Explaining the gender difference in depressive symptoms

Self-compassion and psychological well-being of radiographers at work

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess how self-compassion affects the psychological well-being of radiographers at work.

METHODS

An online survey was sent to radiology and radiotherapy departments in Rhône-Alpes, a region of France (from October 2021 to February 2022). The study is mixed: quantitative data, with closed questions and two validated scales, and qualitative data, with open questions aimed at assessing perceptions among radiologists as regards self-compassion.

RESULTS

A total of 253 radiographers (mean age 32.9 years), took part in this survey. Radiographers reported a poor level of well-being and a moderate level of self-compassion. We found a link between well-being at work and self-compassion. Gender, age, number of years of experience and the desire to receive training on well-being appear to have an impact on the level of self-compassion. The perception of self-compassion by radiologists is essentially positive.

CONCLUSION

Particular attention should be paid to radiologists who are female, young, and with only a few years of experience. Self-compassion is a protective factor for radiologists and may help them take care of themselves to continue caring for others. Training related to self-compassion should be promoted in medical imaging departments.

Association between Current Substance Use, Healthy Behaviors, and Depression among Ukrainian College Students

Depression is a pervasive issue among college students worldwide, yet there is a significant gap in the literature regarding its prevalence and coping strategies in the Ukrainian context. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating how substance use and health-promoting behaviors relate to depressive symptoms among Ukrainian college students. Health-promoting behaviors are an important strategy to prevent depression, whereas substance use can contribute to depression or make it harder to manage. Given the substantial psychosocial problems and stressors related to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the limited availability of mental health services for college students, it is important to understand how we can encourage college students to keep themselves mentally healthy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among college students on 10 campuses in 2018. Almost 16% of participants met a cut-off for depression. Female students and those who were older reported significantly higher depressive symptoms. Participants were more likely to report depressive symptoms if they were more often involved with alcohol and cannabis use, were older, and engaged in fewer health-promoting behaviors. Tobacco use was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest a moderate prevalence of depressive symptoms in our study population. We recommend implementing balanced public health interventions that address risk factors (such as substance use) while also promoting protective behaviors and can be tailored to the specific cultural and environmental context of the region.

The mediating role of depressive symptoms among Turkish population related to gender and low back pain: evidence from a national health survey

BACKGROUND

Low back pain (LBP), though non-life-threatening, burdens healthcare with treatment expenses and work hours lost. Globally, 70-84% experience it, with risk factors tied to societal structure, income, and living conditions, making it a leading cause of disability.

METHODS

This study utilized data from the 2019 Türkiye Health Survey, which consisted of 17,084 individuals aged 15 and above. Our study focused on investigating the factors related to low back pain through a cross-sectional analysis. To analyze these factors, we employed binary multivariate logistic regression. Additionally, we conducted post-hoc analyses to assess the potential mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between low back pain and gender.

RESULTS

We found that 31.9% of the population experienced low back pain, with women being 58% more likely [aOR = 1.58; 95% CI (1.45-1.73)] than men to report symptoms. Individuals aged 55 + years old had a 90% [aOR = 1.90; 95% CI (1.61-2.23)] chance of experiencing low back pain, indicating an age-related increase. In the general population, having depressive symptoms was 2.49 [95% CI (2.23-2.78)] times more likely associated with low back pain. Our mediation analysis showed that gender (i.e., women vs. men), indicated by direct effects with β-estimates e = 0.78, predicted the likelihood of low back pain. Additionally, the relationship between gender and low back pain, mediated through a history of depressive symptoms, had a significant total indirect effect (i.e., β-estimate given as e = 0.49). Specifically, a history of depressive symptoms accounted for 17.86% [95% CI (9.67-20.10)] of the association between women having a higher likelihood of low back pain compared to men.

CONCLUSION

We observed that a higher likelihood of low back pain associated with gender and aging. Additionally, BMI served as a significant predictor, particularly in adults. Depression mediated the association between gender and low back pain. Acknowledging these associations may help identify and address contributing factors to LBP, potentially increasing awareness and alleviating the burden. Policymakers and healthcare professionals may consider these findings when developing prevention and treatment programs for low back pain.

Patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion among Chinese nurses: the combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience

BACKGROUND

As a primary form of work-related violence in the healthcare sector, patient mistreatment negatively impacts nurses' well-being. To date, there has yet reached a definitive conclusion on the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions behind the influence of patient mistreatment on nurses' emotional exhaustion.

METHODS

This study employed a convenience sampling method to recruit a sample of 1672 nurses from public hospitals in Western China. The data were collected through anonymous self-report questionnaires and analyzed using hierarchical regression and conditional processes to investigate a theoretical framework encompassing patient mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and trait resilience.

RESULTS

Patient mistreatment led to emotional exhaustion among nurses (β = 0.625, p <.001), and social sharing of negative events mediated this positive relationship (effect = 0.073, SE = 0.013). The combined effects of organizational support and resilience moderated the mediating effect of the social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion (β=-0.051, p <.05). Specifically, nurses with a high level of resilience would benefit from organizational support to alleviate emotional exhaustion caused by patient mistreatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This study validated a significant positive association between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion, which aligns with previous research findings. Integrating conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, we addressed previous contradictory findings on the impact of social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion. Social sharing of negative events served as a mediator between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depended on individual trait of resilience.

Gender Differences in the Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Metabolic Syndrome in First-Episode and Drug-Naïve Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

OBJECTIVE

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe psychiatric symptom worldwide, and the coexistence of MDD with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in clinical practice. However, gender differences in comorbid MetS in first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients have not been reported. Here, we explored potential gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid MetS in FEDN MDD patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 1718 FEDN MDD patients was conducted. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms, respectively.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MetS was 1.645-fold higher in female MDD patients (38.50%) than in male patients (26.53%). Patients with MetS had higher HAMD score, Hamilton Anxiety Scale score, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale score than patients without MetS (p values < .001). Furthermore, suicide attempts (male: odds ratio [OR] = 1.706, p = .034; female: OR = 1.639, p = .004) and HAMD score (male: OR = 1.251, p < .001; female: OR = 1.148, p < .001) were independently associated with MetS in male and female patients, whereas age of onset was independently associated with MetS only in female patients (OR = 1.744, p = .047).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest significant gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid MetS in FEDN MDD patients. Clinical variables (suicide attempts and HAMD scores) may be independently associated with MetS in MDD patients.

Mental health among children with and without reading difficulties

This study explored the relationship between mental health, i.e., depression and anxiety, and reading difficulties (RD) in Chinese elementary school children. Participants were 1535 grades 3, 4, and 5 students from three elementary schools in Xi'an, China. Children with and without RD were compared to their depression and anxiety. Additionally, children's self-ratings, parents' ratings, and teachers' ratings of depression and anxiety were compared to better understand mental health issues of Chinese children with RD. The findings showed that Chinese children with RD experienced more depression but not anxiety compared to their typically developing peers across all three grade levels. Reports from all three informants consistently reflected that children with RD experienced more depression. However, some inconsistencies were found between self-reported levels of depression and anxiety and the observations made by parents and teachers. Children reported experiencing more depression than their parents and teachers observed but less anxiety than their parents reported. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the links between RD and mental health and the need for appropriate intervention programs to help children with RD cope with the mental health challenges.

