Elevated Levels Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Brief online ACT intervention to improve adolescents’ well-being: Effectiveness among adolescents with depressive symptoms during COVID-19

BackgroundThe mental health and well-being of children and adolescents declined globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people need support, yet relatively few receive psychological help, even among those who experience psychological symptoms. The existing options for support that focus on the traditional one-on-one treatment delivery approach require alternatives that can be widely disseminated. PurposeThe current study examined the effectiveness of a brief acceptance- and values-based online intervention for alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and for improving psychological flexibility among adolescents who experience depressive symptoms. MethodsA total of 43 adolescents reporting elevated levels of depression symptoms who were selected from a total of 348 adolescents were randomized to receive a five-week intervention with support from a coach and/or virtual coach or to participate in the treatment-as-usual control condition. ResultsThe results suggest that the online intervention alleviated symptoms of depression and anxiety, while adolescents who received only the usual support from their schools reported increasing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic (Cohen’s d = 0.70 and d = 0.66, respectively). ConclusionsThe online intervention is a promising alternative to respond to the increased need for support among young people who experience ill-being. Technology-based approaches can increase the reach of evidence-based psychological support while also offering an acceptable and motivating approach to young people who may not actively seek traditional face-to-face treatment. The current results support the inclusion of online support in the services provided to young people facing mental health problems.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms profile and markers of Alzheimer disease–type pathology in patients with Lewy body dementias

BackgroundTo determine whether Lewy body dementia (LBD) patients with likely copathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exhibit greater neuropsychiatric symptom (NPS) compared to those without likely AD-type copathology. MethodsWe enrolled 69 individuals diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD), comprising both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (n = 36) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) (n = 33). These participants had accessible cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive data. We assessed CSF levels of β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and total tau (t-tau). Employing autopsy-validated CSF thresholds (t-tau/Aβ42 ratio > 0.3, n = 69), we categorized individuals into LBD with AD pathology (LBD + AD, n = 31) and LBD without apparent AD co-pathology (LBD - AD, n = 38). Moreover, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD24), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA14), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) was used to assess the NPS. Spearman correlations were utilized to explore links between NPS and CSF marker profiles. ResultsIn terms of neuropsychiatric symptoms, LBD + AD patients demonstrated notably elevated levels of depressive symptoms (HAMD24) in comparison to LBD - AD patients (P < 0.001). However, based on PDD and DLB groups, no significant variations were noted in the neuropsychiatric symptoms(P＞0.05). Moreover, CSF-derived biomarkers of Aβ42, and t-tau/Aβ42 were also associated with HAMD24 total scores in the LBD + AD subsample (P < 0.05). ConclusionThere is an association between AD pathological markers and the NPS of LBD. The biologically based classification of LBD may be more advantageous in elucidating clinical heterogeneity than clinically defined syndromes.

Abstract P258: Association of Depressive Symptoms With Exceptional Longevity: The Women’s Health Initiative

Introduction: Older women may experience elevated levels of depressive symptoms and are particularly vulnerable to chronic diseases, including CVD, and disability. Yet, few studies have examined associations of depressive symptoms with healthy longevity. We examined the associations of depressive symptoms with survival to ages 90, 95, and 100, and with survival to age 90 with intact mobility and cognitive functioning among older women. Hypothesis: Relative to those without depressive symptoms at baseline, women with elevated depressive symptoms will have (i) lower odds of survival to ages 90, 95, or 100 and (ii) lower odds of surviving to age 90 without mobility and cognitive impairment. Methods: We studied 70,363 women ( M age = 69.9, SD = 3.9; 7.1% Black, 2.5% Hispanic/Latino, 89.6% White) enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative with potential, due to birth year, to survive to ages 90 and older as of February 2022. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline (1993-1998) using an 8-item screening instrument that comprises the 6-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and 2 items from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Depressive symptoms were classified as elevated (vs. not) using an established cut point of ≥0.06 for detecting the presence of depressive disorders. Survival (vs. death) to ages 90, 95, and 100 years was assessed through February 2022. Separate logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for survival to age 90, 95, and 100 and to age 90 without (vs. with) mobility and cognitive impairment, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, health insurance, financial problems, diet quality, body mass index, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, history of hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and cancer, and use of depression medication. Results: A total of 38,607 women survived to age 90 or older during WHI follow-up. After adjustment for covariates, women with elevated depressive symptoms at baseline (compared to women without symptoms) had lower odds of surviving to age 90 (OR, 0.91; 95% CI 0.86-0.96; P = .001), age 95 (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.80-0.96; P = .005) and similarly but non-significantly to age 100 (OR, 0.80; 95% CI 0.59-1.06; P = .14). Women with elevated depressive symptoms at baseline (compared to women without symptoms) had lower odds of surviving to age 90 without mobility and cognitive impairment (OR, 0.57; 95% CI 0.51-0.65; P &lt; .001) vs. surviving to age 90 with mobility and cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Baseline depressive symptoms were associated with lower odds of exceptional longevity and survival to age 90 without impairment in mobility and cognitive functioning among WHI women. These findings underscore the adverse long-term impact of depressive symptoms on healthy longevity.

