Feelings Questionnaire Research Articles

Depression in childhood: The role of children's exposure to intimate partner violence and maternal mental disorders

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a global problem with high prevalence rates, and is linked to maternal mental disorders (MMD). Children's exposure to IPV (CEIPV) can have impacts on their physical and mental health, including depression. ObjectiveTo analyze the associations between exposure to both CEIPV and MMD and depression in schoolchildren. Participants and setting630 mother-child pairs were evaluated in a poor urban district in Recife, Northeast Brazil. MethodsA cohort study investigated the effects of IPV during pregnancy, postpartum and six to nine years after delivery. Women were asked about their experience of IPV, their own mental health, and the exposure of their child to violence. The child's mood was reported by the mother, using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ). Ten types of CEIPV, and the age of onset of exposure, were compared with the child's subsequent risk of depression. ResultsIPV was associated with MMD in 31.9% of the women at some period of time. Depressive symptoms were reported in 15.7% of school-age children. All types of CEIPV were associated with depression at school age. Multivariable analyses of exposure to IPV and MMD at different ages showed that exposure to both IPV and MMD in the first year of life had the strongest association with childhood depression (OR = 9.1; 95% CI: 2.4–33.9). ConclusionsThe frequency of CEIPV and MMD, and the high prevalence of depression at school age, shows the importance of assessing MMD and identifying exposure to IPV in pregnancy and the early years.

Maternal and paternal depression and child mental health trajectories: evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

The relationships between offspring depression profiles across adolescence and different timings of parental depression during the perinatal period remain unknown. To explore different timings of maternal and paternal perinatal depression in relation to patterns of change in offspring depressive mood over a 14 year period. Data were obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Parental antenatal depression (ANTD) was assessed at 18 weeks gestation, and postnatal depression (PNTD) at 8 weeks postpartum. Population-averaged trajectories of offspring depressive symptoms were estimated using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) on nine occasions between 10 and 24 years of age. Full data were available for 5029 individuals. Offspring exposed to both timings of maternal depression had higher depressive symptoms across adolescence compared with offspring not exposed to ANTD or PNTD, characterised by higher depressive symptoms at age 16 (7.07 SMFQ points (95% CI = 6.19, 7.95; P < 0.001)) and a greater rate of linear change (0.698 SMFQ points (95% CI = 0.47, 0.93; P = 0.002)). Isolated maternal ANTD and to a lesser extent PNTD were also both associated with higher depressive symptoms at age 16, yet isolated maternal PNTD showed greater evidence for an increased rate of linear change across adolescence. A similar pattern was observed for paternal ANTD and PNTD, although effect sizes were attenuated. This study adds to the literature demonstrating that exposure to two timings of maternal depression (ANTD and PNTD) is strongly associated with greater offspring trajectories of depressive symptoms.

Cross-Cultural Differences and Psychometric Properties of the Japanese Actions and Feelings Questionnaire (J-AFQ).

Aims: We aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a Japanese version of the Actions and Feelings Questionnaire (J-AFQ), an 18-item self-report measure of non-verbal emotional communication, as well as to examine its transcultural properties.Methods: The J-AFQ was administered to 500 Japanese adults (age 20–49, 250 male), alongside the Japanese Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ-J) and Empathy Quotient (EQ-J). These were compared to a group of 597 British and Irish participants (age 16–18, 148 male). J-AFQ was assessed in terms of validity by confirmatory factor analysis and convergence with BAPQ-J and EQ-J using Pearson correlation. Internal consistency and differential item functioning (DIF) were assessed and compared between Japanese and UK/Irish participants.Results: Reversed worded items (RWIs) showed poor item-total correlations but excluding these left a 13-item version of the J-AFQ with good internal consistency and content validity. Consistent with the English version, J-AFQ scores correlated with EQ and lower BAPQ scores. However, comparing across cultures, J-AFQ scores were significantly lower in the Japanese sample, and there was evidence of important DIF by country in over half of the J-AFQ itemsConclusion: Cultural differences in attitudes to self-report, as well as increased acquiescence to RWI's also seen in previous studies, limit the value of the 18-item instrument in Japanese culture. However, the 13-item J-AFQ is a valid and reliable measure of motor empathy, which, alongside the English version, offers promise for research in motor cognition and non-verbal emotional communication across cultures.

