Stress response and the adolescent transition: performance versus peer rejection stressors

The influence of pretreatment respiratory sinus arrhythmia dimensions on trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes: Findings from a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Child maltreatment is associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dysregulation, a physiological indicator of emotion regulation that predicts elevated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and may be a mechanism of action for exposure-based therapies, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been proposed as an adjunct to TF-CBT for improving emotion regulation following maltreatment. The current study reports findings from a randomized controlled feasibility trial (N = 33; Mage = 11.79 years, SD = 3.08; 63.6% White; 66.7% female) that measured youths' resting RSA, RSA reactivity, and RSA recovery in response to a pretreatment laboratory challenge. We tested whether (a) lower pretreatment resting RSA was associated with blunted RSA during the challenge; (b) either of the pretreatment RSA dimensions predicted more severe pretreatment PTSD symptoms; and (c) either of the pretreatment RSA dimensions predicted less severe posttreatment PTSD symptoms and, as an exploratory aim, whether this was moderated by treatment group (i.e., TF-CBT vs. TF-CBT + AAT). Results from multiple linear regression indicated that, after controlling for pretreatment symptom severity, there was a large effect size for higher resting RSA predicting less severe caregiver-reported posttreatment PTSD symptoms, β = -.52, p = .058, and higher RSA during recovery predicting less severe child-reported posttreatment PTSD symptoms, β = -.70, p = .056, although these findings were not significant. These preliminary results offer important insights for future studies to investigate how the ability to regulate RSA informs which children need additional support to benefit from psychotherapeutic treatment.

Stress Management Interventions Among U.S. High School Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Adolescent ineffective stress management has been associated with negative health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. Comprehensively evaluating the effects of stress management interventions is needed.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of stress management interventions on mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect) and perform moderation analysis to identify moderators of intervention effects on stress, anxiety, and depression among U.S. high school adolescents.

METHODS

Four databases (CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were searched. After literature screening, 24 articles describing 25 studies were retained. Hedge's g was calculated using random-effects models. Exploratory moderation analyses were performed to identify moderators.

RESULTS

The pooled effects on reducing stress were -0.36. The interventions had small effects on decreasing anxiety (g = -0.31) and depression (g = -0.23). Long-term follow-up effects were -0.77 on perceived stress, -0.08 on anxiety, and -0.19 on depression. Mind-body and cognitive-behavioral interventions had moderate effects on reducing anxiety (g = -0.51). Interventions with longer duration (>8 weeks) were more effective in reducing anxiety (-0.39 vs. -0.26) and depression (-0.36 vs. -0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the short-term effectiveness of stress management interventions in improving mental health among high school adolescents in the United States. Subsequent research efforts should focus on sustaining long-term effects.

Brain network connectivity during peer evaluation in adolescent females: Associations with age, pubertal hormones, timing, and status

Despite copious data linking brain function with changes to social behavior and mental health, little is known about how puberty relates to brain functioning. We investigated the specificity of brain network connectivity associations with pubertal indices and age to inform neurodevelopmental models of adolescence. We examined how brain network connectivity during a peer evaluation fMRI task related to pubertal hormones (dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone), pubertal timing and status, and age. Participants were 99 adolescents assigned female at birth aged 9-15 (M = 12.38, SD = 1.81) enriched for the presence of internalizing symptoms. Multivariate analysis revealed that within Salience, between Frontoparietal - Reward and Cinguloopercular - Reward network connectivity were associated with all measures of pubertal development and age. Specifically, Salience connectivity linked with age, pubertal hormones, and status, but not timing. In contrast, Frontoparietal - Reward connectivity was only associated with hormones. Finally, Cinguloopercular - Reward connectivity related to age and pubertal status, but not hormones or timing. These results provide evidence that the salience processing underlying peer evaluation is jointly influenced by various indices of puberty and age, while coordination between cognitive control and reward circuitry is related to pubertal hormones, pubertal status, and age in unique ways.

Age of victimization and moderating role of social support for the relationship between school-age bullying and life satisfaction in middle-age

AIMS

This study aimed to examine whether the moderating role of social support on the negative association between school-age bullying victimization and life satisfaction in middle-age was different by age of victimization.

METHODS

A longitudinal study was conducted using data collected at the ages of 7, 11 and 50 years in the 1958 British birth cohort (N = 18,558). Frequency of bullying victimization (never, sometimes, or frequently) was assessed by parental interviews at ages seven and 11. A self-reported questionnaire assessed life satisfaction and perceived social support (instrumental and emotional) at age 50. To determine the moderating effect of social support on the association between bullying victimization and life satisfaction, hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted in which two interaction terms, victimization at age seven by social support and victimization at age 11 by social support, were simultaneously entered into the models.

RESULTS

Among 5304 respondents subjected to the statistical analysis, 34% had bullying victimization at age 7 years; 23% had bullying victimization at age 11 years. Instrumental support significantly buffered the effect of frequent victimization at age 11 (β = 0.03, p = 0.03) and significantly deteriorated the effect of frequent victimization at age 7 years (β = -0.04, p = 0.01), after adjusting for childhood confounders. No significant moderating effect was observed for emotional support.

CONCLUSIONS

Instrumental support in middle-age may more effectively buffer the effect of late school-age victimization than of early school-age victimization, while both effect sizes were small and additional research is needed.

Susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents: Associations between psychophysiology and behavior

The current study investigated in-the-moment links between adolescents' autonomic nervous system activity and susceptibility to three types of peer influence (indirect, direct, continuing) on two types of behavior (antisocial, prosocial). The sample included 144 racially ethnically diverse adolescents (46% male, 53% female, 1% other; M age  = 16.02 years). We assessed susceptibility to peer influence behaviorally using the Public Goods Game (PGG) while measuring adolescents' mean heart rate (MHR) and pre-ejection period (PEP). Three key findings emerged from bivariate dual latent change score modeling: (1) adolescents whose MHR increased more as they transitioned from playing the PGG alone (pre-influence) to playing while simply observed by peers (indirect influence) displayed more prosocial behavior; (2) adolescents whose PEP activity increased more (greater PEP activity = shorter PEP latency) as they transitioned from indirect influence to being encouraged by peers to engage in antisocial behavior (direct influence) engaged in more antisocial behavior; and (3) adolescents whose PEP activity decreased less as they transitioned from direct influence on prosocial behavior to playing the PGG alone again (continuing influence) displayed more continuing prosocial behavior (marginal effect). The discussion focuses on the role of psychophysiology in understanding adolescents' susceptibility to peer influence.

Social experiences and youth psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders resulted in a stark reduction in daily social interactions for children and adolescents. Given that peer relationships are especially important during this developmental stage, it is crucial to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social behavior and risk for psychopathology in children and adolescents. In a longitudinal sample (N=224) of children (7-10y) and adolescents (13-15y) assessed at three strategic time points (before the pandemic, during the initial stay-at-home order period, and six months later after the initial stay-at-home order period was lifted), we examine whether certain social factors protect against increases in stress-related psychopathology during the pandemic, controlling for pre-pandemic symptoms. Youth who reported less in-person and digital socialization, greater social isolation, and less social support had worsened psychopathology during the pandemic. Greater social isolation and decreased digital socialization during the pandemic were associated with greater risk for psychopathology after experiencing pandemic-related stressors. In addition, children, but not adolescents, who maintained some in-person socialization were less likely to develop internalizing symptoms following exposure to pandemic-related stressors. We identify social factors that promote well-being and resilience in youth during this societal event.

