Higher Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Abstract 4147638: Food Security, Depression, and the Association of Depression with Adherence to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Measures among Rural Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Diseases

Introduction: Caregivers are at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression compared to non-caregivers. Food security has been suggested to be a risk factor for depression. Depression may be connected to poor self-care. Studies exploring food security, depression and its relationship to adherence to CVD risk reduction measures among rural caregivers are lacking. Aims: To determine: 1) the association between food security and depression in rural caregivers, and 2) the relationship between depression and caregiver burden, and reported adherence to recommended CVD risk reduction measures in rural caregivers of patients with chronic diseases. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 277 rural caregivers (mean age 54 ± 14 years; 76% were female; and 70% were married) provided self-reported data on their sociodemographic factors, food insecurity (US Household Food Security Survey Module), caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and adherence to recommended CVD risk reduction measures (Medical Outcomes Study Specific Adherence Scale). Hierarchical regression analysis was performed. Results: In this study, food insecurity and high depressive symptoms were prevalent in 23% and 25% of rural caregivers, respectively. Food insecurity was associated with higher depressive symptoms ( β = 0.21; p <.01), controlling for covariates. Caregivers who reported higher depressive symptoms had higher caregiver burden ( β = 0.49; p <.01) and poor adherence to recommended CVD risk reduction measures ( β = 0.18; p <.01) compared to those with low or no depressive symptoms, controlling for covariates. Conclusion: In rural caregivers, food insecurity was associated with higher depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were negatively associated with adherence to recommended CVD risk reduction behaviors. Greater attention should be given to food security and psychosocial factors to reduce CVD risk in this population.

Pre- and post-COVID 19 outbreak relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in Spanish adults with major depressive disorder: a secondary analysis of the RADAR-MDD cohort study

AimTo evaluate the longitudinal association of sedentary behavior, light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) participation with depressive symptoms and whether their possible association changed depending on the pandemic phase.MethodsThis longitudinal study conducted secondary analysis from the Spanish cohort of the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse – Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). Sedentary behavior and physical activity were estimated via wrist-worn devices. Linear mixed models evaluated the longitudinal associations of sedentary behavior and physical activity (light and moderate-to-vigorous intensities) with depressive symptoms.ResultsIn total, 95 participants (67.5% women, 53.0 [±10.5] years of age on average) were monitored pre-COVID-19 and included in the analyses. Pre-COVID-19, 73.7% of participants presented depression, and, on average, participated in 13.2 (±1.08) hours/day of sedentary behavior, 2.42 (±0.90) hours/day of light physical activity and 23.6 (±19.80) minutes/day of MVPA. Considering all the observations (from November 2019 to October 2020), an additional hour/day of sedentary behavior was longitudinally associated with higher depressive symptoms [βstd = 0.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10 to 0.47], whereas an additional hour/day in light physical activity was associated with lower depressive symptoms (βstd = −0.06, 95% CI −0.59 to −0.15). Time in MVPA was not associated with depressive symptomatology. The association of sedentary behavior and light physical activity with depressive symptoms was significant only during pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 relaxation periods, whereas during the strictest periods of the pandemic with regards to the restrictions (lockdown and de-escalation), the association was not observed.ConclusionSedentary behavior and light physical activity were longitudinally associated with depressive symptoms in participants with a history of MDD. The incorporation of light physical activity should be stimulated in adults with a history of MDD. Neither sedentary behavior nor light physical activity were associated with depressive symptoms during the most restrictive COVID-19 phases, whereas sedentary behavior (positively) and light physical activity (negatively) were associated with depressive symptoms in persons with MDD before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract 4124182: Depression Symptomatology as Predictor of Incident Major Vascular Outcomes: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has consistently been associated with higher depression symptoms and disorders. Conversely, fewer studies have shown that depression predicts risk of incident CVD and mortality. Objective: To examine the association of depression symptoms with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among Hispanics/Latinos living in US. Methods: MACE-free Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos participants who underwent baseline evaluation between 2008-2011 (n=15,180) were included. MACE was defined as the composite of incident stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or decompensated heart failure (HF), adjudicated using standard criteria up to year 2019. Depression symptoms were assessed at baseline with a 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 10, range 0-30 points, 5 points increments), with clinically significant depression defined as CES-D 10 ≥10 points. The incident rate ratio (IRR) of MACE across CES-D 10 scores was determined using Poisson regression models, adjusting for baseline sociodemographic characteristics and Framingham Risk Scores. Analyses were weighted for complex survey design and non-response. Results: The mean age (95% CI) was 40.4 (39.9-40.9) years, and the mean CES-D 10 score was 8.4, 95%CI (7.2-9.5) for those with MACE vs 6.9, 95%CI (6.7-7.0) for individuals without MACE (p<0.05). Clinically significant depression symptoms were present in 29% of the population. There were 321 total MACE outcomes that occurred between baseline and year 2019, with 120 MACE occurrences in individuals with CES-D 10 ≥10 points. In the fully adjusted model, increasing CES-D 10 was associated with higher incidence of MACE (for all: IRR 1.22, 95% CI (1.10-1.36); for those with CES-D 10 scores ≥10: IRR 1.62, 95% CI (1.21-2.17). Additionally, participants with CES-D 10 scores ≥10 were 1.4 times more likely to develop MACE compared to those with CES-D 10 scores <10 (HR 1.41, 95% CI=1.13-1.83, Figure). Among MACE sub-components, incident HF was twice as high in the population with CES-D 10 ≥10 points versus those with CES-D 10 <10 points (HR 2.36, 95% CI (1.58-3.51)). Conclusion: The findings of this cohort study indicate that depression symptomatology is associated with incident overall MACE and HF, and that clinically significant depression symptoms further increased risk for MACE and HF, making early treatment of depression a possible target for decreasing CVD incidence.

