure of the Brazilian Dental Vulnerability Scale (EVO-BR) when applied in Brazil.

METHODS

This is a psychometric study that seeks to validate a scale elaborated by evidence of internal structure. Data collection was conducted in 18 basic health units that implement the Brazilian Healthcare Planning (PAS) methodology, across the five regions of Brazil. The initial version of the EVO-BR contained 41 items that measured dental vulnerability and was applied to users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) aged 18 years or older who were in basic health units for consultation with higher education professionals. To evaluate the evidence, the following statistical analyses were performed: exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and network analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1,753 users participated in the study. To adjust the sample, we considered the factorability obtained from Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test = 0.65, Bartlett sphericity test = 8019.7, and a matrix determinant of 0.008. The initial parallel analysis indicated a four-dimensional model and had the items adjusted according to factor loading (ranging from 0.38 to 0.99), common factors (0.13 to 0.89), and Pratt's measure, until the model presented congruence in the statistical and interpretative principles simultaneously. The final model contained 15 items, maintaining the four dimensions indicated by the parallel analysis, and held an explained variance of 68.56%.

CONCLUSIONS

The EVO-BR is a validated scale to measure dental vulnerability and, thus, can contribute to the organization of access to the oral health team in primary health care (PHC) by stratifying the population, as recommended in the Brazilian Healthcare Planning.

Uncovering the symptom relationship between anxiety, depression, and internet addiction among left-behind children: A large-scale purposive sampling network analysis

Facing long-term separation from their parents, left-behind children are at risk of the co-occurrence of internalizing and externalizing problems. Although previous research has gained substantial information examining the relationship between anxiety, depression, and internet addiction at the aggregate level of variables, little is known about the heterogeneity and interactions between these components at the symptom level with a large-scale purposive sample. Adopting the network approach, two network pathways, depression and anxiety, and associations between these variables and internet addiction were constructed. Our sample included 5367 left-behind children (Mage = 13.57; SDage = 1.37; 50.07% females). Relevant bridging, central symptoms, and network stability were identified. Two relatively stable networks were obtained. For the network of anxiety and depression, sleep problems and tachycardia were vital bridging symptoms. Central symptoms, including tachycardia, restlessness, fatigue, and emptiness, were symptoms of depression. For the network of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and internet addiction, the bridging symptoms remained the same, and the central symptoms included tachycardia, restlessness, loss of control, and emptiness. By identifying relevant bridging and central symptoms, those with higher levels of these symptoms could be regarded as intervention targets, providing a reference for the current issue of valuing diagnosis over prevention in left-behind children.

Symptom structure of posttraumatic stress disorder in workplace trauma: A "distraction-avoidance" pattern

BACKGROUND

Individuals who experience a workplace trauma are at a high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most of these people return to work soon after the trauma (i.e., experience early-stage natural exposure). This study aims to explore the response pattern of workers who have experienced a workplace trauma and early-stage natural exposure through network analysis and provide insights into the potential impact of early-stage natural exposure.

METHODS

Our study included 278 workers directly experiencing the workplace explosion in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone. A partial correlation network analysis was used to explore the PTSD symptoms relationship and identify central symptoms.

RESULTS

The results suggest that emotional numbness, difficulty in concentration, re-experiencing symptoms, and avoidance of thoughts are the most central symptoms, reflecting a "distraction-avoidance" pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study found that workers who experienced workplace trauma exhibited a "distraction-avoidance" pattern, which helps deepen our understanding of the PTSD network and leads to some suggestions on intervention measures.

Symptom structure of complex posttraumatic stress disorder among Chinese young adults with childhood trauma: a network analysis

BACKGROUND

The 11th revision of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) includes a new disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), the diagnostic applicability of which has not been discussed sufficiently in Chinese culture. The network approach to psychopathology enables investigation of the structure of disorders at the symptom level, which allows for analysis of direct symptom interactions. The main objectives of the present study were to explore CPTSD symptom structure and identify key symptoms in CPTSD among young adults in China.

METHODS

The present study collected a large, stratified sample of Beijing university students (1368), ranging from 18 to 25 years old, the majority of whom (65.4%) were female. CPTSD symptoms were assessed using the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). A regularized partial correlation network and Bayesian network were applied to estimate the network structure and the upstream symptoms of CPTSD, respectively.

RESULTS

The regularized partial correlation network showed that the high central symptoms were feelings of failure and hypervigilance, while the bridge symptom between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disturbance in self-organization (DSO) domains was long-term upset. The Bayesian network showed that external avoidance and hypervigilance symptoms were upstream in CPTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypervigilance is a central symptom that can be predictive of other symptoms of CPTSD. While feeling of failure is also a highly central symptom, it may be influenced by other symptoms. In the diagnosis and intervention of CPTSD, more attention should be given to hypervigilance symptoms.

