Experience Of Negative Life Events Research Articles

Negative Event Recall as a Vulnerability for Depression: Relationship between Momentary Stress-Reactive Rumination and Memory for Daily Life Stress.

The current research utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology to test the hypotheses that: 1) engaging in greater rumination following stress (stress-reactive rumination; SRR) would lead to improved stressor recall, and 2) this improved memory for stress would predict increases in depressive symptoms. One hundred twenty-one participants received smartphone alerts in which they reported on their experience of negative life events (NLEs) as well as SRR and depressed mood after event occurrence. NLEs followed by increased SRR were more likely to be recalled two weeks later. Furthermore, individuals who endorsed and recalled more stressors displayed increased depressive symptoms. Contrary to hypotheses, no evidence was found for a mediational effect in which SRR predicted depressive symptoms and was mediated by memory for NLEs. Current findings demonstrate a relationship between rumination following stress and the subsequent recall of those stressors, and support the role of negative event recall as a vulnerability factor for depression.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: Characterization of the Disorder and the Issue of Distress and Impairment.

Nonsuicidal self-injury disorder (NSSID) is a condition in need of further study to assess the validity of the potential diagnosis and its suggested criteria. This study examined the NSSID diagnosis and investigated the distress/impairment criterion by comparing community adolescents who metall criteria for NSSID (n=186) to adolescents with five or more nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) episodes (n=314), and to a group of adolescents who metall criteria but negated that their NSSI caused them any distress or impairment, thus failing to meet criterion E (n=29). The NSSID group delimited from the ≥5 NSSI group by reporting significantly more frequent and severe self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, as well as having more experiences of negative life events and higher levels of trauma symptoms. There were also some differences between the NSSID group and adolescents without distress/impairment, which together contribute valuable information on the potential NSSID diagnosis, as well as the discussion of criterion E.

Childhood Trauma and Adult Distress Symptoms

Childhood trauma is highly prevalent and consist a major public health problem with severe adverse physical and mental effects later in life. The purpose of the study was to investigate the childhood trauma effects on adult psychopathology, as expressed through their distress symptoms. One thousand two hundred ninety-three (1293), healthy individuals (343 men and 894 women) were enrolled in the study. They were divided into two groups on the basis of their responses of experienced negative life events (at least one childhood traumatic event vs. no event) and filled out the SCL-90 questionnaire. Accidents (18%), fears (16%), loss of house and pets (15%), educational queries and doubts (13%) and parental divorce (11%), were the most frequent childhood adversities. Participants who had at least one childhood stressor differed statistically significantly in all SCL-90 subscales, when compared with their counterparts without any childhood adversity (p<0.001). PSDI score for the family violence group differed statistically significantly when compared with the “death” and “disease” group (p=0.002).This study underlines the associations of common childhood adversities, especially domestic violence, with distress symptoms in adulthood and demonstrate the importance of a deeper understanding about the unique effects of some common ELS subtypes.

Predicting first onset of depression in young girls: Interaction of diurnal cortisol and negative life events.

Interactions between biological vulnerability and environmental adversity are central to the pathophysiology of depression. Given evidence that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis influences biological responses to environmental events, in the current longitudinal study the authors examined HPA-axis functioning, negative life events, and their interaction as predictors of the first onset of depression. At baseline, girls ages 9 to 14 years provided saliva samples to assess levels of diurnal cortisol production, quantified by total cortisol production (area under the curve with respect to ground; AUCg) and the cortisol awakening response (CAR). The authors then followed these participants until they reached age 18 in order to assess their subsequent experience of negative life events and the onset of a depressive episode. They found that the influence of negative life events on the subsequent onset of depression depended on HPA-axis functioning at baseline. Specifically, negative life events predicted the onset of depression in girls with higher levels of AUCg, but not in girls with lower levels of AUCg. In contrast, CAR did not predict the onset of depression either alone or in interaction with negative life events. These findings suggest that elevated total cortisol production in daily life potentiates susceptibility to environmental adversity and signals the need for early intervention.

