Higher Levels Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF INTERNET USE ON SUBJECTIVE SOCIAL STATUS AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Internet use has been found to be associated with decreases in depressive symptoms among older adults. However, past evidences may have had publication bias due to the negative consequences of internet use demonstrated in other age groups. Thus, this study aims to investigate the adverse effect of older adults’ internet use on depressive symptoms and its mechanism. The inverse subjective social status (SSS) in depressive symptoms is a well-established research finding. Based on this, we hypothesize that older adults’ internet use could expand their reference group and exposing them to more ageist content, thus reducing their SSS which in turn increases depressive symptoms. We examined how older adults’ internet use influences SSS and how SSS mediates the effect of internet use on depressive symptoms in China. The data were from wave 3 (2016, T1), 4 (2018, T2), and 5 (2020, T3) of the China Family Panel Studies, a nationally representative survey. The longitudinal mediation analysis included 3,237 participants who were aged 60 and above at T1 (wave 3) and were followed through waves 4 and 5. As expected, Internet use at T1 predicted lower levels of SSS at T2. Lower levels of SSS at T2 predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms at T3. This medicating effect was significant. This time-varying mediation which appeared to be explained by the relative deprivation and ageism following internet use among older adults. This study theorizes and provides evidence for previously overlooked psychosocial pathway through which internet use among older adults produces negative consequences.

CONCERNED AND LONELY AMIDST COVID-19: FINANCIAL STRAIN AND LATER-LIFE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN NEVADA

Abstract Objectives Nevada has some of the nation’s highest suicide rates among older adults, which are linked to social isolation, loneliness, and mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have exacerbated the loneliness and financial insecurity that older Nevadans have already been experiencing to a greater extent since the 2008 financial crisis. Prior research based on national data has documented the relationship between financial strain and mental health in later life. However, the social and psychological mechanisms that underlie such relationships have not been investigated, particularly in light of the devastating economic and health effects of the pandemic on older adults in Nevada. Methods Based on our web-based survey of adults aged 50 years and older (n=313), we examined the roles of loneliness and concerns about the pandemic in explaining the impact of financial strain on depressive symptoms and anxiety. Results We documented a statistically significant effect of financial strain on depressive symptoms (b=2.41, p-value< 0.001) and anxiety (b=1.74, p-value< 0.001). The inclusion of loneliness and concerns about the pandemic in our regression models led to substantial reduction in the impact of financial strain on depressive symptoms, whereas such impact on anxiety became statistically not significant. We also found significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety among our respondents who reported greater feeling loneliness and concerns about the pandemic. Discussion Our findings underscore the need for mental health resources and financial support programs for economically disadvantaged older adults to alleviate their feelings of loneliness and improve mental health in Nevada.

Parent-adolescent Congruence and Discrepancy in Perceived Parental Emotion Socialization to Anger and Sadness: Using Response Surface Analysis to Examine the Links with Adolescent Depressive Symptoms.

Parents and adolescents often hold discrepant perceptions of parental emotion socialization, which reflect misunderstandings in parent-adolescent communication on emotions and have potential detrimental effects on mental health of adolescents. The present study investigated the associations between parent-adolescent congruence and discrepancy in parental emotion socialization perception to two specific negative emotions (anger and sadness) and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. A total of 372 adolescents (48.4% female, Mage = 13.43, SDage = 0.49) and their parents (79.6% mother, Mage = 41.15, SDage = 5.46) participated in this study. Both parents and adolescents reported perceived parental emotion socialization to anger and sadness, and adolescents reported depressive symptoms. Data were analyzed using polynomial regression and response surface analyses. Both congruence and discrepancy in parent and adolescent's reports were associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. A higher level of adolescent depressive symptoms was associated with higher parent-adolescent congruence in supportive responses to anger, sadness, and nonsupportive responses to anger. A higher level of depressive symptoms was associated with inconsistent reporting of supportive responses to sadness and nonsupportive responses to anger (only when parents had a more positive view than adolescents). This study highlights the significance of evaluating parent-child communication process by assessing perceived emotion socialization from both parents and adolescents and analyzing the reporting congruence and discrepancy. It also suggests that enhancing effective communication regarding parental emotion socialization could be a promising target for adolescent mental health promotion programs.