Factors Associated With Motivation to Reduce Alcohol Use Among Patients With Chronic Liver Disease.

Alcohol use is prevalent among hepatology clinic patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). We explored factors associated with the importance and confidence dimensions of motivation to reduce drinking. Participants (N = 121) with unhealthy alcohol use (i.e., over NIH guidelines) receiving care in hepatology clinics from a safety-net hospital (SN, N = 54) and two Veterans Affairs Healthcare Systems (VA, N = 67) were enrolled in an alcohol intervention trial from March 2022 through October 2023. Baseline assessments included Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), COVID-19 stress; and measures of importance and confidence to decrease alcohol use (readiness rulers, scales of 1-10). Liver disease aetiology and severity were extracted from electronic health records. We performed multivariable linear regression models with forward selection to assess pre-specified variables' associations with importance and confidence. The sample was 84% male, 40% Latino, 31% White, 18% Black and 11% other races; median age was 61 years. Median (Q1-Q3) AUDIT score was 16 (12-24), importance was 9 (6-10) and confidence was 8 (5-9). On multivariable analysis, VA site (vs. SN) participants had a 0.97-point lower importance score (p = 0.02); higher symptoms of depression (PHQ-8 score ≥ 10 vs. < 10) and AUDIT scores (for each point increase) were associated with higher importance score (estimates 1.2 and 0.08, p < 0.05, respectively). Liver disease aetiology and severity were not significantly associated with outcomes. Depression, alcohol problem severity and treatment site may influence motivation to reduce alcohol use and could inform future hepatology-based interventions.

Digital Contact as Strain or Support: How Does Type of Contact Shape the Association between Mother-child Interactions and Adult Children's Depressive Symptoms in Later-life Families?

This paper aims to extend research on the association between mother-child contact and adult children's psychological well-being in later-life families by differentiating between in-person, virtual, and written digital contact, examining the moderating role of children's gender, and exploring the processes that underlie these associations. Mixed-methods data were collected from 250 adult children nested within 131 families as part of the third wave of the Within-Family Differences Study. On average, adult children were 59 and mothers were 88 years of age. Multilevel analyses revealed that interacting with mothers through written digital media was associated with higher depressive symptoms among adult children, whereas mother-child in-person and virtual digital contact was not associated with children's depressive symptoms. When stratifying the sample by children's gender, we found that mother-child written digital contact was associated with higher depressive symptoms among daughters, but not sons. Qualitative analyses suggested that adult daughters' psychological well-being was negatively associated with written digital contact with their mothers because this medium of interaction typically fell short of daughters' expectations for emotionally enriching exchanges. This study revealed differences in how virtual and written digital contact are associated with psychological well-being among adult daughters, but not sons, suggesting that it is important to consider type of contact, gender of interactants, and content of exchanges when studying the associations between digital communication and relational and psychological well-being and designing intervention programs and digital communication technologies.