The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents

Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.

The mediation effect of glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) methylation between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: A 2-year longitudinal study

This three-wave longitudinal study examined whether methylation alterations in promoter exon 1F of a stress-related gene-NR3C1 (NR3C1-1F)-explained the longitudinal associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 370 Han Chinese adolescents (Mage  = 16.31 ± 1.28 years; 51.4% girls) recruited from Shandong, China were tracked from 2018 to 2020. The results showed that the severity of childhood maltreatment, especially that of emotional abuse and physical neglect, conferred risk for adolescent depressive symptoms via reducing NR3C1-1F methylation levels. These mediation effects of NR3C1-1F methylation did not vary between adolescent sex or NR3C1 BclI and Tth111I polymorphisms. The findings highlight how childhood maltreatment contributes to psychopathology development at a biological level.

Maltreatment type differences in cortisol stress response trajectories across adolescence

This study examined cortisol stress response trajectories across adolescence in 454 maltreated and comparison youth recruited from Los Angeles County between 2002 and 2005 (66.7% maltreated; 46.7% girls; 39.0% Latino; 37.7% Black; 12.3% Mixed or Biracial; 11.0% White; Mage  = 10.9 years, SD = 1.2). Adolescents' peak activation and cortisol reactivity and recovery slopes following the Trier Social Stress Test for Children were calculated at four waves, then used to model peak activation and cortisol reactivity and recovery trajectories arrayed by age. Maltreated youth had blunted cortisol reactivity at age 9 relative to comparison youth (b = -.19, p = .02). Sexually and physically abused youth showed blunted cortisol reactivity and recovery trajectories relative to emotionally abused and neglected youth.

Can peripheral psychophysiological markers predict response to exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy in youth with severely impairing irritability? A study protocol

BACKGROUND

Irritability, an increased proneness to anger, is a primary reason youth present for psychiatric care. While initial evidence supports the efficacy of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with clinically impairing irritability, treatment mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we propose to measure peripheral psychophysiological indicators of arousal-heart rate (HR)/electrodermal activity (EDA)-and regulation-heart rate variability (HRV)-during exposures to anger-inducing stimuli as potential predictors of treatment efficacy. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether in-situ biosensing data provides peripheral physiological indicators of in-session response to exposures.

METHODS

Blood volume pulse (BVP; from which HR and HRV canl be derived) and EDA will be collected ambulatorily using the Empatica EmbracePlus from 40 youth (all genders; ages 8-17) undergoing six in-person exposure treatment sessions, as part of a multiple-baseline trial of exposure-based CBT for clinically impairing irritability. Clinical ratings of irritability will be conducted at baseline, weekly throughout treatment, and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups via the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI) and the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI; clinician-, parent-, and child-report). Multilevel modeling will be used to assess within- and between-person changes in physiological arousal and regulation throughout exposure-based CBT and to determine whether individual differences are predictive of treatment response.

DISCUSSION

This study protocol leverages a wearable biosensor (Empatica) to continuously record HR/HRV (derived from BVP) and EDA during in-person exposure sessions for youth with clinically impairing irritability. Here, the goal is to identify changes in physiological arousal (EDA, HR) and regulation (HRV) over the course of treatment in tandem with changes in clinical symptoms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The participants in this study come from an overarching clinical trial (trial registration numbers: NCT02531893 first registered on 8/25/2015; last updated on 8/25/2023). The research project and all related materials were submitted and approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Board of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Examining the relation among callous-unemotional traits and cortisol, alpha-amylase, and testosterone reactivity in legal system involved young men

Elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy, deficient guilt/remorse, and shallow affect) are associated with increased antisociality and distinct patterns of cognitive and emotional functioning. Previous investigations have suggested that deficits in physiological stress responses may underlie these associations, yet few studies simultaneously examine the multiple physiological systems responsible for mounting a stress response. To clarify how individuals with and without elevated CU traits respond to acute stress, the current study examined the association between CU traits and hormones released by three systems: cortisol from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, alpha-amylase from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and testosterone from hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Specifically, we used fixed effect regression modeling to examine within-individual changes in each biomarker across the administration of a standardized laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) in a sample of 55 justice-involved young men (Mage= 22.84). Results indicated significant within-individual changes in cortisol, alpha-amylase, and testosterone following the stressor among those with low or average CU traits. However, those with high levels of CU exhibited no significant changes in their cortisol and testosterone levels. Furthermore, individuals with high CU traits exhibit an asymmetric stress response, such that alpha-amylase and testosterone levels were not associated with changes in cortisol levels. In sum, elevated CU traits were associated with blunted cortisol and testosterone reactivity and asymmetric response to stress. Additional work is needed to determine the behavioral and treatment implications of this distinct stress response.

Hooked on a thought: Associations between rumination and neural responses to social rejection in adolescent girls

Rumination is a significant risk factor for psychopathology in adolescent girls and is associated with heightened and prolonged physiological arousal following social rejection. However, no study has examined how rumination relates to neural responses to social rejection in adolescent girls; thus, the current study aimed to address this gap. Adolescent girls (N = 116; ages 16.95-19.09) self-reported on their rumination tendency and completed a social evaluation fMRI task where they received fictitious feedback (acceptance, rejection) from peers they liked or disliked. Rejection-related neural activity and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) connectivity were regressed on rumination, controlling for rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms. Rumination was associated with distinctive neural responses following rejection from liked peers including increased neural activity in the precuneus, inferior parietal gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and supplementary motor area (SMA) and reduced sgACC connectivity with multiple regions including medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Greater precuneus and SMA activity mediated the effect of rumination on slower response time to report emotional state after receiving rejection from liked peers. These findings provide clues for distinctive cognitive processes (e.g., mentalizing, conflict processing, memory encoding) following the receipt of rejection in girls with high levels of rumination.

Profiles of early career insecurity and its outcomes in adolescence: A four-wave longitudinal study

This study investigated the developmental profiles of perceived early career insecurity (ECI) and their outcomes among adolescents (n = 1416) during a critical educational transition from basic education to upper secondary education. We found three distinct latent profiles with varying amounts of ECI: Profile 1: Moderate and decreasing ECI before the transition (57%); Profile 2: Low-decreasing ECI before the transition but increasing ECI after the transition (31%); and Profile 3: High and stable ECI during the transition (12%). Moreover, the ECI profiles related to school and life satisfaction as well as to school stress and dropout intentions in a meaningful way consistent with the stressor hypothesis. Chronically high and increasing ECI was related to negative outcomes.