The Mediating Role of Rumination and Self-Regulation Between Self-Generated Stress and Psychological Well-Being

In this study, we aimed to examine the relationships between self-generated stress (SGS) and psychological well-being (PWB) and the mediating role of self-critical rumination (SCR) and self-regulation in this relationship. In this direction, the Self-Generated Stress Scale (SGSS) was adapted into Turkish in the first study. In the second study, we tested the mediating role of SCR and self-regulation in the relationship between SGS and PWB in university students. The findings showed that the Self-Generated Stress Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish culture and PWB and self-regulation have partial mediating roles in the relationship between SGS and PWB. These results contribute to a better understanding of the association between SGS and PWB.

Annual Research Review: Sex, gender, and internalizing conditions among adolescents in the 21st century - trends, causes, consequences

Internalizing conditions of psychopathology include depressive and anxiety disorders; they most often onset in adolescence, are relatively common, and contribute to significant population morbidity and mortality. In this research review, we present the evidence that internalizing conditions, including depression and anxiety, as well as psychological distress, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, and fatal suicide, are considerably increasing in adolescent populations across many countries. Evidence indicates that increases are currently greatest in female adolescents. We present an epidemiological framework for evaluating the causes of these increases, and synthesize research on whether several established risk factors (e.g., age of pubertal transition and stressful life events) and novel risk factors (e.g., digital technology and social media) meet conditions necessary to be plausible causes of increases in adolescent internalizing conditions. We conclude that there are a multitude of potential causes of increases in adolescent internalizing conditions, outline evidence gaps including the lack of research on nonbinary and gender nonconforming populations, and recommend necessary prevention and intervention foci from a clinical and public health perspective.

Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.

Association of sleep duration and risk of mental disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The effects of sleep duration on the development of mental illness remain controversial. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the effects of long or short sleep duration on psychological disorders, which could reveal new ways for preventing and treating mental health conditions cheaply.

METHODS

Identifying published papers was accomplished by using the following five English databases on March 16, 2022: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science databases, and Scopus. Cross-sectional and cohort studies were considered if they evaluated the association of sleep duration with all kinds of mental illness in adults. We excluded case reports, editorials, narrative reviews, and studies without detailed information on sleep duration. Summary effect-size estimates were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and were evaluated using random-effect models. Mantel-Haenszel's random-effects model was used to estimate the inconsistency index (I2) and Tau2 index (measurement of heterogeneity).

RESULTS

A total of 52 studies were included in this analysis, consisting of 14 cohort studies and 38 cross-sectional studies. These studies involved a combined sample size of 1,407,891 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Cohort (adjusted RR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.26-1.60, P < .001, I2 = 37.6%, Tau2 = 0.014) and cross-sectional studies (adjusted OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.57-1.77, P < .001, I2 = 79.7%, Tau2 = 0.060) concluded that short sleep duration increased mental disorder risks. The same conclusions were acquired in the subgroup analysis, especially for depression (adjusted RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.24-1.65, P < .001, I2 = 80.4%, Tau2 = 0.082), anxiety (adjusted RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.04-1.63, P = .002, I2 = 0.0%, Tau2 = 0.000), and PTSD (adjusted RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.04-1.76, P = .022, I2 = 24.1%, Tau2 = 0.013) in cohort studies. The results of subgroup analysis indicated that long sleep duration was not a risk factor for depression (adjusted RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.98-1.34, P = .088, I2 = 63.4%, Tau2 = 0.045) and anxiety (adjusted RR = 1.37, 95% CI: 0.93-2.03, P = .114, I2 = 0.0%, Tau2 = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Short sleep duration, not long sleep duration, is an independent predictor of developing mental disorders, particularly anxiety and depression.

Neurobiological Underpinnings of Hyperarousal in Depression: A Comprehensive Review

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit an abnormal physiological arousal pattern known as hyperarousal, which may contribute to their depressive symptoms. However, the neurobiological mechanisms linking this abnormal arousal to depressive symptoms are not yet fully understood. In this review, we summarize the physiological and neural features of arousal, and review the literature indicating abnormal arousal in depressed patients. Evidence suggests that a hyperarousal state in depression is characterized by abnormalities in sleep behavior, physiological (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance, pupil diameter) and electroencephalography (EEG) features, and altered activity in subcortical (e.g., hypothalamus and locus coeruleus) and cortical regions. While recent studies highlight the importance of subcortical-cortical interactions in arousal, few have explored the relationship between subcortical-cortical interactions and hyperarousal in depressed patients. This gap limits our understanding of the neural mechanism through which hyperarousal affects depressive symptoms, which involves various cognitive processes and the cerebral cortex. Based on the current literature, we propose that the hyperconnectivity in the thalamocortical circuit may contribute to both the hyperarousal pattern and depressive symptoms. Future research should investigate the relationship between thalamocortical connections and abnormal arousal in depression, and explore its implications for non-invasive treatments for depression.

Dentate Gyrus Microstructure Is Associated With Resilience After Exposure to Maternal Stress Across Two Human Cohorts

BACKGROUND

Maternal stress (MS) is a well-documented risk factor for impaired emotional development in offspring. Rodent models implicate the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in the effects of MS on offspring depressive-like behaviors, but mechanisms in humans remain unclear. Here, we tested whether MS was associated with depressive symptoms and DG micro- and macrostructural alterations in offspring across 2 independent cohorts.

METHODS

We analyzed DG diffusion tensor imaging-derived mean diffusivity (DG-MD) and volume in a three-generation family risk for depression study (TGS; n = 69, mean age = 35.0 years) and in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 5196, mean age = 9.9 years) using generalized estimating equation models and mediation analysis. MS was assessed by the Parenting Stress Index (TGS) and a measure compiled from the Adult Response Survey from the ABCD Study. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and rumination scales (TGS) and the Child Behavior Checklist (ABCD Study) measured offspring depressive symptoms at follow-up. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime interview was used to assign depression diagnoses.

RESULTS

Across cohorts, MS was associated with future symptoms and higher DG-MD (indicating disrupted microstructure) in offspring. Higher DG-MD was associated with higher symptom scores measured 5 years (in the TGS) and 1 year (in the ABCD Study) after magnetic resonance imaging. In the ABCD Study, DG-MD was increased in high-MS offspring who had depressive symptoms at follow-up, but not in offspring who remained resilient or whose mother had low MS.

CONCLUSIONS

Converging results across 2 independent samples extend previous rodent studies and suggest a role for the DG in exposure to MS and offspring depression.

Factors associated with mental health among Hong Kong children: A population-based study of 4884 individuals

BACKGROUND

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between negative mental health conditions and demographic characteristics, socioeconomic background and health-related parameters in both Hong Kong's primary and secondary school students.