Internalizing Symptom Profiles Among Youth in Foster Care: A Comparison Study

Background: A high prevalence of anxiety and depression is found among youth in foster care. There is limited knowledge on the anxiety and depression symptom profiles of youth in foster care. We examined latent profiles of anxiety and depression symptoms across three unique youth samples and whether youth in foster care were more or less likely to belong to specific symptom profiles than their peers recruited from clinical or general youth populations. We also investigated if these profiles were predicted by sex and age.Methods: Self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed by Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. Data were pooled from three youth samples (N = 2,005; mean age = 13.9 years, range = 11–18 years) comprising youth in foster care (n = 245), a clinical youth sample (n = 107), and a general population youth sample (n = 1,653). Symptom profiles were identified using latent profile analyses. Multinominal logistic regression was used to predict the latent profile membership.Results: Three profiles that differed both in symptom level and shape were identified and labeled as low, medium, and high symptom profile. Compared to the general population youth sample, youth in foster care had a higher likelihood of belonging to the high symptom profile, but not the medium symptom profile. Youth from the clinical sample had an increased risk of belonging to the medium and high symptom profiles compared to the youth in foster care and general population youth samples. Across samples, girls yielded a higher likelihood of having a medium or high symptom profile. Increasing age was associated with a higher likelihood of being in the high symptom profile.Conclusion: Compared to their counterparts in the general population, youth in foster care are at risk of belonging to a class of youth with high symptom levels across subtypes of internalizing symptoms, indicating the importance of systematic and broad assessment of internalizing symptoms among these youth. Knowledge on the symptom profiles of anxiety subtypes and depression increases our understanding of the treatment needs of youth in foster care.

Adapting Self-Report Measures of Mental Health for Children with Intellectual Disability

ABSTRACT Self-report is seen as important in assessments of psychopathology but individuals with intellectual disability may have difficulty with standard questionnaires. This paper reports on the administration and subsequent modifications to several established self-report measures of mental health. Methods : The participants were 57 children with intellectual disability aged 10 to 13 years. They completed the Children’s Depression Inventory, Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Intellectual Disability Mood Scale, and Moods and Feelings Questionnaire. Results : Difficulties with the instruments were identified, including complex wording and item structure, ambiguity and working memory demands. Adaptations were made to the instruments and administration procedures. In a second administration there were improvements in children’s ability to respond. The modified questionnaires demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency and were strongly correlated. Conclusions : Self-report measures of mental health can be completed by children with intellectual disability but may need pilot testing and modifications to make them more appropriate for this population.

Validation of the short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire in young adulthood

BackgroundDepression often onsets in adolescence and is associated with recurrence in adulthood. There is a need to identify and monitor depression symptoms across adolescence and into young adulthood. The short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (sMFQ) is commonly used to measure depression symptoms in adolescence but has not been validated in young adulthood. This study aimed to (1) examine whether the sMFQ is valid in young adulthood, and (2) identify cut-points best capturing DSM-5 depression diagnosis at age 25 MethodsThe sample included participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 25 (n = 4098). Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses examined how well the self-rated sMFQ discriminates between cases and non-cases of DSM-5 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) classified using the self-rated Development and Well Being Assessment. Sensitivity and specificity values were used to identify cut-points on the sMFQ ResultsThe sMFQ had high accuracy for discriminating MDD cases from non-cases at age 25. The commonly used cut-point in adolescence (≥12) performed well at this age, best balancing sensitivity and specificity. However, a lower cut-point (≥10) may be appropriate when favouring sensitivity over specificity e.g., in context of screening. Sensitivity analyses suggested similar results for males and females LimitationsALSPAC is a longitudinal population cohort that suffers from non-random attrition ConclusionsThe sMFQ is a valid measure of depression in young adults in the general population. It can be used to screen for and monitor depression across adolescence and early adulthood.

