Adolescent Depressive Disorder Research Articles

Frequency of night eating syndrome and melatonin levels in the urine of adolescents

Aim. The aim is to study the frequency of night eating syndrome (NES) and its correlation with melatonin levels in the daily urine of adolescents. Materials and methods. Primary screening of 486 adolescents (15–18 years) with complaints of eating disorders, overweight, obesity, which included a survey (test “Depressive Disorders in Adolescents”, Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) and anthropometry (BMI) was conducted. In the second stage, a sample of 56 adolescents (11.5 %) who met the NES criteria of DSM-5 (main group) and 50 adolescents who did not have NES (comparison group) was formed. The urine concentration of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-COMT) was determined by enzyme immunoassay (Buhlmann 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin ELISA Kit, Switzerland). Results. Deficit of body weight had 3 (8.8 %) of adolescent boys, 20 (58.8 %) were overweight, 1 (2.9 %) – obese and only 10 (29.4 %) had the average normative values of body weight; among female adolescents, 1 (4.5 %) – body weight deficit and obesity, 10 (45.5 %) – overweight and average normative indicators. According to the DEBQ, restrictive eating behaviors were identified in 15 (26.8 %) adolescents; in 30 (53.6 %) adolescents – emotional and in 11 (19.6 %) adolescents – external. The mean score of the NEQ was 28.4 ± 2.2 and positively correlated with BMI (r = +0.62, P < 0.05). Participants who exceeded the screening threshold for NES (n = 56, 11.5 %) had increased BMI (P < 0.01), likelihood of overweight/obesity (P = 0.001), consumption of sugary drinks (P < 0.001), daytime sleep less than twice a week (P < 0.01), shorter sleep duration (P < 0.01), high and moderate levels of depression, lower levels of melatonin, which were inversely correlated with the results of the NEQ (r = -0.68, P < 0.05). Conclusions. The prevalence of NES among teenagers was 11.5 %. Among the types of eating behavior, the most common was the emotional type (53.6 %). Adolescents with NES had a significantly higher total depression score (96.7 ± 8.06, P < 0.001) and a lower level of 6-COMT (22.89 ± 3.44, P < 0.001), which was inversely correlated with the degree of NES (r = -0.68, P < 0.05), BMI (r = -0.74; P < 0.01) and depression level (r = -0.65; P < 0.01).

Homicidal ideation and psychiatric comorbidities in the inpatient adolescents aged 12-17.

Adolescents with a homicidal tendency is a growing concern in the United States. Studies in the past have showcased the relationship between homicidal ideation (HI) and psychiatric illnesses, but very limited information is available on the adolescent and inpatient population. We aim to evaluate the prevalence of demographic characteristics and psychiatric disorders in adolescents with and without HI. Adolescent (age 12-17) population admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of homicidal ideation was identified from the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample Dataset (NISD). Patients without HI were defined as the control group. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities between the groups was compared by applying the Rao-Scott adjusted chi-square test. We used multivariable logistic regression to generate odds ratio (OR) of homicidal ideation as an outcome; we adjusted age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, substance use disorders, alcohol use disorders, and psychiatric comorbidities. A total of 18,935 patients (mean age: 14.5) with HI diagnosis were identified in this study. Majority of the patients were male subjects in the HI group compared to the control group (58.7 vs. 41.2%, p < 0.001). Racially, HI was more prevalent in white race (56.0 vs. 52.6%, p < 0.001) and black race (22.3 vs. 17.8%, p < 0.001), compared to Hispanic race (14.9 vs. 21.3%, p < 0.001). Major depression (Odds ratio [OR]: 2.66, p < 0.001), bipolar disorder (OR: 3.52, p < 0.001), anxiety disorder (OR: 1.85, p < 0.001), ADHD, and other conduct disorders (OR: 4.01, p < 0.001), schizophrenia (OR: 4.35, p < 0.001) are strong predictors of HI. Suicidality was prevalent in 66.9% of patients with HI. We found a higher prevalence of psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder in adolescents with homicidal ideation in the inpatient setting. White and black races were more prevalent in patients with homicidal ideation. Further large-scale longitudinal research studies are warranted to establish the correlation between psychiatric disorders and homicidal ideation among adolescents.

Depression screening scores for teens with T1D need adjusting

Observing that some depression screening tools can miss cases of depression in teens with diabetes, authors of a new study suggest that adjusted cutoff scores could help better detect depressive disorders in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.