METHODS

A self-administrated survey was conducted and investigated the prevalence of negative mental health conditions (psychological stress, depression and suicidality) in students from 30 primary schools and 25 secondary schools in Hong Kong in 2017. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was chosen as the instrument to evaluate non-specific psychological distress. Depression was evaluated using the prolonged feeling of despair as a proxy. Suicidality was measured by four questions on whether they had ever intentionally injured themselves, seriously considered attempting suicide, planned how they would attempt suicide and had attempted suicide. Multiple logistic regression models examined the explanatory factors' association with mental health conditions after adjusting for confounding, using the enter method.

RESULTS

A total of 4884 responses were collected. It is found that both very high and low parent expectations were risk factors for multiple conditions, namely suicidality and psychological distress among primary school students, and psychological distress among secondary school students. As for primary school students, the experience of being bullied was a significant risk factor for all conditions. A significant association was found between having one's own bedroom and suicidality amongst primary school students; whilst having three close friends or more and higher life satisfaction levels were significantly associated with a lower risk of negative mental health conditions among secondary school students.

CONCLUSIONS

It was found that having one's own bedroom was a risk factor for suicidality among primary school student. Parents should be alert to the risky behaviours of children, have more involvement in children's daily life and build a supportive and caring family environment for children. For secondary school students, as the importance of friends is greatly increased, teachers should encourage students to engage in extra-curricular activities in school.

Gender Differences in Loneliness Over Time: A 15-Year Longitudinal Study of Men and Women in the Second Part of Life

Evidence suggests that in old age, women are lonelier than men. Gender differences in loneliness are often explained by gender differences in longevity, social status and loss, health, and mobility-well-established predictors that may influence loneliness differently in "younger" (40-59 years) and "older" (60-80 years) groups of men and women in the second part of life. This study explores loneliness in men and women ages 40 to 80 years at baseline over a 15-year period using panel data from three waves of the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (N = 2,315). Our analyses show that women were more lonely than men also in adjusted analyses. Logistic regression analyses indicated that loss of a partner and poor mental health are prospectively related to loneliness among men and women, whereas other factors like becoming a partner, stable singlehood, and poor physical health were related to loneliness among women but not men.

Sex Differences in Stress Response: Classical Mechanisms and Beyond

Neuropsychiatric disorders, which are associated with stress hormone dysregulation, occur at different rates in men and women. Moreover, nowadays, preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrates that sex and gender can lead to differences in stress responses that predispose males and females to different expressions of similar pathologies. In this curated review, we focus on what is known about sex differences in classic mechanisms of stress response, such as glucocorticoid hormones and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), which are components of the hypothalamicpituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis. Then, we present sex differences in neurotransmitter levels, such as serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and GABA, as well as indices of neurodegeneration, such as amyloid β and Tau. Gonadal hormone effects, such as estrogens and testosterone, are also discussed throughout the review. We also review in detail preclinical data investigating sex differences caused by recentlyrecognized regulators of stress and disease, such as the immune system, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, as well neurosteroids. Finally, we discuss how understanding sex differences in stress responses, as well as in pharmacology, can be leveraged into novel, more efficacious therapeutics for all. Based on the supporting evidence, it is obvious that incorporating sex as a biological variable into preclinical research is imperative for the understanding and treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease.

Expressive writing to address distress in hospitalized adults with acute myeloid leukemia: a pilot randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experience significant distress. Expressive writing is an intervention designed to improve well-being by encouraging expression of emotions related to traumatic experiences. Expressive writing has been shown to be generally feasible and effective at improving the cancer experience but has not been examined in patients with recently diagnosed hematologic malignancies. We examined the feasibility of an expressive writing intervention for hospitalized patients with AML receiving induction chemotherapy.

METHODS

Fifteen hospitalized AML patients were randomized to complete expressive writing or neutral prompts. Feasibility was defined as 80% of enrolled subjects completing the study. Participants completed validated questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety, resilience, rumination, and quality of life at baseline, completion of the second and fourth writing exercises, and 3 months after enrollment. Participants also completed post-writing surveys following the writing exercise to reflect on the experience.

FINDINGS

We enrolled 15 participants and 8 of 15 subjects (53%) completed the study. Due to low enrollment, we examined the pre-to-post intervention changes, rather than comparing results across intervention arms. Pre-to-post intervention changes in the expected direction were seen at the second assessment for depression and resilience, at the fourth assessment for rumination, emotional well-being, and social well-being, and at the 3-month follow-up for anxiety and emotional well-being. Similar changes in patient-reported outcomes were also seen in the control condition. Participants who completed the intervention reported the experience was meaningful and were able to express their deepest thoughts and feelings, more so than participants in the control arm.

CONCLUSION

In our work, the expressive writing intervention was not found to be feasible. The trial was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which likely impacted the feasibility. Future studies should aim to identify ways to make the intervention more accessible, such as developing an electronic application for expressive writing.

Gender differences in cigarette smoking cessation attempts among adults who smoke and drink alcohol at high levels: Findings from the 2018-2020 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys

BACKGROUND

This study examined the association between alcohol consumption and smoking cessation behaviour of adults who smoke in four countries.

METHODS

Data came from 4275 adults (≥18 years) who smoked tobacco ≥ monthly and participated in the 2018 and 2020 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys (Australia: n = 720; Canada: n = 1250; US: n = 1011; England: n = 1294). The 2018 Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) survey data coded into three levels ('never/low', 'moderate' or 'heavy' consumption) were analysed using multivariable logistic regression models to predict any smoking cessation attempts and successful cessation by 2020 survey, and whether this differed by gender and country.

RESULTS

Compared to never/low alcohol consumers, only those who drink heavily were less likely to have made a quit smoking attempt (40.4 % vs. 43.8 %; AOR = 0.69, 95 % CI = 0.57-0.83, p < .001). The association differed by gender and country (3-way interaction, p < .001), with females who drink heavily being less likely to attempt to quit smoking in England (AOR = 0.27, 95 % CI = 0.15-0.49, p < .001) and Australia (AOR = 0.38, 95 % CI = 0.19-0.77, p = .008), but for males, those who drink moderately (AOR = 2.18, 95 % CI = 1.17-4.06, p = .014) or heavily (AOR = 2.61, 95 % CI = 1.45-4.68, p = .001) were more likely to make a quit attempt in England only. Alcohol consumption did not predict quit success.

CONCLUSION

Heavy alcohol use among adults who smoke appears to only undermine the likelihood of trying to quit smoking with some variation by gender and country of residence, but not their chances of succeeding if they tried.

Gender differences in the association between cardiovascular diseases and major depressive disorder among older adults in India

Background

Despite the global disease burden associated with the co-occurrence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and depression, depression remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in the CVD population, especially among older adults in India. As such, this study examines (1) the association between single and multiple CVDs and major depressive disorder among older Indians; (2) whether this association is mediated by older adults' self-rated health and functional limitations; and (3) whether these associations vary for older men and women.

Methods

Data come from the 2017-18 wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India. Multivariable logistic regression is used to explore the association between CVDs and major depressive disorder among older men and women. The Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method is used to examine the mediation effects of self-rated health and functional difficulties in the observed associations.