Assessment the Levels of Depression among Patients with Hemodialysis at the Dialysis Centers in Mosul City

Aim: Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in patients with end-stage renal disease . Objectives: a descriptive study design, aiming to assess the levels of depression among patients with hemodialysis at two dialysis centers in Mosul City for the period 1st January to 15the Jun 2023. Material and Methods: The study used a non-probability accidental sampling method, 84 patients with Chronic Kidney Disease who were subjected to hemodialysis was enrolled in two dialysis centers at Mosul City. The study was conducted using the diagnostic poll method and standardized research tools: Part 1 collected socio-demographic characteristics of the patients. Part 2 [the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R-20)], a 20-item self-report questionnaire to measure depressive symptoms. The scale had a 4-level Likert scale, and a total score was calculated by summing the 20 items. Scores equal to or above 16 indicated a person at risk for clinical depression. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires. Conclusion: The findings indicated varying levels of depression among the patients, with some experiencing high levels of depression symptoms. Recommendation: The study provides valuable insights about the need for coordination between mental health professionals and dialysis patients in dialysis centers. Keywords: Hemodialysis, depression, patient.

The Effects of Cognitive Ability, Mental Health, and Self-Quarantining on Functional Ability of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Determine whether levels of anxiety and depression, cognitive ability, and self-quarantining during and prior to the pandemic predict decreases in perceived functional ability. Longitudinal data collected from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) COVID-19 Questionnaire Study (2020) and core CLSA study (Follow-Up 1; 2014-2018). 17541 CLSA participants. Self-quarantining behaviours from questionnaires administered at Baseline (April 2020), Monthly, and Exit (December 2020) time points of the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire Study, levels of anxiety and depression at Baseline, perceived change in functional ability at Exit, and performance on neuropsychological tests (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task, Mental Alternation Task, Animal Fluency Test) and functional ability (Older Americans Resources and Services [OARS] Multidimensional Assessment Questionnaire) from the core CLSA study. Greater cognitive ability pre-pandemic (B = -.003, P < .01), higher levels of anxiety (B = -.024, P < .01) and depressive symptoms (B = -.110, P < .01) at Baseline, and higher frequency of engaging in self-quarantining throughout the COVID-19 survey period (B = -.098, P < .01) were associated with perceived loss in functional ability at Exit. Self-quarantining behaviour was associated with perceived loss in functional ability only at average and high levels of depressive symptoms (B = -.013, P < .01). Older adults with higher cognitive and lower functional ability prior to the pandemic were at greater risk of decreased perceived functional ability during the first year of the pandemic, as were those who experienced greater levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Strategies/interventions to preserve functional ability in older adults with cognitive independence prior to future pandemics are warranted.

The relationship between older adults’ perceptions of ageing and depression: a systematic review

PurposePerceptions of ageing towards the self and towards others can positively and negatively impact an older adult’s mental wellbeing. This paper aims to consolidate literature examining the relationship between perceptions of ageing and depression in older adults to inform both practice and policy for older adult mental health services.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research articles examining perceptions of ageing and depression in older adults were identified through searches on three electronical databases, alongside forward and backwards citation searches. A total of 14 articles involving 31,211 participants were identified.FindingsGreater negative attitudes towards ageing were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and greater positive attitudes towards ageing were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms or higher levels of happiness. However, the causal direction of this relationship could not be determined. Studies demonstrated that perceptions of ageing also act as a moderator in the relationship between depression and health status, hopelessness and personality traits. Future research should attempt to examine the relationship between perceptions of ageing and depression in older adults to attempt to identify the causal direction of this relationship.Originality/valueThis is the only systematic review the authors are aware of consolidating literature which explores the relationship between older adults’ perceptions of ageing and depression. It is hoped that these findings will be able to inform both policy and practice to improve older adults’ care and support for depression.

Sleep and rest-activity rhythms for women at different menopausal statuses: the role of mental health.

To examine how mental health interplays with menopausal status in relation to sleep patterns and rest-activity rhythms (RARs) among middle-aged women. This cross-sectional study recruited 87 women aged 45 to 60 years from community and a gynecology clinic in Taiwan. Participants wore actigraphy devices for 7 days and were also assessed with self-reported questionnaires. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the effects of menopausal status and mental health on sleep and RARs. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had higher relative amplitude and interdaily stability of RARs than premenopausal women. There were no differences in actigraphy-based sleep parameters across menopausal statuses. There was no difference in depressive symptoms or loneliness across menopausal statuses. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were significantly associated with longer sleep latency ( β = 0.26, P = 0.022) and wake after sleep onset ( β = 0.28, P = 0.012), and lower sleep efficiency ( β = -0.30, P = 0.008) after adjusting for menopausal status and age. In addition, there was marginal significance of the positive association between loneliness and interdaily stability ( β = 0.18, P = 0.079). A moderating effect ( βmenopausal status*loneliness = -0.40, P = 0.025) showed that lonelier premenopausal women exhibited greater relative amplitude (RA) of rest-activity rhythms, but lonelier menopausal women had lower RA of RAR. Mental health plays an important role for middle-aged women with different menopausal statuses in relation to sleep patterns and RARs.