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain is Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Independent of Physical Activity. Experimental Aging Research

ABSTRACT Background Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms in adults is high; however, whether there is an association between these conditions in older adults is unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and specifically with chronic LBP and knee osteoarthritis (OA), in community-dwelling older adults. In addition, we explored whether physical activity can mitigate these associations. Methods A cross-sectional study design. A cross-sectional study design. Participants recruited were older adults (age ≥60 years) living in the community. Chronic musculoskeletal pain was assessed by specific questions regarding the presence of chronic LBP and knee OA. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multivariable regression model adjusted for potential confounders (i.e., age, sex, economic status, body composition, and physical activity) was used to investigate the association between chronic musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms. Separate analyses were also conducted for older adults with LBP and with knee OA. Results A total of 509 (69% women) older adults were recruited. The regression analysis showed that musculoskeletal pain was associated with higher depressive symptoms ( β = 2.52, 95% CI: 0.50 to 4.54; p-value < .05) compared with older adults without chronic musculoskeletal pain. Similarly, in the fully adjusted model, which included physical activity, LBP was associated with higher depressive symptoms ( β = 2.80, 95% CI: 0.82 to 4.79; p-value < .01). The association between knee OA and depressive symptoms was not statistically significant after adjusting for physical activity ( β = 2.00, 95% CI: −0.13 to 4.13; p-value = .06). Conclusion Older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain have higher depressive symptoms scores, when compared to those without musculoskeletal pain. Physical activity does not seem to influence this association.

Moderating Role of Self-Regulation Difficulties in the Momentary Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Participation Poststroke.

Because depressive symptoms are momentarily associated with lower levels of participation poststroke, it is crucial to investigate what moderates such associations to identify a potential intervention target to reduce the momentary links between depressive symptoms and participation poststroke. Self-regulation seems to be a potential moderator of such associations. To investigate the extent to which difficulties in self-regulation moderate the momentary associations between depressive symptoms and participation poststroke. This study uses a real-time, repeated-measures design using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment surveys five times a day for 10 days. We performed multilevel modeling to uncover the momentary associations among the study variables. Community. 39 people with stroke. We obtained real-time data for difficulties in self-regulation (total, cognitive, behavioral, and emotion regulation), depressive symptoms, and participation in daily activities (performance in daily activities and satisfaction with performing daily activities). We included 1,612 survey responses in the analysis. Higher depressive symptoms were momentarily associated with lower levels of performance (β = -0.05 to -0.07, p < .001) and satisfaction (β = -0.04 to -0.06, p < .05), regardless of adjusting for self-regulation variables and other covariates. Difficulties in total self-regulation (β = -0.01, p < .001) and emotion regulation (β = -0.02, p < .001) magnified the negative associations between depressive symptoms and satisfaction with performing daily activities. Using self-regulation and emotion regulation strategies may be a target for just-in-time intervention for reducing the momentary associations between depressive symptoms and satisfaction with performing daily activities poststroke. Plain-Language Summary: Depressive symptoms have immediate and real-time associations with lower levels of participation in daily activities in people with stroke. Self-regulation, including cognitive regulation (e.g., goal setting, planning strategies), behavioral regulation (e.g., controlling impulsive behaviors), and emotion regulation (e.g., managing negative feelings), may be an intervention target for reducing the immediate associations between depressive symptoms and lower levels of participation poststroke. Thus, we investigated whether difficulties in self-regulation variables magnify the negative real-time associations between depressive symptoms and participation poststroke. To obtain real-time data on difficulties in self-regulation variables, depressive symptoms, and participation (i.e., performance and satisfaction), we asked 39 community-dwelling people with stroke to answer smartphone surveys. The results showed that difficulties in total self-regulation and emotion regulation magnified the negative associations between depressive symptoms and satisfaction with performing daily activities. Our findings suggest that self-regulation and emotion regulation strategies may be a target for real-time intervention for reducing the momentary associations between depressive symptoms and satisfaction with performing daily activities poststroke.