Results

Overall, 5.08% of the older adults had multiple CVDs. Older women (9.71%) had a higher prevalence of major depressive disorder compared to men (7.50%). Multiple CVDs were associated with greater odds of major depressive disorder after adjusting the potential covariates (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-2.00). Older men with multiple CVDs had a greater risk of major depressive disorder (AOR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.05-2.57) relative to women with CVDs (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 0.93-2.08). The association between multiple CVDs and depression was mediated by self-rated health (34.03% for men vs. 34.55% for women), ADL difficulty (22.25% vs. 15.42%), and IADL difficulty (22.90% vs. 19.10%).

Conclusions

One in five older Indians with multiple CVDs reports major depressive disorder, which is three times more common than the prevalence of depressive disorder in older adults without CVDs. This association is attenuated by self-rated health and functional limitations. Moreover, these associations are more pronounced in older men relative to older women. These findings depart from prior inferences that men with CVDs are less psychologically distressed than their female counterparts. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of gender-specific approaches to interventions and therapeutics for CVD-related mental health.

Experimental induction of state rumination: A study evaluating the efficacy of goal-cueing task in different experimental settings

Based on previous studies, the present four experiments (total N = 468) aimed at investigating the effectivity of rumination induction in different experimental settings. We were particularly interested in rumination in the context of individual goal achievement and tested whether an instruction that referred to unresolved goals had a direct observable effect on state rumination. For this purpose, participants were asked to identify, evaluate, and focus on a personally relevant goal that was previously unresolved and still bothered them. In Experiment 1a to 1c, we compared three different modifications of the unresolved condition with shortened instructions with the elaborated unresolved condition and an additional control condition that did not refer to goals. In general, the results were mixed, but basically confirmed the effectiveness of the method used. Finally, in Experiment 2, we compared the two most promising versions of the unresolved condition and, by adding a goal-related control condition, we examined which control condition was best suited to maximize effects related to state rumination in future research. Results of various mixed ANOVAs demonstrated that a shortened version (in terms of shortened audio instructions) of the unresolved condition could be used as well as the original unresolved condition to induce reliable state rumination. The significance of the effects obtained with this method for real-life applications as well as approaches for future research are discussed.

Thinking twice: examining gender differences in repetitive negative thinking across the adult lifespan

Background

A wealth of literature shows that women report greater levels of repetitive negative thinking, particularly rumination, than men in adolescence and adulthood. However, little research has examined how these gender differences develop or change across the entire adult lifespan.

Methods

The present study addresses these oversights using a nationwide longitudinal probability sample of adults over 12 annual assessment points (N = 64,901; Mage = 42.50, range 18-81; 62.9% women) and a single-item measure of global repetitive negative thinking. Critically, we use multigroup cohort-sequential latent growth modeling to determine whether changes in this construct over time are due to (a) normative aging, (b) generational differences associated with the historical period one was born and raised in, or (c) a combination of these processes.

Results

Our results reveal that rumination peaks in young adulthood for both women and men but declines steadily thereafter, reaching its lowest levels at the end of the adult lifespan. That said, some gender and cohort differences emerged, with young women-particularly young cohorts-reporting higher levels of rumination than their male counterparts and older birth cohorts.

Discussion

Our study suggests that gender differences in rumination may be most prevalent among young birth cohorts, though future research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these processes.

Early life adversity ablates sex differences in active versus passive threat responding in mice

Early life adversity (ELA) heightens the risk for anxiety disorders (which are characterized by heightened fear and avoidance behaviors), with females being twice as likely as males to develop pathology. Pavlovian fear conditioning tasks have been used to study possible mechanisms supporting endophenotypes of pathology. Identification of sex and ELA selective effects on the nature of behavioral responding in these paradigms may provide a unique window into coping strategies in response to learned fear to guide more mechanistic studies. The goals of this study were two-fold; First, to test if male and female mice employed different coping strategies in response to threat learning using different conditioning parameters (low, medium, and high intensity foot shocks). Second, to test if ELA in the form of limited bedding and nesting (LBN) altered the behavioral response of mice to conditioning. Mice received 6 tone/foot-shock pairings at one of three different foot-shock intensities (0.35 mA; 0.57 mA; 0.7 mA). Freezing, darting, and foot-shock reactivity were measured across trials. During conditioning, control-reared female mice exhibited significantly higher rates of darting behavior compared to control males at nearly all shock intensities tested. LBN rearing decreased the proportion of darting females to levels observed in males. Thus, ELA in the form of LBN significantly diminished the recruitment of active versus passive coping strategies in female mice but did not generally change male responding. Additional work will be required to understand the neural basis of these behavioral effects. Findings extending from this work have the potential to shed light on how ELA impacts trajectories of regional brain development with implications for sex-selective risk for behavioral endophenotypes associated with pathology and possibly symptom presentation.

The effect of parenting behaviours on adolescents' rumination: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Rumination is an emotional regulation mechanism strongly associated with the development and maintenance of internalising psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood. Parenting behaviours (PBs) play a pivotal role in the development of rumination in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, the specific PBs that can either protect against or increase the risk of rumination development remain poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to explore the (1) temporal associations between PBs and adolescents' rumination and (2) potential moderators influencing these associations. We conducted a comprehensive search across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Academic Search Complete and Eric databases, adhering to PRISMA reporting guidelines. Out of 1,868 abstracts screened, 182 articles underwent full-text examination, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Overall, the studies indicated that PBs characterised by criticism, rejection and control were positively associated with the development of rumination in adolescents, whilst PBs marked by authoritative practises exhibited a negative association with rumination. Gender, temperament, environmental sensitivity and pubertal timing emerged as significant moderators in the effects of PBs on rumination. However, conclusions were limited due to the studies' methodological heterogeneity. Future studies on PBs and rumination should address various dimensions of PBs and different moderators to identify factors that can modify the development of rumination across adolescence. Findings may inform family-based prevention programmes to promote emotion regulation in adolescents as a protective factor against internalising psychopathology across adulthood.

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.

Heterogeneous gender gaps in mental wellbeing: Do women with low economic status face the biggest gender gaps?

Gender differences in depression are globally documented across a wide range of studies that analyse self-reports of depressive symptoms or clinical diagnoses. Extensive research fails to identify any single reason for this finding but given systematic variation in depressive symptomatology across social groups, gender differences must derive at least partly from environmental or social factors. Among the social factors that are considered most important are those relating to gender differences in socio-economic status and the underlying gender division of labor. In this study, we add to existing research by interrogating heterogeneity in gender differences in mental health. Studies that investigate environmental factors typically consider these only in relation to the average gender gap in depression. We use a novel sorting and classification method (Chernozhukov et al., 2018) that makes it possible to map the full distribution of gender differences in depressive symptomatology among comparable women and men. Although we cannot attribute causality, the method allows us to isolate those social factors that are distinctive to women who experience the largest gender gap in depressive symptoms compared to those who exhibit the smallest. The study analyses detailed nationally representative micro-data from South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty, which are higher still among women. As is common elsewhere, women report significantly more depressive symptoms than men, and low socio-economic status is correlated with poor mental health. However, women with low socio-economic status are not relatively more concentrated among women who face the largest gender gap in depressive symptomatology. These findings would not be consistent with the hypothesis that women have a greater tendency than men to ruminate over economic hardship and could rather point to resilience and a "steeling effect" among poor women.

