Adult Psychological Distress Research Articles

The mediating role of behavioral risk factors in the pathway between childhood disadvantage and adult psychological distress in a Finnish employee cohort.

Childhood disadvantage is associated with increased adult psychological distress, but the role of behavioral risk factors in the pathway remains unclear. We examined whether behavioral risk factors mediate the effects of childhood disadvantage on adult psychological distress. We used the Helsinki Health Study data of employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, aged 19-39 (mean age 32.0) years at baseline (2017). We included women (n = 2397) and men (n = 586) who responded to both baseline and follow-up (2022) surveys. At baseline, eight types of childhood disadvantage were asked retrospectively, and six adult behavioral risk factors were included. Psychological distress was measured by the DASS-21 at follow-up. We conducted mediation analyses using generalized structural equation modeling. Among women, we found indirect path effects of childhood disadvantage on adult psychological distress through behavioral risk factors (symptoms of depression: β = 0.68, 95% CI 0.20-1.17; anxiety: β = 0.54, 95% CI 0.13-0.95; and stress: β = 0.69, 95% CI 0.20-1.09). Among men, childhood disadvantage contributed only directly to adult depressive (β = 0.71, 95% CI 0.16-1.26) and stress (β = 0.61, 95% CI 0.10-1.13) symptoms. Our findings suggest that behavioral risk factors can mediate some of the adverse effects of childhood disadvantage on adult psychological distress among women.

Longitudinal evidence of the influence of early life circumstances, family characteristics, social ties and psychological distress on healthy behaviours ofBrazilian adults: The Pro-Saude cohort study.

This study examined the influence of early life circumstances, family characteristics, social ties and psychological distress in adulthood on adult's health-related behaviours. A cohort study (Pro-Saúde Study) involving technical and administrative civil servants at university campuses in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil was conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data from 2155 adults were collected at baseline (1999) and after a 13-year period (2012-13). Family characteristics at 12 years of age were assessed retrospectively in 1999. Gender, marital status, living situation, social support, social networks of relatives and psychological distress were also measured in 1999. Data collection in 2012-13 included information about marital status, social networks of relatives, cigarette smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical exercise. A conceptual model testing the relationships between variables was assessed through structural equation modelling. Female gender (β = 0.043), better social networks of relatives in 1999 (β = 0.053) and 2012-13 (β = 0.069) and low psychological distress (β = -0.048) directly predicted less smoking. Better social networks of relatives in 2012-13 was directly linked to higher consumption of fruits (β = 0.045) and vegetables (β = 0.051) and being physically active (β = 0.070). Low psychological distress directly predicted higher fruit consumption (β = -0.040). Family characteristics at 12 years-old, marital status and living with other people were linked indirectly with health behaviours through social networks, social support and psychological distress. Adults with better early life family and social circumstances, and those who were married reported positive health behaviours through indirect pathways. Stronger social ties and lower psychological distress represented the pathways by which early life circumstances and relationship status influenced positive health behaviours.

Effects of expanded adverse childhood experiences including school bullying, childhood poverty, and natural disasters on mental health in adulthood

The study aimed to examine the association of expanded adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with psychological distress in adulthood. The data from nation-wide online cohort was used for analysis. Community dwelling adults in Japan were included. The ACEs was assessed by 15 items of ACE-J, including childhood poverty and school bullying. Severe psychological distress was determined as the score of Kessler 6 over 13. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, by using sample weighting. A total of 28,617 participants were analyzed. About 75% of Japanese people had one or more ACEs. The prevalence of those with ACEs over 4 was 14.7%. Those with ACEs over 4 showed adjusted odds ratio = 8.18 [95% CI 7.14–9.38] for severe psychological distress. The prevalence of childhood poverty was 29% for 50–64 year old participants and 40% of 65 or older participants. The impact of childhood poverty on psychological distress was less than other ACEs in these age cohorts. Bullying was experienced 21–27% in young generations, but 10% in 65 or older participants. However, the impact on psychological distress in adulthood was relatively high in all age groups. ACEs have impacted mental health for a long time. Future research and practice to reduce ACEs are encouraged.

