Initial Levels Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast, Gastrointestinal, Gynecological, or Lung Cancer.

Individuals who undergo chemotherapy for cancer are at elevated risk of developing depressive symptoms, yet substantial interindividual variation exists in trajectories of these symptoms. To examine interindividual variations in trajectories of depressive symptoms during 2 cycles of chemotherapy and to evaluate associations between demographic and clinical characteristics, symptom severity scores, psychological adjustment characteristics (eg, stress and coping), and initial levels and trajectories of depressive symptoms. Patients (n = 1323) diagnosed with breast, gynecologic, lung, or gastrointestinal cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale 6 times, over 2 cycles of chemotherapy. At enrollment, patients provided demographic information and completed a broad range of symptom, stress, and coping measures. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to identify characteristics associated with initial levels and trajectories of depressive symptoms. Interindividual differences in initial levels of depressive symptoms were associated with marital status, functional status, level of comorbidity, chemotherapy toxicity, sleep disturbance, morning fatigue, cognitive function, global and cancer-related stress, and coping characteristics (ie, sense of coherence, venting, behavioral disengagement, and self-blame). Interindividual differences in depression trajectories were associated with education, cancer type, chemotherapy toxicity, sleep disturbance, evening energy, evening fatigue, cognitive function, global and cancer-related stress, and self-blame. We present new findings concerning the trajectories and predictors of depressive symptoms during chemotherapy. Modifiable risk factors (eg, stress and coping) are important targets for intervening to address depressive symptoms in oncology patients.

Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults: The Moderating Effect of Resilience.

Social isolation has been recognized as a social problem with negative health consequences. Using data from 3 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this study aimed to examine the long-term impact of social isolation on loneliness and depressive symptoms and to explore the moderating effect of resilience. This study comprised 3,681 U.S. adults aged 60 and older at the baseline wave. Social isolation index was constructed using 5 indicators, including not married or cohabitating with a partner, no social participation, and less than monthly contacts with children, family members, or friends. Loneliness was measured by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. The moderator of resilience was assessed by the simplified resilience score. Latent growth curve models with robust standard errors were estimated. The results of latent growth curvemodels showed that social isolation was significantly associated with more initial loneliness and depressive symptoms. However, social isolation was associated with a slower increasing rate of loneliness, but no significant relationship with the change rate of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, resilience significantly buffered the negative effect of social isolation on the initial level of depressive symptoms. The findings underscore the importance of enacting strategies and interventions targeting resilience to address social isolation and its negative consequences among older adults.

Developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms among left-behind adolescents: The effects of parent-adolescent separation and parent-adolescent cohesion.

Left-behind adolescents are vulnerable to depressive symptoms under the context of parent-adolescent separation. However, limited knowledge is available regarding left-behind adolescents' depression trajectory and the protective resources against it. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the depression trajectory and its association with parent-adolescent separation (left-behind status, age of separation and duration of separation) and parent-adolescent cohesion (father-adolescent cohesion, mother-adolescent cohesion) among left-behind adolescents. The participants were 1,107 left-behind adolescents (Mage = 13.23 ± 0.86 years at T1; 45.17% girls; 38.48% both-parent migrant adolescents, 61.52% father-only migrant adolescents) from two rural areas of Shandong Province in China, who were participated in assessment at three time points with 6 months apart from November 2014 to November 2015. The results indicated that the trajectory of left-behind adolescents' depression symptoms showed a decreasing trend. Both-parent migrant adolescents reported a higher initial level of depressive symptoms than father-only migrant adolescents. Duration of separation positively predicted the initial level of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Mother-adolescent cohesion negatively predicted the initial level and positively predicted the change rate of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Moreover, mother-adolescent and father-adolescent cohesion buffered the negative effect of parent-adolescent separation on the initial level of left-behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the protective role of parent-adolescent cohesion for left-behind adolescents, having important implications for interventions targeted toward mitigating the detrimental influence of parent-adolescent separation on left-behind adolescents' depression trajectory.

