Depressive Symptoms In Children Research Articles

Victimization, polyvictimization, and depression symptoms among immigrants and native children and youth in Chile

BackgroundMigration exposes children and youth to vulnerabilities, including uprooting, lack of protection, limited access to services, and violence. Previous studies have shown that victimization experiences impact the mental health of migrant children, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This study aims to examine the co-occurrence of multiple forms of maltreatment (polyvictimization) among migrant and Chilean children and youth and its association with depressive symptoms, addressing a research gap in Latin America.MethodsSecondary data from the National Polyvictimization Survey (NPS) conducted by the Chilean Ministry of the Interior were analyzed. Measures assessing polyvictimization and depressive symptoms were administered to a sample of 1362 participants, with equal group sizes for migrants and Chilean-born individuals. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses.ResultsThe study revealed marked differences in experiences of conventional crime victimization and polyvictimization between migrant and Chilean-born participants, with migrants facing slightly higher incidences. Correlational analysis indicated variable strengths of association between victimization types and depressive symptoms across groups, with Chilean-born individuals showing stronger correlations for certain victimization forms. Multiple regression analysis highlighted gender, polyvictimization, child maltreatment, internet victimization, sexual victimization, and peer/sibling victimization as significant predictors of depressive symptoms across the sample. Notably, an interaction was observed between child maltreatment and migrant status, indicating a mitigated impact of maltreatment on depressive symptoms among migrant adolescents. This suggests the potential for unique resilience or coping mechanisms in this group.ConclusionsThis study elucidates the varied victimization experiences of migrant children and youth in Chile, with a notable emphasis on the mitigating effect of migrant status on the relationship between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms. It highlights the resilience and potential adaptive strategies of migrant minors facing adversity. The findings underscore the necessity of developing support and intervention strategies that recognize the specific needs and strengths of migrant children and youth, advocating for policies that protect and empower this vulnerable demographic amidst new environmental challenges.

A longitudinal study of the relationships among competency-based teasing, positivity, and depressive symptoms in Chinese children: Highlighting gender differences.

Competency-based teasing has been identified as a risk factor for children's depressive symptoms. However, the specific psychological mechanisms mediating this relationship are not well understood, especially in the context of Chinese culture. This study examined the relationship between competency-based teasing, subsequent depressive symptoms, and the possible mediating role of positivity in Chinese children by using parallel process latent growth curve modelling. Gender differences were also explored. A sample of 4376 Chinese children (55.1% boys; age: M=9.98years, SD=0.88) completed measurements of the relevant constructs on five occasions across 2years, using half-year intervals. The findings revealed that competency-based teasing was significantly positively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms in Chinese children. Furthermore, positivity mediated this relationship in girls, but not in boys. The results suggest that positivity-cultivating and gender-specific interventions may be effective to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in Chinese children.

Dimensions of Depressive Symptoms in Young Children: Factor Analysis of the Preschool Feelings Checklist-Scale.

The current study is an investigation of the dimensionality of the Preschool Feelings Checklist-Scale (PFC-S), a caregiver-report questionnaire of early childhood depressive symptom severity. Caregivers of 450 young children, ages 3-8 years (M = 5.62, SD = 0.95; 49% female; 7% Hispanic; 66% White), completed the PFC-S and questionnaires on child emotion regulation and expression and self-reported depressive symptomatology. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a one-factor structure did not adequately fit the current PFC-S data. Using exploratory factor analysis, a three-factor structure emerged as interpretable and structurally sound, yielding reliable factors related to social and behavioral anhedonia, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and excessive guilt and sadness. This factor structure showed configural and scalar invariance across preschool-aged and early middle childhood-aged children as well as children assigned male and female sex at birth. Correlations between the three factors and constructs related to depression suggested preliminary construct validity. The current study provides initial evidence for a multidimensional structure of the PFC-S and improves our understanding of early childhood depressive symptoms.