An examination of the associations between depressive symptoms, perceived parental discipline, alcohol use, and drinking-related consequences during the first year of college: A moderated mediation model.

Depression is prevalent among adolescents and young adults and is associated with experiencing increased negative alcohol-related consequences; thus, it is imperative to identify malleable protective factors for alcohol risks in young adults experiencing elevated depressive symptoms. The current study longitudinally explored the effects of perceived parental alcohol-related discipline on the relationship between depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and negative drinking consequences during the transition into college. Incoming college students (N = 272, 63.2% female) completed web-based surveys before (July, T1) and after (October, T2) the transition into college and reported depressive symptoms, perceived alcohol-related discipline, alcohol use, and consequences of drinking experienced in the past 30 days. The moderated mediation model revealed that at above average perceptions of alcohol-related discipline, depressive symptoms were negatively associated with alcohol use, which in turn was associated with experiencing fewer negative consequences of drinking. The current study did not measure a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and therefore our results may differ among clinical populations. In addition, we did not measure other parenting constructs shown to protect students with elevated levels of depressive symptoms from experiencing consequences (i.e., monitoring). The present findings suggest perceptions of parental alcohol-related discipline measured here (e.g., having a privilege taken away, being scolded or grounded) can be protective against alcohol risks among college students experiencing above average depressive symptoms. Parent-based alcohol interventions administered prior to matriculation should encourage parents of depressed students to clearly communicate consequences for drinking to their child.

Prevalence of depression symptoms among female adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Epidemiological studies on the prevalence of elevated depression symptoms among female adolescents in Saudi Arabia report a wide variation, ranging from 13.9% to 80.2%. However, different methods of assessment and sampling have been used. The aim of the current study is to estimate the prevalence of elevated depression symptoms amongst female adolescents in Saudi Arabia using a gold-standard self-report measure, the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 515 female students aged 13-18 years, recruited from public schools. Participants completed the Arabic versions of the MFQ, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Mean MFQ score for this sample was 26.35 and almost half of participants (48.2%) had scores above the cut-off. Severity of depression varied with age, with those aged 13 showing reduced symptoms, and was negatively correlated with self-esteem and perceived social support. There were no associations with other demographic factors. Elevated levels of depression symptoms were common in this sample. This highlights the need to improve public mental health in this community and to improve methods of identifying and treating depression in female adolescents.

Association between self-rated depressive symptoms and mucosal expression of NF-κ B in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms

BackgroundPrevious clinical studies have reported elevated levels of depressive symptoms in selected samples of patients with gastritis. The objective of this study was to examine the associations of specific biomarkers of inflammation expressed in mucosal tissue from the stomach with mood and anxiety symptoms in adult patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.MethodsIn this monocentric, observational study, a total of 32 study participants were included who were referred for a routine diagnostic upper endoscopic assessment based on the suspected clinical diagnosis of gastritis. All participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) before undergoing gastroscopy. Immunohistochemical stainings from biopsy sections were performed to evaluate the expression level of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κ B), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).ResultsOur findings confirmed that nearly half of the study cohort (n = 13; 41%) displayed positive HADS depression scores above the clinically relevant cut-off level of ≥ 8. Regression models demonstrated that depressive symptoms were significantly and positively associated with the expression level of NF-κ B in biopsies from the upper gastrointestinal tract.ConclusionsIn summary, our study showed a significant association between NF-κ B expression and clinically relevant depressive symptoms in patients with gastritis, as assessed by a self-rated psychometric questionnaire. Further investigations are needed to confirm this relationship and to identify the pathophysiological mechanisms involved.

Socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms and suicidality: The role of subjective social status

BackgroundLow socioeconomic status (SES) confers access to material resources and social standing and is an established risk factor of both depressive symptoms and suicidality. Subjective social status (SSS) assesses how people perceive their position within the social hierarchy and has been proposed to impact mental health. This study examined the relationship between SES and depressive symptoms and suicidality and tested whether SSS mediated these associations. MethodsThis study drew on publicly available survey data from the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Participants were surveyed at baseline in 2008 (N = 4948; aged 28.8 years) and at followed up in 2016–2018 (N = 3509; aged 37.8 years). SES was gauged using personal and household income, assets, education, and job prestige. SSS was assessed using the MacArthur Scale. Depressive symptoms were assessed using four-items from the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Scale of Depression (CESD) and participants reported suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the past year. ResultsBoth low SES and SSS were associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. SSS explained 27 % of the association between SES and depressive symptoms, 51 % of the relationship between SES and suicidal ideation, and 37 % of the link between SES and suicide attempts on average. ConclusionsThese findings contribute to understanding the long-term effects of SSS and suggest that perceptions of status may be a key mechanism through which low SES forecasts the development of depressive symptoms and suicidality.

Health asymmetry as a predictor of depressive symptomatology over time among older European adults: A growth curve analysis

ObjectiveSubjective (SH) and objective health (OH) measures are associated with depressive symptomatology in older adults. We explored whether the discrepancy between SH and OH (operationalised as ‘health asymmetry’ with four categories: ‘health optimistic’, ‘health pessimistic’ and ‘good health realistic’ and ‘poor health realistic’) may also relate to depressive symptomatology 1) cross-sectionally, and 2) longitudinally, among older European adults. MethodsAdults (n = 26,520), aged 50+, from 11 European countries, were assessed over six waves of data collection (2006–2020) in the SHARE study. A hierarchical multi-level growth curve model explored whether health asymmetry was associated with depressive symptomology at baseline, and with depressive symptom trajectories across time, accounting for country of origin. ResultsAt baseline, 11.8% of older adults were classified as health pessimistic, with 15.5% being health optimistic, 42.9% being poor health realistic and 29.8% being good health realistic. A positive linear trend in depressive symptomatology was noted across 14 years of SHARE data (β = 0.11, p < .001). Health pessimists displayed higher levels of depressive symptoms than both health realistic groups and health optimists. However, health pessimists experienced a less steep increase in depressive symptoms across time (β = −0.10, p < .001), relative to good health realists. ConclusionHealth pessimists experience elevated levels of depressive symptoms, but show less growth in depressive symptomatology than expected. Further research is required to understand the underlying causes of the varying depressive symptom trajectories among these groups.

A pilot randomized clinical trial of tDCS for increasing exercise engagement in individuals with elevated depressive symptoms: Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics

Regular exercise protects against overweight/obesity as well as numerous chronic diseases. Yet, less than half of Americans exercise sufficiently. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms have been identified as an important correlate of physical inactivity as well as poor adherence to exercise programs. Individuals with depression are less sensitive to rewards and demonstrate an attentional bias toward negative stimuli. These, and other features of depression, may place them at increased risk for effectively managing the affective experience of exercise. Lower baseline levels of activation of the left (vs right) frontal cortex, an area implicated in affect regulation, have also been found in depression, potentially pointing to this region as a potential target for intervening on affect regulation during exercise. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown promise in impacting a variety of cognitive and affective processes in a large number of individuals, including people with depression. Some findings have suggested that tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), specifically, may improve emotion regulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation could theoretically be a novel and potentially promising approach to improving the affective experience of exercise, thereby increasing exercise adherence among individuals with depressive symptoms. Here we present the rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of a pilot randomized controlled trial of tDCS versus sham delivered 3x/week for 8 weeks in the context of supervised aerobic exercise (AE) program among 51 low-active individuals with elevated depressive symptoms (86.3% female; mean age = 49.5). Follow-up assessments were conducted at end of treatment, and three and six months after enrollment to examine changes in levels of objectively-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). If effective, this approach could have high public health impact on preventing obesity and chronic diseases among these at-risk individuals.

Depression symptoms in neurological patients: A survey of a large cohort of patients with focal brain lesions

ABSTRACT Introduction Examining depression following neurological injury is useful for understanding post-lesion depression and depression more generally. The extant literature shows variability in the incidence and severity of depression post-lesion, likely due to heterogeneity in study methodology, patient samples, measures of depression, and time of assessment. Here, we aim to characterize depression symptoms and their demographic correlates in a large sample of individuals in the chronic epoch following a focal brain lesion. Method We sampled 492 individuals who had focal, stable brain lesions and were in the chronic epoch (≥3 months post-onset). Demographic (gender, years of education), temporal (age at lesion onset, time since lesion onset), and lesion (lesion laterality, lesion etiology, lesion volume) factors were used to predict depression symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results We found that on average, neurological patients exhibited elevated levels of depression symptoms (although not clinically significant) relative to a community sample, and the neurological patients showed higher rates of mild and moderate depression symptoms than are typical in a community sample. Gender and lesion etiology were predictive of depression symptoms, whereby women and patients with ischemic stroke had higher levels of depression symptoms. Conclusions Our results suggest that depression symptom severity may be elevated following a focal brain lesion. Moreover, some individuals may be more likely to develop depression symptoms post-lesion than others. This may be mediated by individual factors such as gender and lesion etiology. The findings have important implications for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of depression in neurological patients.

Prenatal diurnal cortisol: Normative patterns and associations with affective symptoms and stress

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in pregnancy has attracted considerable research attention, in part, because it may be a mechanism by which diverse prenatal exposures alter perinatal and child health outcomes. Symptoms of affective disturbance and stress are among the most-studied prenatal factors associated with HPA axis alterations, but there remains uncertainty about the nature of the association because of the limitations to, and variability in, data collection and analytic approaches. The current study capitalized on a prospective, longitudinal pregnancy cohort that examined salivary diurnal cortisol, collected at 5 time points across the day, at each trimester in a diverse sample of women. Detailed data on affective symptoms and major life events were collected at each trimester, as were data on health behaviors, medication, and socio-demographics. Results indicated modest stability of individual differences in diurnal cortisol across pregnancy, which was evident for diurnal slope (ICC = .20) and measures of total output (area under the curve, ICC = .25); substantial gestation-related increases in total cortisol output across pregnancy was also observed (p < .001). Adjusting for health behaviors, medication, and socio-demographic covariates, elevated levels of depressive symptoms and major life events were significantly (p < .05) associated with a higher morning awakening value and flatter diurnal slope, which was evident across all trimesters. In addition to the normative gestation-related changes in cortisol production, our results demonstrate selective but robust associations between psychological symptoms, stressors, and the HPA axis across gestation, and suggest both methodological and mechanistic strategies for future study.