Co-Occurring Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Firesetting Among At-Risk Adolescents: Experiences of Negative Life Events, Mental Health Problems, Substance Use, and Suicidality

Co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in adolescence typically marks more severe psychopathology and poorer psychosocial functioning than engagement in a single problem behavior. We examined the negative life events, emotional and behavioral problems, substance use, and suicidality of school-based adolescents reporting both non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and repetitive firesetting, compared to those engaging in either behavior alone. Differences in NSSI characteristics among self-injurers who set fires, compared to those who did not, were also assessed. A total of 384 at-risk adolescents aged 12–18 years (58.8% female) completed self-report questionnaires measuring NSSI, firesetting, and key variables of interest. Results suggest that adolescents who both self-injure and deliberately set fires represent a low-prevalence but distinct high-risk subgroup, characterized by increased rates of interpersonal difficulties, mental health problems and substance use, more severe self-injury, and suicidal behavior. Implications for prevention and early intervention initiatives are discussed.

Maternal postnatal depression predicts altered offspring biological stress reactivity in adulthood

The offspring of depressed parents have been found to show elevated basal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Whether heightened cortisol stress reactivity is also present in this group has yet to be clearly demonstrated. We tested whether postnatal maternal depression predicts subsequent increases in offspring biological sensitivity to social stress, as indexed by elevated cortisol reactivity. Participants (mean age 22.4-years) derived from a 22-year prospective longitudinal study of the offspring of mothers who had postnatal depression (PND group; n=38) and a control group (n=38). Salivary cortisol response to a social-evaluative threat (Trier Social Stress Test) was measured. Hierarchical linear modelling indicated that PND group offspring showed greater cortisol reactivity to the stress test than control group participants. Group differences were not explained by offspring depressive or anxiety symptoms, experiences of negative life events, elevated basal cortisol at age 13-years, subsequent exposure to maternal depression, or other key covariates. The findings indicate that the presence of early maternal depression can predict offspring biological sensitivity to social stress in adulthood, with potential implications for broader functioning.

An investigation into the relationship between the reported experience of negative life events, trait stress-sensitivity and false confessions among further education students in Iceland

This study investigates the interplay between the reported experiences of negative life events, reported levels of nerves, fear and tension experienced over the past 30days, and reported false confessions. Data were obtained from 11,388 students in further education in Iceland, out of which 5439 participants were male and 5837 were female. Single level, random intercept, structural equation models were fitted showing that latent stress-sensitivity, indicated by levels of nerves, tension, fear, and the number of negative life events experienced exerted a significant direct effect on the likelihood of false confessions. Stress-sensitive interviewees (those reporting high levels of nerves, fear, tension and negative events) may be more susceptible to environmental influences, due to heightened physiological responsiveness towards and a negative perception of situations and social encounters, with false confessions being a direct consequence of this. A suggestion from the findings is that the type of false confession (the reason for it) may possibly dependent upon which contextual trigger has influenced the interviewee the most – those within the police interview itself and/or pressures from the wider environment within which they reside.

Longitudinal sex differences of externalising and internalising depression symptom trajectories: Implications for assessment of depression in men from an online study.

Clinical reports indicate that men tend to engage in a range of externalising behaviours in response to negative emotional states. Such externalising behaviours have been theorised to reflect a male sub-type of depression that is inconsistent with current diagnostic criteria, resulting in impeded detection and treatment rates of depressed men. In addressing previous study design limitations, this article presents self-report longitudinal data for the multidimensional Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22) against ratings of diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Module (PHQ-9). Longitudinal psychometric properties of the MDRS-22 are reported and symptom trajectories described. A sample of 233 adults (males = 125; 54%) completed measures of externalising and prototypic depression symptoms at Time 1, and again at Time 2 (15 weeks later). Psychometric properties were examined and within-subjects analyses undertaken. The MDRS-22 demonstrated stable internal consistency and test-retest correlations equivalent to those observed for the PHQ-9. Both prototypic and externalising depression symptoms increased with experiences of recent negative life events. Marked gender differences were observed. Males experiencing ≥ 2 stressful negative life events reported significantly higher MDRS-22 scores at both Time 1 and Time 2 relative to comparable females. Findings contribute to the validity of the MDRS-22 as a measure of externalising depression symptoms. Results suggest that while both males and females experience externalising depression symptoms, these symptoms may be particularly elevated for men following experiences of negative life events. Findings suggest that externalising symptoms may be a special feature of depression for men. Given the problematic nature of such externalising symptoms (e.g. excessive substance use, aggression, risk-taking), their clinical assessment appears warranted.