The effect of systematic couple group therapy on families with depressed juveniles: a pilot trial.

Depression is a primary cause of illness and disability among teenagers, and the incidence of depression and the number of untreated young people have increased in recent years. Effective intervention for those youths could decrease the disease burden and suicide or self-harm risk during preadolescence and adolescence. To verify the short efficacy of the systemic couple group therapy (SCGT) on youths' depression changes and families with depressed adolescents. The study was a self-control trial; only within-group changes were evaluated. Participants were couples with a depressed child who was resistant to psychotherapy; they were recruited non-randomly through convenient sampling. The paired-sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare differences before and after interventions. The effect sizes were also estimated using Cohen's d. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine associations between changes. A downward trend was seen in depressive symptoms after treatment, and Cohen's d was 0.33 (p = 0.258). The adolescents perceived fewer interparental conflicts, and the effect sizes were medium for perceived conflict frequency (0.66, p = 0.043), conflict intensity (0.73, p = 0.028), conflict solutions (0.75, p = 0.025), coping efficacy (0.68, p = 0.038), and perceived threat (0.57, p = 0.072). For parents, global communication quality, constructive communication patterns, and subjective marital satisfaction significantly improved after interventions, with large effect sizes (1.11, 0.85, and 1.03, respectively; all p < 0.001). Other destructive communication patterns such as demand/withdraw (p = 0.003) and mutual avoidance (p = 0.018) and communication strategies like verbal aggression (p = 0.012), stonewalling (p = 0.002), avoidance-capitulation (p = 0.036), and child involvement (p = 0.001) also reduced, with medium effect sizes (0.69, 0.52, 0.55, 0.71, 0.46, and 0.79, respectively). Meanwhile, the associations between depression changes and changes in interparental conflicts (p < 0.001) and marital satisfaction (p = 0.001) were significant. The SCGT offers the possibility for the treatment of families with depressed children who are unwilling to seek treatment. Helping parents improve communication and marital quality may have benefits on children's depressive symptoms.

The familial transmission of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury in different income levels in town.

Prior researches have established that suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) exhibit familial transmission patterns. However, the extent to which these patterns vary across different income levels remains unclear, as well as the specific factors that influence them. This study aimed to explore these questions. We analyzed data from 13,988 parent-child pairs in Chongqing, China, where the children were aged from 7 to 12 years old. Six income levels were considered, and the children's depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using standardized scales (the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, [CES-DC], and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders [SCARED], respectively). Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the transmission of suicide and NSSI across different income levels. Familial transmission of suicide was significant difference in all income levels except the highest, while familial transmission of NSSI was significant difference in all income levels except the lowest. Notably, in both low- and high-income levels, suicide and NSSI transmissions primarily occurred among male children, mothers with higher education, and children who spent long time with their mothers. Additionally, the transmissions were mediated partially or entirely by children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Future studies should investigate the separate effects of fathers' and mothers' suicide and NSSI histories on familial transmission patterns. The familial transmissions of suicide and NSSI exhibited distinct patterns across different income levels.

Grandparents' and domestic helpers' childcare support: Implications for well‐being in Asian families

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether childcare support from grandparents and domestic helpers is associated with family well‐being in Singapore, with a focus on parent and child psychological well‐being as well as the quality of interactions and relationships within the family.BackgroundResearch on the implications of childcare support from maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, and domestic helpers for family well‐being remains a gap in the literature. This involvement could enhance family well‐being through instrumental assistance and emotional encouragement in childcare. However, it could also create a negative emotional climate for families if the relationship of the mother with the grandparents or domestic helper is marked by conflict.MethodThis study used questionnaire data from 615 mother–child dyads from the birth cohort, Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes. The exposure variable was children's caregiving arrangements assessed at child ages 4.5 and 6 years, and the outcome variables were maternal well‐being, maternal parenting, and family functioning measured at concurrent assessments, and child well‐being assessed at age 10 years.ResultsChildcare support from maternal grandparents, but not from paternal grandparents or domestic helpers, showed concurrent associations with warmer parenting by mothers at child ages 4.5 and 6 years. Early childcare support from domestic helpers at child age 6 years predicted higher depressive symptoms in children at age 10 years.ConclusionOur findings suggest that childcare support from maternal grandparents, who are most likely to share a close bond and value system with mothers, could be most beneficial for families in Singapore.