A prospective cohort study to assess the prevalence and risk factors of antepartum depression and its effect on maternal and fetal outcome

Antepartum depression (APD) is a public health issue has negative repercussions on the health of the mother, child, and family. Early screening for APD will help in early detection and further prevention of postpartum depression and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. This study was designed to determine i) the prevalence rate of APD in the Indian population and its associated risk factors, ii) the impact of APD on maternal and fetal outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among antenatal women in the third trimester and screened for antepartum depression between October 2021 and March 2022 by adopting the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). In the study population, 36.6 % had mild to moderate level of depressive symptoms (EPDS score of 8–12) and 28 % had high levels of depressive symptoms (EPDS score of ≥13). An unplanned pregnancy, a history of abortion, and a history of any pregnancy complications were the likely maternal risk factors for developing antepartum depression. The APD risk was also likely to be increased by sociodemographic and personal factors such as insufficient family support, a history of domestic violence, marital dissatisfaction, and a partner with a poor level of education (P < 0.05). Women screened with antepartum depression had 58.34 times the likelihood of developing postpartum depression and a threefold greater risk of having premature delivery. These findings may help to improve pregnancy outcomes by early identification, referral for early treatment of antepartum depression, also inform maternal mental health service development and utilization for boosting women's mental wellbeing.

Depressive symptoms, gender equality and belongingness among older partnered individuals in Sweden

ABSTRACT Approximately one-third of all older adults in Sweden report periods with depressive symptoms. The study aims to find explanations for older partnered individuals’ depressive symptoms by focusing on their gender attitudes, household division of labor and conformity to younger partnered individuals’ commonly held gender attitudes and household division of labor. Analyses are based on a subsample (n respondents 1764) from the Swedish Generations and Gender Survey (2012/2013) including individuals aged 60–80. The analytical strategy is logistic regression. The findings show that individuals with traditional gender attitudes are more likely to report a high level of depressive symptoms than individuals with transitional (i.e. attitudes in between traditional and egalitarian attitudes) and individuals with egalitarian gender attitudes. Lower conformity to commonly held gender attitudes is also associated with a high level of depressive symptoms. However, neither the household division of labor nor conformity to common household division was associated with depressive symptoms. In later life, gender attitudes thus seem more important for depressive symptoms than the actual household division of labor. It may be that attitudes are more important than behavior among older couples, and a reason for this may be that behavior is likely more restricted by practical circumstances.

The impact of firm downsizing on workers: Evidence from Ethiopia’s ready-made garment industry

We analyze matched employee–employer data from Ethiopia’s largest special economic zone during a period of downsizing pressure from the COVID-19 world import demand shock. We observe substantial job displacement during the shock peak, particularly for new hires. These largely female and rural-to-urban migrants persistently “fall off the employment ladder”, remaining unemployed both within and outside the zone even after employers have recovered from the shock. We observe high levels of urban-centered food insecurity and depression symptoms during the crisis peak, regardless of employment status. Our findings highlight the importance of social protection policies within export-oriented development strategies.

Mothers' depressive symptoms and children's behavioral adjustment: The role of negative parental emotional states.

The contribution of fathers and family dynamics to the deleterious effects of mothers' depressive symptoms on children's behavioral adjustment has been evaluated in this study. Using longitudinal data spanning from toddlerhood to grade school (N = 1,311), this study examined whether negative emotional states in both parents related to mothers' cumulative depressive symptoms during the early years of children were associated with children's later internalizing and externalizing problems in grade school. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to segregate between- and within-individual effects. The results demonstrated that, independent of fathers' depressive symptoms, high levels of maternal cumulative depressive symptoms were positively associated with negative emotional states in both parents over time, which then independently mediated the longitudinal associations between mothers' depressive symptoms and children's subsequent behavioral maladjustment, particularly internalizing problems, at the between-individual trait level. The findings highlight the interdependence of family members from a longitudinal perspective and support the unique contributions of both parents' negative emotional states to better understand children's behavioral adjustment in the context of maternal depressive symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms Across Years of Community Care Utilization Among Older Adults: A 14-Year Follow-up Study Using the 'Korean Welfare Panel Survey'.