Agreement between parents and adolescents on emotional and behavioral problems and its associated factors among Chinese school adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundMost studies about informant agreements on adolescents’ emotional and behavioral problems have been conducted in Western countries, but this subject has not been well researched in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of parent–adolescent agreement on adolescents’ problems and its associated factors among school-age adolescents in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in November and December of 2010. A questionnaire including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Youth Self-Report (YSR), the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the characteristics of the child (age and gender), parents (parent–adolescent relationship and parental expectations) and family (family structure, negative life events) was distributed to our study population. A total of 2,199 Chinese adolescents (aged 11–18) from 15 public schools in Liaoning Province, who completed the questionnaire, became our final participants. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess parent–adolescent agreement, and linear regression analysis was used to explore the associated factors of parent–adolescent discrepancies on emotional and behavioral problems.ResultsThe parent–adolescent agreement on emotional and behavioral problems was high (mean r = 0.6). The scores of YSR were higher than those of CBCL. Factors that increased informant discrepancies on emotional and behavioral problems were boys, older age, the experience of negative life events, low levels of cohesion and organization, and high levels of conflict in the family.ConclusionsA high level of parent–adolescent agreement on emotional and behavioral problems was found. Adolescents reported more problems than their parents did. Family environment is an important factor to be considered when interpreting informant discrepancies on the mental health of Chinese adolescents.

Negative Life Events and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Incarcerated Boys with Callous-Unemotional Traits

Historically, researchers have searched extensively for biological explanations regarding causes of psychopathy and its theorized developmental precursor, callous-unemotional (CU) traits (i.e., lack of empathy/guilt, shallow affect). In consequence, environmental factors such as exposure to negative life events and posttraumatic stress that often follows have been relatively overlooked. The present study tests whether exposure to negative life events and related symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with CU traits among a sample of 238 incarcerated boys. Additionally, youth high on CU traits were disaggregated into primary and secondary variants based on the presence of anxiety to examine differences in their experiences of negative life events and PTSD symptoms. Results suggest that CU traits are significantly positively associated with both the experience of negative life events as well as PTSD symptomatology. Additionally, high-anxious youth scoring high on CU traits (secondary variant) were significantly more likely to report a history of negative life events and PTSD symptoms than were lower anxious boys scoring high on CU traits (primary type) and non-psychopathic youth. Thus, study findings warrant further exploration of how trauma might impact or maintain the development of CU traits over time and indicate that issues of differential diagnosis must be considered in order to more effectively tailor treatment for trauma-exposed CU youth.

The role of trait anxiety in the association between the reporting of negative life events and interrogative suggestibility

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trait anxiety in the relationship between the reported experience of negative life events and interrogative suggestibility. 127 participants completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS), the Life Events Questionnaire and the Neuroticism domain on the NEO Personality-Inventory Revised. Multivariate regression modelling showed that: (a) the extent to which interviewees reported and rated their life events negatively exerted a direct, positive, effect on Yield 1, Yield 2 and Shift scores – especially Yield 2 and Shift scores; and (b) trait anxiety moderated the effect of this negative life events intensity rating on Yield 1 scores, such that the effect was strongest at high trait anxiety scores. Trait anxiety may therefore be a valid indicator of suggestibility in the absence of explicit pressure, whereas interpretative factors may be a critical predictor of suggestibility in the presence of or after pressure has been applied. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The effects of adult romantic attachment anxiety and avoidance on facets of compliance

The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which attachment anxiety and avoidance best explain the variation in scores on compliance factors 1 (difficulty with pressure) and 2 (eagerness to please and meet expectations), across males and females. 143 female and 100 male participants completed the Gudjonsson compliance scale, the relationship scale questionnaire and the life events questionnaire (to account for participants’ experience of negative life events, when estimating the effect of attachment on the compliance factors). Multivariate regression modelling showed that: (i) in both males and females, attachment avoidance alone explained a significant proportion of the variance in factor 1 scores; (ii) in females, both attachment avoidance and anxiety levels accounted for the variance in factor 2 scores (the effect of attachment anxiety emerged in the negative direction); and (iii) neither attachment anxiety nor attachment avoidance levels explained a significant amount of the variance in male factor 2 scores. This study suggests three possible mechanisms explaining the negative effect of attachment anxiety on factor 2 scores in females; one of which implying that eagerness to please tendencies may not always be a sign of psychological vulnerability, but could also reflect pro-social cooperation.

