Angry night birds: Emotionality, activity and sociability temperament in adolescent chronotypes

Relationship between chronotype and mental behavioural health among adolescents: a cross-sectional study based on the social ecological system

BACKGROUND

Health risk behaviors (HRBs) is a kind of phenomenon behavior that often occurs in adolescence, and also often appears in clusters. Previous studies suggested an association between social ecological risk factors (SERFs) and HRBs. This study explored 1) whether chronotype moderates the risk of HRBs associated with SERFs and 2) whether mental health is a mediator in this relationship.

METHODS

Adolescents were recruited from 39 junior or senior schools (three cities, 13 schools per city) using a multistage cluster sampling method conducted between October, 2020 and June, 2021. The Social Ecological System, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Brief Instrument on Psychological Health Youths, and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance questionnaires were used to measure the SERFs, chronotype, mental health and HRBs. Latent category analysis was used to explore the clustering mode of HRBs. The primary exposure was SERFs, and the primary outcome was HRBs; chronotype was a moderator, and mental health was a mediator. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between SERFs and chronotype and mental behavioral health status. Mediation moderate analysis using the PROCESS method was used to explore the relationship between these variables. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the model.

RESULTS

In total, 17,800 individuals were initially enrolled. After excluding 947 individuals with invalid questionnaires, 16,853 participants were finally included in the analysis. The mean age of participants was 15.33 ± 1.08 years. After adjusting for covariates, multivariable logistic regression found that high levels of SERFs (odds ratio [OR] = 10.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.88-11.43, P < 0.01), intermediate chronotype (OR = 5.24, 95% CI: 4.57-6.01, P < 0.01), and eveningness (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.64-2.05, P < 0.01) were associated with higher HRBs frequency. This study also assessed the interaction between chronotype, SERFs and HRBs (OR = 27.84, 95% CI: 22.03-35.19, P < 0.01) and mental health (OR = 18.46, 95% CI: 13.16-25.88, P < 0.01). The moderated mediation analyses examined the relationship between chronotype, SERFs, mental health and HRBs.

CONCLUSIONS

SERFs may be important variables in measuring the effect of the adolescent psychosocial environment on HRBs; this effect is mediated by mental health and moderated by chronotype.

Eveningness chronotype and depressive affective temperament associated with higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in unipolar and bipolar depression

BACKGROUND

Several studies investigated the role of inflammation in the etiopathogenesis of mood disorders. The aim of our cross-sectional study is evaluating baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive-protein (hsCRP) levels in a cohort of unipolar and bipolar depressive inpatients, in relation with psychopathological, temperamental and chronotype features.

METHODS

Among 313 screened inpatients, we retrospectively recruited 133 moderate-to-severe depressive patients who were assessed for hsCRP levels, chronotype with Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and affective temperament with Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional and retrospective design of the study, the small sample size, the exclusion of hypomanic, maniac and euthymic bipolar patients.

RESULTS

hsCRP levels were significantly higher among those with previous suicide attempt (p = 0.05), death (p = 0.018) and self-harm/self-injury thoughts (p = 0.011). Linear regression analyses, adjusted for all covariates, demonstrated that higher scores at the TEMPS-M depressive, while lower scores at the hyperthymic and irritable affective temperaments [F = 88.955, R² = 0.710, p < 0.001] and lower MEQ scores [F = 75.456, R² = 0.405, p < 0.001] statistically significantly predicted higher hsCRP.

CONCLUSION

Eveningness chronotype and a depressive affective temperament appeared to be associated with higher hsCRP levels during moderate-to-severe unipolar and bipolar depression. Further longitudinal and larger studies should better characterise patients with mood disorders by investigating the influence of chronotype and temperament.

Relationship between chronotypes and aggression in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotypes and aggression in adolescents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 755 primary and secondary school students aged 11-16 years in rural areas of Ningxia Province, China. The Chinese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ-CV) and the Chinese version Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ-CV) were used to assess the aggressive behavior and chronotypes of the study subjects. The Kruskal-Wallis test was then used to compare the differences in aggression among adolescents with different chronotypes, and Spearman correlation analysis to determine the relationship between chronotypes and aggression. Further linear regression analysis was used to investigate the effects of chronotype, personality traits, family environment, and class environment on adolescent aggression.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in chronotypes between different age groups and different sexes. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the MEQ-CV total score was negatively correlated with the AQ-CV total score (r = -0.263) and score of each AQ-CV subscale. In Model 1, chronotypes were negatively associated with aggression when controlling for age and sex, and evening-type adolescents might be more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior (b = -0.513, 95% CI: [-0.712, -0.315], P < 0.001); in Model 2, the negative association remained after controlling for family and class environment on the basis of Model 1 (b = -0.404, 95% CI: [-0.601, -0.208], P < 0.001); and in Model 3, the negative association still existed after controlling for personality traits on the basis of Model 2 (b = -0.383, 95% CI: [-0.577, -0.190], P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Compared to morning-type adolescents, evening-type adolescents were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. Given social expectations for MT adolescents, adolescents should be actively guided to develop a good circadian rhythm that may be more conducive to their physical and mental development.