Peer victimization and Internet addiction among adolescents: The role of anger rumination and social dominance orientation

INTRODUCTION

Internet addiction has garnered growing attention in recent years, and peer victimization plays a major contributor to adolescents' Internet addiction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms in the association between peer victimization and Internet addiction. Guided by cognitive behavioral model and worldview verification model, this study examined a moderated mediation model in which anger rumination at Time 1 (T1) mediated the association between peer victimization at T1 and Internet addiction at Time 2 (T2), and this mediation effect was moderated by T1 social dominance orientation (SDO).

METHODS

A short-term longitudinal design was adopted, incorporating two measurement occasions (with approximately 6-month intervals). Participants were 2597 adolescents (51.5% male, Mage  = 13.9, SD = 0.60) from seven secondary schools in Zhengzhou City, China. All participants were invited to complete the self-reported questionnaires assessing peer victimization, anger rumination, SDO at T1 (December 2015) and Internet addiction at T2 (June 2016), respectively. A short-term longitudinal moderated mediation model was conducted to analyze the association between variables.

RESULTS

The results showed that T1 peer victimization was positively associated with T2 Internet addiction in which association was mediated by T1 anger rumination. T1 SDO moderated the associations between T1 peer victimization and T1 anger rumination and this effect was stronger with lower levels of SDO. In terms of gender differences, SDO moderated the associations between peer victimization and anger rumination only for boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight that anger rumination is a potential mechanism explaining how peer victimization is related to Internet addiction and that this relation may be moderated by SDO.

Does being defiant and irritable take a toll on physical health? Examining the covariation between symptoms of physical health and oppositional defiance across adolescence to young adulthood

Objectives. While oppositional defiance is often considered a childhood behavioural problem, the negative impact of symptoms on relationships and emotional wellbeing may endure well into young adulthood and can affect overall physical health. However, little is known about the co - occurrence of oppositional defiance symptoms (ODS) and changes in physical health functioning, particularly during the transition to young adulthood. This study examines the coupled change between ODS and physical health symptoms during this critical developmental period to inform the long - term somatic manifestations of ODS.Methods. Participants (N = 662; 52% female) from the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey (V-HYS) were assessed for ten years across six biennial occasions from ages 12-18 to ages 22-30. A multilevel time -varying covariation model, disaggregating within- and between - person variability, examined whether change in ODS was systematically associated with change in physical health symptoms.Results. On average, individuals with higher ODS reported more physical health symptoms. Moreover, ODS also shared a significant within - person time - varying association with physical health, suggesting that the two symptom domains fluctuated together within - individuals across time, irrespective of between - person differences.Conclusion. This study provides a novel within- and between - person demonstration of the link between ODS and physical health symptoms from youth to young adulthood.

Changes in stress pathways as a possible mechanism of aerobic exercise training on brain health: a scoping review of existing studies

Physical activity (PA) in the form of aerobic exercise (AE) preserves and improves neurocognitive function across the lifespan. However, a mechanistic understanding of the pathways by which aerobic exercise impacts brain health is still lacking, particularly with respect to stress-related pathways. One mechanistic hypothesis is that AE improves neurocognitive health in part by modifying circulating levels of stress-related hormones and signaling factors associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS), as commonly measured by the biomarkers cortisol (CORT) and salivary α-amylase (sAA). Thus, this hypothesis predicts that changes in stress biomarkers, such as CORT and sAA, are possible explanatory pathways mediating the positive effects of AE on neurocognitive health. In the present review article, we provide a summary of available studies examining the possibility that exercise-induced changes to stress biomarkers could partly account for exercise-related improvements in neurocognitive health. Our review indicates that despite the intuitive appeal of this hypothesis, there is insufficient evidence available to conclude that chronic and habitual AE affects neurocognitive health by altering stress biomarker pathways. The cross-sectional nature of the majority of reviewed studies highlights the need for well-controlled studies to adequately test this hypothesis.

Repetitive Negative Thinking in Adolescents Who Stutter

PURPOSE

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is the process of engaging in negatively valenced and habitual thought patterns. RNT is strongly associated with mental health conditions and often affects quality of life. This study explored RNT in older school-age children and adolescents who stutter to quantify the relationship between RNT and self-reported anxiety characteristics. An additional aim was to describe how individual differences in an adolescent's goal when speaking influences the frequency they engage in RNT.

METHOD

Ninety-nine children and adolescents who stutter aged 9-18 years completed a measurement of the frequency/severity of RNT, a screener of anxiety characteristics, and a measure of adverse impact related to stuttering. Children aged 10 years and above also answered questions about their goal when speaking.

RESULTS

Individual differences in RNT significantly predicted Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES) Total Scores more so than a child or adolescent's age. Higher generalized or social anxiety scores were significantly correlated with more frequent RNT and higher OASES Total Scores. Individual differences in goal when speaking (i.e., whether or not to stutter openly) were found to predict RNT. Finally, 22 children and adolescents (22.2%) also screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder and 32 (32.3%) screened positive for social anxiety disorder.

DISCUSSION

These data provide strong evidence that (a) many children and adolescents who stutter engage in RNT; (b) children and adolescents who engage more frequently in RNT or who have higher OASES Total Scores may be at increased risk for more characteristics of generalized or social anxiety; and (c) individual differences in goal when speaking can predict the degree to which an adolescent engages in RNT.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23713296.

Sex differences in stress responses among underrepresented minority adolescents at risk for substance use disorder

Adolescence is a period of dramatic physiological changes preparing individuals to face future challenges. Prolonged exposure to stressors during childhood can result in dysregulated stress systems which alter normative physiological progression, leading to exacerbated risk for developing psychiatric disorders. Parental substance use disorder (SUD) is considered a significant childhood stressor which increases risk for the offspring to develop SUD. Thus, it is important to understand stress reactivity among adolescents with parental SUD. We used the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), which includes a public speech presentation, as an acute stressor. Changes in heart-rate (HR) were measured while disadvantaged minority adolescents with and without a family history (FH+/FH-) of SUD performed the TSST. We investigated sex-specific stress response patterns during the TSST. HR peaked during the speech presentation and was overall higher in females than males. Changes in HR measures between baseline and speech showed an interaction between biological sex and FH group. Specifically, FH- females and FH+ males had significantly larger positive HR changes than FH- males. These results suggest that male and female adolescents with parental SUD have atypical, but divergent changes in stress reactivity that could explain their increased risk for developing SUD via different sexually dimorphic mechanisms.

The age-varying effects of adolescent stress on impulsivity and sensation seeking

Adolescence is defined in part by heightened exposure and sensitivity to stressors. In a longitudinal cohort of youth at risk for substance use problems, we examined the age-varying relationship between stress exposure and traits that are central to the dual systems model. The positive associations between stress exposure, impulsivity, sensation seeking varied as function of age. Specifically, the influence of stress exposure on impulsivity strengthened during early adolescence and remained stable into early adulthood, while the influence of stress exposure on sensation seeking strengthened from early- to mid-adolescence and weakened thereafter. These findings suggest that the maturational imbalance between the capacity to regulate impulsive tendencies and sensation seeking may be exaggerated for youth who are exposed to a high number of stressors.