The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Suicidal Behavior

Individuals who experience negative life events may be at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Intrapersonal characteristics, such as basic psychological needs, however, may buffer this association. To assess the potential moderating role of overall basic psychological needs, and the separate components of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, on the association between negative life events and suicidal behavior. Our sample of 439 college students (311 females, 71%) completed the following self-report surveys: Life Events Scale, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, Beck Depression Inventory - II, and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. In support of our hypotheses, negative life events were associated with greater levels of suicidal ideation and attempts, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs, including autonomy, relatedness, and competence, significantly moderated this relationship, over and above the effects of the covariates of age, sex, and depressive symptoms. Suicidal behavior associated with the experience of negative life events is not inevitable. Therapeutically bolstering competence, autonomy, and relatedness may be an important suicide prevention strategy for individuals experiencing life stressors.

Negative Life Events and Mental Ill-Health Among Women: A Prospective Study of the Main, Moderating and Mediating Effect of Sense of Coherence

Antonovsky’s original observations of mental health among women who had survived Nazi concentration camps became the start for the formulation of sense of coherence (SOC) and suggested that the experience of negative life events can be a risk-factor for, whilst SOC can be a protection-factor against, mental ill-health. In the present study, 1,012 women responded to a questionnaire at two points in time that measured mental ill-health, SOC and the experience of negative life events. The results showed that women who had recently experienced negative life events had higher levels of mental ill-health compared to women who had not recently experienced any negative life events. SOC was also found to have a main effect on mental ill-health but neither moderated nor mediated the relation between negative life events and mental ill-health. Suggestions for future research and practical implications are given.

Potraumatyczny wzrost - zróżnicowanie ze względu na rodzaj doświadczonego zdarzenia

The experience of negative life events may involve such negative as positive effects. These positive, referred to as posttraumatic growth, include changes in self-perception, relations to others, and changes in philosophy of life. Among the factors that determine the occurrence of positive changes after trauma the type of experienced event and socio-demographic variables are mentioned. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the type of experienced negative event, gender, age and severity of posttraumatic growth. The study group consists of 730 participants (49,6% men, 50,4% – women), aged 16–75 years (M = 36,5, SD = 14,3), who experienced various negative life events. Polish version of Posttraumatic Growth Inventory was used in the study. The results indicated that type of experienced event and gender were related to the level of posttraumatic growth. Moreover the results indicated that examining the relationship between socio-demographic variables and posttraumatic growth should take into account not only the overall result but also the different areas of growth.

Stress sensitivity of childhood epilepsy is related to experienced negative life events

To evaluate the effect of stress on seizure frequency in childhood epilepsy, and to assess possible differences between children in whom seizures are precipitated by stress and those in whom they are not. Parents or caregivers of children with active epilepsy (aged 2-16 years) were sent questionnaires on developmental and epilepsy characteristics, life-time stress exposure, and the effect of stressful periods and moments of acute stress on seizure frequency in their child. Further information was extracted from patient files. Parents or caregivers of 153 children with a median age of 8.8 years responded to the questionnaires. Thirty-nine percent reported an increase in seizure frequency during periods of stress, with a median increase of 2.5 times the frequency compared to nonstressful periods. Thirty-seven percent reported that seizures were precipitated by acute stress, with stress being a precipitating factor in 33% (median value) of the seizures. Overall, 51% of the patients reported stress sensitivity of seizures. A higher number of negative life events experienced in total life was related to an increase in seizure frequency in stressful periods (odds ratio [OR] 1.3, p = 0.01) as well as to the precipitation of seizures by acute stress (OR 1.3, p = 0.02). Stress sensitivity is reported in half of the children with epilepsy. Results of this study suggest a relation between experienced negative life events and stress sensitivity of childhood epilepsy. One possible explanation could be that experiencing negative life events may cause a larger response to daily stressors, thereby increasing the likelihood to induce epileptic activity.

