Cross-lagged Analyses Research Articles

The Influence Mechanism of Prison Police’s Depression: A Cross-Lagged Analysis

Due to the particularity of the work of the prison police, the prevalence of depression is increasing. To explore the influence mechanism of prison police depression, this study used questionnaire to measure burnout, work–family conflict, and depression of prison police in two follow-ups with 6-month intervals, and the number of valid subjects was 118. Cross-lagged analysis and longitudinal mediation analysis were used for data processing. The results showed that job burnout and depression among prison police can influence and predict each other. Work–family conflict significantly positively predicted depression. Burnout and work–family conflict are important predictors of changes in depression among prison police. The policy and practice implications of the findings are discussed at the end of the study.

Conditional reciprocal stressor–strain effects in university students: a cross-lagged panel study in Germany

University students worldwide are facing increasing mental health challenges. Traditional stress models, like the Job/Study Demand-Resources Model, link stressors directly to strain. Yet, recent studies suggest the influence of strain on stressors may be even stronger. Our research explored these reciprocal dynamics among university students, considering social support and mindfulness as potential moderators. We conducted a two-wave panel study with 264 university students. We ran separate cross-lagged panel structural equation analyses for three key health outcomes—emotional exhaustion, depression, and well-being—each paired with perceived study stressors, specifically workload and work complexity. Findings revealed significant stressor and strain effects, with social support notably moderating the impact of emotional exhaustion on workload. These insights challenge traditional stress theories and underscore the importance of mental health support and effective stress management strategies for students, emphasizing the need for proactive mental health initiatives in academic environments.

The longitudinal association of adverse events and working memory among preschoolers: A random-intercept cross-lag analysis.

Past research examining the relation between adversity and working memory (WM) has found mixed results and has been limited by methodological issues (e.g., cross-sectional studies, limited measurement of adversity). The present study examined how adverse life events may impact WM among preschoolers who live in financially underresourced families and communities longitudinally over the course of 1 year. The sample included 325 children (aged 3-5 at baseline), recruited because of their increased risk of exposure to high levels of adversity, and their primary caregivers. Children completed WM tasks and caregivers reported on their child's exposure to adverse events in the past 6 months across three time points, each time point occurring 6 months apart. Associations between adverse life events and WM over time were explored using a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. No relations between preschoolers' adverse event exposure and WM (B = 0.05-0.75, p = .056-.764) were found across the three time points. Results indicated that at the individual level, when controlling for stable covariates, frequency of adverse life event exposure and WM abilities were unrelated to subsequent frequency of adverse event exposure and WM abilities. Findings suggest that WM may continue to develop typically, in the preschool years, despite exposure to adverse life events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic associations between frailty and cognition over 4 years: A population-based study on adults aged ≥50 from 12 European countries

PurposeThis study aimed (1) to investigate autoregressive and cross-lagged associations between frailty and cognition over 4 years in a large sample of European citizens aged ≥50 years, (2) to examine the 4-year temporal associations' differences between sex and between active and inactive physical behaviour, and (3) to explore in the years 2011, 2013, and 2015 associations between cognitive performance and the pre-frailty and frailty conditions. Materials and methodsThis longitudinal analysis was conducted with 20,857 individuals (11,540 women) from 12 countries aged ≥50 years who responded to waves 4, 5, and 6 of the SHARE project. The variables analysed were frailty (SHARE-FI) and a general cognition index (Cogindex) calculated for each wave from verbal fluency, immediate recall, and delayed recall. ResultsA greater propensity for cognitive impairment was found in women, as well as in pre-frail and frail individuals. There were no significant differences between the sexes for the autoregressive effect of frailty and Cogindex over 4 years. On the other hand, sedentary and active individuals differed in frailty between Time 1–2. Cross-lagged analyses indicated a significant difference for the sexes between frailty and Cogindex Time 1–3 and between Cogindex and frailty of Time 2–3. Sedentary and active differed significantly in the path of frailty on Cogindex between Time 2–3. ConclusionHealth policies should increase surveillance of frailty, cognition, and level of physical activity in the older European population, with a special focus on women.