Self-reported Depressive Symptoms of school-age siblings of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Findings from a Greek sample

IntroductionPrevious studies have shown elevated levels of depressive symptoms in parents of children with ASD. However, few studies have assessed depressive symptoms in neurotypical ASD-siblings and most have done so, within a broad age range, while studies focusing on a certain developmental stage (middle childhood in particular) using a self-report depression-specific assessment tool are sparse.Objectives This study aimed to investigate the depressive symptoms of Greek school-age neurotypical siblings of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder through a self-reported questionnaire.Methods The sample included 85 school-age neurotypical ASD-siblings (8-13 years old). The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and a demographics questionnaire were administered to all participants.ResultsResults showed that a considerable percentage of the sample (15.3%) scored twice as high as the mean score. ASD-siblings in the present study scored higher (mean total score in CDI was 7.24±6.27) than children of similar age and nationality. Further, 5.9% of the siblings in the present study exhibited severe depressive symptoms (using 19 as a threshold) whereas 12.9% of ASD-siblings scored above 15 and therefore should be further evaluated by mental health services.ConclusionsThe results of the present study documents a relatively high prevalence of depressive symptoms in neurotypical siblings of individuals with ASD. ASD-siblings showed higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to normative data. This is the first study addressing depressive symptoms in siblings of autistic children conducted in the Greek cultural context. The present study highlights the need for the development and implementation of appropriate and effective interventions within the Greek healthcare system for ASD-siblings.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Clinically elevated parent depressive symptoms and stress at child type 1 diabetes diagnosis: Associations with parent diabetes self-efficacy at 18-months post-diagnosis.

Eighteen percent of new diagnoses of type 1 diabetes (T1D) occur in children ages 9 and younger, and the burden of diabetes management in young children predominantly falls on parents. Despite the significant amount of information parents must learn and implement quickly after diagnosis, little research has examined diabetes self-efficacy in parents of young children soon after diagnosis in a longitudinal manner. The current study examined changes in parent diabetes self-efficacy over time, and parent depressive symptoms and stress soon after child T1D diagnosis as predictors of parent diabetes self-efficacy at 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis. One hundred fifty-seven primary caregivers (91.7% female, 62.2% White, Non-Hispanic) of young children (Mage =4.47 ± 1.65 years, 54.8% female, 60% White, Non-Hispanic) were recruited within 2 months of their child's T1D diagnosis from two pediatric hospitals in the United States as part of a randomized clinical trial. Parents self-reported on their diabetes self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and stress and at baseline (Mdays since diagnosis=29) and on parent diabetes self-efficacy again 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis. Parent diabetes self-efficacy significantly improved from baseline to 12-months and 18-months post-diagnosis (p < 0.05). Parents exhibiting clinically elevated levels of depressive symptoms and stress at baseline had significantly lower parent diabetes self-efficacy 12- and 18-months post-diagnosis compared to parents with normal levels of depressive symptoms and stress. Brief interventions for parents with clinically elevated depressive symptoms and stress soon after their child's diagnosis may improve parents' diabetes self-efficacy and ultimately support the management of their child's diabetes.

Prevalence and predictive factors for depressive symptoms among medical students in Germany - a cross-sectional study.

Background: Elevated levels of depressive symptoms among medical students have been the subject of international and national research before, yet associated risk factors and protective factors are to be determined. This study aims to show the burdens of depression at different stages of academic medical education with a special emphasis on correlated risk factors and protective factors. Methods: A total number of n=1103 medical students of a middle-sized German university were sampled and surveyed regarding depressive symptoms and correlating factors. The assessment of potential depressive symptoms was based on the BDI-II. Correlating factors were surveyed through a self-designed questionnaire consisting of possible cofactors for depressive symptoms based on established scientific literature. Results: Survey response rate was 90.2% (1103/1223). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 11% for mild, 5.6% for moderate and 2.4% for severe symptoms. The sample’s most prevalent risk factors were feeling unable to confide one’s own worries to someone else (88%); and experiencing a lack of time for partner, friends and family (77%) or hobbies (76%). Significant predictors for depressive symptoms were neuroticism above all, insufficient emotional support, eating irregular meals, use of medication or drugs to calm down, and mental overload. Factors associated with less depressive symptoms could be identified as: spending time with partner, friends, family, hobbies and exercise; and confiding worries to classmates. Conclusions: Every fifth medical student surveyed reported at least mild depressive symptoms. The majority of the surveyed medical students felt unable to confide their worries to someone else and lamented not having enough time for social interaction with peers, family and hobbies. Certain personality traits – such as neuroticism – and insufficient emotional support showed to play important roles in making medical students more prone to developing depressive symptoms. Based on this research, control of the surveyed cofactors associated with depressive symptoms and possible intervention programs targeted to these are proposed to be a key subject of further research.