Changes in frailty and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese people: a nationwide cohort study

Background and aimsThe older people bears a severe burden of disease due to frailty and depressive symptoms, however, the results of association between the two in the older Chinese people have been conflicting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the developmental trajectories and interactions of frailty and depressive symptoms in the Chinese middle-aged and older adults.MethodsThe study used four waves of data from 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018 in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, focused on middle-aged and older people ≥ 45 years of age, and analyzed using latent growth models and cross-lagged models.ResultsThe parallel latent growth model showed that the initial level of depressive symptoms had a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of frailty. The rate of change in depressive symptoms significantly positively predicted the rate of change in frailty. The initial level of frailty had a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of depressive symptoms, but a significant negative predictive effect on the rate of change in depressive symptoms. The rate of change in frailty had a significant positive predictive effect on the rate of change in depressive symptoms. The results of the cross-lagged analysis indicated a bidirectional causal association between frailty and depressive symptoms in the total sample population. Results for the total sample population grouped by age and gender were consistent with the total sample.ConclusionsThis study recommends advancing the age of concern for frailty and depressive symptoms to middle-aged adults. Both men and women need early screening and intervention for frailty and depressive symptoms to promote healthy aging.

Understanding the role of depressive symptoms in academic outcomes: A longitudinal study of college roommates.

Rising rates of depression among adolescents raise many questions about the role of depressive symptoms in academic outcomes for college students and their roommates. In the current longitudinal study, we follow previously unacquainted roommate dyads over their first year in college (N = 245 dyads). We examine the role of depressive symptoms of incoming students and their roommates on their GPAs and class withdrawals (provided by university registrars) at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. We test contagion between the roommates on both academic outcomes and depressive symptoms over time. Finally, we examine the moderating role of relationship closeness. Whereas students' own initial levels of depressive symptoms predicted their own lower GPA and more course withdrawals, they did not directly predict the academic outcomes of their roommates. For roommates who form close relationships, there was evidence of contagion of both GPAs and depressive symptoms at the end of Fall and Spring semesters. Finally, a longitudinal path model showed that as depressive symptoms spread from the student to their roommate, the roommate's GPA decreased. The current work sheds light on a common college experience with implications for the role of interventions to increase the academic and mental health of college students.

Perceived Support from Best Friends and Depressive Symptoms During Adolescence: Disentangling Personal from Dyadic Level Effects

Support from best friends is an important interpersonal factor in adolescent depression development but is often studied from an individual perspective in which dyadic effects are overlooked. This study aims to a) test whether differences in support vary at the individual level and are related to individual differences in the development of depressive symptoms, whether these differences vary at the dyadic level and are related to dyadic depression symptom development, or both, b) explore whether these associations are moderated by initial levels of depressive symptoms on the individual and/or dyadic level. Data from 452 adolescents (Mage = 13.03), nested in 226 same-gender friendship dyads (60.6% boy-dyads) who participated in the RADAR-Y project were included. Best friends self-reported annually (2006–2008; 3 waves) on their own depressive symptoms and perceived support from their friend. Multilevel models showed no direct association between support and depression development on the individual or dyadic level. However, the initial level of dyads’ depressive symptoms moderated the association between dyadic support and dyads’ subsequent depression symptom development. When dyads experienced relatively more initial depressive symptoms, higher levels of dyadic support were associated with relative increasing dyadic depressive symptoms. When dyads experienced relatively few initial depressive symptoms, higher levels of dyadic support were associated with relative decreasing dyadic depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that support from best friends can either protect against or exacerbate the development of depressive symptoms for friends, depending on the initial level of depressive symptoms of the dyad.

A Six-Year Longitudinal Study of Parenting and Depressive Symptoms among Taiwanese Adolescents.

