Early Life Adversity Research Articles

What long-term health outcomes can we anticipate for children who have been in social care?

Abstract The concept of cumulative disadvantage suggests that setbacks in one area of life not only lead to further challenges within that domain but also increase vulnerability to adversities across different domains, as highlighted in life course studies. In the context of children with a history of childhood social care (CSC) experience, research consistently shows poorer long-term health outcomes compared to peers without such experiences. This disparity persists into middle age and can affect subsequent generations, underscoring the enduring impact of early-life adversity. Dr Viviane S. Straatmann, a social epidemiologist based in Sweden and enriched by her experience in studying the health and social life of vulnerable children in diverse international settings, will offer insights from life-course and intergenerational epidemiological studies. She will explore the intricate web of disadvantages preceding children’s entry into social care, shedding light on the complex interplay between early-life adversity, cumulative disadvantage, and long-term health outcomes. Participants will engage in reflective dialogue on pertinent questions, such as how cumulative disadvantage informs interventions for children with CSC backgrounds, the potential mechanisms underlying the contribution of early-life adversities to long-term health disparities, and the ways intergenerational studies can inform strategies for breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

Amplifying School Mental Health Literacy Through Neuroscience Education.

Children and adolescents face a wide variety of developmental changes and environmental challenges, and it is estimated that at least one in five children aged 3-17 will experience behavioral or mental health issues. This period of life coincides with major changes in brain structure and function that have profound long-term consequences for learning, decision-making (including risk taking), and emotional processing. For example, continued development of the prefrontal cortex in adolescence is a sensitive period during which individuals are particularly susceptible to risky behaviors, environmental stressors, and substance use. While recent advances in mental health literacy programs have paved the way for increased awareness of the benefits of mental health curricula in schools, these efforts could be greatly bolstered with support in basic neuroscience education in developmentally appropriate and area-specific content. Here, we provide a discussion on the basic structural and functional changes occurring in the brain throughout childhood, how this contributes to changes in cognitive function, and the risk factors posed by early life adversity, stress, and drug use. Finally, we provide a perspective on the benefits of integrating findings from the field of neuroscience and suggestions for tools to better equip students, teachers, administrators, and school mental health staff to provide new directions for addressing the mental health crises faced by millions of children and youth each year.

The trajectory of substance use disorder among people formerly in foster care: A survival analysis.

Substance use disorder (SUD) represents a significant public health challenge, especially among individuals who have faced early life adversities. Foster care aims to provide a supportive environment for children; however, the relationship between a history of foster care and SUD development remains unclear. This study aims to examine the likelihood of developing SUD among individuals with a history of foster care, who have used substances during their lifetime, compared to those raised by biological parents. Using data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), we analyzed the prevalence of social demographics and clinical variables among individuals who have used alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis. We calculated the probabilities of developing SUD for each factor, including exposure to foster care. Various covariates that could impact SUD occurrence were also assessed. The duration from initial substance use to SUD onset was calculated for both groups. Survival analysis curves were generated for each substance to depict the probability of SUD development over time. Our analysis revealed that foster care may act as a protective factor against Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), with a hazard ratio of 0.25 (95% CI [0.07, 0.88]). No significant associations were found with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Nicotine Use Disorder (NUD). Both foster and non-foster care groups exhibited higher probabilities of developing NUD compared to the general population. For cannabis users, the probability of developing CUD stabilizes after approximately 10 years. Family history of SUD and clinical predictors such as mood disorders consistently showed significant associations across all substance groups, highlighting their importance in SUD development. Our findings suggest that foster care may offer some protective benefits, particularly against CUD, emphasizing the need for further research into its protective factors and the development of targeted interventions to reduce SUD prevalence in this population.

Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number in association with trauma-focused psychotherapy efficacy

Early life adversities (ELA) have been linked to a greater risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The molecular mechanisms underlying the link between ELA and MDD and/or TRD are yet unknown. It has been suggested that ELA induces an allostatic burden, which in turn promotes oxidative stress and an inflammatory response that are further intensified by the influence of maladaptive coping behaviour. In this study we explored the role of two markers of cellular aging and oxidative stress (leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn)) in TRD and in response to trauma-focused psychotherapies. The study comprised 30 TRD patients receiving trauma-focused psychotherapies and 65 healthy controls. LTL and mtDNAcn were measured at baseline and four weeks after the end of the psychotherapy sessions. Response was defined based on reduction in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). In the case control analysis, the logistic regression model showed that mtDNAcn but not LTL was a significant predictor of diagnosis (chi-square 92.108, p = 7.72e-20; contribution of mtDNAcn, B = −9-297, p = 0.00009). In the TRD sample, LTL and mtDNAcn were inversely correlated with MADRS score at baseline (LTL, Pearson's r = −0.478, p = 0.008; mtDNAcn, Pearson's r = −0.656, p = 0.00008), but there was no difference in either LTL or mtDNAcn between responders and non-responders. In conclusion, our findings support an involvement of cellular aging in TRD, and suggest that LTL and mtDNAcn are not predictors or mediators of response to trauma-focused psychotherapies.

Effects of Early Life Scarcity-Adversity on Maturational Milestones in Male and Female Rats.

Although many studies have shown a long-term negative impact of early life adversity (ELA) in rodents, literature regarding its effects on maturational milestones in rats is scarce. Available evidence suggests that ELA interferes with normal growth and development in rodents and that effects may be sex-dependent even at an early age. In accordance, we hypothesized that early life scarcity-adversity would impair physical and reflex development in male and female rats. To test this, we used an early life resource scarcity paradigm based on reducing home cage bedding during postnatal days (PND) 2-9 and assessed physical landmarks by measuring weight gain, incisor presence, fur development, and eye opening. We also evaluated the impact of early life scarcity-adversity on developmental reflexes by measuringsurface righting and grasp reflexes, negative geotaxis, cliff avoidance, bar holding, and auditory startle. Early life scarcity-adversity resulted in earlier complete lower incisor presence in males (PND 6), impaired surface righting(PND 6) and grasp reflexes (PND 8) in both sexes, and impaired cliff avoidance responses in females (PND 12). These results extend previous research examining the effects of ELA on developing male and female rodents by showing that it negatively impacts a subset of physical landmarks and developmental reflexes in a sex-dependent manner.

Friend or foe? Early life adversity to improve farmed animal welfare

Early life experiences can have lasting impacts on an animal’s development. Extensive research evidence aligns across both human and non-human rodent and primate laboratory animals showing negative impacts of early life adversity such as impairments in neurological and behavioural development. Farmed animals experience a range of adversities across their production lifetimes, often early in life, including species atypical social groupings, invasive husbandry procedures, and transport. Correspondingly, farmed animals also demonstrate a wide range of impairments such as stereotypic, injurious, and other abnormal behaviours. An individual, however, needs to experience adversity to be able to develop resilience and coping mechanisms that facilitate dealing with challenges later in life. Not all individuals will experience stress vulnerability following adversity, with some individuals instead developing stress resilience. This mini review collates evidence on the positive effects of early life adversity on improving adaptability in farmed species, both terrestrial and aquatic. While evidence across farmed animal species is currently much less than for humans, laboratory rodents or non-human primates, similar patterns emerge where mild adversity early in life, can improve the adaptability of the animal in the face of future stressors. Many views of optimised welfare posit that farmed animals should be housed in as natural environments as possible to limit many of the typical adversities they face. However, strategic mild exposure to early life adversity may facilitate improved animal welfare under intensive commercial farming conditions. Future research into this area could provide management tools to better predict and promote stress resilience over stress vulnerability.

The effects of neighborhood disadvantage and adverse childhood experiences on conditioned pain modulation in adults with chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) remains a major health crisis worldwide. Current conceptualizations of cLBP utilize the biopsychosocial model, yet research on social factors remains limited. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a risk factor for a variety of chronic health problems, including cLBP. However, the extent to which socioeconomic context might influence associations between ACEs and cLBP remains unclear. Socioeconomic factors such as healthcare access and living conditions, which cluster at the neighborhood level, may affect how ACEs relate to cLBP in adulthood. This study examined (1) the relationship between ACEs and conditioned pain modulation (CPM), and (2) the moderating effect of area-level deprivation index (ADI) in a sample of community-dwelling adults with cLBP. 183 adults with cLBP (53% female, 62.8% non-Hispanic Black) reported on ACEs, ADI, sociodemographics, and completed experimental testing of conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Greater ACEs were associated with a less efficient CPM response for individuals residing in low neighborhood deprivation (p < 0.01). ACEs were not significantly associated with CPM for those residing in average (p = 0.31) or high deprivation (p = 0.15). Our findings suggest that a history of ACEs is associated with diminished ability to inhibit pain, especially among individuals living in less deprived neighborhoods. The association between ACEs and CPM was weakest for the portion of our sample residing in neighborhoods with the most deprivation. People from disadvantaged backgrounds may experience numerous psychosocial stressors that hinder CPM, making it difficult to assess the specific impact of ACEs on CPM. Trial registrationThis study utilized baseline data collected as part of a parent trial titled “Examining Racial and SocioEconomic Disparities in Chronic Low Back Pain” (ERASED - ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03338192). PerspectiveThis study demonstrates that early life adversity is associated with abnormal endogenous pain modulation, particularly for participants who live in neighborhoods characterized by less deprivation.