The associations between academic stress and depression among college students: A moderated chain mediation model of negative affect, sleep quality, and social support

BACKGROUND

Growing competition in tight job market and academic excellence as a social norm in Asian culture have made Chinese college students burdened with immense academic stress.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the associations between academic stress and depression, and the mediating roles of negative affect and sleep quality, as well as the moderating role of social support in the relationship between negative affect and sleep quality.

METHODOLOGY

A convenience sample of 221 male and 479 female college students aged between 17 and 25 completed questionnaires on academic stress, depression, negative affect, sleep quality and social support.

RESULTS

Results indicated that academic stress could not only directly affect depression (b = 0.31, p < 001), but also affect depression through the mediation role of negative affect and sleep quality. The chain mediating effects includes three paths, namely, the mediating role of negative affect (indirect effect = 0.21, percentage of total effect = 69.58 %), the mediating role of sleep quality (indirect effect = 0.06, percentage of total effect = 21.03 %), and the chain mediating role of negative affect and sleep quality (indirect effect = 0.06, percentage of total effect = 19.86 %). Social support moderated the adverse influence of negative affect on sleep quality. Social support decreases the impact of negative affect on sleep quality. Specifically, the association between negative affect and sleep quality was stronger for college students with low (bsimple = 0.44, p < 0.001) social support than those with high (bsimple = 0.32, p < 0.001) social support.

IMPLICATIONS

The results advanced our understanding of how academic stress affects college students' depression. These findings provide implications on the cultivation of stress coping strategies, promotion of emotion regulation skills, exaltation of sleep quality, and improvement of the social support level aiming for future depression preventions and interventions. Specific measures include setting up psychological health courses, teaching emotion management strategies, and establishing web-based programme steming from acceptance and commitment therapy. It should be noted that the cross-sectional design means the causal associations among the variables could not be determined.

Mediating Role of Rumination Between Anger and Anxious-Depressive Symptomatology in Family Members of People with Gambling Disorder

Gambling disorder is characterized by a behavioural pattern of dysfunctional gambling that persists despite its negative implications in different areas of people's daily life. One of the most negatively affected areas is the one related to family members. This study aimed, firstly, to study the differences between family members of people with gambling disorder and a general population sample in anger (state, trait, expression-out, expression-in. control-out and control-in), rumination (brooding, reflection and total), and anxiety and depression. The second aim was to analyse the correlation between these variables in the family members of people with gambling disorder, and thirdly, to analyse the mediating role of rumination between anger, anxiety and depression. This study consisted of 170 people, of whom 87 were family members of people with a gambling disorder, and 83 were from the general population. Instruments measuring anger, anxiety, depression, and ruminative responses were administered. Results showed that family members had significantly higher scores in anger (state), depression, anxiety, rumination (total and brooding). Also, results showed that anger correlated positively and significantly with rumination, depression and anxiety, which also correlated positively and significantly with each other. Third, rumination mediated the relationship between the following variables: anger (state) and depression; anger (trait) and anxiety and depression; anger (external expression) and anxiety and depression. A complete mediating effect was found in the latter case and a partial mediating effect in the first two cases. In conclusion, it is found that having a family member with a gambling disorder may increase levels of anger, anxiety, depression and rumination. Furthermore, it is shown that working on rumination may reduce depression and anxiety in family members of gamblers.

Patterns of life stress and the development of ruminative brooding in adolescence: A person-centered approach

Research links life stressors, including acute, chronic, and early life stress, to the development of ruminative brooding. However, singular forms of life stress rarely occur in isolation, as adolescents typically encounter stressors that vary on important dimensions (e.g., types, timings, quantities) across development. The current study employs latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify natural clusters of life stress that, over time, may be differently associated with ruminative brooding. Evaluations of episodic, chronic, and early life stress were conducted with community-recruited mid-adolescents (N = 241, Mage = 15.90 years, 53% female) and their parents using the UCLA Life Stress Interview and lifetime adversity portions of the Youth Life Stress Interview. Analyses identified four distinct patterns: low stress, high peer stress, moderate home / family stress, and multifaceted / high school stress. Adolescents in the high peer stress and moderate home / family stress profiles were at highest risk for developing a brooding style over time. Despite high overall levels of stress, teens in the multifaceted / high school stress profile were at not at elevated risk for developing a brooding style. Findings demonstrate the utility of person-centered approaches to identify patterns of stress exposure that heighten risk for brooding over time.

"I am in a Fight with My Brain": A Qualitative Study on Cancer-Related Ruminations of Individuals with Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the cancer-related ruminations from the subjective perspectives of individuals with cancer.

DATA SOURCES

The study adopted a qualitative design, and participants (N = 16) were individuals with cancer. The analysis and interpretation of data were carried out according to the phenomenological-hermeneutical method.

CONCLUSION

The following four themes emerged as a result of the analysis of qualitative data revealing the experiences of individuals with cancer: (1) attributed meanings to cancer-related ruminations, (2) perceived ruminations toward an uncertain future, (3) losing against intrusive ruminations, and (4) fighting with ruminations. The results underline the negative impact of ruminative thoughts on the disease process and social life of individuals with cancer. Individuals with cancer struggle with intense thoughts about the cause, treatment, and future of the disease from the moment they are diagnosed with cancer. In order to stop ruminative thoughts, individuals with cancer have tried solutions such as distracting activities and avoiding thoughts.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses have an important role in catching verbal and nonverbal cues for rumination, as they are constantly together with individuals with cancer and make observations. Therefore, nurses can raise awareness about their ruminative thoughts and teach coping skills to individuals with cancer.

Prospective Relation between Ruminative Subtypes and Suicide Ideation: Moderating Role of Problem Solving

Background

Although reflection has been characterized as a more adaptive subtype of rumination than brooding, evidence suggests that reflection is associated with suicide ideation. The present longitudinal study investigated the mediating role of hopelessness and depressive symptoms and the moderating role of problem solving in explaining why reflection may lead to suicide ideation.

Methods

Two hundred ninety-four undergraduates participated in the study and were followed up every 6 months over 18 months. Participants completed measures of brooding and reflection, hopelessness, depressive symptoms, problem solving, and suicide ideation.

Results

Results revealed that after adjusting for baseline suicide ideation, the serial mediation path from brooding (but not reflection) to suicide ideation via hopelessness and depressive symptoms was significant. Baseline reflection predicted suicide ideation 18 months later through depressive symptoms at 12 months for people average in passive problem solving, and for those low or average in active problem solving. Brooding predicted suicide ideation through depressive symptoms, regardless of problem-solving.