The impact of childhood trauma on Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: the Chain Mediating role of borderline personality traits and self-control

BackgroundThe adolescent depression associated with childhood trauma has been confirmed, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the chain-mediated role of borderline personality traits and self-control in the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescent depression.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,664 students from a senior high school through online questionnaires from October to December 2022 in Henan, China. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Borderline Personality Dimension of Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4, Self-Control Scale, and Children’s Depression Inventory were used to measure childhood trauma, borderline personality traits, and self-control.ResultsThe prevalence of depression in adolescents was 21.17%, while the prevalence of borderline personality was 12.00%. childhood trauma (r = 0.50, p < 0.001) and borderline personality traits (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with adolescent depressive symptoms, while self-control was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = − 0.50, p < 0.001). Borderline personality traits and Self-control both play a mediating role in childhood trauma and depressive symptoms, and the mediating effect values are 0.116 (95%CI = [0.098, 0.137]), and 0.022 (95%CI = [0.012, 0.032]) respectively. The chain mediating effect of borderline personality traits and self-control on the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms was significant (effect value: 0.034, 95%CI = [0.028, 0.042]).ConclusionsChildhood trauma can predict depressive symptoms in adolescents due to the formation of borderline personality traits and the reduction of self-control. These findings are important for understanding the formation of personality traits, self-control abilities and coping strategies shaped by traumatic experiences in adolescents.

Faster pace of hippocampal growth mediates the association between perinatal adversity and childhood depression

Early life adversity has been posited to influence the pace of structural neurodevelopment. Most research, however, has relied on cross-sectional data, which do not reveal whether the pace of neurodevelopmental change is accelerated or slowed following early exposures. In a birth cohort study that included neuroimaging data obtained at 4.5, 6, and 7.5 years of age (N = 784), we examined associations among a cumulative measure of perinatal adversity relative to resources, nonlinear trajectories of hippocampal and amygdala volume, and children’s subsequent depressive symptoms at 8.5 years of age. Greater adversity was associated with reduced bilateral hippocampal body volume in early childhood, but also to faster growth in the right hippocampal body across childhood. Further, the association between adversity and childhood depressive symptoms was mediated by faster hippocampal body growth. These findings suggest that perinatal adversity is biologically embedded in hippocampal structure development, including an accelerated pace of change in the right hippocampal body that is implicated in children’s psychopathology risk. In addition, our findings suggest that reduced hippocampal volume is not inconsistent with accelerated hippocampal change; these aspects of structural development may typically co-occur, as smaller regional volumes in early childhood were associated with faster growth across childhood.

Mothers' parental divorce experience in childhood and their children's mental health: Mediating role of maternal education

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of mothers have been shown to be associated with children's mental health and behavior problems. It is important to identify effective intervention points to prevent negative consequences among children. This study aimed to investigate whether mothers' education is protective against children's depressive symptoms in families with mothers who experienced parental divorce in childhood. MethodsData from a cross-sectional study of 5th and 8th grade children and their caregivers in a prefecture in Japan were used. Final analytic sample consisted of 9666 child-caregiver pairs. Mediation analyses using inverse odds weighting were performed where the exposure was maternal experience of parental divorce in childhood, outcome was child depressive symptoms, and potential mediators were maternal education beyond high school, maternal mental health, and household income. ResultsMaternal experience of parental divorce was associated with an elevated risk of child depressive symptoms (risk ratio: 1.22, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.07–1.39). Mediation analyses indicated that the combination of maternal education, maternal depression and household income mediated about half of the total effect. In the model where maternal education was the sole mediator, maternal education mediated nearly half of the total effect (risk ratio: 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.20). LimitationsResults should be cautiously interpreted given observational and cross-sectional nature of the data. ConclusionsMaternal education beyond high school may be protective against negative mental health consequences among children due to mothers' experience of parental divorce. Further studies are needed regarding potential mechanisms and the roles of other potential mediators.