This study investigated the associations between early parental warmth, harsh discipline, and adolescent depressive symptoms from early to late adolescence, with attention to gender differences in these associations. The sample was drawn from a longitudinal study, the Taiwan Youth Project, including 2,690 Taiwanese adolescents from wave 1 in 2000 (first year in junior high school) to wave 6 (third year in high school) in 2005. The results showed a nonlinear developmental trajectory of adolescent depressive symptoms during the middle- to high-school period. Harsh discipline was associated with the significantly higher initial presence and faster growth rate of depressive symptoms, while parental warmth and monitoring were associated with the significantly lower initial presence of depressive symptoms. In addition, female adolescents displayed a higher initial level of depressive symptoms than males when parents exercised higher levels of monitoring and harsh discipline. Finally, we provided suggestions for practice and research.

Antidepressant Effects of a Multimodal Group Therapy Program for Mild Dementia: A Retrospective Evaluation of Clinical Routine Data.

The multimodal CORDIAL treatment concept for mild dementia, combining cognitive rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral and humanistic psychology interventions, has proven its feasibility and demonstrated a reduction of depressive symptoms in individual dyadic/triadic settings. We investigate antidepressant effects of an adapted group-based CORDIAL program in clinical routine care. During 2013 and 2017, 51 outpatients with mild dementia (45% female, mean age 72.4 years, 67% Alzheimer's dementia, mean MMST 24.8) periodically received a modified CORDIAL group treatment as part of our regular outpatient care. Treatment comprised 10 bi-weekly sessions, partly involving caregivers. Systematic pre- and post-treatment assessments of clinical routine data were evaluated retrospectively (median time-interval of 6.6 months). Depressive symptoms as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale significantly decreased over time (p = 0.007, Cohen's d = 0.39), and irrespective of gender. Patients with longer disease duration before treatment start showed significantly higher initial levels of depressive symptoms (p = 0.044), followed by a reduction to a level of those with shorter disease duration (ns). Most secondary outcomes (cognitive symptoms, disease severity, quality of life, caregiver burden) remained unchanged (ns), while competence in activities of daily living declined from pre- to post-measurement (p = 0.033). A group-based CORDIAL treatment is feasible in a clinical routine setting and demonstrated antidepressant effects comparable to those of the individual treatment design, further suggesting its implementation in regular care. Future trials might also investigate its potentially preventive effects by reducing depressive symptoms in pre-dementia stages, even at a subsyndromal level.

Real and assumed sexual minority status: Longitudinal associations with depressive symptoms.

Sexual minority status persists in being linked to poorer adolescent mental health. Using a longitudinal sample (N=845), we examined how youth's own same-gender attraction and their perceptions of peers' beliefs about their same-gender attraction (i.e., assumed attraction) were associated with trajectories of depressive symptoms from grade eight (when students are typically 13-14 years old) to grade 10. Reporting either same-gender attraction, assumed same-gender attraction or both were associated with higher initial levels of depressive symptoms that persisted over time compared to youth with real and assumed other-gender attraction only. These links were partially mediated by experiences of discrimination. Findings suggest the importance of understanding adolescent perceptions of peer beliefs in the association between same-gender attraction and depressive symptoms.

Relative deprivation patterns in social and geographical references for health trajectories in China: Investigations of gender and urban-rural disparities