Conclusions

Reflection may result in suicide ideation via depressive symptoms among people with poor problem-solving skills. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Physical Limitations, Health Rumination/Worry, and Depressive Symptoms: Gender Differences among African Americans

Although studies have documented the relationships between physical health, health rumination/worry, and mental health, few investigations have assessed these linkages within African American communities. Using a community-based sample of residents in historically lower-income, African American communities (N = 306), this study assesses the mediating role of health rumination/worry in the physical limitation-depressive symptom relationship, and the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between health rumination/worry-depressive symptoms. Findings demonstrate that health rumination/worry explains half of the physical limitation-depressive symptom relationship, and the relationship between health rumination/worry and depressive symptoms is stronger for African American men than women. The findings underscore the importance of intersectional research for policy efforts aimed at reducing mental health morbidities within African American communities.

More prevalent and more severe: gender differences of depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents

Background

Adolescent depression has become a leading problem around the world, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has remained prevalent and heavily influenced people's mental health. While gender difference has always been a topic in the field of psychiatry, there are cultural differences across the world that must be taken into account. The current study is examining gender differences in symptoms of Chinese adolescents with depression.

Methods

The sample was obtained from a total of 574 adolescent patients (172 males and 402 females) diagnosed with depression following the DSM-IV/ICD-10 diagnostic criteria; patients who also had other severe mental or physical illnesses were excluded. The ages of participants ranged from 10 to 19 years. Additionally, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to examine differences in symptoms between different gender and age groups. The LPA was used to examine whether females and males were having different patterns of symptoms.

Results

Our analysis showed that compared to males, females exhibited higher rates of depression and more severe depressive symptoms across age groups. Likewise, the analysis also revealed an earlier onset of depression among Chinese adolescents compared to that in Western countries in previous studies. Finally, the LPA showed that mild to moderate depression was predominant in male patients, while severe depression was predominant in female patients.

Conclusion

This study highlights the gender differences in the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. The current study highlighted the importance of gender equality and developing gender-friendly interventions in maintaining the overall mental health of adolescents in China.

Sex-dependent effects of acute stress on amyloid-β in male and female mice

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is mediated by a combination of genetics and environmental factors, such as stress, sleep abnormalities and traumatic brain injury. Women are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men, even when controlling for differences in lifespan. Women are also more likely to report high levels of stress than men. Sex differences in response to stress may play a role in the increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in women. In this study, we use in vivo microdialysis to measure levels of Aβ in response to acute stress in male and female mice. We show that Aβ levels are altered differently between female and male mice (APP/PS1 and wild-type) in response to stress, with females showing significantly increased levels of Aβ while most males do not show a significant change. This response is mediated through β-arrestin involvement in Corticotrophin Releasing Factor receptor signalling pathway differences in male and female mice as male mice lacking β-arrestin show increase in Aβ in response to stress similar to females.

Future-oriented repetitive thought, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation severity: Role of future-event fluency and depressive predictive certainty

BACKGROUND

Knowing how future-oriented repetitive thought - i.e., repeated consideration of whether positive or negative outcomes will happen in one's future - leads to hopelessness-related cognitions may elucidate the role of anticipating the future in depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. This study examined future-event fluency and depressive predictive certainty - i.e., the tendency to make pessimistic future-event predictions with certainty - as mechanisms explaining the relation between future-oriented repetitive thought, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation.

METHODS

Young adults (N = 354), oversampled for suicide ideation or attempt history, completed baseline measures of pessimistic future-oriented repetitive thought (i.e., the degree to which people consider whether negative outcomes will happen or positive outcomes will not happen in their futures), future-event fluency, depressive predictive certainty, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation severity and were followed up 6 months later (N = 324).

RESULTS

Pessimistic future-oriented repetitive thought predicted depressive predictive certainty at 6-months, partially mediated by lower positive but not increased negative future-event fluency. There was an indirect relationship between pessimistic future-oriented repetitive thought and 6-month suicide ideation severity via 6-month depressive predictive certainty through 6-month depressive symptoms, and also via 6-month depressive symptoms (but not depressive predictive certainty) alone.

LIMITATIONS

Lack of an experimental design limits inferences about causality, and a predominantly female sample may limit generalizability by sex.

CONCLUSION

Clinical interventions should address pessimistic future-oriented repetitive thought - and its impact on how easily people can think about positive future outcomes - as one potential way to reduce depressive symptoms and, indirectly, suicide ideation.

Relationship between adult attachment and cognitive emotional regulation style in women and men

Cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies are useful in evaluating the risk of developing emotional disorders and that they may define subjects' styles. This study aims to explore the extent to which specific styles of CER strategies relate to the anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions in adults and whether such relationships operate similarly for women and men. Two hundred and fifteen adults (between 22 and 67 years old) completed the Spanish versions of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Experiences in Close Relationships instrument. Cluster analysis, ANOVA and Student's t-test were used. Our results show that women and men can be successfully classified into two CER clusters (Protective and Vulnerable), distinguished by the higher use in the protective cluster of the CER strategies considered most adaptive and complex (Acceptance, Positive Refocusing, Refocus on Planning, Positive Reappraisal, and Putting into Perspective). However, only in women were the anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions significantly associated with CER style. In conclusion, from a clinical and interpersonal perspective, it is interesting to be able to predict the belonging to a Protective or Vulnerable coping style by analysing the CER strategies and to know their relationship with the adult affective system.

Social Odour Perception and Stress Responses in Women’s Quality of Partner Relationship and Attachment Style

The perception of body and social odours (SOP) is crucial for interpersonal chemosensory signalling and mate choice, yet little is known about the role of the SOP on the quality of partnerships and the attachment style. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the SOP in women’s stress responses by considering the role of biopsychosocial variables in the quality of interpersonal relationships (also considering intimate partner violence). In total, 253 women filled out an online survey that included a series of questionnaires to investigate self-perceived stress (PSS), emotional regulation (ERQ), olfactory social assessment (SOS), quality of partnership (RRQ), attachment style (RQ), and the Conflict Tactile Scale 2 (CTS-2). The main results highlight that a high awareness of social odours correlates with a good quality of relationship and with an emotional regulation capacity; the PSS correlates negatively with the ERQ (i.e., as the PSS increases, the ERQ decreases). The level of IPV predicts an interpersonal style characterized by a low desire to develop meaningful relationships but with a tendency to depend on and trust another. The idea of being hurt by the other is not central in women who experience this type of relationship. The study’s main conclusion is that social odour perception is important for emotional regulation and in partner relationships.

Contexts of Concealment: Initial Validation of Three Disclosure Avoidance Process Measures

The choice to withhold subjective distress reflects a multifactorial decision highly sensitive to context. Unfortunately, existing measures are built on unidimensional models (i.e., concealment-disclosure as a single, bipolar dimension) and operationalize the construct as a stable trait. In this article, we outline the development and initial validation of a self-report inventory that accounts for problem-context and assesses multiple processes central to both the concealment and disclosure of emotional distress. Exploratory analysis of pilot items in Study 1 (male student sample; N = 373) guided subsequent item development and revisions to our conceptual model. In Study 2 (mixed-gender community sample; N = 297), we refined the item-pool based on additional tests of latent scale structure and associations with concurrent criteria. In a final validation sample (Study 3; international community participants; N = 978), confirmatory factor analyses corroborated our hypothesized three-factor model (Privacy Management, Disclosure Desire, and Social Fear) and supported measurement invariance by sex. The three Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS) were internally consistent and associated in expected directions with external indices of concurrent concealment, disclosure, depression, anxiety, loneliness, experiential avoidance, and self-stigma.