Early life health adversity and internalizing disorders in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Early life adversity (ELA) and youth chronic health conditions have been examined as separate contributors to psychopathology. However, little work has specifically examined early life health adversity (ELHA) and its association with risk for internalizing disorders. This study seeks to examine the relationship between ELHA and internalizing disorders across adolescence. A sample of 705 Australian mother-youth dyads participated in a prospective longitudinal study. Mothers reported child health indicators at youth ages three-to-four days, six months, and five years and completed a psychiatric interview at 15 years. Youth completed a psychiatric interview, as well as measures of current health status, at age 20. ELHA was positively associated with both youth anxiety and depressive disorders from ages 15 to 20. When independently accounting for the role of (a) current health status and (b) exposure to traditionally conceptualized forms of ELA, these findings remained statistically significant for anxiety but not depressive disorders. ELHA interacted with maternal depression, such that ELHA was only associated with youth depressive disorders in cases where mothers themselves had experienced depression. Routine mental health screenings may be warranted for youth who experience ELHA and their mothers. Pediatric primary care may be an ideal setting for implementing prevention and intervention efforts.

Sex-specific and developmental effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity are rescued by postnatal knockdown of 5-HT1A autoreceptors

Early Life Adversity (ELA) predisposes to stress hypersensitivity in adulthood, but neurobiological mechanisms that protect from the enduring effects of ELA are poorly understood. Serotonin 1A (5HT1A) autoreceptors in the raphé nuclei regulate adult stress vulnerability, but whether 5HT1A could be targeted to prevent ELA effects on susceptibility to future stressors is unknown. Here, we exposed mice with postnatal knockdown of 5HT1A autoreceptors to the limited bedding and nesting model of ELA from postnatal day (P)3-10 and tested behavioral, neuroendocrine, neurogenic, and neuroinflammatory responses to an acute swim stress in male and female mice in adolescence (P35) and in adulthood (P56). In females, ELA decreased raphé 5HT neuron activity in adulthood and increased passive coping with the acute swim stress, corticosterone levels, neuronal activity, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. ELA also reduced neurogenesis in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) of the hippocampus, an important mediator of individual differences in stress susceptibility, and increased microglia activation in the PVN and vDG. These effects of ELA were specific to females and manifested predominantly in adulthood, but not earlier on in adolescence. Postnatal knockdown of 5HT1A autoreceptors prevented these effects of ELA on 5HT neuron activity, stress reactivity, neurogenesis, and neuroinflammation in adult female mice. Our findings demonstrate that ELA induces long-lasting and sex-specific impairments in the serotonin system, stress reactivity, and vDG function, and identify 5HT1A autoreceptors as potential targets to prevent these enduring effects of ELA.

A novel epigenetic clock for rhesus macaques unveils an association between early life adversity and epigenetic age acceleration.

Because DNA methylation changes reliably with age, machine learning models called epigenetic clocks can estimate an individual's age based on their DNA methylation profile. This epigenetic measure of age can deviate from one's true age, and the difference between the epigenetic age and true age, known as epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), has been found to directly correlate with morbidity and mortality in adults. Emerging evidence suggests that EAA is also associated with aberrant health outcomes in children, making epigenetic clocks useful tools for studying aging and development. We developed two highly accurate epigenetic clocks for the rhesus macaque, utilizing 1,008 blood samples from 690 macaques between 2 days and 23.4 years of age with diverse genetic backgrounds and exposure to environmental conditions. The first clock, which is trained on all samples, achieves a Pearson correlation between true age and predicted age of 0.983 and median absolute error of 0.210 years. To study phenotypes during development, the second clock is optimized for macaques younger than 6 years and achieves a Pearson correlation of 0.974 and a median absolute error of 0.148 years. Using the latter clock, we investigated whether epigenetic aging is affected by early life adversity in the form of infant maltreatment. Our data suggests that maltreatment and increased hair cortisol levels are associated with epigenetic age acceleration right after the period of maltreatment.