While older adults using community care services are known to be vulnerable for depression, community care utilization (CCU) may help to improve the mental health of these elderly. To date, however, it is much less clear how CCU affects depressive symptoms in the elderly population. This study focuses on the trajectory of depressive symptoms across years of CCU among older adults in Korea. Using the 2006-2019 Korean Welfare Panel Survey, this study is focused on elderly born in 1940 or earlier and selected 3281 persons for baseline interviews in 2006. This consisted of 35 800 person-year observations during a period of 14 years. Panel data analysis were employed to construct years of CCU. After controlling for covariates, linear term of years using community care was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, but a quadratic term was positively significant. The trajectory of depressive symptoms across the years of CCU follows a U-shaped curve. Older adults in the first year of using community care reported the highest level of depressive symptoms. However, a significant and steady decrease in depressive symptoms was observed during the following 9 years of CCU, which then gradually increased. The level of depressive symptoms at the 14th year of using community care remains significantly lower than the level at the outset of its utilization. This finding implies that CCU could be beneficial for improving mental health among older adults.

Psychological Analysis of Healthcare Workers During Covid-19 in Indonesia; Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis

Healthcare workers (HCw) are at the forefront of treating infectious diseases. The excessive workload on Covid-19 HCw adds to the level of fatigue and psychological burden that existed before the Covid-19 pandemic. HCw knowledge of the likelihood of infection can affect their mental and physical stress levels, so they will experience common symptoms including trauma, fear, anxiety, and insomnia caused by excessive fear of infection. This study aims to summarize most research articles that discuss the description and influence of psychology on health workers throughout Indonesia during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a systematic method of qualitative review (meta-synthesis). High levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms were found in Indonesia. The results also showed the influence of gender, education, and contact with patients on the incidence of psychological problems in health workers. Providing positive support and preparing psychiatric personnel in hospitals and/or other healthcare settings can reduce the impact of psychology on healthcare workers.

Bi-directional associations between gender-based harassment at work, psychological treatment and depressive symptoms

IntroductionThe objective of this study was to investigate the bi-directional associations between experienced and witnessed gender-based harassment (GBH) on the one hand, and depressive symptoms and psychological treatment on the other, in an occupational setting. GBH are behaviors that derogate, demean, or humiliate an individual based on his or her gender.MethodsThe analyses were based on data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health at 2018 (T1) and 2020 (T2), including 6,679 working participants (60.3% women) with a majority in the age range of 45–64. Using cross-lagged structural equational models, we analyzed experienced and witnessed GBH in relation to depressive symptoms and having received psychological treatment (talked to a counselor or psychological professional) over time.ResultsOur results showed that neither experienced nor witnessed GBH was prospectively associated with depressive symptoms or psychological treatment over two years. Both higher levels of depressive symptoms (β = 0.002, p ≤ 0.001) and having received psychological treatment (β = 0.013, p = 0.027) weakly predicted experiences of GBH over time. Having received psychological treatment was furthermore weakly associated with witnessed GBH (β = 0.019, p = 0.012).DiscussionIn conclusion, the hypothesized associations between exposure to GBH and mental health outcomes were not statistically significant, while a weak reverse association was noted. More research addressing bidirectional associations between GBH and mental health outcomes are needed.

Impact of Psychological Distress on Immune Phenotype in CLL/SLL Patients Managed By Active Observation