ObjectiveA pervasive link between relative deprivation and health has been well-documented. However, prior studies suffered from inadequate relative deprivation measures that fail to define appropriate reference groups to which individuals compare themselves, and few provided longitudinal evidence. This study explores latent relative deprivation patterns based on multiple social and geographic reference groups, examining their impacts on health trajectories and variations by gender and urban-rural areas. MethodsUsing three waves (2013, 2015, & 2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (n = 6035), we conducted latent class analysis (LCA) to identify the baseline latent relative deprivation patterns among five social and geographic reference groups (relatives, schoolmates, colleagues, neighbors, and other people in the city or county). The LCA results were linked to the latent growth curve parallel process modeling (PPM) to investigate the impacts of deprivation patterns on dual health trajectories (depressive symptoms and self-rated health), and the results were stratified to explore gender and urban-rural differences. ResultsThe LCA revealed a relatively deprived group (36.39%) and a non-deprived group (63.61%). The PPM results indicated that the relatively deprived group showed a higher initial level of depressive symptoms and a lower initial level of self-rated health than the non-deprived group. However, the relatively deprived group showed a slower growth rate in depressive symptoms than the non-deprived group. These findings were particularly evident among women and rural residents. ConclusionsFindings emphasize the negative impact of relative deprivation on health. Furthermore, there is a complex interplay in these effects intertwined with gender and locality. Policies aimed at promoting mental health should not only consider relatively deprived groups, but also non-deprived women and rural residents who are at higher risk for later-life depression.

Moderacijska uloga spola u odnosu između osjetljivosti na odbijanje i depresivnih simptoma u ranoj odrasloj dobi

Previous studies showed that rejection sensitivity is a predictor of depressive symptoms. However, it is not clear whether gender is a moderator in this relation. This study aims to longitudinally examine the contribution of rejection sensitivity to depressive symptoms in university students and the moderating role of gender in that relation. A longitudinal research with a two-wave data collection five months apart included 277 students (53 male) aged between 18 and 29 years. The results showed that, controlling for the initial level of depressive symptoms, rejection sensitivity predicted the level of depressive symptoms after five months in female but not in male students. Females with higher rejection sensitivity showed higher increase in depressive symptoms in a five- -month period than females with lower rejection sensitivity. The results for females are in line with the rejection sensitivity theory, while the results for males require further research.

Depression trajectories among women undergoing chemotherapy.

e24144 Background: Depressive symptoms are common among women undergoing chemotherapy (CTX) for breast or gynecological cancer. Many studies have examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms (usually at the beginning or end of CTX). However, given that CTX unfolds over a number of cycles, there is a need to better understand patterns of change in depressive symptoms over the course of treatment, and to identify factors that may predispose individuals to worse symptom trajectories. The purpose of this study, among women who underwent CTX for breast or gynecological cancer, was to evaluate for interindividual differences in depressive symptoms over the course of two cycles of CTX, and to identify characteristics associated with both initial levels (i.e., at the beginning of the study) and trajectories of depressive symptoms. Methods: Patients undergoing CTX for breast (n = 530) or gynecologic (n = 233) cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire six times over two treatment cycles. Patient-reported measures were used to assess demographic, clinical, symptom, stress, and coping characteristics at enrollment. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we evaluated characteristics associated with initial levels and trajectories of depressive symptoms. Results: One demographic (marital status) and two clinical (number of comorbidities, functional status) characteristics predicted interindividual differences in initial levels of depressive symptoms. One demographic (education) and one clinical (MAX-2 score, a CTX toxicity metric) characteristic were associated with interindividual differences in depressive symptom trajectories. Several symptom characteristics predicted interindividual differences in initial levels (i.e., morning fatigue), trajectories (i.e., initial level of depression), or both initial levels and trajectories (i.e., sleep disturbance, attentional function) of depressive symptoms. Two stress-related variables (i.e., perceived stress, cancer-related distress) predicted interindividual differences in both initial levels and trajectories of depressive symptoms. Several coping variables predicted interindividual differences in initial levels (i.e., behavioral disengagement), trajectories (i.e., venting), or both initial levels and trajectories (i.e., self-blame) of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The range of demographic, clinical, symptom, stress and coping characteristics associated with interindividual differences in depressive symptoms underscores the importance of evaluating risk and protective factors. These factors may serve as useful markers for both screening and intervention to address depressive symptoms during CTX.

Black-White Differences in the Link Between Offspring College Attainment and Parents' Depressive Symptom Trajectories.