A graph theory neuroimaging approach to distinguish the depression of bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder in adolescents and young adults

BackgroundMarkers to differentiate depressions of bipolar disorder (BD-Dep) from depressions of major depressive disorder (MDD-Dep), and for more targeted treatments, are critically needed to decrease current high rates of misdiagnosis that can lead to ineffective or potentially deleterious treatments. Distinguishing, and specifically treating the depressions, during the adolescent/young adult epoch is especially important to decrease illness progression and improve prognosis, and suicide, as it is the epoch when suicide thoughts and behaviors often emerge. With differences in functional connectivity patterns reported when BD-Dep and MDD-Dep have been studied separately, this study used a graph theory approach aimed to identify functional connectivity differences in their direct comparison. MethodsFunctional magnetic resonance imaging whole-brain functional connectivity (Intrinsic Connectivity Distribution, ICD) measures were compared across adolescents/young adults with BD-Dep (n = 28), MDD-Dep (n = 20) and HC (n = 111). Follow-up seed-based connectivity was conducted on regions of significant ICD differences. Relationships with demographic and clinical measures were assessed. ResultsCompared to the HC group, both the BD-Dep and MDD-Dep groups exhibited left-sided frontal, insular, and medial temporal ICD increases. The BD-Dep group had additional right-sided ICD increases in frontal, basal ganglia, and fusiform areas. In seed-based analyses, the BD-Dep group exhibited increased interhemispheric functional connectivity between frontal areas not seen in the MDD-Dep group. LimitationsModest sample size; medications not studied systematically. ConclusionsThis study supports bilateral and interhemispheric functional dysconnectivity as features of BD-Dep that may differentiate it from MDD-Dep in adolescents/young adults and serve as a target for early diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Vortioxetine for Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescents: 12-Week Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Fluoxetine-Referenced, Fixed-Dose Study

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vortioxetine in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). After 4 weeks of single-blind lead-in treatment with a Brief Psychosocial Intervention (BPI) plus placebo, patients (aged 12-17 years) with MDD (DSM-5) who did not meet response criteria (Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised [CDRS-R]; total score≥40 plus<40% reduction and a Parent Global Assessment score >2) were randomized 1:1:1:1 to 8 weeks of BPI plus double-blind treatment with vortioxetine 10 mg, vortioxetine 20 mg, fluoxetine 20 mg, or placebo. The primary endpoint was change from randomization in CDRS-R total score at week 8; the primary comparison was the average effect of 2 vortioxetine doses vs placebo. Of 784 patients enrolled in the lead-in, 616 were randomized. At week 8, the mean change in CDRS-R total score averaged for vortioxetine doses was -18.01 (SE= 0.98) and the mean difference vs placebo was 0.21 (P = .878; not significant). For fluoxetine, the mean change in CDRS-R total score was -21.95 and the mean difference vs placebo was -3.73 (P = .015). Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in≥5% of patients in either vortioxetine arm and at least twice more frequently than placebo were nausea, headache, vomiting, and dizziness. Patients in all groups showed reduction in CDRS-R scores by the end of the study, with no difference between combined doses of vortioxetine and placebo. The primary endpoint was not met, thereby rendering the study negative. The overall favorable safety profile of vortioxetine in an adolescent patient population was consistent with that seen in adults. Active Reference (Fluoxetine) Fixed-Dose Study of Vortioxetine in Paediatric Patients Aged 12 to 17 Years With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD); http://clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02709746.

Applying artificial intelligence to detect depressive disorders in adolescents via social network generated contents

Depressive disorders and suicide are one of the leading causes of death in most countries around the world; it is one of the three most common causes of death in a group of young people, but so far, no methods have been developed for diagnosing suicidal tendencies. In this connection, the problem of developing methods for identifying people prone to suicidal behavior is becoming especially topical. One of the directions of such research is the search for typological features of the speech related to depression using the methods of mathematical linguistics, automatic text processing and machine learning. In foreign science, the texts of people that were motivated by depression are studied using methods of automatic text processing, machine learning methods, and models that are constructed to allow to classify whether the text is related to depression or not. It seems obvious that in order to develop methods for identifying people who are prone to depression and suicide, it is necessary to analyze not only suicide notes, but also other texts created by people who have committed suicide.