Introduction: Asymptomatic patients with a new diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) are usually managed by active observation; however, many patients report elevated levels of distress and worry during the ‘watchful waiting’ phase. Psychological distress may have clinical implications given that natural killer [NK] and T cells are not only sensitive to distress, but also critical in controlling disease progression. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine associations of psychological functioning and quality of life (QOL) with biomarker expression and functional activity of immune cells from peripheral blood of CLL/SLL patients being managed with surveillance. Methods: We conducted a multisite, prospective study in patients with indolent B-cell neoplasms who were managed with surveillance. Participants completed measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and quality of life (FACT-G) at study entry and then every 6 months for up to 2 years or disease progression (whichever occurred first). Blood samples were collected at study entry and every 6 months for immune phenotyping using multiparametric flow cytometry (up to 13-color). Biomarkers of activation, viability, proliferation, exhaustion, and receptor expression were assessed on subsets of T, NK, and myeloid cells, and mean fluorescence intensity or percentage of cells staining were determined. Results: Between April 2016 and November 2020, 233 patients were enrolled at two academic institutions in Philadelphia, including 111 with a diagnosis of CLL/SLL. Of these, 76 patients also had viable samples for immune phenotyping. Participants were predominantly male (60.5%) with a mean age of 63.7 years (SD=9.1 years). Approximately 5% self-reported their race as Black or African American and 4% were of Hispanic ethnicity. At enrollment, the median time since diagnosis was 10.6 months (median follow-up time = 23.6 months). Multivariable regression analyses revealed that increased depressive symptoms were associated with a significant shift from lower percentages of non-classical monocytes (NCM) to higher percentages of classical monocytes (CM; see Figure 1). Similar significant population shifts from reduced NCM toward increased CM were also observed with increased levels of stress and anxiety. These results suggest that patients reporting increased stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms have fewer of the “patrolling” NCM and increased “sensing” CM in peripheral blood. We also assessed expression of numerous innate immune receptors, including DNAM-1, which can stimulate responses by NK and T cells toward tumors. We observed lower expression of DNAM-1 on CD4 + helper T cells and CD8 + cytotoxic T cells in patients with increased depressive symptoms (p&amp;lt; 0.05). Similarly, patients reporting lower QOL also expressed lower levels of DNAM-1 on CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, as well as cytotoxic CD56 dim NK cells (p&amp;lt;0.05). As DNAM-1 is important for antitumor responses, our data suggest that patients with higher depressive symptoms have T and NK cells with reduced capacity to respond to CLL/SLL tumor cells. NKp30, another activating receptor on NK and CD8+ T cells promoting cytotoxicity, was also expressed at lower levels on CD56 dim NK cells and T cells in the peripheral blood of patients reporting depressive symptoms. Patients who reported higher levels of depressive symptoms had lower levels of expression of the activation marker CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Finally, longitudinal analyses revealed that higher levels of depressive symptoms predicted lower levels of PD-L1 on CD56 dim NK cells over time ( p = 0.04). Conclusion: In CLL/SLL patients, psychological functioning is associated with differential patterns of monocyte distribution. Greater depressive symptoms and lower quality of life predicted lower expression of innate immune receptors, such as DNAM-1 on CD4 + helper T cells and CD8 + cytotoxic T cells. Future directions will investigate whether these measures are associated with disease progression or the occurrence of second primary cancers, given the importance of DNAM-1 and NKp30 in immune surveillance for cancers and reactivation of latent viruses. These findings may have direct translational relevance and enable the early identification of patients at-risk for poor outcomes.

Relationship between Fear of COVID-19, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Coping Strategies on University Students’ Mental Health

Background: the mental health of students was particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study therefore examined the relationships between anxiety and depressive symptoms, eating-related problems, coping, fear of COVID-19, and intolerance of uncertainty. Methods: 2139 French students of 54 universities were recruited in the different regions of France during a French lockdown (between 21 April and 3 May 2021). Six variables were measured: fear of COVID-19, intolerance of uncertainty, coping, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and eating-related problems. To explore the directions of the relationships between our variables of interest, we calculated a directed acyclic graph. Results: our data highlighted the central roles of intolerance of uncertainty in students’ anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the direct role of prospective intolerance of uncertainty on eating-related problems. Conclusions: these findings indicate that intolerance of uncertainty should be targeted by interventions designed to help students with high levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and/or eating-related problems.

The efficacy of an evidence-based parenting program in preventing child maltreatment in mainland China

BackgroundThere is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of online parenting programs for preventing child maltreatment in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the online Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) program in preventing child maltreatment among Chinese families specifically. MethodsA quasi-experiment was conducted, wherein 274 parents with children aged 2–9 years were assigned to either the online PLH-YC group (n = 135) or a waitlist control group (n = 139). Data were collected at baseline and one week after intervention. A difference-in-differences (DiD) design with propensity score weighting was used to estimate the between-group difference for child maltreatment as well as the associated risk and protective factors. ResultsCompared to the parents in the control group, parents in the online PLH-YC intervention reported a significant reduction in the occurrence of corporal punishment (b = −1.21; 95 % CI [−2.37, −0.03]), emotional abuse (b = −3.09; 95 % CI [−5.36, −0.82]), and general maltreatment (b = −4.94; 95 % CI [−8.86, −1.02]) as well as an increased frequency of positive parenting strategies (b = 6.46; 95 % CI [2.21, 10.72]). Additionally, parents with high levels of depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to drop out of the program, and those with lower education levels engaged in fewer sessions. ConclusionThe online PLH-YC program can benefit families with young children by reducing the incidence of child maltreatment through improved positive parenting strategies. More randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-ups are required to further verify the accuracy of the results obtained in this study.