Relationship of Resilience With Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Nursing and Midwifery Students in Qom, Iran, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affected physical and mental health of people, including college students. Several studies in Iran have reported high symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in college students during the pandemic; however, few studies have investigated their resilience during the pandemic. This study aims to determine the relationship of resilience with anxiety, depression, and stress of nursing and midwifery students in Qom, Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a descriptive-correlational study. Participants were 192 nursing and midwifery students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2021, who were selected using a simple random sampling method. The instruments included the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, the Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and the 21-item depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and analytical tests of Pearson’s correlation test and regression analysis in SPSS software, version 22. Results: The mean score of anxiety, depression, stress, and total DASS-21 score was 14.6±4.4, 14.48±4.29, 15±4.32, and 32.46±9.88, respectively. The mean total resilience score was 53.5±16.5. There was a significant negative correlation between depression, anxiety, stress, and total DASS-21 score with resilience in students during the pandemic (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing and midwifery students’ resilience had a significant relationship with their depression, anxiety, and stress. The lower resilience can increase the stress, depression, and anxiety of nursing and midwifery students.

A randomized controlled clinical trial of a Wim Hof Method intervention in women with high depressive symptoms

ObjectiveStress is a driver of depression, and people with depression often struggle to cope with stress and anxiety. This study directly compares the mental health effects of a Wim Hof Method intervention to an active control condition (slow breathing) in women with high stress and high depressive symptoms. MethodsWe randomized 84 healthy midlife women with high stress and high depressive symptoms to either: 1) the hormetic stress condition based on the Wim Hof Method (WHM) involving a breathing technique designed to induce intermittent hypoxia and cold showers (n = 41) or 2) an active comparison condition involving slow-paced breathing and warm showers (n = 43). We provided participants with daily audio instructions (15 min) for three weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021). Our primary outcomes were depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and perceived stress collected at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3 months later. We also assessed daily stress rumination and affect with daily diary during the intervention, and participants completed a laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test, before and after the intervention, and provided samples for salivary cortisol reactivity. ResultsParticipants in the active control condition perceived the intervention to be more credible and expected greater mental wellbeing benefits compared to those in the Wim Hof Method condition. Differential attrition was observed with six participants (7 %) dropping out -- all from WHM condition. Among the participants who completed the intervention, both groups improved on mental health outcomes immediately after the intervention with a 24 % reduction in depressive symptoms, a 27 % reduction in anxiety symptoms, and 20 % reduction in perceived stress. Improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up with 46 % of the sample reporting mild or no depressive symptoms. Participants in the WHM condition had significant reductions in rumination after daily stressful events compared to those in the active control group. Both conditions had reduced daily negative affect across the intervention and lower peak cortisol reactivity to the lab stressor post-intervention. ConclusionsCounter to the preregistered predictions, and despite participants’ differing expectations, the interventions led to equivalent reductions in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and perceived stress, which were sustained at three months. They also produced comparable reductions in cortisol reactivity and daily negative affect. However, the WHM condition was associated with greater reduction in reported rumination after daily stressful events than the active control, a finding that needs replication with larger and more diverse samples.

Depressive symptoms and associated socioeconomic and clinic factors: Three different years data from Türkiye.

Depression is one of the main diseases that cause disability. It is more common in various sociodemographic situations. This study investigated the risk factors associated with depressive symptoms and changes over the years based on data from a sample from the Republic of Türkiye. It was also intended to compare depressive symptoms and inflation rates by years. Data for 2016, 2019 and 2022 from the Turkish Health Survey performed by the Turkish Statistical Institute were used in the study. Data for age, sex, marital status, education level, employment status, accompanying chronic health problems, restrictions in daily activities associated with health problems and problems accessing psychological treatment due to difficulty in paying were evaluated in terms of depressive symptoms. Higher depressive symptoms were determined in women, the widowed and divorced, individuals with a low level of education, the unemployed, individuals with chronic health problems, those with restrictions in daily activities associated with chronic health problems and those with problems accessing psychological treatment due to difficulty in paying. Although inflation rates increased over the years, the severity of depressive symptoms decreased. A moderate positive correlation was observed between depressive symptoms and basic activities of daily living. Developing policies aimed at groups with high depressive symptoms may be important in combating depression.