Parent and adolescent depressive symptom among a national sample of Chinese families: The chained mediating roles of parental involvement and parent–child attachment

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the relationships between paternal and maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent depressive symptoms. Subsequently, the study investigated the chained mediating effects of parental involvement and parent–child attachment. MethodsAs part of the national survey in China, fathers, mothers, and adolescents from 700 families across the country were included in this study. Fathers and mothers reported their depressive symptoms and parental involvement, while adolescents rated the level of paternal attachment, maternal attachment, and depressive symptoms. ResultsPaternal depressive symptoms were related to adolescent depressive symptoms through the mediation effect of paternal attachment, maternal attachment, the chained mediating effects of paternal involvement and paternal attachment, and the chained mediating effects of paternal involvement and maternal attachment. Maternal depressive symptoms were related to adolescent depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of paternal attachment, maternal attachment, the chained mediating effects of paternal involvement and paternal attachment, the chained mediating effects of paternal involvement and maternal attachment, the chained mediating effects of maternal involvement and paternal attachment, and the chained mediating effects of maternal involvement and maternal attachment. Additionally, both paternal and maternal depressive symptoms were significantly directly related to adolescent depressive symptoms. Overall, maternal depressive symptoms had a greater impact on adolescent depressive symptoms than paternal depressive symptoms. ConclusionsThe findings support the impacts of parental depressive symptoms on child depressive symptoms through the mediating effects of parental involvement and parent–child attachment. This study provides targeted recommendations for intervention programs.

Accuracy of methods for tracking anxiety and depression symptoms in childrens and adolescentes: integrative review

Objective: This integrative review article’s purpose is to compare the accuracy tracking methods for anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescentes. Methods: Studies that investigate the accuracy of diagnosis methods for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents were reviewed, including a variety of questionnaires and psychometric properties (specificity, sensibility and under the curve area) compared to the golden standard. Results: The results highlights that some questionnaires, such as SCARED and RCADS, presents sensibility and specificity appropriate for diagnosis (AUC= 0,9; 0,98 and 0,72; 0,82, respectively). However, other scales presented mixed results, indicating the necessity of further research to have a better rating of their accuracy. Conclusion: Comprehending the challenges of an accurate diagnosis for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents is essential to improve the treatment and intervention approaches. This integrative review emphasizes the significance of research about psychometric data for more diagnosis with accuracy and reliability.

Associations between insufficient sleep, skipping breakfast and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents: A school-based cross-sectional study in China

ObjectiveInsufficient sleep and skipping breakfast are increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents. Both behaviors are associated with the onset of depression. This study aims to examine the independent and joint associations of these two behaviors with depressive symptoms, and investigate whether these associations varied by age or sex. MethodsThe Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to evaluate the depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional study including 11,887 students aged 11–19 years using a stratified cluster, multistage sampling method in Ningbo, China. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the independent and joint association between insufficient sleep, skipping breakfast and depressive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses and stratified analyses by age and sex were performed using the same modelling strategies. ResultsThe overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15.27%. Skipping breakfast (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.557, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 2.236–2.925) and insufficient sleep (OR = 1.547, 95%CI = 1.390–1.723) was independently associated with depressive symptoms. Compared to students with “sufficient sleep and breakfast every day”, the OR was 4.385 (95%CI = 3.649–5.271) for those with “insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast”. Meanwhile, the joint association was moderated by age group, with a more apparent association observed in the 11–15-year-old group compared to the 16–19-year-old group. ConclusionsThese findings indicated that insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast were independently and jointly associated with depressive symptoms. Insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast could be considered as two of the predictors of depression.