This study examines whether the relationship between children's college attainment and their parents' mental health differs for Black and White parents as they age. Data come from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and multilevel growth curve models are used to assess parents' depressive symptom trajectories. Results indicated that parents over age 50 whose children all completed college had significantly lower initial levels of depressive symptoms than those with no college-educated children. The initial benefit was stronger for Blacks than Whites. Results stratified further by parents' education show that Black parents at nearly all levels of schooling experienced stronger returns to their mental health from children's college completion compared to White parents, for whom only those with a high school education showed an inverse association between offspring education and depression symptoms. The findings underscore how offspring education is a potential resource for reducing disparities in health across families.

Does Cyber Dating Abuse Victimization Increase Depressive Symptoms or Vice Versa?

Although there is a robust positive association between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression, the direction of effects between them is unknown. Thus, we conducted two studies to investigate their temporal relationship. Study 1 (n = 198) examined whether cyber dating abuse victimization predicted depressive symptoms 6 weeks later, after controlling for the initial level of depressive symptoms. Study 2 (n = 264) used a two-wave, cross-lagged design to investigate possible bidirectional relations between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression. Participants in both studies were emerging adults in romantic relationships. They completed the Partner Cyber Abuse Questionnaire and depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Many individuals (42.40% in Study 1 and 36.4% in Study 2) reported experiencing cyber abuse from their partners. Study 1 replicated the cross-sectional association previously found between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression and showed that cyber abuse predicted depression 6 weeks later. Study 2 replicated the findings of the first study and revealed that cyber dating abuse victimization was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms 12 weeks later, but the converse was not the case. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and clinical practice.

Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Experienced by Older People: Effects of Time, Hurricane Sandy, and the Great Recession.

To examine depressive symptom trajectories as a function of time and exposure to Hurricane Sandy, accounting for the effects of the Great Recession. We analyzed 6 waves of data from a 12-year panel using latent class growth models and multinomial logistic regression. We identified 4 groups of people experiencing different trajectories of depressive symptoms. The groups differed on baseline characteristics (gender, age, education, income, race), history of diagnosed depression, and initial level of depressive symptoms. The group with the highest levels of depressive symptoms reported greater levels of peri-traumatic stress exposure to Hurricane Sandy. Depressive symptoms increased as a function of the Great Recession, but exposure to Hurricane Sandy was not associated with subsequent increases in depressive symptoms for any of the 4 groups. People who consistently experienced high levels of depressive symptoms over time reported the highest levels of peri-traumatic stress during Hurricane Sandy. Findings highlight the importance of accounting for historical trends when studying the effects of disaster, identify people likely to be at risk during a disaster, and provide novel information about the causal relationship between exposure to disaster and depressive symptoms.

Analysis of the dynamic relationship between social physique anxiety and depressive symptoms in young adults

This study explored the dynamic relationship between social physique anxiety and depressive symptoms in a sample of young adults over a six-month period. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, data were collected from a sample of 398 undergraduate students (47.70% females, 97.50% white) aged between 18 and 30 years old (M = 20.47, SD = 2.42). Results from the latent change score model showed that initial levels of social physique anxiety significantly predicted changes in depressive symptoms (β = 0.35, p = .002). Conversely, initial levels of depressive symptoms did not significantly predict changes in social physique anxiety (β = 0.01, p = .90). None of these relationships were moderated by sex. The findings suggest that a focus on addressing distressed affective reactions derived from anticipating negative social appraisals may help to ameliorate depressive symptoms among young adults.