Are depressive symptoms associated with biological aging in a cross-sectional analysis of adults over age 50 in the United States.

Major depressive disorder accelerates DNA methylation age, a biological aging marker. Subclinical depressive symptoms are common, but their link to DNA methylation aging in older adults remains unexplored. This study analyzed the cross-sectional relationship between depressive symptoms and accelerated DNA methylation aging, considering gender and race/ethnicity in U.S. adults aged over 50. We used data from 3,882 diverse participants in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study wave, measuring blood DNA methylation age against chronologic age for acceleration. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Multiple linear regression evaluated the association between depressive symptoms and DNA methylation age acceleration, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, blood cell proportions, and health behaviors (physical activity, alcohol use, smoking, and chronic conditions). Gender and race/ethnicity modifications were also tested. Depressive symptoms, measured by continuous CES-D score, high depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 4), or any symptoms (CES-D ≥ 1), significantly correlated with increased GrimAge DNA methylation age acceleration (all p ≤ .001) in unadjusted and sociodemographic-adjusted models but were nonsignificant in fully adjusted models. No significant gender or race/ethnicity effect modifications were found in fully adjusted models. Health behaviors significantly influence DNA methylation age acceleration and depressive phenotypes, underscoring the need to understand their roles in assessing psychological factors related to DNA methylation age acceleration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and cognitive function: the neurological mechanism of psychological and physical disturbances on memory.

The neural correlates underlying late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive deterioration are largely unclear, and little is known about the role of chronic physical conditions in such association. This research explores both concurrent and longitudinal associations between late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive functions, with examining the neural substrate and chronic vascular diseases (CVDs) in these associations. A total of 4109 participants (mean age = 65.4, 63.0% females) were evaluated for cognitive functions through various neuropsychological assessments. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale and CVDs were self-reported. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI (fMRI) data were acquired in a subsample (n = 791). Cognitively, higher depressive symptoms were correlated with poor performance across all cognitive domains, with the strongest association with episodic memory (r = ‒0.138, p < 0.001). Regarding brain structure, depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with thalamic volume and white matter integrity. Further, white matter integrity was found to mediate the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and episodic memory (indirect effect = -0.017, 95% CI -0.045 to -0.002) and this mediation was only significant for those with severe CVDs (β = -0.177, p = 0.008). This study is one of the first to provide neural evidence elucidating the longitudinal associations between late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Additionally, the severity of CVDs strengthened these associations, which enlightens the potential of managing CVDs as an intervention target for preventing depressive symptoms-related cognitive decline.

What Characteristics Modify the Relation of Neighborhood Walkability and Walking Behavior in Older Adults?

Neighborhood walkability can influence walking behaviors in older adults. However, its associations of walkability with walking may differ by demographic, socioeconomic, health, social, and residential characteristics due to factors such as increased vulnerability to environmental factors or increased resilience. In a sample of older adults (n = 493, median age = 82 [range 78-89], 56% female, 31% Black), a walkability index was derived from audits of Google Street View images of participants' immediate neighborhoods. Walking was self-reported in the past week. Effect modifiers by demographic (age, race, gender, marital status), socioeconomic (education, income), health (gait speed, falls, knee pain, depressive symptoms, cognitive status, perceived energy), social (driving status, social engagement), and residential/neighborhood (residence type, neighborhood socioeconomic status [SES], population density) characteristics were assessed by interaction terms in logistic regression models, adjusted for gender, race, gait speed, prior falls, high depressive symptoms, currently driving, and cognitive status. When effect modification was suggested (p for interaction <.1), adjusted analyses of walkability with walking stratified on the effect modifier were conducted. In this sample, 59% walked in the past week and greater walkability was associated with greater odds of walking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.34). This association (p for interaction range 0.002-0.07) was present for those who were not currently married (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.56), who reported knee pain (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.14-1.72) or high depressive symptoms (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.06-1.60), or who had declining cognitive function (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.09-1.55). High walkability may influence physical activity, particularly for those with vulnerabilities related to social, pain, and brain health characteristics. These results should inform neighborhood planning and targeted interventions for vulnerable older adults.