The Relationship between Digital Game Addiction Tendency and Depressive Symptoms in Children (36-72 Months).

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between digital game addiction tendency and depressive symptoms in children (36-72 months). Method: We conducted this research in a virtual environment with the mothers of 747 children (36-72 months). A predictive evaluation was performed using a simple regression analysis between the mean scores of the Digital Game Addiction Tendency Scale (DGATS) and the Child Depressive Symptoms Assessment Scale (CDSAS). Results: A total of 53.9% of children reported that they play games for 3-24 h a day. The average duration of children playing digital games was 2.86 ± 1.86 h per day. The total mean score of the CDSAS was 142.48 ± 27.36. The total mean score the children received from DGATS was 46.34 ± 17.28. In the regression analysis, it was determined that there was a strong positive correlation between the (DGATS) total score average and the (CDSAS) total score average (R = 0.52, R2 = 0.27, p < 0.05). Accordingly, digital game addiction tendency explains 27% of children's depressive symptoms. Conclusions: When the standardized beta coefficient and t values are examined, it can be said that digital game addiction tendency is a significant predictor of children's depressive symptoms.

Longitudinal Associations Between Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Children: Evidence from the Tongji Mental Health Cohort Study.

We aimed to examine the associations between depressive symptoms and physical activity parameters (e.g., intensity, frequency, and duration) among Chinese school-aged children. Participants in this study were extracted from the Tongji Mental Health Cohort Study. The baseline survey was conducted in June 2020 involving 2588 school-aged children from two primary schools in Hubei Province, China. A total of 2435 children were followed up successfully in December 2020. The Children's Depression Inventory Short Form (CDI-S) was applied to evaluate depressive symptoms among school-aged children. The Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3) was adopted to estimate children's physical activity parameters including the intensity, frequency, and duration. Generalized estimation equation models were used to explore the longitudinal associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms among school-aged children. Engaging in moderate levels of physical activity (OR, 0.800; 95%CI, 0.692-0.924) or high levels of physical activity (OR, 0.808; 95%CI, 0.689-0.947) in the baseline survey was associated with a reduced risk of developing depressive symptoms in the follow-up survey compared with children engaging in low levels of physical activity. Stratified analyses revealed that the associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms exhibited a significant correlation among boys and children in the older age group (11-12years). Our findings showed that engaging in physical activity more than once a week, with each session lasting 20min or longer, was related to significant reductions in depressive symptoms by 43.8% and 22.3%, respectively. Self-reported physical activity is positively associated with improved mental health among Chinese school-aged children, especially when considering parameters such as frequency and duration. The association between vigorous-intensity physical activity and depressive symptoms in children should be cautiously interpreted. Future research should continue to explore the effects of vigorous-intensity physical activity on depressive symptoms in children.

Is behavioural activation an effective treatment for depression in children and adolescents? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Behavioural Activation (BA)-a brief therapy based on the scheduling of enjoyable, purposeful and rewarding activities-is an effective and cost-effective treatment for depression in adults that shows promise for children and adolescents. We provide an update on a previous systematic review of evidence on BA-delivered in-person, telephone, or online-for depression and comorbid anxiety in children and adolescents.We conducted systematic literature searches in 6 databases up to February 2024. We included all study designs evaluating BA with participants up to 18years old with diagnosable depression, as established by a validated screening tool or diagnostic manual. We used the Moncrieff Scale and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool to assess study quality. We summarised the findings of all study types with a narrative synthesis and of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with a meta-analysis.Overall, 24 studies (6 RCTs, 18 pre-post evaluations, n = 2,758) met our inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of 4 RCTs (n = 156) showed that BA has a small effect of 0.24 (Hedge's adjusted g) in reducing depression symptoms compared to a waiting-list control, usual care and other therapies. Online and telephone-facilitated BA was shown to be feasible in 3 studies and effective in 1. Outcomes on comorbid anxiety were mixed. No economic evaluations met our inclusion criteria.BA shows sufficient promise as an intervention for reducing depression symptoms in children and adolescents to justify the need for further RCTs, providing that five conditions are met: studies are powered to detect a minimal clinically important difference; BA materials are fit-for-purpose to produce clinically meaningful change; follow-ups are longer than 6months; primary outcomes are child-reported; and intervention costs, resource use and adverse events are reported.

