Bariatric Surgery and Gender Differences in Depressive Symptoms—A 5‐Year Prospective Study of Preoperative Predictors

The current study focused on the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms on the threshold of adolescence. We aimed to investigate the role of body dissatisfaction in gender differences in depressive symptoms, as well as the impact of social support from peers and parents. Mediation and moderation analyses were based on self-reports from a Norwegian population-based sample (the Tracking Opportunities and Problems Study) of 12- to 13-year-olds ( N = 547). Body dissatisfaction explained over 20% of the variance in depressive symptoms. The findings indicate that body dissatisfaction mediates gender differences in depressive symptoms, and that peer support moderates the positive association between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms. This is in line with Stress Exposure and Stress-Buffering models. The findings indicate that to prevent depressive symptoms in the transition into adolescence, focus should be on promoting body satisfaction, especially in girls, as well as promoting peer support for adolescents already struggling with body dissatisfaction.

To determine psychosocial factors associated both with depressive symptoms and with gender differences in depressive symptoms among junior high school students, we conducted self-administered questionnaires using a sample of 2,660 students of 13 public junior high schools in Okinawa, Japan. Depressive symptomatology was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The psychosocial variables examined were life stresses, social support, health practices, self-esteem, and locus of control. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with life stresses and negatively associated with health practices, social support, self-esteem, and internal locus of control. In addition, female students were likely to report more depressive symptoms, life stresses, and low self-esteem and poor health practices. After controlling for the psychosocial variables differed by gender, gender differences in depressive symptoms were eliminated. In conclusion, for depressive symptoms of junior high school students, life stresses might be risk factors, but positive health practices, social support, high self-esteem, and internal locus of control might be protective factors. Gender differences in depressive symptoms could be explained by the females' elevation on these psychosocial variables.

Toward understanding the role of body dissatisfaction in the gender differences in depressive symptoms and disordered eating: A longitudinal study during adolescence

Gender differences in depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults based on fairlie decomposition analysis

Objectives: The gender difference in depressive symptoms in older adults is well-established, with women exhibiting approximately twice as many depressive symptoms as men across the life span. However, almost no studies have explored why we see this pattern in older adults. Method: In this study, moderation, mediation and reverse mediation analyses were used to learn how gender differences in psychosocial and health variables contribute to the gender difference in depressive symptoms in 60–74 year old participants in the baseline sample of the ORANJ BOWL study (n = 3008). Results: Moderation analyses show that functional ability, health, social support, and living alone interact with gender to predict depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses demonstrate that gender differences in financial comfort, social support, health, functional ability and living alone help explain the gender difference in depression. Reverse mediation analyses show that depressive symptoms also predict the gender difference in psychosocial and health variables. Conclusion: While the moderation analyses show multiple points of entry for clinical implications, they do not provide clarity that explains the gender difference in depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses highlight the roles of functional ability, financial comfort, health and living alone in explaining the gender difference. Reverse mediation analyses suggest a negative feedback loop between depressive symptoms and the predictor variables, with gender differences in functional ability, financial comfort, health and living alone at least partially explained by gender differences in depression. The findings highlight opportunities for targeted depression screening and to identify the gender inequities that need attention in order to reduce disadvantages for women.

This study examined the role of both pubertal and social transitions in the emergence of gender differences in depressive symptoms during adolescence. This study generated the following findings: (a) Gender differences in depressive symptoms emerged during 8th grade and remained significant through 12th grade. (b) Pubertal status in 7th grade was related to adolescent depressive symptoms over time. (c) Early-maturing girls represented the group with the highest rate of depressive symptoms. (d) Depressive symptoms measured in 7th grade predicted subsequent symptom levels throughout the secondary school years. (e) Recent stressful life events were associated with increased depressive symptoms. (f) Early-maturing girls with higher levels of initial symptoms and more recent stressful life events were most likely to be depressed subsequently. The findings demonstrate the importance of the interaction between the pubertal transition and psychosocial factors in increasing adolescent vulnerability to depressive experiences.