The role of grit and resilience in children with reading disorder: a longitudinal cohort study

Prior studies have suggested that grit and resilience predict both academic and career success. However, these qualities have not been examined in children with reading disorder (RD). We therefore investigated whether grit and resilience were associated with anxiety, depression, academic performance, and quality of life (QOL) in these students. This 3-year longitudinal cohort study included 163 participants with RD from 3 schools. Evaluations were completed by parents and/or teachers every 3 months. The Grit and Resilience Scale was adapted from the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the 12-item Grit Scale. Outcome measures included anxiety (School Anxiety Scale – Teacher Report and the 8-item Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale), depression (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire), academic performance, and QOL (Pediatric QOL Inventory 4.0). Multivariate linear regression models (adjusting for age and sex) assessed the associations at baseline. Repeated measures analysis using mixed-effects models assessed the relationship longitudinally. There were statistically significant associations between grit and resilience and all outcomes at baseline and over time. After adjusting for age and sex, improved grit and resilience was associated with decreased anxiety (β = − 0.4, p < 0.001) and improved academic performance (β = 0.5, p < 0.001) when grit and resilience was measured by teachers, as well as decreased depression (β = − 0.3, p < 0.001) and improved QOL (β = 0.6, p < 0.001) when grit and resilience was measured by parents. Grit and resilience are significantly related to mental health, academic performance, and QOL in children with RD. This suggests that interventions to improve grit and resilience may lead to positive benefits.

Association of mentally-active and mentally-passive sedentary behaviour with depressive symptoms among adolescents

BackgroundThe evidence on the association between sedentary behaviour and depression in adolescence is mixed. We aimed to investigate the association between mentally-active and mentally-passive sedentary behaviours at 11 years (11y) and depressive symptoms at 14y, and to examine potential mediators. MethodsUK Millennium Cohort Study data were used (n=7,124; 49% boys). At 11y, participants self-reported frequency of mentally-passive (listening to music, internet use) and mentally-active sedentary behaviours (reading, playing electronic games). Additional parental-reported behaviours (mentally-passive: TV viewing; mentally-active: homework) were summed with self-reported behaviours to represent continuous indicators of mentally-active and mentally-passive sedentary behaviour. Depressive symptoms were assessed (at 11y and 14y) using the short-version of Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI), mentally-passive sedentary behaviour and cognition at 14y were examined as potential mediators. Linear regression models were adjusted for confounders and stratified by sex. Subsequent mediation analyses reporting e-values were used to assess unmeasured confounding. ResultsAmong girls, mentally-passive sedentary behaviour at 11y was associated with later depressive symptoms (14y) [β:0.089 (95%CI:0.055-0.122), e-value:1.32]. This association was mediated by BMI [5.6% (95%CI:4.1%–8.6%)] and mentally-passive sedentary behaviour [105.6% (95%CI:79.6%–156.7%)]. No associations were observed in boys or between mentally-active sedentary behaviour and later depressive symptoms. LimitationsThe parental report of behaviours and the assessment of mediators and outcome in the same wave are the main limitations. ConclusionFuture interventions aiming to improve mental health among girls could aim to reduce mentally-passive sedentary behaviour in early teens and could target potential mediators including BMI.

The mental health and emotional needs of secondary age students in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT There is a growing policy focus on children and young people’s mental health. The United Kingdom (UK) government has positioned schools as being well-placed to identify children and young people’s mental health needs and to provide appropriate intervention. At the same time, school staff report a lack of skills, knowledge and systems to support the early identification of mental health needs in order to inform appropriate intervention. The aim of this study was to explore the mental health and emotional needs of secondary age students from schools across the North West of England. Eight hundred and eighty-four students aged between 11 and 16 completed an online questionnaire comprising the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), which measures depressive symptoms and the Human Givens Emotional Needs Audit (ENA), which explores the extent to which fundamental emotional needs (e.g., for attention, control and security) are met. The findings suggest prevalence rates of mental health and wellbeing difficulties increase with age. Emotional needs as measured in the ENA were found to moderately correlate with total scores on the SMFQ, suggesting the importance of supporting these identified needs in promoting wellbeing. Additionally, the ENA could potentially offer insight into why students may be experiencing problems, signposting practical areas of support. It is therefore proposed to be a measure that schools could use to identify factors contributing to children and young people’s experience of mental health and wellbeing and possible areas for intervention.