Do Religion and Spirituality Buffer the Effect of Childhood Trauma on Depressive Symptoms? Examination of a South Asian Cohort from the USA.

Asian Americans have been identified as a racial group that is disproportionately affected by childhood trauma. The goal of this study was to assess if religion/spirituality moderate the effects of childhood trauma on adult depressive symptoms among a sample of South Asians in the USA. Our analysis drew from the study on stress, spirituality, and health (SSSH) questionnaire fielded in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study (n = 990) during 2016-2018. A series of regression models with multiplicative interaction terms were conducted. Emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and physical neglect were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Higher religious attendance and negative religious coping techniques were found to exacerbate this relationship. There were two findings conditional on gender. Among men, gratitude and positive religious coping also exacerbated the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. Negative religious coping also exacerbated the association between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms for women. This is the first community-based study of US South Asians to consider the association between various forms of childhood trauma and depressive symptom outcomes. South Asians remain an understudied group in the religion and health literature, and this study sheds light on the important differences in the function and effectiveness of religion/spirituality for those faced with early life trauma.

Psychosocial Adjustment as a Mediator in the Relationship between Childhood Exposure to Maternal Depression and Subsequent BMI and Overweight Risk.

This study investigated the correlation between early exposure to maternal depression (from 1 month to Grade 3) and the body mass index (BMI) and potential for overweight in adolescents at age 15. It further examined if the pathway of this correlation was influenced by psychosocial adjustment during mid-childhood (Grade 3 to Grade 6), specifically through internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Our study utilized data from 844 participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) to assess the effects of maternal depression, observed from when the children were one month old to Grade 3, on BMI and the likelihood of overweight or obesity in adolescents aged 15. We also explored whether the average scores of internalizing and externalizing behaviors between Grades 3 and 6 mediated the impact of early maternal depressive symptoms on subsequent health outcomes. The analysis was adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Findings revealed that internalizing and externalizing behavioral issues significantly mediated the relationship between prolonged maternal depression exposure and subsequent BMI, as well as the risk of overweight or obesity, in adolescents at age 15. Notably, this mediating effect was predominantly evident in girls. Our research demonstrated that the correlation between prolonged exposure to maternal depressive symptoms in childhood and increased BMI and overweight risk in adolescence was significantly mediated through psychosocial adjustment behaviors. We advocate for further exploration of additional mediating factors in future studies.

The relationship between childhood trauma and adulthood anxiety and depression among Tunisian university students