Association between adverse childhood experiences and current use of e-cigarettes or electronic vaping products across sex race ethnicity and age based on 2020–2022 BRFSS data

IntroductionThe use of e-cigarettes or other electronic vaping products (EOEVP) has been on the rise since their introduction. Concurrently, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to various negative behavioral health outcomes. We explore the association between ACEs and current EOEVP use, with a focus on variations across sex, race/ethnicity, and age.MethodsUtilizing data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2020–2022, we analyzed responses from 202,126 adults in the United States in a cross-sectional study. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of current EOEVP use for different levels of ACEs. Stratified and interaction analyses were used to examine potential effect modification.ResultsAmong adults 54 years of age and younger, even a lower number of ACEs [1 (aOR 1.52), 2 (aOR 2.01), and 3 (aOR 1.51)] was associated with higher odds of current EOEVP use. Stratified analyses revealed significant differences in the odds of current EOEVP use among Non-Hispanic White adults between 1 ACE (95% CI 1.75–2.28) and 4 ACEs (2.34–3.17). Hispanic adults with ≥ 1 ACEs (p-value 0.001) and 8 ACEs (p-value 0.005) showed strong associations compared to Non-Hispanic White adults. The influence of ACEs on current EOEVP use was observed to decrease with age, particularly in older adults with fewer ACEs. The aORs did not very by sex.ConclusionThe findings emphasize the importance of considering any number of ACEs in public health strategies targeting current EOEVP use, especially among younger adults and specific minority groups. These insights are crucial for tailoring interventions and policies to address the nuanced impacts of early life adversities on health risk behaviors.

Annamaria Cattaneo: Three main questions: Stress, mental, and physical health: Is the gut microbiome the key? Which are the biological mechanisms driving perinatal depression, and how do they affect the mental and physical health of the offspring? Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in reducing the risk of developing mood disorders or in improving symptomatology: Is inflammation the key driver?

Annamaria Cattaneo is an Associate Professor at the University of Milan, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, and the Head of the Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry at the IRCCS Fatebenefratelli Institute in Brescia, where she is also Deputy Scientific Director. She is currently associate editor of Brain, Behavior, &amp; Immunity—Health, an official journal of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society. She dedicates her research to understanding the complex interplay between early life adversities and the development of mental health disorders. Her work focuses on the biological mechanisms, such as neuroplasticity, inflammation, gut microbiome, and epigenetics, that connect early life experiences to mental health vulnerabilities later in life. Recently, Dr Cattaneo has expanded her research to explore the liver-brain axis and its role in the development of comorbidities between mental and physical disorders. Additionally, she is actively involved in identifying peripheral biomarkers associated with the risk of developing mood disorders and treatment response. A significant focus of her current work is on perinatal depression, aiming to uncover the biological, social, and environmental factors that shape the risk for depression during pregnancy and its impact on offspring outcomes. As the Coordinator of the HappyMums Project, a Horizon Europe initiative, she leads efforts to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the development of depressive symptoms in pregnancy and the efficacy of interventions. Dr Cattaneo's passion for her work extends beyond the laboratory, as she actively engages in dissemination activities to raise awareness about mental health issues among the general population. Through events like the HappyRun in the Monza Park and Luci e Ombre / Lights and Shadows, she brings together science, art, and community to promote mental well-being. In this "Genomic Press Interview," Annamaria Cattaneo kindly shares insights into her life and impressive career, providing our readers with a glimpse into the driving force behind her ground-breaking research and tireless efforts to advance our understanding of mental health.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Perceived Discrimination, and Mental Health in Sexual and Gender Minoritized Adults: Comparing Stress Accumulation and Stress Sensitization Models.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exposure, perceived discrimination, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) adults in the United States. Methods: Respondents (n = 4445) from a national Qualtrics research panel completed a web-based survey. Guided by the stress proliferation (mediation model) and stress sensitization (moderation model) models, we examined the relationships between ACEs and perceived discrimination and the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adulthood. Results: Cumulative ACEs exposure was positively associated with everyday discrimination scale (EDS) scores. ACEs and EDS scores had a significant direct association with anxiety and depressive symptoms. We found support for EDS as a mediator for anxiety (β = 0.12, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.14, p < 0.001) and for ACEs as a moderator of the relationship between EDS and anxiety (β = -0.04, p = 0.004) and depressive (β = -0.05, p = 0.001) symptoms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both stress proliferation and stress sensitization likely contribute to disparities in anxiety and depressive symptoms in SGM adults. This finding supports the integration of social safety and minority stress perspectives regarding health disparities in SGM populations. Exposure to early life adversity likely alters neurodevelopment, which in turn increases awareness of the lack of social safety in adulthood, reduces capacity to cope with minority stress exposure, and ultimately contributes to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Prevention efforts should focus on building positive and compensatory childhood experiences.