Bidirectional relationships between emotion understanding and executive functions in young children: A latent change score modeling study

An overarching framework in the field of developmental psychology highlights the close linkage of cognition with emotion; however, the extent to which this framework supports the relationship between executive functions and emotion understanding in young children remains unclear. Hence, we employ a longitudinal tracking study to investigate the bidirectional relationship between emotion understanding and executive functions. A total of 112 children (M = 48.01 months, 68 boys) were recruited to perform tests at three time points within 2 years. Results from our cross-lagged model analysis indicated that early executive functions significantly predicted the development of emotion understanding at Time 2 and Time 3, while emotion understanding at Time 2 significantly predicted the subsequent development of executive functions in Time 3, controlling for age, gender, and family socioeconomic status (SES). Moreover, the latent change score model analysis further revealed the developmental trends and interrelations of executive functions and emotion understanding over time. Specifically, children with higher initial level of executive functions exhibited faster growth in emotion understanding over time, and then this improved emotion understanding predicted the changes in later executive functions. Overall, these findings elucidate significant developmental progressions for how emotion understanding and executive functions interact with each other during early childhood.

The longitudinal relationship between leisure activities and depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults: an autoregressive cross-lagged analysis approach

BackgroundExisting studies have shown a correlation between leisure activities and depressive symptoms in older adults, but the direction of the longitudinal relationship is inconsistent. This study used an autoregressive cross-lagged model to examine the longitudinal relationship between leisure activity participation and geriatric depression.MethodsA total of 7,138 participants aged 60 years or older from the 2nd to the 4th wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analysed.ResultsFirst, present depressive symptoms were significantly associated with future depressive symptoms (β2013-2015 = .893, p < .001; β2015-2018 = .946, p < .001), and the same rule applied to leisure activities (β2013-2015 = .402, p < .001; β2015-2018 = .404, p < .001). Second, current depressive symptoms negatively predicted future leisure activities (β2013-2015 = –.071, p < .001; β2015-2018 = –.085, p < .001), but the inverse relationship was not statistically significant (β2013-2015 = –.003, p > .05; β2015-2018 = –.003, p > .05).ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of interventions targeting depressive symptoms to potentially enhance engagement in leisure activities among older adults. The results contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics between mental health and lifestyle choices in older populations, highlighting the potential of proactive mental health interventions to improve overall well-being.

Longitudinal Relationships Between Depressive Symptoms and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents: A Cross-Lagged Network Analysis.

The comorbidity of depression and generalized anxiety have raised questions about the existing classification system. Based on the perspective of network analysis, the developmental relationship between psychological symptoms can be explored more clearly. The current study aimed to explore the longitudinal network association of depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety symptoms in non-clinical adolescents. The sample contained 1,947 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.93, SD = 1.71; 48.5% girls). Their depression (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms were assessed at baseline (T1) and 6-month follow-up (T2). Data was analyzed using a cross-lagged network analysis. Depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety symptoms were closely related and did not appear to be distinct categories in adolescence. More generalized anxiety symptoms predicted depressive symptoms rather than vice versa. After controlling for gender, and age, "Difficulty relaxing" presented the highest out-expected influence (out-EI) in the network, while "trouble concentrating", and "suicidal ideation" showed the lowest in expected influence (in-EI). Findings suggested that interventions for generalized anxiety symptoms may help reduce depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Specifically, alleviating "difficulty relaxing" may improve overall mental health.

Relationship between perfectionism, overactivity, pain severity, and pain interference in individuals with chronic pain: A cross-lagged panel model analysis.

Overactivity is a characteristic of individuals with chronic pain. Previous cross-sectional studies demonstrated a relationship between perfectionism and overactivity. Therefore, the present study used a longitudinal design to determine whether pain severity and pain interference were exacerbated by overactivity and whether overactivity was exacerbated by perfectionism. Participants with chronic pain were recruited using crowdsourcing. The participants completed the questionnaires at three time points: T1, T2, and T3 (September, October, and November 2021, respectively). The questionnaire assessed overactivity, perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, pain severity, and pain interference. We created cross-lagged panel models to examine the hypothesized relationships among pain, overactivity, and perfectionism. After excluding ineligible participants and invalid response sets, we analyzed the questionnaires completed by 666 participants at T1, 560 at T2, and 554 at T3. The average duration of chronic pain at T1 was 36.35 ± 53.53 months. Perfectionistic strivings were partially linked to overactivity, and pain interference was partially related to overactivity. Contrary to our expectations, overactivity did not predict pain severity or pain interference. The hypotheses that perfectionism exacerbates overactivity and that overactivity exacerbates pain severity and pain interference were not supported. These results may have been affected by the quality of the assessment of overactivity. Therefore, further research with a refined evaluation of overactivity is required.