The outdoor physical environment, inflammation and adult psychological distress in a UK general population sample

Abstract Inflammation is one of the suggested pathways linking exposure to neighbourhood air pollution and greenspace to psychological distress. Yet, inflammation has not been tested formally as a mediating factor in an adult human sample. Using data from 6813 adults participating in Understanding Society, the present study examines longitudinally the joint role of the two neighbourhood‐level exposures in psychological distress and the mediating role of inflammation. Annual concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and availability of greenspace in participants' neighbourhoods across England and Wales were examined. Psychological distress was measured with the General Health Questionnaire. Inflammation was assessed with C‐reactive protein and fibrinogen. A structural equation model path analysis showed that, in fully adjusted models, an increase in the amount of greenspace in one's neighbourhood was related to lower psychological distress 4 years later, but inflammation did not mediate this relationship. Neighbourhood‐level air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide, was not associated with psychological distress. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Social mobility and mental health in Canada.

To investigate whether intergenerational mobility in education and income are associated with levels of psychological distress in Canada, a context in which rates of intergenerational mobility are higher than those of the United States but lower than those of Nordic countries. The data came from the Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA) linked to tax records from the Canada Revenue Agency (N = 4100). Diagonal reference models were used to investigate whether educational mobility and income mobility were associated with levels of psychological distress in adulthood as assessed by the Kessler (K-10) scale. The models controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and were stratified by gender. Although we did not find that mobility in general was associated with greater levels of psychological distress, we found that downward educational mobility in particular corresponded to higher levels of psychological distress (b = 0.15 with 95% CI = 0.00, 0.31) among men. Overall, we found no strong evidence that social mobility in general is impactful for levels of psychological distress, but downward educational mobility in particular may have negative consequences for the mental health of men. In addition, a notable gradient between income and psychological distress in adulthood was observed for both women and men.

The Impact of Gender Affirming Medical Care During Adolescence on Adult Health Outcomes Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals in the United States: The Role of State-Level Policy Stigma.

Purpose: Gender affirming medical care (GAMC) aims to alleviate gender dysphoria by helping people align their physical body more closely with their gender identity. Bills seeking to limit or prohibit GAMC for trans children and adolescents have become a controversial topic. This study aimed to examine whether exposures to GAMC during adolescence are associated with adult psychological and general health outcomes, and to demonstrate the mechanism through which state-level legislation may work to moderate the association. Methods: We conducted analyses using data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, which surveyed 27,715 transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults between August and September of 2015. The study compared the health outcomes of those who had GAMC exposures during adolescence with those who did not. Moderation analysis with propensity score matching was used to adjust for potential confounding factors. The general and psychological health outcomes measured were past-month severe psychological distress, past-year suicidal ideation, participant's general health, and past-year health care avoidance due to possible mistreatment. Results: GAMC during adolescence was negatively associated with severe psychological distress in adulthood. When examining past-year health care avoidance due to possible mistreatment, the effect sizes differed significantly between those in a trans-supportive state and those in a trans-unsupportive state. Conclusion: Our work highlights the importance of state-level policy stigma in understanding the association between GAMC and health outcomes. Findings point to the importance of enacting long-term legislative safeguards against TGD discrimination and removing barriers to access the full spectrum of care for adolescents who identify as TGD.

Recalled Parental Emotion Socialisation and Psychological Distress: The Role of Emotional Schemas.

Recalled parental emotion socialisation has been associated with psychological distress in adulthood. Since emotional schemas develop from interpersonal interaction and can result in pathological reactions, they can be an important mechanism. The present study analyses the mediator role of emotional schemas in the relationship between recalled parental emotion socialisation and psychological distress. A community sample of 246 Portuguese adults, between 18 and 73 years old (M = 34.3, SD = 13.32), completed the following self-report measures: Emotional (In)Validation Experiences Scale; Leahy Emotional Schema Scale; and Brief Symptom Inventory 18. Two mediation models were estimated, one for each parent. Emotional schemas mediated the relationship between recalled parental emotion socialisation and psychological distress. Negative evaluation of emotion was the strongest mediator in the relationship between emotional invalidation and psychological distress while difficulties in reappraisal was the strongest mediator in the relationship between emotional validation and psychological distress. Differences were observed between the mother's and father's models. Results highlight the importance of emotional schemas in understanding the role of parental emotion socialisation in psychological distress, which may have important implications for intervention and prevention.

Do Emotion Regulation Strategies Mediate the Relationship of Parental Emotion Socialization with Adolescent and Emerging Adult Psychological Distress?