Daily relationships among maternal rumination, mood and bonding with infant

There is little research examining the association between maternal maladaptive emotion regulation strategies such as rumination and perceived maternal bonding and mood. This study investigated the concurrent and prospective relationship of both trait and daily rumination with daily perceived maternal bonding and mood. Ninety-three mothers of infants aged between 3 and 14 months completed a ten-day diary study investigating the relationship between daily and trait ruminative self-focus, negative affect and perceived maternal bonding, or her perceived feelings of closeness with her infant. The majority of mothers reported mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The data were analysed using Hierarchical Linear Modelling. Baseline depressive symptoms and trait rumination were each positively associated with mean levels of daily ruminative self-focus and mood over the ten-day sampling period. Bonding with infant at baseline was not associated with mean levels of daily rumination, mood or bonding over the sampling period. Concurrently, daily rumination and daily bonding were negatively correlated, after accounting for daily mood. Prospectively, lower levels of daily bonding predicted increases in daily rumination and depressive mood on the subsequent day. Interestingly, daily rumination did not predict increases in depressive mood or bonding on the subsequent day, suggesting that rumination occurred in response to perceived disruptions in feelings of closeness with the infant, but did not lead to prospective decreases in these feelings of closeness. These findings hold important implications for understanding the relationship between the mother-infant relationship, and maternal rumination and depressive mood, suggesting that disruptions in the way mothers perceive they are bonding to their infants may contribute to depressongenic processes.

Negative Life Events and Procrastination among Adolescents: The Roles of Negative Emotions and Rumination, as Well as the Potential Gender Differences

Procrastination (the intentional delay of action despite knowing that one will be worse off due to the delay) is a widespread phenomenon with various negative consequences, especially among adolescents. Based on relevant evidence, this study examined the relation between negative life events and adolescents' procrastination, as well as the underlying mechanisms-specifically, the effects of negative emotions and rumination, as well as the potential gender differences. A total of 780 adolescents (M_age = 12.92 years old; 52.2% females) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires assessing negative life events, procrastination, depression-anxiety-stress symptoms and rumination. Results showed that negative life events were positively associated with procrastination, and negative emotions significantly mediated the relation; rumination played a moderating role in this mediation model, specifically, both the direct and indirect effects in this mediation model were stronger for adolescents with higher rumination. Besides this, gender differences in this moderated mediation model were also found-the indirect effect of negative emotions was stronger for girls, and this mediating effect could be moderated by rumination only for boys. These results expanded our understanding of how negative life events influence procrastination and when (or for whom) negative life events influence procrastination the most. The findings also have significant implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' procrastination.

Minority stress, repetitive negative thinking, and internalizing symptoms in sexual minorites: Does cognitive content matter?

BACKGROUND

The Psychological Mediation Framework theorizes that repetitive negative thinking (RNT) mediates the relationship between minority stress and mental health, and this theory has been consistently supported by previous research. Yet, it is unclear whether the process or content of RNT is more important in the development of internalizing symptoms in sexual minorities. Consequently, the goal of the current study was to use structural equation modeling to determine whether there are significant indirect effects of repetitive negative thought content in the relationship between minority stress and internalizing psychopathology.

METHODS

Measures of RNT, internalizing symptoms, and proximal minority stress were completed online by 205 cisgender sexual minority adults. Structural equation modeling was used to examine indirect effects of proximal stress on internalizing symptoms through content-independent RNT, depressive rumination, and sexual orientation-related rumination.

RESULTS

Significant direct effects of proximal minority stress on internalizing symptoms were observed. Indirect effects of proximal stress on internalizing symptoms were observed for content-independent RNT and depressive rumination, but not sexual orientation-related rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides evidence that the process and affective valence of RNT contributes more to internalizing symptoms in sexual minorities when compared with sexual orientation-related content. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Early life climate and adulthood mental health: how birth seasonality influences depressive symptoms in adults

BACKGROUND

Early life in-utero can have long-term influence on the mental health status of individuals in adulthood, such as depression. Age, gender, socio-economic status, education, and geography are demographic factors shown to be particularly vulnerable towards the development of depressive symptoms. In addition, climate risks on depression include sunlight, rain, and temperature. However, whether climate factors in early life have a long-term influence on depression related to demographic vulnerability remains unknown. Here, the present study explored the association between birth seasonality and adulthood depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We employed data from the project of Chinese Labour-forces Dynamic Survey (CLDS) 2016, containing the epidemiological data of depressive symptoms with a probability proportional to size cluster and random cluster sampling method in 29 provinces of China. A final sample size of 16,185 participants was included. Birth seasonality included spring (March, April, and May), summer (June, July, and August), autumn (September, October, and November), and winter (December, January, and February).

RESULTS

We found that born in Autumn peaked lowest rate of having depressive symptoms (16.8%) and born in Summer (vs. Autumn) had a significant higher ratio (OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.02, 1.29) when controlling for demographic variables. In addition, demographic odds ratio of having depressive symptoms differed between people born in different seasons, particular for age and geography.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that birth seasonality influences the sensitive link of depressive symptoms with age and geography. It implicates early life climate environment may play a role in the development of adulthood depressive symptoms.

The Mediating Role of Rumination in the Relation between Basic Psychological Need Frustration and Depressive Symptoms

Research within the framework of Basic Psychological Need Theory (BPNT) finds strong associations between basic need frustration and depressive symptoms. This study examined the role of rumination as an underlying mechanism in the association between basic psychological need frustration and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional sample of N = 221 adults (55.2% female, mean age = 27.95, range = 18-62, SD = 10.51) completed measures assessing their level of basic psychological need frustration, rumination, and depressive symptoms. Correlational analyses and multiple mediation models were conducted. Brooding partially mediated the relation between need frustration and depressive symptoms. BPNT and Response Styles Theory are compatible and can further advance knowledge about depression vulnerabilities.

Are cognitive aspects of defense a core feature of anxiety and depression?

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent behavior disorders, particularly in women. Recent preclinical work using animal models has been suboptimal in predicting the efficacy of drugs targeted at these conditions, suggesting a potential discrepancy between such models and the human disorders. Notably female animals tend to be equal to, or less responsive than, males in these tasks. A number of analyses suggest that mammalian defense patterns are complex: In addition to relatively discrete and immediate fight, flight, and freezing responses, a risk assessment pattern may occur in response to threat stimuli or situations with ambiguous elements. This pattern combines defensiveness with a number of cognition-linked behaviors such as sensory attention and orientation, approach, contact, and investigation of the potential threat. Studies measuring elements of this pattern suggest that female rats, and perhaps female mice, show higher levels than equivalent males. Higher female involvement may also occur in tasks involving learning/generalization/extinction of defensiveness to conditioned stimuli. Such findings are consonant with recent analyses of "female survival strategies" based on differential adaptiveness of cognitive components of defensiveness in females, due to the necessity of female care of offspring until they are independent. These data suggest the value of additional behavioral and functional analyses of cognitive aspects of defensive behavior; contributing to both an understanding of their underlying mechanisms, and providing more sensitive measures of drug responsivity for use with animal models.