Association of adolescent depression with subsequent prescriptions of anti-infectives and anti-inflammatories in adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study

New insights into how depression is linked to physical health throughout the lifespan could potentially inform clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to explore the association of adolescent depression with subsequent prescriptions of anti-infectives and anti-inflammatories in adulthood. The study was based on the Uppsala Longitudinal Adolescent Depression Study (ULADS), a Swedish prospective cohort study initiated in 1991. Depressed (n = 321) and non-depressed (n = 218) adolescents were followed prospectively using patient registries. The associations of adolescent depression (age 16–17 years) with subsequent prescription of anti-infectives and anti-inflammatories (age 30–40 years), were analysed using generalized linear models. Sub-analyses explored the impact of diagnostic characteristics in adolescence and reception of anti-depressants prescriptions in adulthood. The results suggest that females with persistent depressive disorder in adolescence have a higher rate of future prescriptions than non-depressed peers, with adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.42 (1.06 to 1.92) for anti-infectives and 1.72 (1.10 to 2.70) for anti-inflammatories. These associations were mainly driven by those who were also prescribed antidepressants during the same period. Associations were less robust for females with episodic or subsyndromal depression in adolescence and for males. These findings emphasize the importance of integrated mental health services at the primary healthcare level.

Breaking the Connection Between Depressive Symptoms and Alcohol Use Among Adolescents With a Text-Message Delivered Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial in Primary Care

Adolescent depression is a significant public health problem reflected in increasing rates of major depressive episodes. Depression is also a critical risk for adolescent substance use. Adolescents who have experienced a major depressive episode are approximately twice as likely to engage in heavy drinking compared to those without. Developing strategies to intervene early and reduce adolescent depressive disorders and alcohol use is warranted. We examined the relationship between adolescent depressive symptoms and alcohol use with 69 adolescents enrolled in a preventive randomized controlled pilot trial for substance use risk within a federally qualified health care setting. We also tested a mediation model to determine if a text-delivered intervention reduced alcohol use by reducing depressive symptoms. Participants were randomized to a 4-week, text-delivered stress-and-coping intervention or a waitlist control condition. Participants completed baseline assessments and monthly follow-up surveys for 3 months. Logistic regression showed that adolescents with probable depressive disorder had six times higher odds of alcohol use compared to those with sub-clinical depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis revealed that the intervention reduced alcohol use by reducing depressive symptoms for adolescents with sub-clinical depressive scores. Results support targeting proximal risk factors such as depressive symptoms among adolescents presenting for primary care with text-delivered preventive interventions in order to reduce alcohol use. Incorporating more intensive interventions for adolescents with a broad range of presenting depressive symptoms is recommended.

Adjusted Cutoff Scores Increase Sensitivity of Depression Screening Measures in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes.

To measure the acceptability and diagnostic accuracy of commonly used depression screening measures to determine ideal cutoff scores that sensitively identify depressive disorders in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). One hundred adolescents (12-17 years old) completed a reference standard, semistructured diagnostic interview and both long and short versions of five commonly used depression screening measures in the United States. To assess feasibility and acceptability, we used screener completion time and participant ratings, respectively. We used descriptive statistics, area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, and paired-sample area differences under the ROC curve to assess each measure's diagnostic validity against our reference standard and to determine ideal cutoff scores for this sample. Adolescents had a mean age of 15.0 ± 1.7 years, time since T1D diagnosis of 6.0 ± 4.1 years, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 8.9 ± 1.8%. Sixty percent of adolescents were male, 15% endorsed a current depressive disorder, and 15% endorsed lifetime suicidality. Measures demonstrated low sensitivity (0.33-0.67) to detect current depressive disorders using preexisting cutoff scores. However, adjusted cutoff scores increased sensitivity and reduced false negatives. All depression screening measures demonstrated "good" to "excellent" predictive validity, and the Children's Depression Inventory-2 Short version demonstrated significantly greater diagnostic accuracy than the Patient Health Questionnare-2 item version for adolescents. Clinics should consider using screening measures with the greatest diagnostic accuracy as identified in this study and adjusting measure cutoff scores to increase sensitivity and reduce false negatives.