Weight perception and symptoms of depression in rural Australian adolescents.

To investigate associations between measured and perceived weight, and symptoms of depression in rural Australian adolescents. At baseline a prospective rural adolescent cohort study collected demographic data, measured weight and height, weight self-perception, and presence of depression (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire). Using World Health Organisation's (WHO) age and gender body mass index (BMI) standardisations, participants were classified into four perceptual groups: PG1 healthy/perceived healthy; PG2 overweight/perceived overweight; PG3 healthy/perceived overweight; and PG4 overweight/perceived healthy. Logistic regression analyses explored relationships between these groups and symptoms of depression. Data on adolescents (n = 339) aged 9-14. PG1 contained 63% of participants, PG2 18%, PG3 4% and PG4 14%. Across the cohort, 32% were overweight and 13% had symptoms of depression. PG2 (overweight/perceived overweight) were more likely to experience symptoms of depression than PG1 (healthy/perceived healthy; Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.7). Females in PG3 (healthy/perceived overweight) were more likely to experience symptoms of depression (38%) than males (14%) and females in PG1 (10%, AOR 5.4, 95% CI 1.1-28.2). Results suggest that perceptions of being overweight may be a greater predictor for symptoms of depression than actual weight. This has public health implications for youth mental health screening and illness prevention.

Spanish version of Super Skills for Life in individual modality: Improvement of children's emotional well-being from a transdiagnostic approach.

This study analyzed the short-term effects of the Super Skills for Life (SSL) program in its individual format from the parents' perspective. Parents of 70 Spanish children aged 8-11 years (M = 9.31; SD = 1.16) completed assessment instruments about their children's emotional state at the baseline and postintervention. Analyses revealed significantly lower scores in depression (The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire), anxiety, and specific disorders (The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale) (i.e., panic attack/agoraphobia, separation anxiety, social phobia, and generalized anxiety). Significant improvements were also found in anxiety life interference at home (The Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale), total difficulties, internalized and externalized problems, emotional symptoms, peer problems, and hyperactivity/inattention (The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) at posttest. SSL was effective in reducing psychopathological symptoms similarly in both girls and boys. These promising results provide preliminary support for the usefulness of the SSL program in individual format for the indicated prevention of children's emotional problems. This study provides a valuable resource for research and clinical practice.

Psychometric properties of the Thai Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) for adolescent depression

BackgroundThe Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) is a widely used screening tool for child and adolescence depression but has not been validated with young people in Thailand. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity and to determine the optimal clinical cut-off of the Thai MFQ.MethodsThe Thai MFQ was evaluated in two parts. In part 1, The MFQ was translated and back translated into the Thai language and piloted on a small number of Thai adolescents. Then 1275 young people aged 12–18 years from three secondary schools in Thailand completed the MFQ and related measures of depression. In part 2, 138 students were invited to take part in a structured diagnostic interview (the Thai translation of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children -Present and Lifetime Version (the K-SADS-PL). Of those, 103 students were interviewed and completed the Thai MFQ a second time to assess test–retest reliability. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were conducted to evaluate diagnosis accuracy and examine the optimal cut-off score of the Thai MFQ.ResultsThe Thai MFQ had excellent internal consistency (α = 0.92) and good to moderate test–retest reliability in 2-week and 4-week intervals. The Thai MFQ also had good convergent validity with related measures of depression. The ROC analyses demonstrated that the Thai MFQ also had excellent accuracy distinguishing between depressed and non-depressed adolescents [AUC = 0.95, 95% CI [0.92, 0.99]. A total score of 28 on the Thai MFQ was the optimal cut-off score (sensitivity was 0.97 and specificity was 0.83).DiscussionThe Thai MFQ demonstrated excellent psychometric properties and accurately distinguished between depressed and non-depressed adolescents. It is appropriate to use as a screening measure to identify adolescents with depression in community settings in Thailand.