ObjectiveIn community dwelling older adults, depression and anxiety symptoms can be associated with early cognitive decline. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common in older adults prior to surgery. However, their significance is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether preoperative depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) and in‐hospital delirium, in older surgical patients.MethodsWe conducted a secondary data analysis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in a cohort study of patients 65 and older undergoing elective noncardiac surgery. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to screen for depression and anxiety symptoms at a home visit prior to surgery and 3 months after surgery. Patients with a history of psychiatric (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) or neurologic disorder (Parkinson's disease and stroke) were excluded from the parent study.ResultsOut of the 167 patients, 9.6% (n = 16) reported significant depressive symptoms and 21.6% (n = 36) reported significant anxiety symptoms on preoperative screening. There was no association between preoperative or new‐onset postoperative depression and anxiety symptoms and the incidence of delirium or POCD three months after surgery. Patients with preoperative depressive symptoms had higher preoperative pain (scores 69 vs. 35.7, p = .002) and frailty (56 vs. 14.6, p <.001).ConclusionIn our cohort, we did not detect an association between preoperative depression and anxiety symptoms and neurocognitive disorders. Preoperative depression and anxiety symptoms were related to physical pain and frailty. Taken together, these suggest that in patients without a formal psychiatric diagnosis, preoperative depression and anxiety symptoms are related to physical state rather than a harbinger of early cognitive decline. Future studies are needed to understand the nature of the relationship between depression and anxiety symptoms and physical state in surgical patients.

While body image can improve following bariatric surgery, a portion of patients continue to experience concerns about weight and shape regardless of weight lost. Research is needed to identify risk factors for post-surgical weight and shape concerns given that body dissatisfaction may contribute to poor outcomes. To evaluate whether (1) change in weight-related self-esteem and symptoms of depression from pre- to 12-month post-surgery were associated with change in weight and shape concerns independent of weight-loss; (2) improvement in weight and shape concerns, symptoms of depression, and/or weight-related self-esteem predict greater weight-loss 12months after bariatric surgery; and (3) improvements in weight-related self-esteem, symptoms of depression, weight concerns, or shape concerns predict weight loss. Fifty adults approved to receive bariatric surgery self-reported body mass index and completed validated measures of weight-related self-esteem, symptoms of depression, and weight and shape concerns pre- and 12-month post-surgery. Improvements were observed for weight-related self-esteem, concerns over shape and weight, symptoms of depression, and body mass index from pre- to 12-month post-surgery. Improvement in weight-related self-esteem was associated with concomitant improvements in concerns over shape and weight, independent of weight loss. Improvement in symptoms of depression was associated with improvement in concerns over weight, but not shape. Finally, exploratory analyses indicated that improvements in weight-related self-esteem, and concerns over shape and weight, but not symptoms of depression were associated with improvement in weight-loss. Weight-related self-esteem may represent an overlooked and important target throughout the bariatric surgery process that could enhance surgical outcomes.

Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Depressive Symptoms: Gender's Moderating Effect

Gender differences in depressed mood, a syndrome of mixed anxiety-depression, and an analogue of major depressive disorder were compared in parents' and adolescents' reports in 2 large, demographically matched national samples of clinically referred and nonreferred adolescents. Referral status accounted for the greatest share of the variance in these problems. Gender differences were moderate in size and consistent in referred youths, with referred girls scoring higher than referred boys on all measures, whereas gender differences in nonreferred adolescents were either nonsignificant or small in magnitude. Gender differences were also larger in magnitude in adolescents' self-reports than in parents' reports. The interaction of age and gender was nonsignificant in all analyses. Implications for understanding the extent of gender differences in adolescents' depressive symptoms are highlighted.