Association between Chronotype and Sleep Quality among Chinese College Students: The Role of Bedtime Procrastination and Sleep Hygiene Awareness

Chronotype and sleep quality have been shown to play significant roles in influencing people's physical and mental health. The current study focuses on examining the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality among Chinese college students and exploring the mediating role of bedtime procrastination and the moderating role of sleep hygiene awareness. A sample of 2822 college students (female = 71.4%) aged between 17 and 29 years (M = 19.77, SD = 1.41) were included and completed the measures of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS) and Sleep Hygiene Awareness Scale (SHAS). The results showed that evening-type students reported the lowest sleep quality and highest levels of bedtime procrastination. In contrast, the highest sleep quality and lowest levels of bedtime procrastination were shown by morning-type, exhibiting the neither-type students' intermediate chronotype. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality. Furthermore, sleep hygiene awareness moderated the direct effect of chronotype on sleep quality and the effect of chronotype in the path from chronotype to bedtime procrastination. Specifically, higher levels of sleep hygiene awareness could buffer the adverse effect of chronotype on self-reported sleep quality but bolstered the negative effect of chronotype on bedtime procrastination. Our results suggest that individuals with an evening preference are inclined to postpone their bedtime and further experience poorer sleep quality at night. Sleep hygiene awareness may serve as a protective factor for poor nocturnal sleep. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of reducing bedtime procrastination and improving sleep hygiene awareness in the interventions designed to help college students to own a better sleep quality, especially for those with evening chronotypes.

Sex differences in the relationship between morningness-eveningness components, mood and well-being among Bangladeshi university students

On the Morningness/Eveningness (M/E) continuum, eveningness has been related to mood disorder and poor well-being. M/E differs between men and women throughout their lifespan. However, there is a lack of information on sex differences in the relationship between M/E, mood, and well-being. This study aimed to test sex differences in the M/E, mood, and well-being relationship with consideration of two components of M/E, morning affect, and morning preference. A sample of 981 Bangladeshi university students (607 men) aged 18 to 27 (M = 21.95) completed Bangla versions of the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), BRUnel Mood Scale (BRUMS), and Positive Mental Health scale (PMH-scale) through an online survey. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the relationship of M/E components with mood and well-being. The results showed that the relationship between M/E, mood, and well-being was greater in women than in men. A lower score on both M/E components was related to higher negative moods (anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension) and poor well-being. In regression analysis, only morning affect was found to be significant, which means that morning affect mainly contributes to the relation between M/E, mood, and well-being. Finally, sex by morning affect interaction indicated that the relation was higher for women. Therefore, higher eveningness could be more hazardous for women than men. Greater insight into the independent contribution of morning affect may facilitate understanding of the chronotype effects on psychological outcomes in men and women.

Morningness-eveningness preference and shift in chronotype during COVID-19 as predictors of mood and well-being in university students

It is suggested that social obligations, such as early work/school starts, have a disadvantageous impact on sleep behavior that can further transfer to mental health problems. Lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to research human sleep-wake behavior in naturalistic conditions of decreased social obligations. This study aimed to test whether a change in habitual sleep-wake timing (shift in chronotype) during the COVID-19 lockdown impacted mood and well-being, and whether the impact differs according to morningness-eveningness preference. University students (N = 1011; Mean_age = 21.95 ± 1.95 years) filled out self-report questionnaires containing measures of chronotype (midpoint of sleep) before and during the COVID-19 lockdown, morningness-eveningness preference, mood, and well-being. The impact of morningness-eveningness preference and shift in chronotype was tested via multiple regression analyses. Results showed that participants shifted their chronotype in line with their morningness-eveningness preference, and that shift toward earlier sleep-wake timing was related to better moods and well-being. Moreover, higher levels of positive mood (vigor) and well-being were found in individuals who shifted their sleep-wake timing earlier and were higher on morningness.

Chronotype and time of day effects on verbal and facial emotional Stroop task performance in adolescents

This study investigated chronotype and time of day effects on lexical and facial emotion processing tasks and explored relationships with sleep quality and mental health outcomes. Participants were 351 Taiwanese adolescents (204 males) aged 13 to 16 years of age who completed both a Facial-Emotional Stroop and a Lexical-Emotional Stroop task at 08:00-10:00 am or at 14:00-16:00 pm. Chronotype was measured using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and grouped into Morning (n = 46), Intermediate (n = 248) or Evening types (n = 57). Participants completed validated measures of sleep quality (PSQI) and mental health difficulties (DASS-21). The study observed independent effects of time of day and chronotype on the Facial-Emotional Stroop task. Independent of chronotype group, delayed reaction times to anger stimuli were observed in adolescents tested in the morning. Younger adolescents with an Evening chronotype showed delayed responses to anger faces independent of the time of testing. Facial-Emotional Stroop task performance correlated with reported sleep quality and mental health only in Evening chronotypes, with attenuated responses to anger versus neutral stimuli associated with poorer sleep quality and worse mental health outcomes. An exploratory simple mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between attenuated responses to anger and greater mental health difficulties was fully mediated by poorer sleep quality. This study provides evidence of diurnal and chronotype-related variation in facial threat-related processing in typical adolescent development. It also indicates how social emotional processing is vulnerable to sleep disruptions and is linked to the greater mental health problems observed in adolescents with an eveningness profile.