Examining the effect of exercise on the relationship between affect and cravings among smokers engaged in cessation treatment

Cigarette smoking is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes. When smokers attempt to quit smoking, one of the leading predictors of relapse are cravings. Recent research shows a relationship between positive and negative affect, exercise, and cravings, but the exact nature of this relationship has yet to be understood. This study explored the relationships between positive and negative affect and cravings in a sample of participants with elevated levels of depressive symptoms (N = 202; 68.8% female; mean age = 46.1 years) who were enrolled in a smoking cessation trial to test the efficacy of a 12-week exercise intervention relative to a health education control on smoking outcomes. Data on affect and craving were gathered before weekly study intervention sessions, and data on cravings were gathered again after each session. The results showed that negative affect had a significant and positive association with cravings before an exercise or health education session. After the session, positive and negative affect were not significant predictors of changes in cravings from pre-session. However, regardless of level of positive or negative affect participants in the exercise condition showed greater reductions in craving pre- to post-class than those in the control condition. These findings suggest that negative affect is associated with cravings, but cravings can be mitigated by exercise.

Feelings, Behavioral Actions and Depressive Symptoms Related to COVID-19 among Undergraduates in Hail, Saudi Arabia.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) outbreak has had a profound psychological impact on university undergraduates. Feelings, behavioral actions, and depressive symptoms related to COVID-19 in undergraduates in Hail, Saudi Arabia, were assessed using an online survey. Eighteen feelings and six behavioral acts were assessed. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptomatology. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression techniques were used. The mean age of the participants (n = 418) was 20.2 years (standard deviation (SD) = 1.8 years), and 52.9% (n = 221) were males. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms were reported by 47.1% of male and 51.3% of female participants. Social isolation, loss of interest, obsessive monitoring of symptoms, concentration difficulties, recurrent negative thoughts, and worries about health services emerged as vital negative feelings related to COVID-19 that were expressed by the participants. Younger age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.636, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.428–0.946) and coming from the middle-income category (OR = 0.388, 95% CI = 0.151–0.994) were found to be protective factors against developing depressive symptoms. Frequent cleaning of hands, wearing masks when going out, and adherence to social distancing rules were practiced by 71.5% (95% CI = 67.2–75.8%), 78.7% (95% CI = (74.4–82.5%) and 66.0% (95% CI = (61.3–70.5%) of the participants, respectively. These behavioral acts were not associated with the development of depressive symptoms. Although the practice of COVID-19 precautionary measures by the participants was satisfactory, nearly half of the participants reported depressive symptoms. Innovative educational strategies are needed to curb concentration difficulties and social isolation experienced by undergraduates during outbreaks such as COVID-19.

Emotional Infant Face Processing in Women With Major Depression and Expecting Parents With Depressive Symptoms.

Processing of emotional facial expressions is of great importance in interpersonal relationships. Aberrant engagement with facial expressions, particularly an engagement with sad faces, loss of engagement with happy faces, and enhanced memory of sadness has been found in depression. Since most studies used adult faces, we here examined if such biases also occur in processing of infant faces in those with depression or depressive symptoms. In study 1, we recruited 25 inpatient women with major depression and 25 matched controls. In study 2, we extracted a sample of expecting parents from the NorBaby study, where 29 reported elevated levels of depressive symptoms, and 29 were matched controls. In both studies, we assessed attentional bias with a dot-probe task using happy, sad and neutral infant faces, and facial memory bias with a recognition task using happy, sad, angry, afraid, surprised, disgusted and neutral infant and adult faces. Participants also completed the Ruminative Responses Scale and Becks Depression Inventory-II. In study 1, we found no group difference in either attention to or memory accuracy for emotional infant faces. Neither attention nor recognition was associated with rumination. In study 2, we found that the group with depressive symptoms disengaged more slowly than healthy controls from sad infant faces, and this was related to rumination. The results place emphasis on the importance of emotional self-relevant material when examining cognitive processing in depression. Together, these studies demonstrate that a mood-congruent attentional bias to infant faces is present in expecting parents with depressive symptoms, but not in inpatients with Major Depression Disorder who do not have younger children.

Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Ratios as Related to Gastrointestinal and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced by the gut microbiota and may reflect health. Gut symptoms are common in individuals with depressive disorders, and recent data indicate relationships between gut microbiota and psychiatric health. We aimed to investigate potential associations between SCFAs and self-reported depressive and gut symptoms in young adults. Fecal samples from 164 individuals (125 were patients with psychiatric disorders: mean [standard deviation] age = 21.9 [2.6] years, 14% men; 39 nonpsychiatric controls: age = 28.5 [9.5] years, 38% men) were analyzed for the SCFA acetate, butyrate, and propionate by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We then compared SCFA ratios with dimensional measures of self-reported depressive and gut symptoms. Depressive symptoms showed a positive association with acetate levels (ρ = 0.235, p = .003) and negative associations with both butyrate (ρ = -0.195, p = .014) and propionate levels (ρ = -0.201, p = .009) in relation to total SCFA levels. Furthermore, symptoms of diarrhea showed positive associations with acetate (ρ = 0.217, p = .010) and negative associations with propionate in relation to total SCFA levels (ρ = 0.229, p = 0-007). Cluster analysis revealed a heterogeneous pattern where shifts in SCFA ratios were observed in individuals with elevated levels of depressive symptoms, elevated levels of gut symptoms, or both. Shifts in SCFAs are associated with both depressive symptoms and gut symptoms in young adults and may have of relevance for treatment.

Factor Structure of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a Sample of Postpartum Slovak Women.

Background: Postpartum depression has a negative impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Methods: A paper and pencil version of the 10-item EPDS questionnaire was administered personally to 577 women at baseline during their stay in hospital on the second to fourth day postpartum (age, 30.6 ± 4.9 years; 73.5% vaginal births vs. 26.5% operative births; 59.4% primiparas). A total of 198 women participated in the online follow-up 6–8 weeks postpartum (questionnaire sent via e-mail). Results: The Slovak version of the EPDS had Cronbach’s coefficients of 0.84 and 0.88 at baseline (T1) and follow-up, respectively. The three-dimensional model of the scale offered good fit for both the baseline (χ2 (df = 28) = 1339.38, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02, and TLI = 0.99) and follow-up (χ2 (df = 45) = 908.06, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.09, and TL = 0.90). A risk of major depression (EPDS score ≥ 13) was identified in 6.1% in T1 and 11.6% in the follow-up. Elevated levels of depression symptoms (EPDS score ≥ 10) were identified in 16.7% and 22.7% of the respondents at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Conclusions: The Slovak translation of the EPDS showed good consistency, convergent validity, and model characteristics. The routine use of EPDS can contribute to improving the quality of postnatal health care.

Depression Symptoms, Problem Gambling and the Role of Escape and Excitement Gambling Outcome Expectancies.

The relationship between problem gambling and depression is well documented. However, there are few studies that have explored the mechanisms that may help maintain the association between depression symptoms and problem gambling. This study tests the assumption that gambling for escape and excitement may either mediate or moderate the relationship between depression and problem gambling. To test these propositions, 282 adults who gambled at least once a month were recruited to complete an online survey that assessed depression severity, the gambling outcomes expectancies of escape and excitement and problem gambling. The study did not find evidence for a mediation effect for either escape or excitement, although escape moderated the relationship between depression and problem gambling. In particular, there was not a relationship between depression and problem gambling when there was low endorsement of the escape gambling outcomes expectancies. However, the relationship between depression and problem gambling strengthened when endorsement of gambling as an escape increased. This indicates that individuals with elevated levels of depression symptoms, and who view gambling as a way to moderate mood states, may be at higher risk for problem gambling than those who hold less favourable views towards gambling as a mood modifier. This suggests it may be helpful to consider the gambling expectancies of gamblers experiencing problems when formulating educational and treatment initiatives, especially with those experiencing heightened levels of depressive symptoms.