Objectives: Results of previous studies have suggested that depression and depressive symptoms are more prevalent in females than in males. Gender differences in personality factors, especially neuroticism, may play a key role in the gender difference in depression. But it is possible that instruments to measure depression are gender-biased. The aims of this study were to detect depressive symptoms and gender differences using different screening instruments and to further examine their relation to personality traits. Methods: The study sample consisted of 550 young male and female university students in northern Taiwan. We studied the role of gender in depression with the Chinese version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We also used the Chinese version of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) to investigate the gender difference in novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence in depressed subjects. Results: No gender differences were found in prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among the self-reported depressed subjects using the GMDS or the BDI. No gender differences existed in all three TPQ dimensions in depressed subjects using the GMDS. With the BDI, we found that only total scores of reward dependence were significantly higher among female than among male depressed subjects and that significant correlations existed between HA scores and severity of depression in both genders. Conclusions: The subjects with the younger ages and the relatively homogeneous social backgrounds in this study may not explain the gender differences in self-reported depression.

BackgroundCaring for grandchildren is regarded as one of the principle roles of middle- and old-aged adults, especially among rural Chinese grandparents. This study aims to examine the gender differences in depressive symptoms of rural Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren, based on the gender differences in grandparental role engagement and the theories of role strain and role enhancement.MethodsA total of 4833 rural citizens with one or more grandchildren were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2015. Grandchild care was measured by continuous variable (duration) and categorical variable (no care, low intensity, moderate intensity, high intensity). Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We used coarsened exact matching (CEM) to balance the covariates of caregivers and non-caregivers. Following CEM, 1975 non-caregivers and 2212 caregivers were identified (N = 4187). Multilevel linear regression was employed to examine the gender differences in depressive symptoms. We also tested for the moderating role of gender on the association between grandchild care and depressive symptoms.ResultsGrandmothers were more likely to provide grandchild care (54.42% vs 51.43%) at high intensity (61.46% vs 51.01%), with longer duration (39.24 h vs 33.15 h) than that given by grandfathers. Grandmothers suffered more from depressive symptoms than grandfathers, and such gap increased when grandparents were involved in high-intensity care. Grandmothers providing grandchild care, particularly at moderate intensity, were associated with fewer depressive symptoms (Coef. = − 0.087, 95%CI: − 0.163, − 0.010; Coef. = − 0.291, 95%CI: − 0.435, − 0.147), compared with non-caregivers. Grandmothers giving moderate intensity of grandchild care were also associated with fewer depressive symptoms (Coef. = − 0.171, 95% CI: − 0.313, − 0.029), compared with those with low-intensity care. However, such associations were not significant among grandfathers.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the gender differences in depressive symptoms of rural Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren. Grandparents should be encouraged to engage in grandchild care, but at moderate intensity. The health status of middle- and old-aged adults, particularly females, should be monitored closely. Humanistic care, preventive care and curative treatment strategies focusing on such populations should be developed and refined.

HIV seropositive individuals and their heterosexual partners/spouses, either seropositive or seronegative, are facing several mental health challenges. The objective of this study was to examine gender differences in depressive symptoms among HIV-positive concordant and HIV-discordant couples. We identified heterosexual couples from participants of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Anhui province, China. A total of 265 couples, comprising 129 HIV+ male/HIV- female couples, 98 HIV- male/HIV+ female couples, and 38 HIV-positive concordant couples, were included in the analyses. We collected data using the computer-assisted personal interview method. We used a linear mixed-effects regression model to assess whether gender differences in depressive symptoms varied across couple types. HIV-positive women reported a significantly higher level of depressive symptoms than their partners/spouses. HIV-positive women with HIV-positive partners had higher depressive symptoms than those with HIV-negative partners, whereas HIV-positive men reported similar levels of depressive symptoms regardless of their partners' serostatus. Among the concordant couples, those with the highest annual family income showed the greatest gender differences in depressive symptoms. We suggest that family interventions should be gender- and couple-type specific and that mental health counseling is warranted not only for HIV-positive women but also for HIV-negative women in an HIV-affected relationship.

ObjectivesDepression and depressive symptoms are common mental disorders that have a considerable effect on patients’ health-related quality of life and satisfaction with medical care, but the prevalence of these conditions...

Increased Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Revision for Periprosthetic Joint Infection