Efficacy and tolerability of antidepressant drugs in treatment of depression in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antidepressants in treatment of depression disorder in children and adolescents by network meta-analysis. Databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) related to antidepressants in treatment of children and adolescents with depression from inception to December 2021. Quality assessment and data extraction from the included RCTs were performed. Statistical analyses of efficacy and tolerability were conducted with Stata 15.1 software. Surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCAR) was used to rank the value of the antidepressants. A total of 33 RCTs were included in 32 articles, involving 6949 patients. There are 13 antidepressants used in total, including amitriptyline, vilazodone, fluoxetine, selegiline, paroxetine, imipramine, desipramine, sertraline, nortriptyline, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine and duloxetine. The results of network meta-analysis showed that the efficacy of duloxetine ( OR=1.95, 95% CI: 1.41-2.69), fluoxetine ( OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.40-2.14), venlafaxine ( OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80) and escitalopram ( OR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.12-1.95) were significantly higher than that of placebos (all P<0.05); the probability cumulative ranks were duloxetine (87.0%), amitriptyline (83.3%), fluoxetine (79.0%), escitalopram (62.7%), etc. The results showed that the intolerability of patients receiving imipramine ( OR=0.15, 95% CI: 0.08-0.27), sertraline ( OR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.16-0.71), venlafaxine ( OR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.17-0.72), duloxetine ( OR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.17-0.73) and paroxetine ( OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.30-0.88) were significantly higher than that of placebos (all P<0.05), and the probability cumulative ranks were imipramine (95.7%), sertraline (69.6%), venlafaxine (68.6%), duloxetine (68.2%), etc. Conclusion: Among 13 antidepressants, duloxetine, fluoxetine, escitalopram and venlafaxine are significantly better than placebo in terms of efficacy, but duloxetine and venlafaxine are less well tolerated.

Predicting South Korea adolescents vulnerable to depressive disorder using Bayesian nomogram: A community-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUNDAlthough South Korea has developed and carried out evidence-based interventions and prevention programs to prevent depressive disorder in adolescents, the number of adolescents with depressive disorder has increased every year for the past 10 years.AIMTo develop a nomogram based on a naïve Bayesian algorithm by using epidemiological data on adolescents in South Korea and present baseline data for screening depressive disorder in adolescents.METHODSEpidemiological data from 2438 subjects who completed a brief symptom inventory questionnaire were used to develop a model based on a Bayesian nomogram for predicting depressive disorder in adolescents.RESULTSPhysical symptoms, aggression, social withdrawal, attention, satisfaction with school life, mean sleeping hours, and conversation time with parents were influential factors on depressive disorder in adolescents. Among them, physical symptoms were the most influential.CONCLUSIONActive intervention by periodically checking the emotional state of adolescents and offering individual counseling and in-depth psychological examinations when necessary are required to mitigate depressive disorder in adolescents.

Neuropsychological and Personality Development of Adolescents with Depressive Disorders

The article provides a theoretical and methodological analysis of the neuropsychological and personality development of adolescents with depressive disorders. The equal role of biological and psychological factors in the development of adolescent depression is emphasized. The neuropsychological symptom complex of depressive disorders in adolescence is considered. The emotional and motivational features of personal development in the context of adolescent neurodevelopment are analyzed. We have noted strong mutual influences of neuropsychological and personal development of an adolescent; neurohormonal mechanisms of child behavior; connection of neuropsychological mechanisms of depressive disorders of psychogenic origin and character accentuations of asthenic, hypotensive, hysteroid type; propensity of teenagers to reactive depression with sensitive and labile character accentuations.To effectively prevent suicides, neuropsychocorrection of mental states in adolescents and implementation of a sociopsychological program for their personal development, and timely diagnosis of symptoms of depression and psychotherapeutic intervention have been proposed. A program for the development of emotional self-regulation in adolescents with depressive disorders and neuropsychological correction of their depressive states has been developed. A preventive and psycho-corrective program for expanding internal resources, reducing the risk of suicidal tendencies and overcoming depressive disorders in an adolescent, taking into account neuropsychological and personal developmental features of adolescence, has been proposed.

The Effectiveness of Exercise as a Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review of Randomised Control Trials

AimsMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent mental health condition among adolescents. Current treatments have limited effectiveness, accessibility and questionable safety profiles. Exercise is becoming a more widely recognised intervention for MDD in adults. However, evidence and research for its effectiveness in adolescents is lacking. This review aimed to establish if exercise is effective at reducing MDD symptoms and severity in adolescents, and thus its first-line treatment potential.MethodsElectronic databases were searched for randomised control trials studying effects of exercise in adolescents, clinically diagnosed with MDD. Trials were excluded if participants’ depression was secondary to another disorder or health condition. The primary outcome measure was depression symptom severity, assessed by a validated depression symptom scale. Six trials met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review.ResultsFour trials found reduced depression scores in the exercise intervention group compared to control immediately post-intervention; of the four trials which included follow-up data, all reported higher rates of remission in the exercise intervention group compared to control. The length of exercise intervention programme seems important, needing to be greater than 6-weeks for a therapeutic effect. The type of exercise doesn't appear critical.ConclusionGiven the small sample sizes and methodological limitations presented by the trials, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Further and larger-scale studies are needed before exercise can become a recognised and readily recommended treatment for MDD in adolescents; but thus far, it seems to have a promising therapeutic potential in both short and long term.