A child's ability to cope with stress is shaped by experiences in a parent-child relationship. In this study, the direct effect of a parent's response to anger and happiness in childhood on adolescents' and emerging adults' psychological distress and the indirect effect through the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies-specifically, cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression-were measured. To achieve our research aim, we tested four parallel mediation models using the bootstrapping method. A group of 497 participants aged between 14 and 35 years (M = 18.62; SD = 3.32), 66% female (n = 332) and 34% male (n = 165), completed a questionnaire comprising self-reporting measures. The results indicate direct effects between emotion socialization and distress for seven independent variables. The mother's and father's positive responses to anger and happiness are significant negative predictors of distress; the negative responses of both parents to happiness, and the mother's negative response to anger-but not the father's-are significant positive predictors of distress. The findings also provide support for the mediating role of expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal for the mother's positive response to both anger and happiness, as well as for the mother's negative response to the child's expression of happiness. None of the father's responses-positive or negative, in relation to anger or happiness-are mediated by emotion regulation strategies in relation to distress. Our findings have practical implication for a preventative intervention program focused on the psychological growth of adolescents by adaptative emotional responses.

Psychological Distress in Young Chilean Adults Exposed to Parental Alienating Behaviors during Childhood/Adolescence.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological distress of young adults exposed to alienating behaviors during childhood/adolescence. Four hundred and sixteen adults responded to the online survey. A brief sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Scale, and a questionnaire on adverse childhood experiences were included. The analyses revealed that individuals who experienced one or more alienating behaviors exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, somatization, and overall psychological distress. Furthermore, even after controlling for the effect of other adverse childhood experiences, alienating behaviors had a significant impact on psychological distress in adulthood. This highlights an understudied aspect of alienating behaviors, i.e., their conjunction or parallelism with other adverse childhood experiences.

Gender non-conformity in childhood and adolescence and mental health through to adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study, 1995-2018.

Few studies have examined associations between gender non-conformity (GNC) in childhood or adolescence and mental health outcomes later in life. This study examined associations between (1) GNC and mental health over multiple time points in childhood and adolescence, and (2) GNC in childhood and/or adolescence and mental health in adulthood. Second generation participants from the Raine Study, a longitudinal cohort from Perth, Western Australia. Data were collected between 1995 and 2018, comprising seven waves: ages 5 (N = 2236), 8 (N = 2140), 10 (N = 2048), 14 (N = 1864), 17 (N = 1726), 22 (N = 1236) and 27 (N = 1190) years. History of GNC, v. absence of this history, was based on responses to item 110 from the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL)/Youth Self Report (YSR) ('wishes to be of opposite sex'). The CBCL/YSR were used to measure internalising and externalising symptoms. Items 18 ('deliberate self-harm [DSH] or attempts suicide') and 91 ('talks/thinks about killing self') were used as measures of suicidal ideation (SI) and DSH. For adults, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Subscales and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale assessed mental health. Child and adolescent GNC was associated with elevated internalising and externalising behaviours and increased odds of DSH. A history of GNC was also associated with vulnerability for severe psychological distress in adulthood in some symptom scales. GNC over the child and adolescent period is associated with significant emotional and behavioural difficulties, and psychological distress. A history of GNC in childhood and/or adolescence also predicts poorer mental health in adulthood on multiple symptom domains.

Childhood emotional abuse and adult mental health at the intersection of social relationship and education.

Previous research has established that childhood emotional abuse has long-term, negative consequences for adult mental health. Yet, less is known about the ways that social relationship and education intersect to shape the link between childhood emotional abuse and mental health in adulthood. The current study aims to examine whether perceived quality of social relationships moderates the association between childhood emotional abuse and adult mental health. Moreover, it assesses how the moderating effect of perceived quality of social relationship differs across levels of education. The current study analyzes data from the 2012 Korean General Social Survey, a nationally representative sampling of Korean adults. It uses OLS regression models. Childhood emotional abuse is positively associated with depression and psychological distress in adulthood. However, perceived quality of social relationships mitigates the positive association of childhood emotional abuse with depression and psychological distress. Further, this buffering effect of perceived quality of social relationships operates only for individuals with less than or equal to a high school education, but not for individuals with college education or more. The results lend support to the resource substitution thesis, suggesting that positive perceptions of social relationship act as a protective factor against childhood emotional abuse for individuals with lower levels of education.

Racial socialization and discrimination-related psychological distress in middle-aged Black men and women.