The Associations Between Attitudes Toward Interpersonal Affective Touch, Negative Cognitions and Social Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Objective: Affectionate touch promotes psychological well-being likely through inducing cognitive and neurobiological changes, which implies the inverse association of affectionate touch to negative cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. Our aim was to explore relationships between attitudes toward interpersonal touch and social anxiety through fear of negative evaluation and self-critical rumination as mediating variables.Method: Data from 250 participants (69.6% females, n = 174) ranging in age from 18 to 65 years were collected through self-report inventories assessing attitudes toward physical touch from friends and family, nonromantic intimate person and unfamiliar person, fear of negative evaluation, self-critical rumination, and social anxiety. A moderated-mediation analysis was conducted. Results: No direct link was seen between attitudes toward friends and family touch experiences and social anxiety in both genders, but mediation through fear of negative evaluation was significant (p < .05). Attitudes toward nonromantic intimate touch were related to social anxiety only in females and only indirectly through self-critical rumination (p < .05). In both males and females, attitudes toward touch from unfamiliar persons were linked to social anxiety directly (p < .05) but indirect paths through fear of negative evaluation (p < .05) and self-critical rumination were seen only in females (p < .05). Conclusions: Findings indicate that attitudes toward interpersonal affectionate touch may be predictive of social anxiety and the negative cognitions associated with it, extending previous findings on social pain and attesting to the potential clinical utility of touch-based interventions for social anxiety.

Sociodemographic factors as moderators of COVID-19 stress on depression

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of daily life, but relatively little is known about COVID-19-related stress for subgroups in the population. We examined differences in COVID-stress and depression as a function of gender, race, ethnicity, and subjective social status. We tested these factors as moderators of the association between COVID-stress and depression.

DESIGN

We used a cross-sectional design to test associations between sociodemographic factors, COVID-stress, and depression. Analyses were based on confirmatory factor analytic and structural equations models.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 1,058 U.S. MTurk workers and college students (54.5% cisgender women; 55.1% racial/ethnic minoritized individuals) was recruited. Participants completed self-report measures of COVID-stress and depression.

RESULTS

COVID-stress was positively associated with depression. Overall, neither gender nor racial minoritized status moderated COVID-stress effects on depression. However, intersectional analyses revealed COVID-stress was a significant risk factor for depression among Black women compared to other participants. COVID-stress was more strongly linked to depression for Hispanic individuals and participants with higher social status.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies may benefit from the COVID-stress scale evaluated in this study and by considering the differential effects of sociodemographic factors on psychological functioning during the pandemic.

Negative mood mind wandering and unsafe driving in young male drivers

OBJECTIVE

Road traffic crash fatalities disproportionately affect young male drivers. Driver distraction is a leading contributor to crashes. Mind wandering (MW) is a prevalent form of driver distraction that is linked to certain unsafe driving behaviours that are associated with increased crash risk (e.g., faster driving). Negative mood can lead to MW, and thus may represent a causal pathway to MW-related unsafe driving. This preliminary pre-post (T1, T2), randomized, controlled, single-blinded experiment tested whether negative mood, compared to neutral mood, increases MW while driving as well as unsafe driving and emotional arousal during MW. It also tested the moderating contribution of trait rumination and inhibitory control to this proposed causal pathway.

METHODS

Forty healthy male drivers aged 20 to 24 were randomly allocated to a negative or neutral mood manipulation involving deception. Individual differences in trait rumination and inhibitory control were measured at T1. At T1 and T2, participants drove in a driving simulator measuring driving speed, headway distance, steering behaviour, and overtaking. Heart rate and thought probes during simulation measured emotional arousal and MW, respectively.

RESULTS

Negative mood exposure led to more MW while driving (Odds Ratio = 1.79, p = .022). Trait rumination positively moderated the relationship between negative mood and MW (Odds Ratio = 2.11, p = .002). Negative versus neutral mood exposure led to increases in headway variability (Cohen's d = 1.46, p = .026) and steering reversals (Rate Ratio = 1.33, p = .032) during MW relative to focused driving. Between-group differences in emotional arousal were not significant.

CONCLUSION

Results support a causal pathway from negative mood to unsafe driving via MW, including the moderating contribution of trait rumination. If replicated, these preliminary findings may inform the development of interventions targeting this potential crash-risk pathway in vulnerable young driver subgroups.

Coping strategies and household stress/violence in remote Alaska: a longitudinal view across the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced novel stressors. Remote/rural communities have experienced additional difficulties, while also potentially benefitting from unique sources of resilience against such stressors. However, very little research has been conducted in remote/rural communities regarding coping and stress/violence. This study examines coping strategies and household stress/violence in remote Alaska communities across the pandemic through three online survey waves (November 2020-September 2021) (total n = 1,020). Across all waves, personal care was reported most frequently followed by social activities, religious activities, and traditional/subsistence activities. Substance use combined (alcohol, nicotine, marijuana) and seeking counselling were less frequently reported, with significant differences across gender and age categories. Less than 10% of individuals reported physical violence towards children and/or other adults within the household. Overall, these findings indicate that individuals are primarily relying on positive coping strategies to contend with additional stress brought into their lives by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Non-suicidal self-injury motivations in the light of self-harm severity indicators and psychopathology in a clinical adolescent sample

Introduction

Adolescents with psychiatric problems are also considered a vulnerable population in terms of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In the current study, we examined the associations of interpersonal and intrapersonal NSSI motivations with several NSSI severity indicators and psychopathological characteristics.

Materials and methods

In a cross-sectional research design, 158 adolescents (83.5% girls; mean age = 16.10 years; SD = 1.49) who have received inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment completed the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Self-Critical Rumination Scale.

Results

More than two-thirds of the sample (75.3%; n = 119) reported at least one episode of NSSI in their life, and 45.38% (n = 54) have engaged in NSSI in the past month (current self-injury). The results indicated that only intrapersonal NSSI functions were linked to NSSI severity indicators (current and repetitive NSSI, versatility), interpersonal functions were not. Furthermore, a number of psychopathological features (co-occurring mental disorders, presence of a mood disorder, more internalizing mental illness symptoms, and more pronounced self-critical rumination) were associated with engaging in NSSI for intrapersonal reasons. We also identified other differences within the specific intrapersonal NSSI motivations. It should be highlighted that the anti-suicide function of NSSI behaved in exactly the opposite way as the other intrapersonal motivations.

Discussion

All this points to the fact that in clinical settings, detailed assessment of NSSI motivations and severity indicators can help to develop a more effective treatment plan.