Positivity as a moderator of the association between enacted stigma and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

In this study, we investigated the association between enacted stigma and adverse mental health outcomes in Israeli lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Additionally, we explored the moderating effect of positivity, namely the inclination to perceive oneself, one's life, and one's future in a generally positive outlook, in this association. For this purpose, we surveyed 520 cisgender LGB Israelis (Mage = 33.20, SD = 8.68; 30.8% self-reported as lesbian women, 48.8% self-reported as gay men, 20.4% self-reported as bisexual individuals), and assessed enacted stigma, depressive symptoms, anxiety, negative affect, and positivity. The results of the hierarchical regressions and simple slope analyses indicated that enacted stigma was associated with higher depressive symptoms, anxiety, and negative affect. As hypothesized, positivity played a moderating role in the association between enacted stigma and adverse mental health indicators, whereby the association was weaker among participants with higher positivity scores and stronger among those with lower positivity scores. The findings contribute novel insights to the sexual minority literature within the field of mental health by unfolding the role played by positivity in mitigating the detrimental effects of enacted stigma. The results underscore that practitioners should not only be knowledgeable about the negative repercussions of enacted stigma, but they should also monitor positivity and integrate interventions aimed at enhancing positivity into their clinical work with sexual minority individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Differences in Mental Health Between Female Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Youth with a Substance Use Disorder Who Are Experiencing Homelessness.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in mental health outcomes of two groups within youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) and who have a substance use disorder (SUD): sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual females. Methods: This study used baseline data from four randomized clinical trials of substance use interventions for YEH with a SUD to examine differences in depression and suicidality between SM and heterosexual female youth. Participants were between 12 and 24 years of age. Meta-analytic methods were used to aggregate data across studies to estimate differences in mental health. Results: Results indicated that female SM-YEH had higher depression symptoms (Hedge's g [g]=0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.39), higher risk of a history of suicide behavior (risk ratio = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.17-2.27), and a greater number of suicide behaviors (g = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.09-0.54) compared to their heterosexual peers. These effect sizes were not moderated by age. Conclusion: Female SM-YEH had elevated levels of depression and suicidality compared to their heterosexual peers. The findings of this study align with research on mental health disparities between SM and heterosexual youth generally, which underscores the unique struggles and risks associated with identifying as a female SM-YEH with a SUD.

Differentiating anticipated and anticipatory emotions and their sensitivity to depressive symptoms.

Anticipated emotions are the feelings one expects if a hypothetical future event were to occur, whereas anticipatory emotions are those one experiences right now while imagining the event. There has been little direct comparison of these two forms of future-oriented emotion, and authors have typically focused on positive emotions (e.g., pleasure). Besides, their sensitivity to depressive symptoms-which may help to explain motivational problems in depression-has only recently been investigated (e.g., Anderson et al., 2023; Gamble et al., 2021). The present study (conducted September-November 2022) used innovative picture-and-text vignettes depicting everyday positive and negative future events, to which participants rated their anticipated and anticipatory responses on separate dimensions of valence (i.e., how positive or negative) and arousal (i.e., emotional intensity). Based on prior literature, anticipatory emotions were expected to be correlated with, yet weaker than, anticipated emotions, reflecting a conceptualization of anticipatory emotions as a "foretaste" of the affective response one expects in the future. We also predicted that high depressive symptoms would coincide with diminished emotion ratings overall and specifically for anticipatory emotions (tightly coupled with event expectations; Carrera et al., 2012). Results largely supported these preregistered predictions, yet anticipatory emotions (positive and negative) were only weaker in more highly depressed participants. Depressive symptoms may therefore affect how one currently feels about future possibilities without altering one's expectations of how such events would actually feel. Implications and future research objectives arising from this are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Omnivore, vegan and vegetarian diet quality associations with depressive symptoms: A comparative cross-sectional analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