Child maltreatment elevated the risk of late-life chronic pain: a biopsychosocial framework from the UK Biobank cohort.

Understanding the development of chronic pain (CP) is challenging due to its multifactorial etiology. Child maltreatment (CM), encompassing various types of neglect and abuse affecting more than one-third of the population, is a critical aspect of early-life adversity with long-lasting impacts. It is increasingly recognized for its role in altering biopsychosocial processes, potentially increasing vulnerability to CP. However, the exact path connecting CM to CP is not fully elucidated, primarily attributable to limitations in prior research, including insufficient sample sizes, inadequate consideration of comprehensive mediative variables, and a lack of longitudinal data. To address these gaps, our study utilizes a large-scale dataset (n = 150,989) comprising both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, along with an extensive range of biopsychosocial variables. Our findings reveal that all types of CMs, except physical neglect, significantly increase the risk of CP, and all types of CPs, except headache, were affected by CM. Furthermore, we demonstrate that individuals with CM histories are more predisposed to comorbid CP conditions. Importantly, biopsychosocial factors are found to explain over 60% of the association between CM and CP, with psychological factors playing a key role. This study not only characterizes the relationship between CM and CP but also underscores the influence of psychosocial elements in this dynamic interplay. These findings offer important insights into the long-term impacts of CM and provide a foundation for developing targeted therapeutic and preventive strategies for CP.

Exploring the Role of Empathy in the Association Between Early Life Adversity and Antisocial Behavior

Exploring the Role of Empathy in the Association Between Early Life Adversity and Antisocial Behavior

Childhood adversity, accelerated GrimAge, and associated health consequences.

Childhood adversity is linked to psychological, behavioral, and physical health problems, including obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Epigenetic alterations are one pathway through which the effects of early life stress and adversity might persist into adulthood. Epigenetic mechanisms have also been proposed to explain why cardiometabolic health can vary greatly between individuals with similar Body Mass Index (BMIs). We evaluated two independent cross-sectional cohorts of adults without known medical illness, one of which explicitly recruited individuals with early life stress (ELS) and control participants (n = 195), and the other a general community sample (n = 477). In these cohorts, we examine associations between childhood adversity, epigenetic aging, and metabolic health. Childhood adversity was associated with increased GrimAge Acceleration (GAA) in both cohorts, both utilizing a dichotomous yes/no classification (both p < 0.01) as well as a continuous measure using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) (both p < 0.05). Further investigation demonstrated that CTQ subscales for physical and sexual abuse (both p < 0.05) were associated with increased GAA in both cohorts, whereas physical and emotional neglect were not. In both cohorts, higher CTQ was also associated with higher BMI and increased insulin resistance (both p < 0.05). Finally, we demonstrate a moderating effect of BMI on the relationship between GAA and insulin resistance where GAA correlated with insulin resistance specifically at higher BMIs. These results, which were largely replicated between two independent cohorts, suggest that interactions between epigenetics, obesity, and metabolic health may be important mechanisms through which childhood adversity contributes to long-term physical and metabolic health effects.

Characterizing the role of unpredictability within different dimensions of early life adversity.