Prospective network of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across adolescent survivors with distinct trajectories of PTSD: A cohort study of the Wenchuan earthquake

There are multiple trajectories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following disasters. Unraveling the patterns of interactions between PTSD symptoms across distinct PTSD trajectories is crucial. This study was aimed at investigating the temporal sequences, changes, and predictive symptoms in PTSD networks over time across distinct PTSD trajectory groups. Data were exacted from the Wenchuan Earthquake Adolescent Health Cohort (WEAHC) study. The current study included 1022 adolescents (424 males) who participated in follow-up surveys at 12 months and 24 months post-earthquake. Self-reported PTSD symptoms were assessed with the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Self-Rating Scale. The between-person network revealed significant differences across distinct trajectories. In the chronic dysfunction group, "Intrusive thoughts" had the strongest value in predicting on other PTSD symptoms. In contrast, "Difficulty in study or work" in the recovery group and "Physiological cue reactivity" in the resistance group were highly associated with the remission of other PTSD symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of "Difficulty in study or work" and "Physiological cue reactivity" for promoting the spontaneous remission of PTSD and further suggest that "Intrusive thoughts" maybe helpful to minimize the subsequent presence of other PTSD symptoms. Future research should investigate the causality and associations between within-person networks.

More than the aggregation of its components: Unveiling the associations between anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior in adolescents from a network perspective

BACKGROUND

Facing multiple changes, adolescents are prone to have anxiety and depression concurrently, which would accompany a particularly high risk for suicide. However, most previous studies have ignored the heterogeneity of the components and used latent variable methods to explore the associations between these core variables, resulting in a lack of component-level discussions.

METHOD

Using a large sample of 9300 adolescents (Mean_age = 13.51; SD_age = 1.33; 49.82 % females), two network pathways of anxiety and depression and the associations between these variables and suicidal behavior were constructed. The central components and the stability of both networks were also identified.

RESULTS

Considering the network of anxiety and depression, there were two strong bridging symptoms of sleep problems and palpitation or tachycardia. The symptoms of depression showed a more vital centrality than anxiety, and the central symptoms were tachycardia, worthlessness, fatigue, and feeling of choking. For the network of suicidal behavior and symptoms of anxiety and depression, besides sleep problems, the edge linking lifetime suicide ideation and attempt and the frequency of suicide ideation in the past year was also a strong edge. Worthlessness connected symptoms of anxiety and depression with suicidal behavior. The central components were tachycardia, worthlessness, the frequency of suicidal ideation over the past year, and fatigue. Additionally, both networks had higher stability in terms of edge and centrality.

CONCLUSION

Based on the identified relevant strong bridging and central components, effective therapies would target these components first, which would lead to the alleviating effects on other components.

Network structure and temporal stability of depressive symptoms after a natural disaster among children and adolescents

Background: Previous studies have found that the postdisaster developmental course of depression is more stable than that of other mental disorders among children and adolescents. However, the network structure and temporal stability of depressive symptoms after natural disasters among children and adolescents remain unknown.Objective: This study aims to understand the depressive symptom network and evaluate its temporal stability among children and adolescents after natural disasters.Methods: Three-wave measurements were conducted among 1,466 children and adolescents at 3, 15, and 27 months following the Zhouqu debris flow. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), which was dichotomised to signify the presence or absence of depressive symptoms. Depression networks were estimated with the Ising model, and expected influence was used to assess node centrality. A network comparison test was used to test the differences in the depression networks among the three temporal points.Results: Overall, the depressive symptom network was temporally stable regarding symptom centrality and global connectivity over the two-year study period. Self-hate, loneliness, and sleep disturbance were central symptoms and had low variability in the depressive networks at the three temporal points. Crying and self-deprecation had large temporal variability in centrality.Conclusion: The present study provides the first evidence for the temporal stability of the youth depressive symptom network postdisaster. The similar central symptoms and connectivity of depression symptoms at different temporal points after natural disasters may partially explain the stable prevalence and developmental trajectory of depression. Self-hate, loneliness, and sleep disturbance could be central characteristics, and sleep disturbance and reduced appetite, sadness and crying, and misbehaviour and disobedience could be key associations in the endurance of depression among children and adolescents after experiencing a natural disaster.

Symptom structure of posttraumatic stress disorder after parental bereavement - a network analysis of Chinese parents who have lost their only child

BACKGROUND

The death of a child is a highly traumatic event and often leads to mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies have focused on overall PTSD after the loss of an only child; however, little attention has been given to PTSD at the symptom level. This study aims to identify the network structure of PTSD symptoms in bereaved parents who have lost their only child, known as Shidu parents in Chinese society.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study enrolled 385 bereaved individuals who had lost an only child across 10 cities in China from November 2016 to July 2017. PTSD symptoms were measured by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Network analysis was implemented by using the R packages qgraph and bootnet.

RESULTS

The PTSD network revealed that diminished interest, exaggerated startle, irritability/anger, and nightmares were the most central symptoms. The strongest connections emerged between the symptoms of recurrent thoughts and nightmares, irritability/anger and reckless/self-destructive behavior, and hypervigilance and exaggerated startle.

LIMITATIONS

We utilized cross-sectional data, and it is therefore not possible to infer the evolution of the symptom network over time. In addition, participants were limited to parents who had lost an only child, and the findings of this study must be interpreted with caution.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides further clarity regarding how PTSD symptoms relate to each other in bereaved parents who have lost an only child. Symptoms with high centrality and connectedness may be viable targets for intervention in bereaved parents who have lost an only child.