Speech Entrainment in Adolescent Conversations: A Developmental Perspective

PURPOSE

Defined as the similarity of speech behaviors between interlocutors, speech entrainment plays an important role in successful adult conversations. According to theoretical models of entrainment and research on motoric, cognitive, and social developmental milestones, the ability to entrain should develop throughout adolescence. However, little is known about the specific developmental trajectory or the role of speech entrainment in conversational outcomes of this age group. The purpose of this study is to characterize speech entrainment patterns in the conversations of neurotypical early adolescents.

METHOD

This study utilized a corpus of 96 task-based conversations between adolescents between the ages of 9 and 14 years and a comparison corpus of 32 task-based conversations between adults. For each conversational turn, two speech entrainment scores were calculated for 429 acoustic features across rhythmic, articulatory, and phonatory dimensions. Predictive modeling was used to evaluate the degree of entrainment and relationship between entrainment and two metrics of conversational success.

RESULTS

Speech entrainment increased throughout early adolescence but did not reach the level exhibited in conversations between adults. Additionally, speech entrainment was predictive of both conversational quality and conversational efficiency. Furthermore, models that included all acoustic features and both entrainment types performed better than models that only included individual acoustic feature sets or one type of entrainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that speech entrainment skills are largely developed during early adolescence with continued development possibly occurring across later adolescence. Additionally, results highlight the role of speech entrainment in successful conversation in this population, suggesting the import of continued exploration of this phenomenon in both neurotypical and neurodivergent adolescents. We also provide evidence of the value of using holistic measures that capture the multidimensionality of speech entrainment and provide a validated methodology for investigating entrainment across multiple acoustic features and entrainment types.

Biobehavioral mechanisms underlying testosterone and mood relationships in peripubertal female adolescents

The pubertal transition is characterized by pronounced sex hormone fluctuation, refinement of affective neural circuitry, and an increased risk of depression in female adolescents. Sex hormones, including testosterone, exert modulatory effects on frontal-limbic brain networks and are associated with emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms. Weekly changes in hormones predict affective symptoms in peripubertal female adolescents, particularly in the context of stress; however, the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying hormone change and mood relationships during the pubertal transition have yet to be determined and was the objective of the present study. Forty-three peripubertal female adolescents (ages 11-14) collected 8-weekly salivary hormone (estrone, testosterone) samples and mood assessments to evaluate hormone-mood relationships, followed by a biobehavioral testing session with psychosocial stress and EEG. Within-person correlations between weekly hormone changes and corresponding mood were performed to determine individual differences in mood sensitivity to weekly hormone change. Increased frontal theta activity indexing emotion reactivity, reduced cortisol reactivity, and reduced vagal efficiency predicted the strength of the relationship between testosterone and mood. Further, testosterone-sensitivity strength was associated with the enhancement of negative affect following stress testing. Results identify divergent frontal theta and stress responses as potential biobehavioral mechanisms underlying mood sensitivity to peripubertal testosterone fluctuation.

Interpersonal stress and proinflammatory activity in emerging adults with a history of suicide risk: A pilot study

Interpersonal stress during adolescence and young adulthood can threaten healthy developmental trajectories. A "primed" proinflammatory response to acute stress may serve as an underlying process that results in negative outcomes for youth. The present pilot study examined the relation between interpersonal stress and two proinflammatory cytokines in a sample of 42 university-recruited emerging adults with recent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Participants completed self-report measures of mood, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, recent peer-related stressors, and interpersonal sensitivity. They also participated in an acute laboratory social stress task and provided three saliva samples to measure their proinflammatory responses (IL-6 and TNF-α) to the stressor. Participants reported significant increases in sadness and exclusion, and significant decreases in inclusion, following task participation. Importantly, no participants reported an increase in or onset of suicidal thoughts. No significant associations between interpersonal stress and proinflammatory cytokines were found. Changes in affect during the task coupled with lack of increased suicidal thoughts indicate it is acceptable to use this exclusion and rejection paradigm with this population, with proper debriefing and positive mood induction procedures. Given all other nonsignificant associations, future research considerations are discussed, including impact of COVID-19 on task potency and incorporation of multiple stress response systems.

The impact of a stress management intervention including cultural components on stress biomarker levels and mental health indicators among indigenous women

We examined the effectiveness of a 26-week culture-inclusive intervention on reducing salivary stress biomarker levels, and perceived stress, depressive, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms measured using scales in 53 Indigenous women in Ontario, Canada. Statistical analyses compared the average biomarker levels, and the area under the curve (AUC) of biomarkers. Differences in biomarkers and mental health scale scores pre- and post-intervention were compared using mixed models with a random intercept. Interaction terms were included between the intervention and age, education, disability, and HIV status, individually, to test for sub-group differences. Cortisol AUC post-intervention was decreased compared to pre-intervention (β -1.29 µg/dL; 95%CI -2.35, -0.23). There was a slight decrease in perceived stress levels (aOR: -2.80; 95%CI -5.09, -0.50). The associations were stronger among women of younger age, higher education, and no disabilities. These interventions can be effective, but future interventions should target Indigenous population sub-groups to address individual needs.

Understanding adolescent stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

Longitudinal studies across the globe documented significant increases in psychological stress and mental health problems among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health concerns, school disruptions, and social disconnection were major sources of stress. High levels of perceived stress predicted worse mental health outcomes, with girls, older adolescents, and socio-economically marginalized youth experiencing more pronounced mental health deteriorations. However, social support from family and peers was a protective factor against increased stress and accompanying mental health problems. We urge policymakers and other key decision-makers to improve the availability and financing of mental health services and support programs for adolescents to address the wave of mental health challenges following the pandemic.

Peer victimization and adolescent problematic social media use: The mediating role of psychological insecurity and the moderating role of family support

Peer victimization is a serious risk factor for the development of problematic social media use (PSMU) among adolescents. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association. The current study tested whether psychological insecurity mediated the relation between peer victimization and PSMU, and whether this mediating process was moderated by family support among adolescents. A large sample of 1506 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 13.74 years, SD = 0.98) completed self-report measures regarding peer victimization, psychological insecurity, family support, and PSMU. After controlling for age, gender, and family economic status, results indicated that increased peer victimization was associated with higher psychological insecurity, which in turn predicted a greater incidence of PSMU. Moreover, family support moderated the first part of the mediation process, such that the relation between peer victimization and psychological insecurity was exacerbated for adolescents with high family support. This study advanced the current understanding of the mediating and moderating mechanisms associating peer victimization with PSMU among adolescents.

