Depressive Symptoms In Young Women Research Articles

Sexual Function and Depressive Symptoms in Young Women with Euthyroid Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Receiving Vitamin D, Selenomethionine and Myo-Inositol: A Pilot Study.

Thyroid autoimmunity is associated with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. The aim of this study was to compare sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis receiving different treatments. The study included euthyroid women with autoimmune thyroiditis, untreated or receiving vitamin D, selenomethionine, or myo-inositol. Apart from measuring antibody titers and hormone levels, all participants completed questionnaires evaluating female sexual function (FSFI) and depressive symptoms (BDI-II). In untreated women, the overall FSFI scores and domain scores for desire, arousal, lubrication, and sexual satisfaction were lower than in women receiving vitamin D, selenomethionine, and myo-inositol. In the vitamin D-treated women, the total FSFI scores and scores for desire and arousal were higher than in women receiving the remaining micronutrients. The BDI-II score was lowest in the vitamin D-treated women and highest in the untreated patients with thyroiditis. Vitamin D-treated women were also characterized by lower antibody titers and higher testosterone levels than the women receiving the remaining micronutrients. There were no differences in sexual functioning and depressive symptoms between the selenomethionine- and myo-inositol-treated women. The study results suggest that although all antibody-lowering treatments are associated with better sexual functioning and well-being in young women with euthyroid autoimmune thyroiditis, the greatest benefits are observed in patients receiving vitamin D.

Cross-Sectional Associations of Intakes of Starch and Sugars with Depressive Symptoms in Young and Middle-Aged Japanese Women: Three-Generation Study of Women on Diets and Health.

The relationship between the intakes of saccharide subtypes and depressive symptoms is unclear in Asian countries. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate this association among 3963 young (age of 18 years) and 3826 middle-aged (mean age of 47.8 years) Japanese women. The intakes of starch, total sugars, free sugars, sucrose, lactose, glucose, and total fructose were assessed using a validated diet history questionnaire. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 22.0% and 16.8% among young and middle-aged women, assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) score. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, higher starch intake was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in young women with an odds ratio (OR) of the fourth to the first quintiles of 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57, 0.99). Moreover, higher intakes of sugars (except for lactose) were associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in young women, with ORs (95% CI) of the fifth to the first quintiles ranging from 1.30 (0.995, 1.69) for glucose to 1.47 (1.12, 1.93) for sucrose. These associations were not observed in middle-aged women. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Stressful Life Events and Sleep Health as Predictors of Neural Reward Processing and Depression in Young Women

Stressful life events and poor sleep health both increase risk for depression, and they may do this by disrupting neural response to rewards. Neural systems that are involved in reward processing, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), may be particularly vulnerable to stressful events and poor sleep health. This study evaluates stressful life events and sleep health as predictors of mPFC response to rewards and depressive symptoms in young women.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with hypoprolactinaemia

Dopamine agonist treatment may result in hypersexuality in men. The aim of this study was to investigate for the first time female sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in women with very low prolactin levels. A prospective case-control study. The study population consisted of three age-matched groups of young women with normal, regular menstrual cycles: 15 subjects with cabergoline-induced hypoprolactinaemia (group A), 25 cabergoline-treated individuals with prolactin levels within the reference range (group B) and 30 dopamine agonist-naïve women with normoprolactinemia. Because of low prolactin levels, the dose of cabergoline in group A (but not in group B) was then reduced. Apart from measuring serum levels of prolactin, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, estradiol and gonadotropins, at the beginning of the study and 6months later, all included women filled in questionnaires evaluating femalesexual function (FSFI) and depressive symptoms (BDI-II). At the beginning of the study, there were no differences between groups B and C in the mean total FSFI score, all domain scores and in the BDI-II score. In group A, the total FSFI score and domain scores for desire and arousal were lower, while the BDI-II score was higher than in the remaining study groups. Compared with groups of B and C, women with cabergoline-induced hypoprolactinaemia were also characterized by lower total testosterone levels and lower values of the free androgen index. Cabergoline dose reduction normalized the FSFI score, desire, arousal, the BDI-II score, as well as normalized prolactin, total testosterone and the free androgen index. The obtained results suggest that dopamine agonist-induced hypoprolactinaemia impairs sexual functioning and well-being in young women, as well as that these disturbances are secondary to low prolactin levels, not to specific properties of cabergoline.