BackgroundDepressive symptoms are experienced by >350 million people globally. Research suggests that a diet rich in plant foods could be protective against depressive symptoms, but vegans and vegetarians who eat a predominant plant-based diet are known to have higher depressive symptoms than omnivores. MethodsThis study aims to explore a secondary analysis of the association between diet quality and depressive symptoms in women born between 1973 and 1978 who follow vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore diets from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health at baseline (1996) and at three time points (2000, 2003 and 2009). ResultsAfter controlling for covarying factors, there was a significant association between diet quality and depressive symptoms in both the plant-based and omnivore groups at both time points F(9, 4851) = 106.90, p < .001. There was no significant difference between diet quality and depressive symptoms between diet type. ConclusionsDespite diet type (plant-based or omnivore), adhering to a high-quality diet may decrease depressive symptoms and a low-quality diet may increase depressive symptoms in Australian women. LimitationsCaution should be exercised when interpreting these results due to the small sample sizes and small resulting coefficients, there is uncertainty that coefficients this small can be associated with any meaningful change in an individual being treated for depressive symptoms in a clinical setting.

Exposure to diesel-related particulate matter, cortisol stress responsivity, and depressive symptoms in adolescents

Exposure to air pollution is associated with higher risk for psychopathology; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not clear. Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress has been implicated in depression. Here, we estimated annual exposure to particulate matter (PM) from diesel emissions in 170 9- to 15-year-old adolescents (56 % female) using their residential addresses and data from nearby monitoring sites. We obtained salivary cortisol samples from participants while they completed a social stress task and calculated area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and with respect to increase (AUCi) in order to assess cortisol responsivity during stress. Participants also reported on their depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances. Greater exposure to diesel PM was associated with lower cortisol output (AUCg) during stress, which was associated with higher depressive symptoms, particularly for adolescents with more sleep disturbances. Importantly, these effects were independent of household and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and exposure to early adversity. Thus, HPA-axis dysfunction may be one mechanism through which environmental pollutants affect adolescents’ mental health.

Association between parental phubbing and short-form video addiction: A moderated mediation analysis among Chinese adolescents

BackgroundShort-form video applications have spread rapidly and gained popularity among adolescents for their interactivity, sociality, and personalization. However, excessive and uncontrolled use has also caused some adolescents to develop short-form video addiction (SFVA). Although parental phubbing has been shown to be a risk factor for SFVA in adolescents, its intermediate mechanisms, particularly the emotional mediation mechanisms, remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationships among parental phubbing, SFVA, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and neuroticism in adolescents. MethodsAdolescents aged 13–19 (N = 5785) were recruited from Shandong Province, China, as participants in 2023. Participants were asked to complete five self-report questionnaires, including the Parental Phubbing Behavior Questionnaire (PPBQ), Short-Form Video Addiction (SFVA) Scale, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD20), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Scale, and Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory (Brief Version) (CBF-PI-B). ResultsThe results indicate that the influence of parental phubbing on short-form video addiction among adolescents is mediated by symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, neuroticism moderates the association between parental phubbing and symptoms of depression and anxiety. LimitationsCross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Reliance on self-report scales. ConclusionsThese findings contribute to a better understanding of the systemic impact mechanisms of negative family interactions on SFVA. Moreover, prevention and intervention strategies targeting high neuroticism and symptoms of depression and anxiety may help prevent the developmental pathway from parental phubbing to SFVA.

Depressive and Anxious Symptoms, Experimentally Manipulated Acute Social-Evaluative Threat, and Cortisol Reactivity.

Exposure to social-evaluative threat (SET) can elicit greater physiological responses, including cortisol, compared to non-SET stressors. An individual's level of depressive and anxious symptoms predicts variability in cortisol responses to stressors, and other research suggests that these individual differences may predict vulnerability to social evaluation. The current study integrates both lines of research, testing if there are different relationships between depressive and/or anxious symptoms and cortisol reactivity in the presence or absence of SET. Healthy undergraduate students ( N = 158, 65% female) were randomly assigned to deliver a speech in the presence (SET) or absence (non-SET) of two evaluators. Salivary cortisol was collected throughout, and self-reported depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed. We hypothesized that in the SET condition, higher levels of depressive and/or anxious symptoms would predict dysregulated cortisol responses compared to lower levels of symptoms and/or assignment to the non-SET group. In spite of inconclusive p values (which might be attributed to low statistical power), individuals with high depressive or high anxious symptoms appeared to have exaggerated cortisol responses in the SET condition, as indicated by more concave trajectories. This study suggests that both depression and anxiety could be associated with increased cortisol reactivity to SET.