Introduction Traumatic childhood has increasingly high incidence rates and can be predictive of negative health outcomes. There is a large consensus indicating that childhood trauma is significantly involved in the development of mood disturbances in adulthood.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the relationship between retrospectively recalled childhood trauma and adulthood anxiety and depression in a sample of undergraduate university students.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 365 university students randomly selected from 8 universities in Sfax (Tunisia). Information about childhood maltreatment, depressive and anxiety symptoms were gathered through the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) respectively. To test the hypothesis, examining the relationship between anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma, we used Spearman’s correlation test. Multivariate logistic regression models were used as well.ResultsThe mean age of our participants was 20.3 years. More females (68.2%) than males participated in the study. Our findings showed that the five childhood trauma subtypes (emotional abuse and neglect, physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse) were significantly correlated with anxiety and depression symptoms severity (p&lt;0.01). Emotional abuse was the strongest risk factor for adulthood anxiety symptoms (OR=6.002, 95% CI= [3.238; 11.125]) while emotional neglect was the strongest risk factor for depressive symptoms in adulthood (OR=6.214, 95% CI= [3.428; 11.267]). Multivariate analysis revealed that, in subjects with childhood trauma, scores of anxiety symptoms were positively and highly associated with the severity of emotional abuse (adjusted B=1.438, 95% CI= [1.951; 9.092], p=0.000). Depression symptoms severity were as well positively correlated with severity of emotional abuse (adjusted B=0.848, 95% CI= [1.043; 5.224], p=0.039), and severity of emotional neglect (adjusted B=1.044, 95% CI= [1.263; 6.389], p=0.012).Conclusions This study highlighted the relevance of childhood trauma as a factor contributing to anxiety and depression in adulthood. Thus, early psychological support of victims of childhood trauma can reduce the rate of anxiety and depression among these subjects.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Depressive symptoms in children and adolescents from a hospital in tlaxcala during COVID-19 pandemic

Introducción: Durante el confinamiento secundario a la pandemia por COVID-19, se han presentado alteraciones en la salud mental en niños y adolescentes. Objetivo General: Determinar la prevalencia de síntomas depresivos en niños y adolescentes de un Hospital de Tlaxcala durante la pandemia COVID-19. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo en el Hospital General de Subzona con Medicina Familiar No. 8 en Tlaxcala, seleccionando de forma probabilística sistemática niños y adolescentes derechohabientes entre los 8 y 18 años de edad, de tercero de primaria a tercero de preparatoria, a quienes se les aplicó el inventario de Beck, tomando como variables: edad, sexo, grado escolar, tipología familiar, tiempo de confinamiento y la presencia de síntomas depresivos. Los resultados se analizaron con frecuencias, porcentajes, media y desviación estándar. Resultados: Participaron 134 estudiantes, 14.2 % niños y 85.8 % adolescentes, 53.7 % mujeres y 46.3 % hombres con 13.4 ± 3.1 años de edad. El 44 % no presentó datos de depresión, un 56 % presentó síntomas depresivos, 29.1 % con depresión leve, 22.4 % depresión moderada y 4.5 % depresión severa. Presentando depresión 28.4 % de los adolescentes (leve), 17.2 % de las féminas, 14.9 % con tipología de familia nuclear con hermanos y 29.1 % de los estudiantes de preparatoria. Conclusión: Conforme los resultados arrojados por la escala de Beck, 3 de cada 10 niños/adolescentes presentan depresión leve y 2 de cada 10 depresión moderada. La depresión se presentó con mayor frecuencia en adolescentes de preparatoria, en el sexo femenino y en familias nucleares con hermanos.

Intergenerational trauma transmission through family psychosocial factors in adult children of Rwandan survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi

Thirty years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, children of survivors are being increasingly documented to be at higher risk compared to their peers for adverse mental health outcomes. However, no studies in Rwanda have empirically explored family psychosocial factors underlying this intergenerational transmission of trauma. We investigated family psychosocial factors that could underlie this transmission in 251 adult Rwandan children of survivors (mean age = 23.31, SD = 2.40; 50.2% female) who completed a cross-sectional online survey. For participants with survivor mothers (n = 187), we found that both offspring-reported maternal trauma exposure and maternal PTSD were indirectly associated with children's PTSD via maternal trauma communication (specifically, nonverbal and guilt-inducing communication), and that maternal PTSD was indirectly associated with children's PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms through family communication styles. For participants with survivor fathers (n = 170), we found that paternal PTSD symptoms were indirectly associated with children's anxiety and depression symptoms via paternal parenting styles (specifically, abusive and indifferent parenting). Although replication is needed in longitudinal research with parent-child dyads, these results reaffirm the importance of looking at mass trauma in a family context and suggest that intergenerational trauma interventions should focus on addressing family communication, trauma communication, and parenting.