Oral Contraceptives and Depressive Symptoms in Young Women: Another Look

Is there an association between oral contraceptive (OC) use and depression, especially in adolescents? Researchers examined data from a Dutch

Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Suicidal Ideation in Emerging Adults: The Role of Traumatic Stress and Depressive Symptoms Varies by Gender not Race/Ethnicity

Drawing from Race-Based Traumatic Stress theory, the present study examined whether traumatic stress and depressive symptoms differentially help explain the relation between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicidal ideation across gender and racial/ethnic groups. A racially/ethnically diverse group of emerging adults (N = 1344; Mage = 19.88, SD = 2.25; 72% female; 46% Hispanic) completed a battery of self-report measures. A cross-sectional design was employed with a series of hierarchical linear regression models and bootstrapping procedures to examine the direct and indirect relation between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicidal ideation through traumatic stress and depressive symptoms across gender and race/ethnicity. The findings suggest an indirect relation through depressive symptoms, but not traumatic stress, and a serial indirect relation through traumatic stress to depressive symptoms in young women and young men, the latter of which was stronger in young women. The indirect relations did not vary by racial/ethnic group. Cumulative experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may impact suicide-related risk via increases in psychiatric symptomology (i.e., traumatic stress and depressive symptoms), particularly in young women. Racial/ethnic discrimination experiences should be accounted for as a potential source of psychological distress in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of suicidal thoughts and behavior, especially among young women endorsing traumatic stress and depressive symptoms. Further research is warranted to better understand the gender difference in the relation between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicide-related risk.

Longitudinal associations between self-reported experiences of discrimination and depressive symptoms in young women and men post- myocardial infarction

ObjectivesResearch suggests that following a myocardial infarction (MI), women under the age of 60 have more elevated depressive symptoms and adverse outcomes than similarly aged men. Identifying risk factors that contribute to gender differences in depressive symptoms among this group may be critical to the development of psychosocial interventions. Experiences of discrimination may be an important correlate of depressive symptoms in this group; however, studies of this relationship have largely been cross-sectional and focused on healthy populations. This study examines longitudinal associations among gender, discrimination, and depressive symptoms in a young post-MI cohort. MethodsParticipants were 313 adults from the Myocardial Infarction and Mental Stress Ischemia Study 2 of young (≤60 yrs) post-MI patients. At baseline and 6 month follow-up, depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory-II and discrimination was assessed with the 10-item version Everyday Discrimination scale. Linear regression models were used to assess the longitudinal association between reports of discrimination and depressive symptoms adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors and health status indicators and tested for gender differences. ResultsThe mean age was 51.2, 49.6% were women, and 69.5% were African-American. Although the discrimination-by-gender interaction was marginally significant (p = .09) in the fully adjusted model, findings suggest that the association between changes in reports of discrimination and depressive symptoms over time may be more pronounced for women (β = 0.61, standard error = 0.15, p < .001) than men (β = 0.27, standard error = 0.13, p = .033). ConclusionOur findings suggest that discrimination is a risk factor for depressive symptoms in young post-MI populations over time.

Sitting time and depression in young women over 12-years: The effect of physical activity

ObjectivesLack of physical activity (PA) and prolonged sitting time (ST) are associated with increased risk of mortality and chronic illnesses, including depression. While there have been claims that the two risks are ‘independent’, their joint and stratified effects are unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the combined effects of physical activity and sitting time on the 12year risk of depressive symptoms (DS) in young women. DesignCohort-9061 young participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health completed triennial surveys from 2000 (age 22–27), to 2012. MethodsGeneralised Estimating Equation models were used to calculate the joint effects of PA and ST on DS, with <4h/day of ST and the highest PA quartile as the reference categories. Relationships between PA and DS, and between ST and DS, were also examined after stratification by ST and PA respectively. ResultsIn the adjusted joint effects model, compared with the reference category (low sitting, high PA), odds for DS were significantly higher in women who sat for >4, 6 and 8h/day and reported doing no PA. In every physical activity category, women who sat for ≥10h/day were at highest risk of DS (OR for lowest physical activity quartile, 1.72 [95% CI=1.38–2.14]; OR for highest physical activity quartile, 1.49 [95% CI=1.16–1.91]). After stratification by ST, odds of DS were reduced in women who reported any physical activity (compared with none), except when ST was >10h/day. After stratification by physical activity, the increased risk of sitting 8–10h/day was attenuated by any physical activity, but there was no reduction in risk of depressive symptoms with increasing PA levels in women who sat for ≥10h per day. ConclusionsThese data suggest that there are both joint and stratified effects of too little activity and too much sitting on the risk of depressive symptoms in young women. High levels of PA are protective against the hazards of high ST at this life stage, except in women with very high levels of sitting.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with overt hyperthyroidism