Crippled By Fear: Anxiety Disorders Among Adolescents In Nigeria

More than half of all lifetime psychiatric disorders begin by the early adolescent period, with anxiety and depressive disorders responsible for a significant part of this disease burden [1]. Collectively referred to as childhood emotional disorders, juvenile-onset anxiety and depressive syndromes are widely recognized to be the most prevalent group of mental disorders in this population, as they are in adults [2-6]. The prevalence of anxiety disorders in adolescent populations is estimated to range between 8.3% to 27.0% [7]. The National Comorbidity Replication Survey - Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A) in the United States found a lifetime rate of 31.9% for any anxiety disorder [8]. In comparison, a study in rural Uganda demonstrated a 26.6% prevalence rate of anxiety disorders amongst children and adolescents [9]. In a local study conducted among adolescents aged 13–18 years in a semi-urban Nigerian town, anxiety disorders’ estimated 12-month prevalence rate was 15% [10].

Depressive Disorders and Virologic Failure in Adolescents with Perinatally Acquired HIV in Northeast Thailand

Background: Children with perinatally acquired HIV, growing into adolescence, go through a period of change during which adherence to antiretroviral therapy can decrease, and mental health disorders are most often diagnosed for the first time. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of depressive disorders and factors associated with virologic failure in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV under care at a tertiary hospital in Northeast Thailand. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted between June 2017 and October 2018 at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. Participants with perinatally acquired HIV aged 12 to 24 years old who disclosed their HIV status and had been taking antiretroviral therapy for at least one year were interviewed by the psychiatrist, using DSM-5 criteria of depressive disorders. The diagnosis was made concurrently with psychiatric interventions in those who met indications for treatment. Virologic failure was defined as plasma HIV-1 RNA greater than 1,000 copies/mL. Factors associated with virologic failure were evaluated by univariable and multivariable analyses. Results: Seventy-nine participants were enrolled. Their median age was 17.5 years old, with an interquartile range of 14.9 to 18.9, and 57% were female. Nine had virologic failure and 14 (17.7%) were diagnosed with depressive disorders. On multivariable analysis, depressive disorders were associated with virologic failure (adjusted odds ratio 7.55, 95% CI 1.65 to 34.65). Conclusion: The prevalence of depressive disorders in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV was 17.7%. Depressive disorders were found to be one of the factors associated with virologic failure. Keywords: Depressive disorders; Adolescents; Perinatally acquired HIV; Virologic failure

Vortioxetine found safe, but no better than placebo in treating depression

When patients in all treatment groups — those receiving a medication, and those receiving a placebo — do equally well, the study is pronounced negative, meaning that the medication is ineffective. That is exactly what a 12‐week trial of vortioxetine for major depressive disorder in adolescents found. However, the study, which was funded by the company which makes vortioxetine, did confirm a “favorable safety profile” of vortioxetine in adolescents, consistent with what is seen in adults.

Are pro-inflammatory markers associated with psychological distress in a cross-sectional study of healthy adolescents 15\u201317\xa0years of age? The Fit Futures study

BackgroundInflammatory markers have been associated with depression and anxiety disorder in adolescents. Less is known about the association between inflammation and subclinical symptoms in the form of psychological distress. We investigated prevalence of psychological distress and examined the associations between common pro-inflammatory markers and psychological distress in an adolescent population sample.MethodsThe study was based on data from 458 girls and 473 boys aged 15–17 years from the Fit Futures Study, a large-scale study on adolescent health, conducted in Northern Norway. Psychological distress was measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10). Serum-levels of the following low-grade inflammatory markers were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α), tumor necrosis factor alpha variant 1 (TRANCE) and tumor necrosis factor alpha variant 2 (TWEAK). Associations between quartiles of inflammatory markers and HSCL-10 were examined by logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounders in sex-stratified analyses.ResultsThe proportion of psychological distress above cutoff were 26.9% and 10.8% among girls and boys, respectively. In both girls and boys, crude analysis showed positive associations between all inflammatory markers and HSCL-10, except for TWEAK and TRANCE in boys. However, none of these associations were statistically significant. Further, there were no significant findings in the adjusted analyses.ConclusionThere was a higher prevalence of psychological distress in girls compared to boys. Pro-inflammatory markers were not significantly associated with psychological distress in data from healthy adolescents aged 15–17 years.