Risk Factors Associated With Nephrolithiasis

Nephrolithiasis is a multifactorial disease. The authors conducted a case-control study in China to explore its associated risk factors. A total of 725 nephrolithiasis patients and 553 controls were asked to complete a questionnaire that asked for information about psychological, behavioral, and dietary factors along with a physical and blood biochemical examination. For men, higher education was negatively associated with nephrolithiasis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4-1.0), whereas hypso-waist-to-hip ratio (hypso-WHR), defined as WHRs >0.9 for men and >0.8 for women (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.4-3.4); overexercise (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.3-3.5); and having experienced negative life events (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.2-4.1) were positively associated with nephrolithiasis. For women, higher fluid intake was negatively associated with nephrolithiasis (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.3-0.9), and abnormal status of blood pressure (BP) and blood lipids was positively associated with nephrolithiasis. Varied factors were related to differences in nephrolithiasis occurrence between genders. Besides taking enough fluids, maintaining a normal metabolic status, avoiding overexercise, and reducing BP might be beneficial in preventing nephrolithiasis.

The relation of early experienced negative life events and current itch. A longitudinal study among adolescents in Oslo, Norway

ObjectiveNegative life events have impact on mental health and skin diseases among adults. Itch is a common, disabling skin symptom. The aim was to describe negative life events associated with current itch and to analyze the impact of number of negative life events on symptoms of itch, controlling for possible confounders. MethodThis school-based longitudinal survey was conducted among 15 and 18years old high-school students in Oslo, Norway. From a baseline cohort of 3811 students, 2489 (65%) participants were followed-up after three years later. They completed questionnaires at baseline and follow-up. Current itch was measured with a validated instrument asking for symptoms on a four point Likert scale at follow-up. ResultsMore girls than boys reported itch. There were no gender differences in number of negative life events. Death among close relative/friend was the most common negative life event among boys and girls. All negative life experiences before 15years of age were statistically significantly associated with itch, but after 15years only half of the negative life events were associated with itch. The bivariate association between number of negative life events and itch was statistically significant, and only when adjusting for mental distress at baseline there was a considerable drop in the Odds Ratio. ConclusionThere is a clear association between number of negative life events at baseline and itch at follow-up three years later among adolescents. It is therefore important to discuss possible adverse experiences with adolescents presenting with severe symptoms of itch.

Differential sensitivity to life stress in FMR1 premutation carrier mothers of children with Fragile X Syndrome.

The premutation of the FMR1 gene (defined as between 55 and 200 CGG repeats) is estimated to affect 1 in 149 females and 1 in 643 males, and some people who carry the FMR1 premutation display signs of impairment. This study focuses on 82 premutation carrier mothers (M age = 51.4 years; SD = 7.7) of adolescent and adult children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). A Gene × Environment interaction approach examined the ways in which the experience of negative life events interacts with genetic vulnerability to predict depressive symptoms, anxiety, and daily cortisol levels. The associations of life events with all 3 dependent measures were associated with CGG repeat length but in a curvilinear manner. Mothers with midsize CGG repeats who experienced above-average numbers of negative life events in the previous year had more depressive symptoms and anxiety and had a blunted cortisol awakening response, as compared with those with higher or lower repeat lengths. However, mothers with midsize CGG repeats who experienced below-average numbers of negative life events in the previous year had the lowest levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety, and they exhibited the typical cortisol response to awakening, meeting the criteria for differential susceptibility. This research extends our understanding of the phenotypic effects of the expansion of the FMR1 gene, and it adds to the growing literature on the curvilinear relationship between CGG repeat length and mental and physical health.

Individual differences in interrogative suggestibility: life adversity and field dependence

Since the turn of the century much research has explored the concept of interrogative suggestibility, with recent research highlighting a sizeable link between the reported experience of negative life events (NLEs) and performance on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1 (GSS1). The present study sought to reinvestigate the previously found novel relationship, as well as explore the role of field dependence as a possible coping mechanism implemented during interview by such vulnerable interviewees. As expected, highly significant correlations between NLEs and the suggestibility components of the GSS emerged. Field dependence, however, failed to correlate significantly with either NLE or GSS scores. Nonetheless, some additional findings relating to age, NLEs, and shift scores on the GSS were noted, which may help further our understanding of the NLE to interrogative suggestibility relationship. A new group of vulnerable interviewees, who are as yet unrecognized by the police or courts, has also been identified.