ObjectiveDespite high prevalence in a female population, surprisingly little is known about sexual functioning of women with thyroid hyperfunction. This study was aimed at assessing female sexual function and depressive symptoms in women with overt hyperthyroidism of autoimmune and non-autoimmune origin. Study designThe study included three age-matched groups of young women inhabiting the Upper Silesia (a selenium-deficient and iodine-sufficient area): individuals with overt hyperthyroidism induced by Graves’ disease (group A, n = 31), women with overt hyperthyroidism caused by toxic multinodular goiter or toxic adenoma (group B, n = 30) and women with normal thyroid function (group C, n = 34). Apart from measuring serum hormone levels, serum antibody titers and determining calculated parameters of thyroid homeostasis, all women completed questionnaires evaluating femalesexual function (FSFI) and depressive symptoms (BDI-II). ResultsThe mean total FSFI score and all domain scores were lower while the overall BDI-II score was higher in both groups of women with overt hyperthyroidism than in the control group, and correlated with thyrotropin and free thyroid hormone levels, as well as with the SPINA-GT index. The FSFI score as well as domain scores for desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction were lower, while the BDI-II score was higher in group A than in group B. In group A, the total FSFI score, desire, arousal, sexual satisfaction and severity of depressive symptoms correlated with TRAb and TPOAb titers. ConclusionThe obtained results suggest that excessive thyroid hormone production and thyroid autoimmunity have an additive effect on sexual functioning and mood.

The effect of atorvastatin on sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with elevated cholesterol levels - a pilot study.

Statins were found to improve erectile function in men. No previous study has prospectively investigated sexual functioning in women receiving these agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of atorvastatin therapy on female sexual function, and depressive symptoms in young women with elevated cholesterol levels. The study included 14 women with elevated cholesterol levels and 14 matched women with normal plasma lipids. Hypercholesterolaemic women were then treated with atorvastatin (20-40 mg daily) for 24 weeks. Apart from measuring plasma lipids, at the beginning and at the end of the study, all participants of the study completed questionnaires evaluating sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index - FSFI) and the presence and severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition - BDI-II). The mean total FSFI score was insignificantly lower, while the BDI-II score was higher in women with hypercholesterolaemia than in the control group. Both groups significantly differed in domain scores for arousal and orgasm. Atorvastatin decreased the domain score for desire, increased the domain score for orgasm, but did not affect the total FSFI score and the remaining domain scores. Moreover, atorvastatin tended to reduce the BDI-II score. Treatment-induced changes in desire, orgasm, and the BDI-II did not correlate with the effect of atorvastatin on plasma lipids. Atorvastatin treatment produces a relatively mild effect on sexual functioning and mood in women, affecting only selected elements of female sexual behaviour.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with hypothyroidism receiving levothyroxine/liothyronine combination therapy: a pilot study

Objective Even mild hypothyroidism in pre-menopausal women is accompanied by impaired sexual functioning. The study was aimed at comparing the effect of levothyroxine, administered alone or in combination with liothyronine, on sexual function and depressive symptoms in pre-menopausal women treated because of hypothyroidism.Methods This quasi-randomized, single-blind study included 39 young women receiving levothyroxine treatment who, despite thyrotropin and thyroid hormone levels within normal limits, still experienced clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism. These patients were divided into two groups: group A (n = 20) continued levothyroxine treatment, while group B (n = 19) received levothyroxine/liothyronine combination therapy. At the beginning of the study, and 6 months later, all participants of the study filled in questionnaires evaluating female sexual functioning (Female Sexual Function Index; FSFI) and the presence and severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition; BDI-II).Results The study was completed by 37 women. Baseline sexual functioning and depressive symptoms did not differ between the study groups. Neither the total FSFI score nor the domain scores changed throughout the study in women who continued levothyroxine treatment. Compared to levothyroxine administered alone, levothyroxine/liothyronine combination therapy increased scores for two domains: sexual desire and arousal, tended to increase the total FSFI score, as well as tended to decrease the overall BDI-II score. The effect of the combination therapy on sexual function correlated with a treatment-induced increase in serum levels of free triiodothyronine and testosterone.Conclusions The obtained results suggest that levothyroxine administered together with liothyronine is superior to levothyroxine administered alone in affecting female sexual functioning.