Our objectives were to evaluate gender-specific associations of racial discrimination with psychological sequelae among middle-aged Blacks and to evaluate the capacity of racial socialization to moderate the association between discrimination and psychological distress, accounting for relevant prospectively assessed childhood factors. We used data from the Child Health and Development Disparities Study that followed a Northern California-based group of Blacks from the prenatal period through midlife (N = 244, 49.6% female). Multiple regression analyses were performed separately by gender to assess (a) the main effects of racial socialization and racial discrimination on adult psychological distress, (b) racial socialization as a moderator of the association between racial discrimination and adult psychological distress, and (c) whether controls for prospectively assessed childhood factors changed conclusions regarding the role of racial socialization. Seventy percent of the middle-aged Blacks in our sample reported having at least one type of major experience of racial discrimination. Increased reports of racial discrimination were positively associated with psychological distress in men, but not in women. Similarly, racial socialization was associated with decreased overall distress for men, but not for women. Discrimination-related distress was attenuated for men who reported higher levels of racial socialization. These findings remained after adjustment for childhood socioeconomic status (SES), childhood internalizing symptoms, parental marital separation, and number of siblings. Findings suggest that racial socialization conferred a protective psychological effect through midlife to Black men who experienced racial discrimination, a commonplace experience in this cohort. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood food insecurity, mental distress in young adulthood and the supplemental nutrition assistance program

Food insecurity affects 14% of US homes with children and has been associated with increased mental health problems. Few studies have examined long-term consequences for mental health and the role of social policies. This study examined the association between childhood household food insecurity (HHFI) and young adult psychological distress, and the moderating role of caregiver psychological distress and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1995–2015). The sample comprised 2782 children ages 0–12 years in 1997. Past-year HHFI was measured using the USDA 18-item questionnaire in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003. Young adults' non-specific psychological distress was measured with the Kessler (K6) scale in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Three trajectories of food insecurity were identified: 1) Persistent food security (70.5%); 2) Intermediate/fluctuating food insecurity (24.6%), and; 3) Persistent food insecurity (4.9%). Compared to persistent food security, fluctuating and persistent food insecurity were associated with significantly higher levels of psychological distress. This association was robust to adjusting for socio-demographic factors, caregiver psychological distress, and family access to governmental supports: [Adj. ORs (95% CI's = 1.72 (1.59–1.85) and 2.06 (1.81–2.33)]. Having a caregiver who suffered from psychological distress (1997 and/or 2002) and growing up with persistent food insecurity placed children at greater risk for mental health problems. Access to SNAP attenuated this risk. Early HHFI is associated with psychological distress in young adulthood. Interventions to increase access to SNAP and address caregivers mental health may prevent mental health problems associated with childhood HHFI.

Childhood onset of migraine, gender, psychological distress and locus of control as predictors of migraine in adulthood

ABSTRACT This study explored a set of psychological and socio-demographic factors in childhood and adulthood associated with migraines assessed at age 42 years. Data were drawn from a large, nationally representative, prospective longitudinal study: the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). In total, 5628 cohort members with data on parental social class at birth, cognitive ability (intelligence), self-esteem and locus of control at age 10 years, psychological distress and educational qualifications at age 34, and current occupation at age 42 years were examined. We assessed whether or not they regularly experienced migraines at age 42 years. Logistic regression analysis showed that childhood migraine, gender and adult psychological distress, as well as childhood locus of control (for females only), were significant and independent predictors of the prevalence of migraine in adulthood. Childhood migraine seemed to have a long-lasting effect on adult migraine, and psychological distress also appeared to detrimentally affect adult migraine over time.

Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Linked to Better MH in Trans Youth

Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Linked to Better MH in Trans Youth

Exposure to Parental Violence During Childhood and Later Psychological Distress Among Arab Adults in Israel: The Role of Gender and Sense of Coherence.

Exposure to parental violence in childhood is a significant predictor of psychological distress in adulthood. Factors at the individual level may explain the variance in psychological distress among adults exposed to parental violence. The current study examined the effect of exposure to different forms (i.e., physical violence and psychological aggression) and different patterns of parental violence (i.e., witnessing interparental violence, experiencing parental violence) on later psychological distress. The mediating role of sense of coherence (SOC) and the moderating role of gender in this relationship were also examined. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 604 married Arab adults in Israel (age = 20-60, M = 33.5, SD = 6.52) using a retrospective, self-administered questionnaire. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between all forms and types of parental violence explored in the current study with levels of psychological distress. Furthermore, exposure to parental violence correlated negatively with SOC, and low levels of SOC predicted higher levels of psychological distress. SOC was found to partially mediate the relationship between exposure to parental violence and psychological distress. Gender differences were found only with regard to experiencing physical violence as a predictor of psychological distress, indicating that the relationship between these variables is stronger in females. These results highlight the importance of SOC as a personal resource and its role in promoting psychological wellbeing. Healthcare practitioners should be aware of possible gender differences in psychological distress among Arab adults exposed to parental violence.