Is new tech a pain in the neck? The impact of introducing new technologies in home-care on neck pain: a prospective study

BackgroundHome healthcare services are increasingly utilizing novel technologies to enhance quality and efficiency of caregiving, to reduce workloads and compensate for expected labor shortages in the future due to ageing populations. However, rapid, ongoing implementation of new technologies may demand considerable adaptation for employees. The objective of this study was to prospectively examine associations of newly introduced work technologies with neck pain complaints.MethodsWith a nationally representative prospective sample of home-care workers in Norway (N = 887), we estimated effects of 1) introducing new technologies and 2) the appraised quality of training during implementation on neck pain eight months after.ResultsA majority of employees reported new technologies having been introduced the previous 12 months (73.8%). This was not by itself associated with neck pain. However, perceived high quality of training was associated with less subsequent neck pain, also after adjustment for job demands and job control. The strongest effect was seen for “very good” versus “very poor” quality training (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17,0.71, in the fully adjusted model). Cross-lagged path analyses ruled out potential reverse causation stemming from the influence of pain on needs for or appraisals of training.ConclusionThe present findings suggest the introduction of new work technologies has a significant impact on home-care workers’ health, depending on the quality of training during implementation. This highlights the need to include training programs in risk assessments when implementing new technologies.

Parsing the Interactive Construction of Crisis Memory on Social Media: From a Memory-Agenda Perspective

ABSTRACT This study applied agenda-setting and agenda-building theories to explore the interactive memory agendas facilitated by social media. Focusing on the crisis memory of SARS constructed on Chinese social media (Weibo) during COVID-19, two competing approaches (top-down versus bottom-up) to crisis memory construction were empirically tested. A content analysis was first conducted to identify various crisis memory narratives, and then, rank-order analysis, cross-lagged correlation analysis, and multiple regression quadratic assignment procedure were performed to evaluate the reciprocal influences of crisis memory agendas of the second level (narrative salience) and the third level (narrative network) among different users. Findings show reciprocal influences among certain users’ memory-agendas in constructing crisis memory: media users showed influences on publics in terms of crisis memory agendas of both levels, while this crisis memory construction online also follows a bottom-up direction.

Self-esteem as a predictor of anxiety and academic self-efficacy among Chinese university students: a cross-lagged analysis

Self-esteem as a predictor of anxiety and academic self-efficacy among Chinese university students: a cross-lagged analysis

The Relationship Between Resilience, Interactive Distance, and College Students' Online Mathematics Learning Engagement: A Longitudinal Study.

Resilience, a pivotal construct in positive psychology, remains incompletely understood in its facilitation of learners' online engagement. This study aims to investigate the relationship between resilience, transactional distance, and Online Mathematics Learning Engagement (OMLE) among first-year university students. Utilizing a cross-lagged path analysis approach, the study surveyed 612 first-year students. Multiple models were constructed and compared to explore the mutual predictive relationships between resilience, transactional distance, and OMLE. Among the compared models, Model 4 demonstrated the best fit. The model revealed that: (1) resilience at Time 1 and Time 2 positively predicted transactional distance at Time 2 and Time 3; (2) transactional distance at Time 1 and Time 2 positively predicted OMLE at Time 2 and Time 3; (3) resilience at Time 1 significantly predicted OMLE at Time 3; and (4) transactional distance at Time 2 fully mediated the relationship between resilience at Time 1 and OMLE at Time 3. Furthermore, mediational model analysis confirmed that transactional distance played a mediating role in the longitudinal relationship between resilience and OMLE. Using a cross-lagged mediational model with 5000 bootstrap samples, the indirect effect of transactional distance on the relationship between resilience at Time 1 and OMLE at Time 3 was significant and remained stable over time. The findings suggest that resilience, as a positive psychological resource, stimulates students to seek and utilize protective resources in online environments, leading to more active participation in interpersonal communication and classroom interactions. Additionally, resilience helps students overcome emotional and practical difficulties encountered in online learning, thereby enhancing their OMLE. These insights offer valuable implications for educators, highlighting the potential to improve students' online learning engagement by fostering their psychological resilience.