HPA-SAM co-activation among racially diverse, economically disadvantaged early adolescents: Secondary analysis with a preliminary test of a multisystem, person-centered approach

Investigating the co-activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SAM) responses to acute stress can provide insight into how risk might become biologically embedded during early adolescence and improve understanding of what distinguishes physiological dysregulation from normative/expected physiological responses to stress. Evidence has thus far been mixed as to whether symmetric or asymmetric co-activation patterns are associated with higher exposure to chronic stress and poorer mental health outcomes during adolescence. This study expands on a prior multisystem, person-centered analysis of lower-risk, racially homogenous youth by focusing on HPA-SAM co-activation patterns in a higher-risk, racially diverse sample of early adolescents from low-income families (N = 119, Mage=11.79 years, 55.5% female, 52.7% mono-racial Black). The present study was conducted by performing secondary analysis of data from the baseline assessment of an intervention efficacy trial. Participants and caregivers completed questionnaires; youth also completed the Trier Social Stress Test-Modified (TSST-M) and provided six saliva samples. Multitrajectory modeling (MTM) of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels identified four HPA-SAM co-activation profiles. In accordance with the asymmetric-risk model, youth exhibiting Low HPA-High SAM (n = 46) and High HPA-Low SAM (n = 28) profiles experienced more stressful life events, posttraumatic stress, and emotional and behavioral problems relative to Low HPA-Low SAM (n = 30) and High HPA-High SAM (n = 15) youth. Findings highlight potential differences in biological embedding of risk during early adolescence based on individuals' exposure to chronic stress and illustrate the utility of multisystem and person-centered approaches in understanding how risk might get "underneath the skin" across systems.

Peer learning can modify the reciprocal relationship between peer support and victimization in middle school

INTRODUCTION

This research investigated how peer victimization and support are reciprocally related and how Cooperative Learning (CL) can reverse the progressive cascade that, unchecked, can culminate in youth mental health problems.

METHODS

The sample (N = 1890; 53% male) was derived from a randomized trial of CL in 15 middle schools in the United States. Students were recruited in the 7th grade. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to fit our cross-lag difference score model across four waves of data.

RESULTS

The results indicated a reciprocal relationship between peer support and victimization across time, suggesting the potential for negative experiences with peers to become amplified over time in a "vicious cycle," negatively impacting mental health. Students in intervention schools reported significantly higher levels of peer support and lower levels of victimization, suggesting that CL can intervene in this cycle, with salutary effects on mental health; CL also demonstrated direct effects on mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study indicates that low peer support can be both a precursor to and an outcome of victimization, serving to maintain a vicious cycle that compounds negative effects on student mental health. Further, results demonstrate how CL can reverse this cycle. We conclude that CL can be of particular importance to the prevention field as a universal mental health program that does not require the associated stigma of identifying youth at elevated risk for referral to treatment programs.

An RDoC-based approach to adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: The interactive role of social affiliation and cardiac arousal

Recent theoretical models have posited that increases in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) during adolescence may be linked to failures in biological stress regulation in contexts of social stress. However, there is a lack of data examining this hypothesis during the transition to adolescence, a sensitive period of development characterized by changes across socioaffective and psychophysiological domains. Building on principles from developmental psychopathology and the RDoC framework, the present study used a longitudinal design in a sample of 147 adolescents to test whether interactions among experiences of social (i.e., parent and peer) conflict and cardiac arousal (i.e., resting heart rate) predicted adolescents' engagement in SITBs (i.e., nonsuicidal self-injury, NSSI; and suicidal ideation; SI) across 1-year follow-up. Prospective analyses revealed that adolescents experiencing a combination of greater peer, but not family, conflict and higher cardiac arousal at baseline showed significant longitudinal increases in NSSI. In contrast, social conflict did not interact with cardiac arousal to predict future SI. Findings indicate that greater peer-related interpersonal stress in adolescents may increase risk for future NSSI among youth with physiological vulnerabilities (i.e., higher resting heart rate) that may be markers of maladaptive stress responses. Future research should examine these processes at finer timescales to elucidate whether these factors are proximal predictors of within-day SITBs.

Testing a Biobehavioral Model of Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease in Hispanic Older Adolescents

The biobehavioral model of food insecurity and chronic disease posits that stress perpetuates the cycle of food insecurity and chronic disease, in part, through changes in eating behaviors and weight gain. The current study conducted a preliminary test of the biobehavioral model in a sample of Hispanic older adolescents. It was hypothesized that older adolescents experiencing food insecurity would report greater depressive symptoms, which would be associated with more disordered eating, which would be associated with worse cardiometabolic indicators. Hispanic older adolescents (N = 113; 60% female; 15-21 years with mean age of 19.1; BMImean = 24.4) completed self-report baseline measures of food insecurity, depression, and disordered eating behaviors as part of a larger experimental study. Anthropometrics and body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, and resting metabolic rate were objectively measured. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Experiencing food insecurity was associated with more disordered eating (b = 2.20, p = 0.032). Greater depressive symptoms were associated with more disordered eating (b = 0.28, p = 0.025) and worse cardiometabolic indicators (b = 0.15, p = 0.017). The full biobehavioral model, however, was not supported. Findings underscore the complex interaction of social and psychological functioning and physical health.

Adaptation to social-evaluative threat: Effects of repeated acceptance and status stressors on cardiovascular reactivity

Social-evaluative threat plays a key role in research on stress, health and related psychophysiological mechanisms such as cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). Social-evaluative threats can activate two broad social motives: striving for status, achievement and influence, and/or striving for acceptance, inclusion, and connection. Prior research emphasizes threats related to status (e.g., task performance) or combined threats to status and acceptance, obscuring their independent effects. Further, because prior research has mostly utilized single stressors, it is not clear if effects of social-evaluative threats involving status and acceptance on CVR persist or adapt quickly over repeated exposures. To address these issues, 139 undergraduates (93 females) were randomly assigned to undergo two repetitions of a stressful role-played interaction with a pre-recorded antagonistic partner under one of four conditions in a factorial design: low evaluative threat, high status threat only, high acceptance threat only, or a combined threat. In a single laboratory session, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded during baseline and two stressor exposures. Task-induced CVR demonstrated significant adaptation across exposures. Both forms of social evaluative threat produced additional CVR, and these differences between high and low social-evaluative threat were generally maintained across exposures. Hence, threats to social status and acceptance have independent and sustained effects on CVR across multiple stressor exposures, even in the context of overall adaptation of cardiovascular responses.

Sex-related differences in violence exposure, neural reactivity to threat, and mental health

The prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, and amygdala play an important role in emotional health. However, adverse life events (e.g., violence exposure) affect the function of these brain regions, which may lead to disorders such as depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety disproportionately affect women compared to men, and this disparity may reflect sex differences in the neural processes that underlie emotion expression and regulation. The present study investigated sex differences in the relationship between violence exposure and the neural processes that underlie emotion regulation. In the present study, 200 participants completed a Pavlovian fear conditioning procedure in which cued and non-cued threats (i.e., unconditioned stimuli) were presented during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Violence exposure was previously assessed at four separate time points when participants were 11-19 years of age. Significant threat type (cued versus non-cued) × sex and sex × violence exposure interactions were observed. Specifically, women and men differed in amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus reactivity to cued versus non-cued threat. Further, dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) reactivity to threat varied positively with violence exposure among women, but not men. Similarly, threat-elicited skin conductance responses varied positively with violence exposure among women. Finally, women reported greater depression and anxiety symptoms than men. These findings suggest that sex differences in threat-related brain and psychophysiological activity may have implications for mental health.