The lasting imprint of childhood disadvantage: cumulative histories of exposure to childhood adversity and trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood.

This study contributes to the literature on the long-term effects of childhood disadvantage on mental health by estimating the association between patterns of cumulative childhood adversity on trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood. There is little research that investigates how compositional variations in the accumulation of childhood adversity may initiate distinct processes of disadvantage and differentially shape trajectories of psychological distress across the adult life course. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics' Childhood Retrospective Circumstance Study and latent class analysis, we first identify distinct classes representing varied histories of exposure to childhood adversities using 25 indicators of adversity across multiple childhood domains. Next, the latent classes are included as predictors of trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood. The results demonstrate that patterns of experiences of childhood adversity are associated with higher levels of adult psychological distress that persists, and in some cases worsens, in adulthood, contributing to disparities in mental health across the life course.

Effects of maternal adverse child experiences on parental maltreatment of children: An empirical study of mediating factors among Japanese mothers

AbstractDespite increasing research into connections between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and health problems, the impact of parental ACEs on parenting practices has not been sufficiently clear. The objective of the study was to consider whether the association between maternal ACEs and child maltreatment is affected by three mediating factors: socio‐economic status (SES), social support and maternal psychological distress in adulthood. The Kochi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (K‐CHILD) study (2016) provided the data for this study. Mothers who had children in the first, fifth, eighth and eleventh grade and who lived in the Kochi Prefecture of Japan participated. A pool of 11,954 completed child and caregiver questionnaires was used for analysis. We found that a large number of maternal ACEs was connected to higher risk of physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect. Maternal psychological distress had the greatest mediating effect. Maternal ACEs can be a risk factor for maltreatment of children. This study suggests that care for mothers with psychological distress will be a key intervention to break the cycle of childhood adversity.

Physical activity, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole grain bread and insomnia among adolescents and psychological distress in adulthood: prospective data from the population-based HUNT study

BackgroundIn this study, we examined the relationship between low levels of physical activity, high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and low consumption of whole grain bread and experiencing insomnia in adolescence and psychological distress in young adults.MethodsThis prospective study was based on information retrieved from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) in Norway and included adolescents (age 13–19) participating in Young-HUNT3 (2006–2008) and in HUNT4 (2017–2019) 11 years later (age 23–31). The study sample consisted of 2,230 participants (1,287 females and 943 males). The exposure variables collected in adolescence included self-reported physical activity, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and whole grain bread and insomnia, and psychological distress in young adulthood was used as an outcome variable. The relationship between lifestyle behaviours in adolescence and psychological distress in young adulthood was examined using multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for gender, age and psychological distress in adolescence and educational level in young adulthood.ResultsAn increased odds of psychological distress was shown among young adults who reported low levels of physical activity (OR: 1.44, 95 % CI: 1.10–2.89), high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (OR: 1.49, 95 % CI: 1.12–1.98), low consumption of whole grain bread (OR: 1.35, 95 % CI: 1.04–1.77) and insomnia (OR: 1.69, 95 % CI: 1.23–2.33) in adolescence. In terms of absolute differences, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours increased the risk of psychological distress in young adulthood between 3.18 (95 % CI: 0.29–6.07) (low whole grain bread consumption) and 6.01 (95 % CI: 1.95–10.07) (insomnia) percentage points.ConclusionsLow levels of physical activity, high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and low consumption of whole grain bread and insomnia during adolescence were associated with psychological distress in young adulthood.

Personality, educational and social class predictors of adult tobacco usage

The present study set out to examine a number of psychological and socio-demographic factors that influence adult tobacco use in a longitudinal birth cohort. The study was based on a nationally representative sample of 5223 people born in Great Britain in 1970 with nine follow-ups. Data used in this study were collected when cohort members were born, and at age 10, 16, 30, 34 and 38 years. Current tobacco use status (yes/no) and lifelong tobacco use status (ever/never) at age 38 years were the two outcome measures respectively. Logistic regression analyses showed that among the 5223 participants with complete data, childhood self-esteem, teenage locus of control, adult psychological distress, educational achievement and occupational prestige were significant, and independent, predictors of both current and lifelong tobacco usage. Locus of Control measured at 16 years predicted smoking over 22 years later and suggests early intervention in changing fatalistic beliefs may have long term consequences. Psychological distress (malaise), shown to be very stable over time, was in the odds ratio, the most important factor. Implications and limitations are discussed.