Reciprocal Association Between Chronic Pain and Health Insurance Type in a Population-based Longitudinal Cohort Study

Chronic pain is a widespread condition limiting adults’ daily activities and labor force participation. In the United States, withdrawal from the workforce could be associated with loss of health insurance coverage, while lack of health insurance coverage can limit access to diagnosis and management of chronic health conditions. We used a longitudinal cohort study of middle-aged adults to investigate whether chronic pain is reciprocally associated with coverage by any insurance and type of insurance coverage over a 2-year period (2018 and 2020). Among 5,137 participants (median age of 57 years in 2018), 29% reported chronic pain in either year, while 9 to 10% were uninsured each year. Using multivariable cross-lagged logistic regression analysis, chronic pain in 2018 was not associated with having any insurance coverage in 2020, and lack of coverage in 2018 was not associated with chronic pain in 2020. In further analysis, we determined that public coverage, other (non-private) coverage, or no coverage in 2018 were associated with an increased risk of chronic pain in 2020; while chronic pain in 2018 increased the risk of coverage by public rather than private insurance 2 years later, as well as the risk of coverage by other (non-private) payors. The reciprocal association of non-private insurance coverage and chronic pain may be related to insufficient access to chronic pain treatment among publicly insured adults, or qualification for public insurance based on disability among adults with chronic pain. These results demonstrate that accounting for the type of health insurance coverage is critical when predicting chronic pain in US populations. PerspectiveIn a longitudinal cohort study of middle-aged US adults, the use of public and other non-private insurance predicts future experience of chronic pain, while past experience of chronic pain predicts future use of public and other non-private insurance.

The Interplay of Culture Mixing Aversion and Acculturative Flourishing: An Exploration among Mainland Chinese Sojourners in Hong Kong

This research investigates the impact of disgust towards culture mixing on acculturation and life satisfaction among mainland Chinese sojourners adapting to life in Hong Kong. In Study 1, drawing from previous research, we developed a measurement tool for assessing disgust towards mainland China-Hong Kong culture mixing and validated it in a sample of mainland Chinese students. We then conducted two longitudinal studies (Study 2 and 3) to examine the effects of disgust towards culture mixing on life satisfaction over 3-month and 6-month periods. Consistent with prior findings, our results showed that mainland Chinese sojourners perceived mixed cultural symbols as more disgusting compared to standalone ones. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that disgust towards culture mixing negatively predicted life satisfaction after 3 and 6 months of stay. Our findings indicate that initial disgust reactions towards culture mixing may have a causal influence on subsequent life satisfaction during the acculturation process. In conclusion, our study highlights the negative impact that disgust towards cultural mixing has on the acculturation process for Mainland Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong. The findings underscore the importance of promoting greater cultural awareness, understanding, and inclusiveness for the acculturative well-being of immigrants.

Which comes first? Modeling longitudinal associations among self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement

Past studies have predominantly focused on how self-efficacy and motivation facilitate academic achievement. However, the opposite might also hold with higher academic achievement catalyzing greater self-efficacy and motivation. This study aimed to uncover the reciprocal relationships among self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. A total of 483 Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from junior secondary schools participated in our study. Surveys and tests were administered at three different time points over one semester. We adopted a cross-lagged analysis to analyze the data. Meanwhile, a series of multigroup analyses were conducted to explore whether their relationship was invariant across gender and socioeconomic status groups. Results showed that: (1) higher self-efficacy, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation led to better academic achievement, (2) better academic achievement in turn catalyzed higher levels of self-efficacy and autonomous motivation but not controlled motivation; (3) these reciprocal effects held regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. The findings depict the dynamic interplay between self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.

Temporal relationship between inflammation and metabolic disorders and their impact on cancer risk.

Inflammation and metabolic disorders are closely associated with cancer. Whether inflammation leads to metabolic disorders or vice versa during cancer initiation remains unclear. In this study, we explored this temporal relationship and the co-exposure effect on cancer risk. This prospective study had two phases. Initially, we examined the temporal relationship between inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP)) and metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome severity Z-score (MetS-Z)) using a 3.98-year survey and cross-lagged analysis. Subsequently, we assessed the connection of co-exposure to inflammation and metabolic disorders, and the risks of overall cancer, as well as specific obesity-related, non-obesity-related, digestive system, lung, and other cancers using an 11.04-year survey and Cox proportional hazard models. The cross-lagged analysis revealed that the path coefficient from baseline CRP to follow-up MetS-Z (β2 = 0.032; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.026, 0.046) was more significant than the path coefficient from baseline MetS-Z to follow-up CRP (β1 = 0.009; 95% CI = -0.001, 0.019). During the follow-up, 2304 cases of cancer occurred. Compared with the risk of cancer of patients with low average cumulative CRP and MetS-Z, patients with high value had a significantly increased risk (hazard ratio = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.30, 1.83). The mediation analysis showed that MetS-Z mediated the association between CRP levels and overall cancer (12.67%), digestive system cancer (10.16%), and obesity-related cancer risk (13.87%). Inflammation had a greater impact on metabolic disorders than vice versa. Co-exposure to inflammation and metabolic disorders significantly increased the risk of cancer, particularly digestive system and obesity-related cancers. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TNRC-11001489.