Using the 11-item Version of the RCADS to Identify Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to identify items from the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale – RCADS-C/P that provided a brief, reliable and valid screen for anxiety and/or depressive disorders in adolescents. In addition, we examined whether adding items assessing suicidal ideation (Moods and Feelings Questionnaire – MFQ- C/P) and symptom impact and duration (items adapted from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – SDQ) improved the identification of adolescents with anxiety and/or depressive disorders. We compared two samples of adolescents and their parents – a community sample, recruited through secondary schools in England (n = 214) and a clinic-referred sample, who met diagnostic criteria for anxiety and/or depressive disorder and were recruited through a university-based research clinic (n = 246). Participants completed the RCADS-C/P with additional symptom impact and duration items, and the MFQ-C/P. Using ROC curve analyses, we identified a set of 11 RCADS-C/P items (6 addressing anxiety and 5 depression symptoms) for adolescent- and parent-report. This set of 11 symptom items achieved sensitivity/specificity values > .75, which were comparable to corresponding values for the RCADS-47-C/P. Combining adolescent and parent-report improved the identification of anxiety/depression in adolescents compared to using adolescent-report alone. Finally, adding two symptom impact items further improved the sensitivity/specificity of the 11 symptom items, whereas adding suicidal ideation items did not. The 11 RCADS items accurately discriminated between the community and clinic-referred sample with anxiety and/or depressive disorders and have the potential to quickly and accurately identify adolescents with these disorders in community settings.

Polygenic risk for depression, anxiety and neuroticism are associated with the severity and rate of change in depressive symptoms across adolescence.

Adolescence marks a period where depression will commonly onset. Twin studies show that genetic influences play a role in how depression develops and changes across adolescence. Recent genome-wide association studies highlight that common genetic variants - which can be combined into polygenic risk scores (PRS) - are also implicated in depression. However, the role of PRS in adolescent depression and changes in adolescent depression is not yet understood. We aimed to examine associations between PRS for five psychiatric traits and depressive symptoms measured across adolescence using cross-sectional and growth-curve models. The five PRS were as follows: depression (DEP), major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety (ANX), neuroticism (NEU) and schizophrenia (SCZ). We used data from over 6,000 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to examine associations between the five PRS and self-reported depressive symptoms (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) over 9 occasions from 10 to 24 years. The PRS were created from well-powered genome-wide association studies conducted in adult populations. We examined cross-sectional associations between the PRS at each age and then again with longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms in a repeated measures framework using multilevel growth-curve analysis to examine the severity and the rate of change. There was strong evidence that higher PRS for DEP, MDD and NEU were associated with worse depressive symptoms throughout adolescence and into young adulthood in our cross-sectional analysis, with consistent associations observed across all nine occasions. Growth-curve analyses provided stronger associations (as measured by effect sizes) and additional insights, demonstrating that individuals with higher PRS for DEP, MDD and NEU had steeper trajectories of depressive symptoms across development, all with a greater increasing rate of change during adolescence. Evidence was less consistent for the ANX and SCZ PRS in the cross-sectional analysis, yet there was some evidence for an increasing rate of change in adolescence in the growth-curve analyses with the ANX PRS. These results show that common genetic variants as indexed by varying psychiatric PRS show patterns of specificity that influence both the severity and rate of change in depressive symptoms throughout adolescence and then into young adulthood. Longitudinal data that make use of repeated measures designs have the potential to provide greater insights how genetic factors influence the onset and persistence of adolescent depression.

Outpatient clinic-wide psychological screening for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Qatar: An initiative for integrative healthcare in the Gulf region.