Sitting time and depression in young women over 12-years: The effect of physical activity

Introduction: There is an increasing body of evidence to show that prolonged sitting time is associated with increased risk of mortality and chronic illnesses, including depression. While there have been claims that the two risks are ‘independent’, their joint and stratified effects are unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the combined effects of physical activity and sitting time on the 12 year risk of depressive symptoms in young women.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status: a pilot study

ObjectiveAlthough vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of numerous disorders, no previous study has investigated its association with sexual dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate female sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status. Study designThe study included 14 women with vitamin D deficiency, 14 women with vitamin D insufficiency, as well as 14 matched healthy women. All participants of the study completed questionnaires evaluating female sexual functioning (Female Sexual Function Index – FSFI) and the presence and severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition – BDI-II). ResultsThe total FSFI score was lower while the overall BDI-II score higher in women with vitamin D deficiency, but not in women with vitamin D insufficiency, than in healthy subjects. Compared to women with normal vitamin D status, women with vitamin D deficiency were characterized by lower scores for three domains: sexual desire, orgasm and satisfaction, while women with vitamin D insufficiency were characterized by a lower score only for desire. Desire and in women with vitamin D deficiency also orgasm, sexual satisfaction and the overall FSFI score negatively correlated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. ConclusionThe obtained results indicate that low vitamin D status is associated with abnormal female sexual functioning, the severity of which depends on the degree of vitamin D deficiency.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with elevated macroprolactin content: a pilot study.

Elevated prolactin levels seem to be associated with impaired sexuality. The clinical significance of macroprolactinemia, associated with the predominance of high molecular mass circulating forms of prolactin, is still poorly understood. This study was aimed at investigating sexual function in young women with macroprolactinemia. The study enrolled 14 young women with macroprolactinemia, 14 with increased monomeric prolactin levels, as well as 14 age- and weight-matched healthy women. All patients completed a questionnaire evaluating female sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index—FSFI), as well as a questionnaire assessing the presence and severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition—BDI-II). Apart from total prolactin levels and macroprolactin content, circulating levels of thyrotropin, total testosterone, and 17-β estradiol were also measured. Patients with elevated monomeric prolactin levels had a lower total FSFI score, as well as lower scores for all domains: sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and dyspareunia. These scores correlated with total and monomeric prolactin levels. In turn, women with macroprolactinemia were characterized by a lower score for sexual desire, and only this score correlated with total prolactin levels and macroprolactin content. The total score in the BDI-II questionnaire was higher in patients with hyper- and macroprolactinemia than in the control subjects. Contrary to multidimensional impairment of sexual function in women with elevated monomeric prolactin, macroprolactinemia only seems to disturb sexual desire.

Binge drinking and subsequent depressive symptoms in young women in Australia

BackgroundThe long-term impact of binge drinking on subsequent depressive symptoms is unclear. The aims were to identify longitudinal patterns of binge drinking and whether binge drinking preceded depressive symptoms in the short-term (1–6 years) and long-term (10–15 years). MethodsLongitudinal data from 1996, 2000 and 2009 mailed surveys of 8,197 women in the 1973–78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Latent class analysis was used to identify binge drinking patterns and logistic regression to estimate associations with subsequent depressive symptoms. ResultsFive binge drinking trajectories were identified with predicted proportions of women who were very infrequent (24%), fluctuating infrequent (17%), frequent (17%), very frequent (26%) or extremely frequent binge drinkers (16%) between 16 and 21 years. At 22–27 years, depressive symptoms were significantly higher for extremely frequent binge drinkers (31% versus 21% in the short-term; 22% versus 16%-18% in the long-term) than for less frequent bingers. Unadjusted odds of depressive symptoms were 1.70 (95%CI:1.38;2.08) times for extremely frequent binge drinkers than very infrequent bingers and were 1.30 (95%CI:1.04;1.63) after adjusting for demographics, relationships and experience of violence. At 31–36 years, the odds of depressive symptoms were 1.34 (95%CI:1.09–1.64) times for extremely frequent than very infrequent binge drinkers, but were not significant after adjusting for relationships and violence. ConclusionsExtremely frequent binge drinking (more than weekly) in late adolescence appears to elevate the risk of subsequent depressive symptoms in young women in their early twenties and thirties, emphasising the need for preventive strategies to curb binge drinking.

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status.