Pain-related stigma as a social determinant of health in diverse pediatric pain populations

Pediatric patients with invisible symptomology, such as chronic pain syndromes, are more likely to experience pain-related stigma and associated discrimination by others, including medical providers, peers, school personnel, and family members. The degree of this pain-related stigma may depend on several social dimensions, including observer (e.g., attentional and implicit biases) and patient characteristics (e.g., racial identity, socioeconomic stressors). In this mini-review, we introduce the concept of pain-related stigma, and the intersectionality of stigma, within the context of social determinants of health in pediatric pain populations. Stigma theory, observer attentional biases, healthcare provider implicit/explicit biases, adverse childhood experience, and psychophysiology of socio-environmental stressors are integrated. Several ethical, clinical, and research implications are also discussed. Because the study of pain-related stigma in pediatric pain is in its infancy, the purpose of this conceptual review is to raise awareness of the nuances surrounding this social construct, propose avenues through which stigma may contribute to health inequities, present frameworks to advance the study of this topic, and identify areas for further investigation.

Physiological stress reactivity in pediatric cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy

Children who experience early life stress demonstrate changes to their stress responses, which may modulate long-term health. Childhood cancer presents significant stress during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. We hypothesized that children who have completed chemotherapy treatment for ALL will demonstrate altered hormone patterns in response to a stressor compared with healthy controls. Twelve pediatric ALL survivors and 12 healthy controls completed the Trier Social Stress Test. Salivary samples, heart rate, and self-report ratings of stress were collected at baseline, pretest, and posttest. Between group comparison showed baseline (interleukin [IL]-8) was significantly higher in the survivor group versus controls (survivors: 89.9, 40.1-544.9 pg ml^-1 ; controls: 30.7, 5.6-241.9 pg ml^-1 , p = .001) as was peak (IL-8) (survivors: 147.1, 71.6-1177.6 pg ml^-1 ; controls: 75.5, 28.6-698.6 pg ml^-1 ). Peak salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) concentration was significantly lower in the survivor group (survivors: 69.3, 19.4-195.5 U ml^-1 ; controls: 91.2, 27.7-213.7 U ml^-1 ; p = .04). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for time on cortisol (F_{(2.35, 50.81)}  = 5.9, p < .01), sAA (F_{(1.56, 33.17)}  = 6.6, p < .01), stress ratings (F_{(3.42, 88.14)}  = 53.4, p < .001), and heart rate (F_{(8, 83)}  = 16.8, p < .05). Significant main effects for group were observed for IL-8 (F_{(1, 23)}  = 8.2, p < .01) and tumor necrosis factor-α (F_{(1, 23)}  = 6.8, p < .05). Significant interaction effects for group × time were found for sAA (F_{(5, 106)}  = 2.8, p < .05). Our results indicate that childhood ALL survivors have similar responses to stress as healthy controls, but lower sympatho-adrenal-medullary reactivity. Therefore, altered stress regulation may present a pathway modulating long-term health in this population.

The Association between Peer Victimization and Risk-Taking Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model

Peer victimization has been considered a main source of risk-taking behavior among adolescents, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying this association. Based on the social-cognitive theory and the person-environment interactions model, the current study built a moderated mediation model to explore whether self-control mediated the link between peer victimization and adolescent risk-taking behavior and whether positive parenting moderated this link. We used a 2-time longitudinal design (6 months apart) to investigate 488 adolescents (M_age = 15.63 years, SD = 1.64) from 3 middle schools in Guangzhou. The results were as follows: (1) There were significant correlations among peer victimization, adolescent risk-taking behavior, self-control, and positive parenting when controlling for demographic variables. (2) Peer victimization not only influenced risk-taking behavior directly, but also indirectly through self-control. (3) Positive parenting moderated the influence of self-control on risk-taking behavior. In other words, positive parenting could enhance the inhibitory effect of self-control on risk-taking behavior. The results help reveal the mechanism by which adolescent risk-taking behavior forms and may help inform interventions against adolescent risk-taking behavior.

Does stress predict the development of internalizing symptoms in middle childhood? An examination of additive, mediated, and moderated effects of early family stress, daily interpersonal stress, and physiological stress

Early life stress, daily life experiences, and the stress responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have each been examined as predictors of the development of psychopathology. Rarely have researchers attempted to understand the covariation or interaction among these stress domains using a longitudinal design in the prediction of symptoms of internalizing psychopathology, particularly during childhood. This study examined early family stress, daily interpersonal stress, indicators of diurnal cortisol, and internalizing symptoms in a racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of twins (N = 970 children; Mage at outcome = 9.73; 52% female; 23.7% Hispanic/Latino, 58.8% White; 30% below middle class; Lemery-Chalfant et al., 2019). An additive model of stress, a stress mediation model, and a stress sensitization framework model each delineated potential pathways linking stress and internalizing symptoms. Supporting additive pathways, multilevel models showed that all 3 stress indicators uniquely predicted internalizing symptoms. There was a significant indirect path from early family stress to 9 year internalizing symptoms through interpersonal stress, supporting stress mediation. Family stress moderated the association between interpersonal stress and internalizing symptoms, though not in the direction that would support stress sensitization. Child stress, including daily interpersonal stress and HPA axis activity, and internalizing symptoms are prevalent and family stress is a significant precursor to child internalizing symptoms across child development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotional Regulation and Its Influence on the Experience of Stuttering Across the Life Span

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the relationship between emotional regulation (ER) and adverse impact related to stuttering across the developmental spectrum, in preschool and school-age children, adolescents, and adults who stutter. An additional aim examined how these variables relate to the ways that individuals approach speaking (i.e., their agreement on whether their goal is to speak fluently).

METHOD

Participants were the parents of 60 preschoolers and younger school-age children (ages 3-9 years), 95 school-age children and adolescents who stutter (ages 7-18 years), and 180 adults who stutter (ages 18-81 years). All participants completed surveys with age-appropriate measures examining ER and the adverse impact of stuttering. Older children and adults who stutter also answered questions regarding their goals when speaking. Multiple regression and ordinal logistic regression were used to examine relationships among ER, adverse impact related to stuttering, and goal when speaking.

RESULTS

In preschool children, adverse impact was significantly predicted by a parent-reported measure of ER skills; in school-age children and adults, adverse impact was significantly predicted by measures of the ER strategies cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression. Less frequent use of CR by adults was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of having "not stuttering" as a goal when speaking. Differences in the significance and magnitude of these relationships were found across the life span.

DISCUSSION

For both children and adults who stutter, ER is a significant factor related to the adverse impact of stuttering; the relationship between ER and adverse impact may change over development. Accounting for individual differences in ER can improve understanding of why a person copes with stuttering in the ways they do, and this has notable implications for individualizing intervention for both children and adults who stutter.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20044469.