To identify culturally appropriate psychological screening measures for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Qatar, determine rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample, and examine associations between screening measures, demographic variables, medical characteristics, and diabetes treatment outcomes, specifically HbA1c. A total of 150 participants with type 1 diabetes aged 10-17 were recruited. Participants were Arabic or English speaking and of Qatari and non-Qatari nationality. Participants completed the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child and parent proxy form), the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life, Diabetes version (child and parent proxy form). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) on the date of the testing was recorded. Approximately ten percent (10.2%) of children and adolescents scored above the cutoff score of 27 indicating clinically significant depressive symptoms, and 12.8% of parents rated their child above the respective cutoff score of 21 for the parent proxy form. Further, 36% of the sample reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms, scoring above the cutoff score of 50. Parent report on their child's quality of life predicted HbA1c (F[6, 140] = 5.42, p = 0.000); B = -0.05, p = 0.002). Rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms are comparable to those observed in western countries. Thus, systematic screening for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes should be implemented in Qatar. This will help inform decisions to refer to mental health services and thus provide more integrated care, possibly improving treatment outcomes.

Associations between baseline cortisol and trajectory of symptom improvement in depressed adolescents receiving psychological therapy

BackgroundCortisol hypersecretion in depressed adolescents and adults is associated with more persistent illness and may signal a lower response to psychological therapies. A meta-analysis of small and heterogenous studies demonstrated that higher pre-treatment basal cortisol levels were associated with poorer response specifically to psychological therapy for depression. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between both morning and evening salivary cortisol levels and response to psychological therapy in depressed adolescents participating in one large randomised controlled trial. MethodsWe tested the association between morning and evening salivary cortisol levels at baseline and improvement in depressive symptoms in response to psychological therapies in depressed adolescents at 6 time points: baseline, 6, 12, 36, 52- and 86-weeks post-randomisation, using the self-reported Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). ResultsHigh evening cortisol was associated with a slower initial decline in depressive symptoms (cortisol x quadratic time p = .022); however it was not associated with total change in depressive symtoms over the whole course of the study. Morning cortisol was not associated with change in depressive symptoms. These effects were not significantly different across the three psychological therapies. LimitationsResults may not generalize to adolescents receiving other treatments (medication) or no treatment, and may not generalize to adults. Only a minority of eligible participants collected valid cortisol samples. ConclusionsHigher pretreatment evening cortisol may impair a depressed adolescent's ability to use psychological therapy.

Parent and Child Mental Health Symptom Trajectories April-October 2020: Second-Wave Strict Lockdown Compared to COVID-Normal in Australia

Background: To control a second-wave COVID-19 outbreak, the state of Victoria in Australia experienced one of the world’s first long and strict lockdowns over July-October 2020, while the rest of Australia experienced ‘COVID-normal’ with minimal restrictions. We (1) investigate trajectories of parent/child mental health outcomes; and (2) identify baseline demographic, individual, and COVID-19-related factors associated with mental health trajectories. Methods: Online community sample of 1,877 Australian parents with rapid repeated assessment over 10 time-points over April-October, 2020. Measures assessed parent mental health (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21); child depression symptoms (13-item Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire); and child anxiety symptoms (four-items from Brief Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale). Results: Mental health trajectories shadowed COVID infection rates. Victorians reported a large peak in mental health symptoms at the time of the second-wave lockdown compared to other states. Key baseline predictors, including parent and child loneliness (standardised regression coefficient [β]=·09-·39), parent/child diagnoses (β=·11-·22), couple conflict (β=·09-·19), and COVID-19 stressors, such as worry/concern about COVID, illness, and loss of job (β=·07-·22), predicted elevated trajectories. Effects of predictors on parent and child mental health trajectories are illustrated in an online interactive app for readers (https://lingtax.shinyapps.io/CPAS_trend/). Conclusion and Relevance: Our findings provide evidence of worse trajectories of parent and child mental health symptoms associated with strict, sustained, COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria, compared to non-locked states in the rest of Australia. We identified several baseline factors that may be useful in detecting high risk families who are likely to require additional support early on in future lockdowns. Funding Statement: EW, AMW, & GK were supported by Deakin Faculty of Health Mid-Career Fellowships. ES was supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (1110688) and a veski Inspiring Women’s Fellowship. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This study uses data from ten time-points of the COVID-19 Pandemic Adjustment Survey (CPAS),22 an online community sample of 2,365 Australian parents of a child 0-18 years, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Australian families. CPAS was approved by the Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group (HEAG-H 52_2020). Participants were recruited via paid and unpaid social media advertisements over 8-28th April, 2020, during the first-wave national lockdown in Australia, and were followed over ten time-points until the 5th October 2020.