Dimensional models of early life adversity highlight the distinct roles of deprivation and threat in shaping neurocognitive development and mental health. However, relatively little is known about the role of unpredictability within each dimension. We estimated both the average levels of, and the temporal unpredictability of deprivation and threat exposure during adolescence in a high-risk, longitudinal sample of 1354 youth (Pathways to Desistance study). We then related these estimates to later life psychological distress, and Antisocial and Borderline personality traits, and tested whether any effects are mediated by future orientation. High average levels of both deprivation and threat exposure were found to be associated with worse mental health on all three outcomes, but only the effects on Antisocial and Borderline personality traits were mediated by decreased future orientation, a pattern consistent with evolutionary models of psychopathology. Unpredictability in deprivation exposure proved to be associated with increased psychological distress and a higher number of Borderline traits, but with increased future orientation. There was some evidence of unpredictability in threat exposure buffering against the detrimental developmental effects of average threat levels. Our results suggest that the effects of unpredictability are distinct within different dimensions of early life adversity.

Developmental Predictors of Suicidality in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

Background/Objectives: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a complex interplay of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors that significantly increase the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SAs). This systematic review synthesizes current research on the developmental predictors of SI in individuals with SZ, aiming to delineate the multifactorial etiology of suicide within this population. Methods: A comprehensive search across Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases identified 23 eligible studies, emphasizing the varied methodological approaches and the global distribution of research efforts. Results: These studies demonstrate a robust association between early life adversities, particularly childhood trauma such as physical neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse, and the increased prevalence of SI and SAs in SZ. This review also highlights the significant genetic factors associated with the development of suicidality in SZ, raising the possibility that polymorphisms in inflammation-related genes and neurodevelopmental abnormalities may influence susceptibility to SI. Notably, family history of psychiatric conditions may exacerbate the risk of SI through both hereditary and environmental mechanisms. Environmental factors, including socioeconomic status and social support, are also implicated, underscoring the role of broader socio-environmental conditions influencing outcomes. Conclusions: This review supports the integration of biopsychosocial models in understanding SI in SZ, advocating for interventions addressing the complex interplay of risk factors and the need for longitudinal studies to elucidate the dynamic interactions between risk factors over time. This comprehensive understanding is crucial for developing targeted preventive strategies and enhancing the clinical management of SZ, aiming to reduce suicidality in this vulnerable population.

Nicotine addiction and the influence of life adversity and acute stress on PYY: Prediction of early smoking relapse.

Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with earlier initiation and maintenance of tobacco smoking and with a greater risk of subsequent relapse. There is growing evidence that appetite hormones, including peptide YY (PYY), which modulates craving and satiety responses, play a role in stress and addiction processes. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to examine the association between ELA and circulating PYY stress responses in smokers and nonsmokers (N = 152, ages 19-73 years) to examine the effects of nicotine addiction. Smokers initiated a quit attempt as part of the study and were classified as either abstinent smokers or relapsed smokers based on their nicotine use during the follow-up period. PYY levels were measured at five timepoints during three lab sessions and compared between nonsmokers and the two smoking groups (abstainers, relapsers): while smokers were using nicotine adlibitum, 24 h after smokers initiated a quit attempt, and 4 weeks after smokers initiated a quit attempt. Multivariate analyses showed the main effects of time on PYY, which decreased over time within each session. The main effects of ELA during the first (ad libitum smoking) and second (24-h post-cessation for smokers) sessions indicated that experiencing ELA was associated with lower PYY. No systematic effect of nicotine addiction or relapse was observed in this study. These findings suggest that adults with higher ELA may experience lower PYY. Additional research is needed to further explore the role of PYY in stress and addiction processes.

Attachment classification and early adversity predict perinatal partial hospital treatment response

BackgroundDepression and anxiety are common in the perinatal period. While most of those affected respond well to treatment, a subpopulation is more resistant. Understanding more about individuals who do not respond well to available treatments may improve care for this group. MethodsWe administered entry and exit self-report measures to 178 women who participated in a specialized partial hospitalization program for perinatal individuals. Baseline measures of anxiety, obsessive symptoms, sleep quality, early life adversity, and adult attachment security were examined as potential predictors of response to treatment. ResultsWhile no individual baseline survey predicted treatment response, clustering patients on the basis of a combination of self-report adult attachment styles and early life adversity yielded four distinct groups. A cluster with high attachment anxiety, high attachment avoidance, and childhood history of verbal and emotional abuse was less responsive to treatment than the other groups. ConclusionsCombining detailed information about self-report adult attachment style and early life adversity may improve prediction of treatment response in individuals with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.