Addressing Adolescent Stress in School: Perceptions of a High School Wellness Center

Adolescents are often burdened with academic, home, and peer stressors. With adolescent mental health issues and suicide on the rise, administrators have worked with nonprofit organizations and the community to address stress and internalized behavior problems. School-based wellness centers are tranquil rooms with various sensory activities, calming nature scenes, and sounds for relaxation purposes. School-based wellness centers may have behavioral effects by reducing exposure to aversive events and increasing access to positive and negative reinforcers. There has not yet been a formal study of school-based wellness centers published in the literature. In the present study, we used questionnaires to examine the perceptions of 752 students, 124 parents, and 69 school staff of their high school wellness center. Results indicated that stakeholders had positive perceptions of the wellness center. In particular, results implied that stakeholders believed the wellness center contributed to students' academic success, elevation of mood, confidence, and coping skills. Results also suggested that attendance at the wellness center was associated with a decrease in student stress and anxiety, though recommendations for improvements were noted. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43494-022-00079-1.

Developmental influences on symptom expression in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis

BACKGROUND

The neurodevelopmental model of psychosis was established over 30 years ago; however, the developmental influence on psychotic symptom expression - how age affects clinical presentation in first-episode psychosis - has not been thoroughly investigated.

METHODS

Using generalized additive modeling, which allows for linear and non-linear functional forms of age-related change, we leveraged symptom data from a large sample of antipsychotic-naïve individuals with first-episode psychosis (N = 340, 12-40 years, 1-12 visits), collected at the University of Pittsburgh from 1990 to 2017. We examined relationships between age and severity of perceptual and non-perceptual positive symptoms and negative symptoms. We tested for age-associated effects on change in positive or negative symptom severity following baseline assessment and explored the time-varying relationship between perceptual and non-perceptual positive symptoms across adolescent development.

RESULTS

Perceptual positive symptom severity significantly decreased with increasing age (F = 7.0, p = 0.0007; q = 0.003) while non-perceptual positive symptom severity increased with age (F = 4.1, p = 0.01, q = 0.02). Anhedonia severity increased with increasing age (F = 6.7, p = 0.00035; q = 0.0003), while flat affect decreased in severity with increased age (F = 9.8, p = 0.002; q = 0.006). Findings remained significant when parental SES, IQ, and illness duration were included as covariates. There were no developmental effects on change in positive or negative symptom severity (all p > 0.25). Beginning at age 18, there was a statistically significant association between severity of non-perceptual and perceptual symptoms. This relationship increased in strength throughout adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that as maturation proceeds, perceptual symptoms attenuate while non-perceptual symptoms are enhanced. Findings underscore how pathological brain-behavior relationships vary as a function of development.

Examining the impact of social stressor stimuli in eliciting physiological reactivity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Stress is not experienced the same by everyone. Some individuals, such as individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are at risk of heightened sensitivity to stress responses. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly characterised by deficits in social communication and social interaction. Among different stressor stimuli, social stressors are particularly worth our attention due to the social and communication challenges inherent in ASD. This study aims to systematically evaluate different social stressor stimuli in eliciting physiological reactivity in ASD, focusing on the children and adolescent population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We designed a study protocol for this study and submitted it to PROSPERO for systematic review registration. Any studies with children and adolescents with ASD between the ages of 0 and 18 in clinical and community settings will be included. All types of social stressor interventions will be included. The outcome of interest will include studies with physiological activity of the participants being measured, for example, measures related to autonomic functioning, electrodermal functioning and cortisol level. The primary literature sources will be across four electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL in August 2021. The second source of literature will be across grey literature, including ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and across clinical trial registries in August 2021. Hand searching of references will be performed on the reference lists of all included studies. Two volunteers pursuing postgraduate-level studies will independently search and screen potential studies for eligibility. Finally, all references considered by hand searching will be reviewed by two researchers. The methodological quality of the research will be assessed by adopting the quality assessment used by a previous study. The assessment consists of four primary categories: descriptive validity, internal validity, external validity and statistical conclusion validity.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

No ethical approval is required for this study. Results will be disseminated through conferences and publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021244039.

Changes in the network structure of mental health after a multicomponent positive psychology intervention in adolescents: A moderated network analysis

The effectiveness of multicomponent positive psychology interventions (MPPIs) on adolescents' mental health has been studied with the use of standard procedures throughout the scientific literature. However, little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the network structure of mental health following the dual‐factor model after an MPPI. We relied on network analysis to explore the reorganization of the connections between mental health indicators after a school‐based MPPI. Adolescents from two high schools in Spain were randomly allocated to the 6‐week intervention group (n = 85) or to the control group (n = 135). Network analysis showed that the relations between the two differentiated network dimensions of mental health (i.e. well‐being and psychological distress) changed after the intervention. Unlike control participants, emotional well‐being was negatively associated with depression and stress, while psychological well‐being was positively related to stress after the intervention. The present study supports the viability of the network approach in analyzing the connections between mental health indicators as defined by the dual‐factor model and the contribution of MPPIs to change the complex pattern of relations between the dimensions of well‐being and psychological distress.

Frontal EEG asymmetry moderates the relation between borderline personality disorder features and feelings of social rejection in adolescents

Although associations among borderline personality disorder (BPD), social rejection, and frontal EEG alpha asymmetry scores (FAA, a neural correlate of emotion regulation and approach-withdrawal motivations) have been explored in different studies, relatively little work has examined these relations during adolescence in the same study. We examined whether FAA moderated the relation between BPD features and rejection sensitivity following a validated social exclusion paradigm, Cyberball. A mixed, clinical-community sample of 64 adolescents (females = 62.5%; Mage = 14.45 years; SD = 1.6; range = 11-17 years) completed psychodiagnostic interviews and a self-report measure of BPD (Time 1). Approximately two weeks later (Time 2), participants completed a resting EEG recording followed by Cyberball. FAA moderated the relation between BPD features and overall feelings of rejection following Cyberball: individuals with greater relative left FAA had the highest and lowest feelings of social rejection depending on whether they had high and low BPD feature scores, respectively. Results remained after controlling for age, sex, gender, depression, and BPD diagnosis. These results suggest that FAA may moderate the relation between BPD features and social rejection, and that left frontal brain activity at rest may be differentially associated with those feelings in BPD. Findings are discussed in terms of the link between left frontal brain activity in the regulation and dysregulation of social approach behaviors, characteristic of BPD.

Diurnal pattern of salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol under citric acid stimulation in young adults

Background

Saliva composition has diurnal variations. Citric acid stimulation plays a major role in the change of salivary flow rate and salivary composition. However, diurnal variations and sex differences in salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), pH, salivary flow rate (SFR), and salivary cortisol before and after citric acid stimulation remain unclear.

Methods

We recruited 30 healthy volunteers, including 15 women (24.7 ± 1.0 years old) and 15 men (25.3 ± 1.3 years old). At four time points (T1, 7:00; T2, 10:00; T3, 16:00; and T4, 20:00), saliva was collected from healthy volunteers before and after citric acid stimulation; and sAA, pH, SFR and salivary cortisol were measured and compared between men and women.

Results

There were circadian fluctuations in sAA activity, SFR, pH, and cortisol level both before and after citric acid stimulation, and the diurnal fluctuations of these indexes were not affected by citric acid stimulation. There were significant differences in salivary cortisol between men and women before and after acid stimulation in T1. Neither SFR nor pH showed sex-related differences before or after acid stimulation. The variation trend of sAA activity was contrary to that of cortisol, with a significant negative correlation.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that sAA and cortisol showed diurnal fluctuation, and the variation characteristics of male and female under resting state and acid stimulation were basically the same. The variation trend of salivary alpha-amylase activity was opposite to that of cortisol, with significant negative correlation. Our findings may enable the selection of the correct sampling time for research and the selection of appropriate sampling strategies in studies investigating chronic psychosocial conditions.