Hypovitaminosis D is associated with abnormal female sexual functioning. The aim of our study was to assess whether vitamin D supplementation affects sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status. The study included 47 women with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. All women with vitamin D deficiency were treated with oral vitamin D, while women with vitamin D insufficiency were either treated with vitamin D or left untreated. At the beginning of the study and six months later, all patients completed questionnaires evaluating female sexual function (FSFI) and depressive symptoms (BDI-II). The total FSFI score and scores in three domains (sexual desire, orgasm and satisfaction) were lower while the overall BDI-II score was higher in women with vitamin D deficiency than in women with vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D improved sexual desire in women with both vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency, increased the total FSFI score and scores for orgasm and sexual satisfaction, as well as decreased the total BDI-II score in women with vitamin D deficiency. The obtained results indicate that vitamin D supplementation improves female sexual functioning and mood in women with low vitamin D status. < p > < /p >.

Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with thyroid autoimmunity and subclinical hypothyroidism.

The results of few studies conducted to date suggest an increased prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with thyroid disorders. The aim of this study was to compare female sexual function and depressive symptoms between women with autoimmune thyroid disease and with mild thyroid failure. The study included four groups of young women: euthyroid women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (Group 1), women with nonautoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism (Group 2), women with autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism (Group 3) and healthy euthyroid females without thyroid autoimmunity (Group 4). Beyond measuring serum hormone levels and thyroid antibody titres, all enrolled women completed questionnaires evaluating female sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index - FSFI) and the presence and severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition - BDI-II). The mean total FSFI score was lower in women with autoimmune hypothyroidism than in the remaining groups of women, as well as lower in Groups 1 and 2 than in Group 4. Compared to Group 4, three domains (sexual desire, lubrication and sexual satisfaction) were lower in Group 1, four domains (desire, arousal, lubrication and dyspareunia) in Group 2 and all FSFI domain scores in Group 3. The total BDI-II score was higher in Groups 1 and 2 than in Group 4, as well as higher in Group 3 than in the other groups of women. The obtained results suggest that both thyroid autoimmunity and mild thyroid failure, particularly if they occur together, may negatively affect female sexual function and depressive symptoms.

Coping strategies and depressive symptoms in young women

Coping strategies and depressive symptoms in young women

Intergenerational educational mobility on general mental health and depressive symptoms in young women

To investigate how intergenerational educational mobility between women and their parents influences mental health/depressive symptoms in women. We studied 5,619 women aged 31-36 years in 2009 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The short-form-36 Mental Component Summary Scores [MCS] measured mental health and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] measured depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analyses, with adjustment for confounders, were used. Greater downward mobility from mothers (mother high to self low) [MCS regression estimate [β] -3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] -5.6,-1.1; CES-D β 1.94; 95% CI, 0.7,3.2], and greater (father high to self low MCS β,-2.53; 95% CI -4.8,-0.3] and moderate (father high to self intermediate MCS β -1.71; 95% CI -3.3,-0.1] downward mobility from fathers were associated with poorer mental health in women. Another strongly consistent influence on poor mental health was answering 'don't know/not applicable' about parental education [mother-self MCS β -1.34; 95% CI, -2.3,-0.4; mother-self CES-D β 0.52; 95% CI 0.01,1.0; father-self MCS β -1.19; 95% CI -2.1,-0.3]. There are subtle differences for same and opposite-sex parent-daughter relationships on the impact of downwards intergenerational educational mobility on mental health in young women. These results suggest the effect of own educational attainment on mental health depends on the degree of disparity between self and parent. Future studies should consider 'don't know' as a separate category rather than treating it as a 'missing' response.

Impact of Dietary Folate Intake on Depressive Symptoms in Young Women of Reproductive Age

Folate deficiencies may be linked to depressive disorders among persons suffering from neurological and psychiatric problems. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dietary folate intake on depressive symptoms in young Japanese women of reproductive age. The study was conducted in Japan in 2009 with 141 Japanese women aged 18 to 28 years. A Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms. Dietary intake was investigated by a diet history questionnaire. Nonfasting blood samples were collected from the women to measure folate and homocysteine levels. The proportion of women with lower folate intake (< 240 μg/d) was significantly higher in the women with CES-D scores greater than or equal to 19 when compared with the folate levels in those with CES-D scores less than 19 (75.0% vs 43.6%, respectively; P < .001). Logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations between CES-D scores greater than or equal to 19, low folate intake, and low vitamin B(6) intake when adjusted for age, living status, smoking, and body mass index. Adequate folate intake of more than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) level of 240 μg per day was independently related to a decreased risk of depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.56; P < .001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a reduced incidence of depression in women whose intake of folate exceeded the RDA of 240 μg per day. This finding suggests that dietary folate intake may be causally related to depressive symptoms in women of reproductive age. If results of studies powered to determine causal relationships are similarly positive, folate supplementation could reduce the incidence of depression.