Identification of Key Modules and Genes Associated with Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescents.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Adolescence is a crucial period for the occurrence and development of depression. There are essential distinctions between adolescent and adult depression patients, and the etiology of depressive disorder is unclear. The interactions of multiple genes in a co-expression network are likely to be involved in the physiopathology of MDD. In the present study, RNA-Seq data of mRNA were acquired from the peripheral blood of MDD in adolescents and healthy control (HC) subjects. Co-expression modules were constructed via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to investigate the relationships between the underlying modules and MDD in adolescents. In the combined MDD and HC groups, the dynamic tree cutting method was utilized to assign genes to modules through hierarchical clustering. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis was conducted on those co-expression genes from interested modules. The results showed that eight modules were constructed by WGCNA. The blue module was significantly associated with MDD after multiple comparison adjustment. Several Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways associated with stress and inflammation were identified in this module, including histone methylation, apoptosis, NF-kappa β signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. Five genes related to inflammation, immunity, and the nervous system were identified as hub genes: CNTNAP3, IL1RAP, MEGF9, UBE2W, and UBE2D1. All of these findings supported that MDD was associated with stress, inflammation, and immune responses, helping us to obtain a better understanding of the internal molecular mechanism and to explore biomarkers for the diagnosis or treatment of depression in adolescents.

Sleep quality and neurohormonal and psychophysiological accompanying factors in adolescents with depressive disorders: study protocol.

Depressive disorders are common mental health problems during adolescence. Many adolescents with depression describe difficulties with sleeping. Findings of previous studies regarding changes in objective sleep quality in adolescents with depressive disorders are heterogeneous. This study aims to investigate differences in objective and subjective sleep quality between adolescents with depressive disorders and healthy peers, and to evaluate if potential changes in sleep occur concurrently with changes in the release of cortisol and alpha-amylase after awakening. This non-interventional parallel study examines correlations between depressive disorders, sleep quality and release of stress hormones. Sleep quality in the past 2 weeks, severity of depressive symptoms, psychiatric comorbidities and stress response of 30 adolescents with depressive disorders and 30 healthy controls (N = 60) are assessed via questionnaires. In participants' home environments, the objective sleep quality of seven consecutive nights is measured by sleep accelerometry. After awakening, participants answer sleep questionnaires to examine the subjective sleep quality of those nights. Furthermore, salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase are measured three times after awakening (+0 min, +30 min and +45 min after awakening). Sleep is an important factor for prognosis and well-being in adolescents with depression. The results of this study can be highly valuable to integrate a more detailed examination of sleep quality and sleeping impairments in the treatment of adolescent depressive disorders.

Hair androgen concentrations and depressive disorders in adolescents from the general population

Although the link between androgens and depression is well established in adults, the effects of cofactors on this association are less clearly understood, particularly in youth. Epidemiological cohort study of adolescents in Dresden, Germany. Analyses comprised data of 985 individuals assessed at baseline and of 512 individuals at 1-year follow-up. We investigated multivariable regression models for cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of hair testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and their cortisol ratios with 12-month diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and MDD without any anxiety disorder assessed with standardized diagnostic interview (DIA-X-5), and with dimensional depression scores (PHQ-9, PROMIS), separately for males and females. The potential moderating effect of social support was determined. Cross-sectional analyses yielded inverse associations of testosterone and DHEA with MDD and MDD without any anxiety disorders in males. In cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, baseline ratio cortisol/DHEA was significantly, inversely associated to PROMIS-depression in males. Only cross-sectional associations for ratio cortisol/DHEA and PROMIS-depression remained significant after Bonferroni-Holm correction. No robust associations were observed in female participants. Social support exerted no consistent moderating effect on the investigated association. The present observational cohort study showed no consistent association of hair androgen concentrations with depressive disorders in adolescents. However, findings provide some support for the association between the cortisol/DHEA ratio and depression in males. Longitudinal research designs in large samples are needed to understand the interplay between androgens, depression, and developmental and social factors in youth.