Areas of Convergence and Divergence in Adolescent Social Isolation and Binge Drinking: A Review

Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by enhanced social interactions, ongoing development of the frontal cortex and maturation of synaptic connections throughout the brain. Adolescents spend more time interacting with peers than any other age group and display heightened reward sensitivity, impulsivity and diminished inhibitory self-control, which contribute to increased risky behaviors, including the initiation and progression of alcohol use. Compared to adults, adolescents are less susceptible to the negative effects of ethanol, but are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, particularly social stress. Juvenile exposure to social isolation or binge ethanol disrupts synaptic connections, dendritic spine morphology, and myelin remodeling in the frontal cortex. These structural effects may underlie the behavioral and cognitive deficits seen later in life, including social and memory deficits, increased anxiety-like behavior and risk for alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the alcohol and social stress fields are actively investigating the mechanisms through which these effects occur, significant gaps in our understanding exist, particularly in the intersection of the two fields. This review will highlight the areas of convergence and divergence in the fields of adolescent social stress and ethanol exposure. We will focus on how ethanol exposure or social isolation stress can impact the development of the frontal cortex and lead to lasting behavioral changes in adulthood. We call attention to the need for more mechanistic studies and the inclusion of the evaluation of sex differences in these molecular, structural, and behavioral responses.

Concurrent and prospective associations between fitbit wearable-derived RDoC arousal and regulatory constructs and adolescent internalizing symptoms

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is characterized by alterations in biobehavioral functioning, during which individuals are at heightened risk for onset of psychopathology, particularly internalizing disorders. Researchers have proposed using digital technologies to index daily biobehavioral functioning, yet there is a dearth of research examining how wearable metrics are associated with mental health.

METHODS

We preregistered analyses using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study dataset using wearable data collection in 5,686 adolescents (123,862 person-days or 2,972,688 person-hours) to determine whether wearable indices of resting heart rate (RHR), step count, and sleep duration and variability in these measures were cross-sectionally associated with internalizing symptomatology. All models were also run controlling for age, sex, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and race. We then performed prospective analyses on a subset of this sample (n = 143) across 25 months that had Fitbit data available at baseline and follow-up in order to explore directionality of effects.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional analyses revealed a small, yet significant, effect size (R²  = .053) that higher RHR, lower step count and step count variability, and greater variability in sleep duration were associated with greater internalizing symptoms. Cross-lagged panel model analysis revealed that there were no prospective associations between wearable variables and internalizing symptoms (partial R²  = .026), but greater internalizing symptoms and higher RHR predicted lower step count 25 months later (partial R²  = .010), while higher RHR also predicted lower step count variability 25 months later (partial R²  = .008).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that wearable indices concurrently associate with internalizing symptoms during early adolescence, while a larger sample size is likely required to accurately assess prospective or directional effects between wearable indices and mental health. Future research should capitalize on the temporal resolution provided by wearable devices to determine the intensive longitudinal relations between biobehavioral risk factors and acute changes in mental health.

Autonomic reactivity to social rejection, peer difficulties, and the buffering effects of adolescent friendships following early psychosocial deprivation

Autonomic nervous system reactivity has been posited to be a mechanism contributing to social and emotional problems among children exposed to early adversity. Leveraging data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of foster care versus institutional care of abandoned children in Romania, we assessed whether altered sympathetic reactivity to peer rejection feedback in early adolescence mediated the relation between early institutional rearing and peer problems in later adolescence. We also assessed whether adolescent friendship quality or randomized placement in foster care early in life moderated these associations. Participants include 68 institutionalized children randomized to care as usual, 68 institutionalized children randomized to foster care, and 135 never-institutionalized children. At age 12, participants reported friendship quality with respect to a best friend and completed a social rejection task while electrocardiogram and impedance cardiography were recorded. Sympathetic nervous system reactivity to rejection feedback was assessed using preejection period (PEP). At ages 12 and 16, peer problems were reported by parents. Mediation analysis revealed that less PEP reactivity to social rejection at age 12 partially mediated the association between early institutionalization and greater peer problems at age 16. Further moderated mediation analysis revealed that this indirect effect was evidenced among previously institutionalized youths with low, but not high, quality friendships. We did not observe foster care intervention effects. These findings suggest that altered sympathetic reactivity to social rejection might be a mechanism linking early institutionalization to social difficulties into adolescence, however, positive adolescent friendships may buffer these effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Canadian 24-h Movement Guidelines, Life Stress, and Self-Esteem Among Adolescents

Background

Adolescence is often considered a period of heightened stress, and healthy active living behaviors may help those experiencing it to better cope with life stressors and increase their self-esteem. The 24-h movement guidelines for children and adolescents recommend ≥60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, ≤ 2-h per day of recreational screen time, and 9–11-h of sleep per night for school-aged children or 8–10-h per night for adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the association of meeting the 24-h movement guidelines with life stress and self-esteem among students in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

Self-reported data on movement behaviors, life stress and self-esteem were derived from the 2019 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a cross-sectional and province-wide survey of students in grades 7–12 aged 11 to 20 years (N = 6,932). Multivariable ordered logistic regression analyses were adjusted for the complex sample design of the survey and for important covariates.

Results

Overall, meeting all combinations of movement behavior recommendations were associated with lower life stress and better self-esteem compared with meeting none of the recommendations, except meeting the physical activity only or screen time only recommendations that were not associated with lower life stress. Meeting all 3 recommendations was associated with lower life stress (OR: 0.40; 95 CI: 0.30–0.53) and better self-esteem (OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.21–0.40). There was a dose-response gradient between the number of recommendations met (3 > 2 > 1) and lower life stress (p < 0.001) and higher self-esteem (p < 0.001), with meeting all 3 recommendations being the best combination.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that meeting the recommendations of the 24-h movement guidelines is associated with lower life stress and better self-esteem among adolescents.

Physiological Responses to Narrative Anger Recall and Correlates to Anger, Forgiveness, and Rumination

Abstract. Narrative recall, or describing an event from one’s past, is a common method to study anger in the laboratory. However, most research using this method has not included a neutral speaking control, and therefore the physiological response attributable to emotion versus the act of speech is unknown. We evaluated heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance level, heart rate variability, and salivary alpha-amylase during silent baseline, neutral speaking, anger recall, and recovery periods, and correlated these measures with trait anger, forgiveness, and rumination ( n = 104). Only systolic blood pressure and skin conductance levels were elevated in the anger recall period above the values in the neutral speaking period, showing the need for this important control. Alpha-amylase was inversely correlated to forgiveness, particularly in females. A neutral speaking control is critical for anger recall protocols because the physiological responses are mostly due to speaking, not anger. Salivary alpha-amylase may be a promising autonomic marker in studies of forgiveness and anger.