Correlates of intimate relationship satisfaction among investigators of child sexual abuse material.

This study investigates correlates of intimate relationship satisfaction among investigators of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Previous research has shown that exposure to CSAM content can negatively impact investigators' emotional wellbeing, but little is known about its association with their intimate relationships. The study included 500 participants who were police investigators, forensic examiners, and other professionals connected with the criminal justice system in the United States that are exposed to CSAM as part of their profession. The study collected data through an anonymous survey administered via the Qualtrics online survey system. The findings reveal that higher levels of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder are associated with lower relationship satisfaction among CSAM investigators. Additionally, group connectedness is positively related to relationship satisfaction for both men and women. Parent investigators also reported lower relationship satisfaction, suggesting unique challenges faced by this subgroup. Exposure to varying types of CSAM content was not significantly related to lower relationship satisfaction. This study highlights the association between depressive symptoms and PTSD with relationship satisfaction among CSAM investigators, emphasizing the role of group connectedness in promoting positive outcomes for both male and female investigators. Recognizing the association between depressive symptoms and PTSD with relationship satisfaction can guide interventions and support services for investigators, promoting group connectedness and addressing mental health concerns to enhance resilience and effectiveness in combating child exploitation.

Abstract 12464: Family Caregiving Support and Sleep Duration Among African American Family Caregivers

Background: African Americans family caregivers are at risk for poor sleep health and cardiovascular disease. Psychological health (i.e., depressive symptoms) and social determinants of health (i.e., social interactions) are associated with sleep health (i.e., sleep duration) and are important contextual drivers of cardiovascular health. Recently, the American Heart Association recognized sleep duration as a component of cardiovascular health. However, there is limited literature on psychological and social determinants of sleep duration among African American family caregivers. Aim: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the contribution of depressive symptoms and family caregiving support to sleep duration among African American family caregivers. We hypothesized that higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of family caregiving support would be associated with shorter sleep duration. Methods: African American family caregivers ( n = 55) of adults with chronic illness were recruited through community-engaged strategies. Demographic, depressive symptoms, family caregiving support, and sleep duration data were based on self-report measures, whereas body mass index (BMI) data were based on objective height and weight assessments. Hierarchical linear regression was used to determine the contributions of depressive symptoms and family caregiving support on sleep duration, controlling for age, gender, and BMI. Results: On average, participants were 60.67 years old (SD = 12.04) and had a BMI of 34.61 (SD = 7.55). The majority self-identified as female (87.3%). Mean self-reported sleep duration was 5.87 hours (SD = 1.35) per night, which is below the recommended sleep duration of 7-9 hours for adults. In the final model, lower levels of family caregiving support were associated with shorter sleep duration ( b = -.46, p = .046), controlling for caregivers’ age, gender, BMI, and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Family caregiving support is a modifiable target to promote sleep and cardiovascular health equity for African American family caregivers. Multilevel interventions may optimize the support that caregivers receive from other family members and friends as well as professional and community-based sources.

The impact of COVID-19 and the confinement on the secondary level students of the Eastern region of Morocco.

In March 2020, Morocco announced the first COVID-19 case and implemented preventive measures, including home confinement. Monitoring the psychological effects and prevalence among high- and middle-school students. This study is cross-sectional, carried online. The survey was conducted by publishing an online questionnaire between May 14, 2020 and June 14, 2020, which included inquiries about socio-demographic data, the conditions of home confinement, activities carried out during confinement, and medical history and sleep patterns. To assess depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and stress, the survey employed the "DSRS-c," "SCARED," and "PSS10" scales, respectively. Data were received on Google forms coded by Excel 2010 and analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics 22. Out of the 689 participants, 73.7% were females; the mean age was 16.08 years (standard deviation 1.48). 94.8% of subjects reported changes in sleep habits, and 41.4% of adolescents had high levels of depressive symptoms, while 50.7% had high levels of anxiety symptoms. Several factors were significantly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, including being a girl (P = 0.000), being a high-school student (P = 0.011), economic struggles during the pandemic (P = 0.003), doubting the necessity of home confinement (P = 0.000), spending over 3 hours a day on social networks and video games (P = 0.000), dropping out of remote learning (P = 0.000), having a psychiatric history (P = 0.000), having chronic illnesses in the family (P = 0.002), and changes in sleep habits (P = 0.000). The study found high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among students during the pandemic, emphasizing the need for mental health awareness and support.