Symptom centrality and infrequency of endorsement identify adolescent depression symptoms more strongly associated with life satisfaction

Although depression symptoms are often treated as interchangeable, some symptoms may relate to adolescent life satisfaction more strongly than others. To assess this premise, we first conducted a network analysis on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) in a large (N = 1,059), cross-sectional sample of community adolescents (age M = 14.72 ± 1.79). The most central symptoms of adolescent depression, as indexed by strength, were self-hatred, loneliness, sadness, and worthlessness while the least frequently endorsed symptoms were self-hatred, anhedonia, feeling like a bad person, and feeling unloved. Moreover, the more central a depression symptom was in the network (i.e., higher strength), the more variance it shared with life satisfaction (r = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.76). How frequently a symptom was endorsed was negatively associated with the variance symptoms shared with life satisfaction (r = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.21). Cross-validated, prediction focused models found central symptoms were expected to predict more out of fold variance in life satisfaction than peripheral symptoms and frequently endorsed symptoms, but not the least frequently endorsed symptoms. These findings show certain depression symptoms may be more strongly associated with life satisfaction in adolescence and these symptoms can be identified by multiple symptom-level metrics. Limitations include use of cross-sectional data and utilizing a community sample. Better understanding which symptoms of depression share more variance with important outcomes like life satisfaction could help us develop a more fine-grained understanding of adolescent depression.

Prospective relationships of adolescents' screen-based sedentary behaviour with depressive symptoms: the Millennium Cohort Study.

Frequent use of screen-based devices could be a modifiable risk factor for adolescent depression, but findings have been inconsistent and mostly from cross-sectional studies. We examined prospective associations of video gaming, social media, and internet use with depressive symptoms in adolescents. A total of 11 341 adolescents from the Millennium Cohort Study, a representative, UK population-based. The main outcome was depressive symptoms from a Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (age 14). Exposures were frequency of video game, social media, and internet use (age 11). Physical activity (effect modifier) was measured by self-report. The fully adjusted models indicated that boys playing video games most days, at least once a week, and at least once a month at age 11 had lower depression scores at age 14 by 24.2% (IRR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.91), 25.1% (IRR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.90), and 31.2% (IRR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.57-0.83), compared with playing less than once a month/never. In girls, compared with less than once a month/never, using social media most days at age 11 was associated with 13% higher depression scores at age 14 (IRR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.22). We found some evidence of associations between using the internet most days and depressive symptoms compared with less than once a month/never in boys (IRR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-1.00). More frequent video game use was consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms in boys with low physical activity, but not in those with high physical activity. Different types of screen-time may have contrasting associations with depressive symptoms during adolescence. Initiatives to address adolescents' screen-time may require targeted approaches.

Exploring the impact of Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management training on teacher psychological outcomes

ABSTRACT Teacher wellbeing is an important prerequisite for promoting student wellbeing, yet there is limited research exploring the potentiality of classroom management training for enhancing teacher psychological outcomes. This study used a pragmatic, pre-experimental design to evaluate a psychologist-led 6-month Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme with 368 Irish primary teachers using well-validated measures of self-efficacy (Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale-Long Version), wellbeing (Everyday Feelings Questionnaire) and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey). Mixed ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in wellbeing (p < .001, ηp 2 = .08), emotional exhaustion (p = .01, ηp 2 = .02), personal accomplishment (p < .001, ηp 2 = .07), and self-efficacy (p < .001, ηp 2 = .30) among participants. Whilst results must be interpreted cautiously, this study is positioned as being suggestive of psychological benefits for teachers accruing from evidence-based classroom management training.