DEPRESSION AND COGNITIVE DECLINE OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE TRANSITION TO WIDOWHOOD

This study examined the trajectories of depression and cognitive function in the transition to widowhood and investigated the temporal and causal relationship between these two closely related constructs. Respondents were 1,822 widowed adults aged 51 to 91 from a restructured data set (Wave 3 to Wave 12) of the Health and Retirement Study. The results of cross-lagged panel analysis indicated a bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition decline, but the effects of cognitive impairment at earlier time points on later depression were larger than the effects of previous depressive symptoms on later cognition. The latent growth curve analysis showed that the cognitive function declined over time, whereas the initial level of depressive symptoms first increased following widowhood and gradually decreased over time. Significant negative associations were found between the initial levels of depression and cognitive function (p < .001) and between the rates of change of these two variables (p = .025). Older adults tended to have lower initial level of cognitive function and they showed faster cognitive decline over time. Female respondents were more likely to report more depressive symptoms and higher cognitive function. White respondents were more likely to report fewer depressive symptoms and higher levels of cognitive function. Higher levels of education were protective for one’s cognitive function but not for depressive symptoms. The study highlighted the reciprocal relationship between depression and cognitive function following widowhood and pointed out that accelerated cognitive decline may precede elevated levels of depression.

Differentiation: Moderator or mediator for change in satisfaction in the early sessions of couple therapy

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differentiation served as a moderator or a mediator for the association between initial levels of distress in couple members and change in satisfaction in the early sessions of couple therapy. Based on the call for more process research in couple and family therapy completed in naturalistic settings, the data from this study came from a larger ongoing data collection at an on-campus training clinic. Method: One hundred and seven couples completed intake questionnaires and after-session questionnaires for the first four sessions of couple therapy. Results: Using a latent profile analysis for couple differentiation scores and then using a group comparison procedure to test the associations between initial levels of depressive symptoms and stress and change in relationship satisfaction, some evidence of moderation was demonstrated. Using an Actor Partner Interdependence model with mediation, there was no evidence of mediation. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in the context of Bowen Family Systems Theory and extant process literature.

The Social Support-Health Link Unraveled: Pathways Linking Social Support to Functional Capacity in Later Life.

Objective: Despite evidence that social support is strongly related to health, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying this association. This study investigates whether physical activity, depressive symptoms, and chronic diseases mediate the associations between social support and functional capacity. Method: Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam on 954 participants, aged 75 and older, covering 9 years, are analyzed with latent growth mediation models. Results: Only the indirect path from the initial level of emotional support to the initial level of functional capacity through the initial level of depressive symptoms was significant. All mediators however were significantly associated with the level of and changes in functional capacity. Models with reversed pathways were estimated, but model fit was worse. Discussion: Because only initial levels of social support relate to functional capacity, and changes in social support do not, older adults likely receive the support they need.

Identifying Critical Points of Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms from Childhood to Young Adulthood

Depression is a common mental illness and research has focused on late childhood and adolescence in an attempt to prevent or reduce later psychopathology and/or social impairments. It is important to establish and study population-averaged trajectories of depressive symptoms across adolescence as this could characterise specific changes in populations and help identify critical points to intervene with treatment. Multilevel growth-curve models were used to explore adolescent trajectories of depressive symptoms in 9301 individuals (57% female) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK based pregnancy cohort. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were constructed for males and females using the short mood and feelings questionnaire over 8 occasions, between 10 and 22 years old. Critical points of development such as age of peak velocity for depressive symptoms (the age at which depressive symptoms increase most rapidly) and the age of maximum depressive symptoms were also derived. The results suggested that from similar initial levels of depressive symptoms at age 11, females on average experienced steeper increases in depressive symptoms than males over their teenage and adolescent years until around the age of 20 when levels of depressive symptoms plateaued and started to decrease for both sexes. Females on average also had an earlier age of peak velocity of depressive symptoms that occurred at 13.5 years, compared to males who on average had an age of peak velocity at 16 years old. Evidence was less clear for a difference between the ages of maximum depressive symptoms which were on average 19.6 years for females and 20.4 for males. Identifying critical periods for different population subgroups may provide useful knowledge for treating and preventing depression and could be tailored to be time specific for certain groups. Possible explanations and recommendations are discussed.