Bidirectional reduction effects of perceived stress and general self-efficacy among college students: a cross-lagged study

Perceived stress and general self-efficacy are important issues closely related to the mental health and academic performance of college students. Previous studies have explored the correlation between perceived stress and general self-efficacy, but the understanding of the reciprocal effects of these two factors is still limited. Based on two-wave longitudinal data, this study investigated the bidirectional relationship between perceived stress and general self-efficacy in a sample of Chinese college students. The correlation results showed that perceived stress was significantly negatively correlated with general self-efficacy. Furthermore, by cross-lagged analysis, it was found that perceived stress can significantly negatively predict subsequent general self-efficacy and that general self-efficacy can significantly negatively predict subsequent perceived stress. Bidirectional reduction effects between perceived stress and general self-efficacy are observed among Chinese college students. The results emphasize the necessity of timely stress intervention for college students and the establishment of measures to enhance general self-efficacy.

The effects of participation in Christian religious activities on the satisfaction with life of older adults: the mediating effects of depressive symptoms

ABSTRACT This study aimed to clarify the effects of Christian religious activities on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among older adults by analysing longitudinal data. Causal relationships between the variables were assessed using autoregressive cross-lagged model analysis. First, autoregressive coefficients were examined for church participation, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction. Second, the cross-lagged coefficients revealed that participation in church activities later had a significant effect on depressive symptoms. In addition, depressive symptoms had a significant effect on life satisfaction. Depressive symptoms had a significant effect on life satisfaction. Third, the results indicated that participation in church activities during the fifth period significantly affected life satisfaction during the seventh period through depressive symptoms during the sixth period. This pathway suggests that depressive symptoms mediates the relationship between older adults’ church participation and life satisfaction longitudinally (i.e., older adults’ church participation reduces their depressive symptoms, and reduced depressive symptoms increases their life satisfaction).

Concurrent and lagged associations among pain medication use, pain, and negative affect: a daily diary study of people with chronic low back pain.

People with chronic pain often attempt to manage pain and concurrent emotional distress with analgesic substances. Habitual use of such substances-even when not opioid-based-can pose side effect risks. A negative reinforcement model has been proposed whereby relief of pain and emotional distress following medication consumption increases the likelihood that the experience of elevated pain and distress will spur further medication use. People with chronic low back pain (N = 105) completed electronic diary assessments 5 times/day for 14 consecutive days. Lagged and cross-lagged analyses focused on links between time 1 pain and negative affect (NA) and time 2 analgesic medication use and vice versa. Sex differences were also explored. Primary results were as follows: (1) participants on average reported taking analgesic medication during 41.3% of the 3-hour reporting epochs (29 times over 14 days); (2) time 1 within-person increases in pain and NA predicted time 2 increases in the likelihood of ingesting analgesic medications; (3) time 1 within-person increases in medication use predicted time 2 decreases in pain and NA; and (4) lagged associations between time 1 pain/NA and time 2 medication use were strongest among women. Findings suggest that the use of analgesic medications for many people with chronic pain occurs frequently throughout the day. Results support the validity of a negative reinforcement model where pain and distress lead to pain medication use, which in turn leads to relief from pain and distress.

Health Care Access and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Cross-Lagged Panel Longitudinal Analysis.

Objective: The current longitudinal study examined how (1) cognitive measures, including episodic memory, executive function, and global cognition, predict later healthcare access and how (2) healthcare access predicts later cognition. Methods: Drawing a sample (n = 9920) from the Health and Retirement Study dataset, we created a cross-lagged panel model to examine the longitudinal association between cognitive measures and healthcare access from 2012 to 2018. Results: Results revealed that cognitive measures significantly predict later healthcare access, with effects increasing across waves. However, within sub-domains, memory was more predictive of later healthcare access over time compared to executive function. Discussions: Our study suggested an increased link between cognition and healthcare access during aging. Even outside of the context of AD, there are likely both policy-based and practical implications to ensure those experiencing cognitive decline continue to maintain access to care.