Review: Identification and Management of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders as a Transdiagnostic Feature in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE

Sleep disturbances are highly frequent features in a range of child and adolescent psychiatric conditions. However, it is commonly not clear if such sleep problems represent symptomatic features of, comorbidities of, or risk factors for these conditions. It is believed that underlying dysfunction in the daily biological (circadian) clock may play important roles in the etiology of many sleep disorders, and circadian rhythm changes are reported in a number of neuropsychiatric conditions. The aim of this review was to explore the key identifying features of circadian rhythm disorders (CRDs) in child and adolescent psychiatry and address how such disorders may be managed in the clinic.

METHOD

A narrative review was conducted of the extant literature of CRDs in children and adolescents with psychiatric conditions.

RESULTS

Key biological and social factors that contribute to CRDs in children and adolescents, and the cognitive and neurobehavioral consequences resulting from insufficient sleep were outlined. The roles of melatonin and other chronotherapeutic and behavioral interventions for the management of CRDs were also outlined. Further, the importance of careful investigation of circadian rhythm abnormalities in shaping the most effective treatment plan according to chronobiological principles was highlighted.

CONCLUSION

CRDs are common in children and adolescents with psychiatric conditions and arise out of complex interactions between biological and social factors. Careful clinical attention to and management of CRDs in child and adolescent psychiatry have the potential for significant benefit not only in the domain of sleep but also in a range of cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes.

Moral foundations in chronotypes: morningness predicts conservative morality

Recent studies suggest that chronopsychological variables may play an important role in moral behavior. In the present study, we aimed to test whether a person's chronotype is associated with moral foundations profiles, distinguished in accordance with Haidt's conceptualization. Morning-oriented people generally tended to rank the importance of the five basic moral foundations - Harm/Care, Fairness/Reciprocity, Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity, highest. Moreover, morningness predicted the affiliation to the "conservative" cluster, as opposed to the "liberal" moral foundations profile. However, after conscientiousness was added to the model, the effect of chronotype was no longer significant. Thus, it seems that the more conservative morality of morning people stems mainly from their elevated conscientiousness. In addition to broadening the current knowledge about the morningness-eveningness' nomological network, the present results may have some practical implications, e.g., for political marketing strategies.

The Emerging Circadian Phenotype of Borderline Personality Disorder: Mechanisms, Opportunities and Future Directions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review the recent evidence suggesting that circadian rhythm disturbance is a common unaddressed feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD); amelioration of which may confer substantial clinical benefit. We assess chronobiological BPD studies from a mechanistic and translational perspective and highlight opportunities for the future development of this hypothesis.

RECENT FINDINGS

The emerging circadian phenotype of BPD is characterised by a preponderance of comorbid circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, phase delayed and misaligned rest-activity patterns and attenuated amplitudes of usually well-characterised circadian rhythms. Such disturbances may exacerbate symptom severity, and specific maladaptive personality dimensions may produce a liability towards extremes in chronotype. Pilot studies suggest intervention may be beneficial, but development is limited. Endogenous and exogenous circadian rhythm disturbances appear to be common in BPD. The interface between psychiatry and chronobiology has led previously to novel efficacious strategies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. We believe that better characterisation of the circadian phenotype in BPD will lead to a directed biological target for treatment in a condition where there is a regrettable paucity of accessible therapies.

Biological Rhythm and Chronotype: New Perspectives in Health

The circadian rhythm plays a fundamental role in regulating biological functions, including sleep–wake preference, body temperature, hormonal secretion, food intake, and cognitive and physical performance. Alterations in circadian rhythm can lead to chronic disease and impaired sleep. The circadian rhythmicity in human beings is represented by a complex phenotype. Indeed, over a 24-h period, a person’s preferred time to be more active or to sleep can be expressed in the concept of morningness–eveningness. Three chronotypes are distinguished: Morning, Neither, and Evening-types. Interindividual differences in chronotypes need to be considered to reduce the negative effects of circadian disruptions on health. In the present review, we examine the bi-directional influences of the rest–activity circadian rhythm and sleep–wake cycle in chronic pathologies and disorders. We analyze the concept and the main characteristics of the three chronotypes.