Life Events Questionnaire Research Articles

Longitudinal interactions between maternal depression symptoms and familial stressful life events on child anxiety symptoms at 5years of age.

In the current study we identified salient parental factors for child anxiety symptoms by considering the role of stressful life events, maternal anxiety symptoms, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal neuroticism. Families (N=399) in an urban area in the United States were participants in a longitudinal study beginning in infancy. Mothers completed measures of stressful life events (Revised Life Events Questionnaire at all visits), maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory, respectively, at infancy between 5 and 12months, at 2years, and at 3years), maternal neuroticism (NEO Five-Factor Inventory at infancy), and child anxiety symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 at 5years). Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used in analyses. Maternal depressive symptoms from infancy through 3years were associated with child anxiety symptoms; other main effects modeled (stressful life events, maternal anxiety symptoms, maternal neuroticism) were not associated with child anxiety symptoms. There was a significant interaction effect between stressful life events and maternal depression. Stressful events from infancy through 5years of age increased risk for child anxiety symptoms at 5years if the child's mother had a mild mood disturbance or depression, but not for children with non-depressed mothers.

The role of resilience in the association between stressful life events and academic performance in university students

Although there is evidence of the relationship between stress and academic performance, the possible moderating role of resilience in this association has been investigated to a lesser extent. This study aimed to evaluate the role of resilience in the relationship between stressful life events and academic performance in undergraduate university students. The Life Events Questionnaire and the Adult Resilience Scale were administered to 389 undergraduates aged 18-29. Regressions were performed. Results showed that life event stress predicted low academic performance, while resilience predicted better academic performance and lower life event stress. Two resilience factors moderated the impact of stressful life events on academic performance: family cohesion and social support. Correlation and variance values were low but significant. The results suggest that university programs could improve academic performance by promoting greater student resilience and strengthening other significant factors.

Trauma exposure across the lifespan among individuals engaged in treatment with medication for opioid use disorder: differences by gender, PTSD status, and chronic pain

BackgroundThere is little study of lifetime trauma exposure among individuals engaged in medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). A multisite study provided the opportunity to examine the prevalence of lifetime trauma and differences by gender, PTSD status, and chronic pain.MethodsA cross-sectional study examined baseline data from participants (N = 303) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a mind–body intervention as an adjunct to MOUD. All participants were stabilized on MOUD. Measures included the Trauma Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5). Analyses involved descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and linear and logistic regression.ResultsParticipants were self-identified as women (n = 157), men (n = 144), and non-binary (n = 2). Fifty-seven percent (n = 172) self-reported chronic pain, and 41% (n = 124) scored above the screening cut-off for PTSD. Women reported significantly more intimate partner violence (85%) vs 73%) and adult sexual assault (57% vs 13%), while men reported more physical assault (81% vs 61%) and witnessing trauma (66% vs 48%). Men and women experienced substantial childhood physical abuse, witnessed intimate partner violence as children, and reported an equivalent exposure to accidents as adults. The number of traumatic events predicted PTSD symptom severity and PTSD diagnostic status. Participants with chronic pain, compared to those without chronic pain, had significantly more traumatic events in childhood (85% vs 75%).ConclusionThe study found a high prevalence of lifetime trauma among people in MOUD. Results highlight the need for comprehensive assessment and mental health services to address trauma among those in MOUD treatment.Trial registrationNCT04082637.

"Age of traumatic experience as a predictor of distorted body image in patients with eating disorders".

The timing of trauma exposure is a risk factor for the development of psychopathology in adulthood. We aim to assess the presence of adverse life events (ALEs) before age 13 in patients with eating disorders (ED). Specifically, we examined the relationship between exposure to interpersonal trauma before the age of 13 and body image distortion (BID), impulsivity, and perfectionism. We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study in which 79 outpatients with ED were consecutively enrolled. Assessment was performed using the Traumatic Life Event Questionnaire, Contour Drawing Rating Scale, and Eating Disorder Inventory. Linear regression models were used to analyze the predictive role of interpersonal trauma before age 13 on BID perfectionism and impulsivity. Seventy-two patients (91.1%) reported ALEs throughout their lives. Patients with trauma before age 13 (55.6%) overestimated their shape. Patients with ED and bulimic symptoms had significantly higher BID levels. Interpersonal trauma predicted higher levels of impulsivity and perfectionism. Experiencing interpersonal ALEs before age 13 may be a risk factor for the development of BID, impulsivity, and perfectionism in adulthood. Body image can be modified during childhood through interventions focused on identifying stressful relationships.

A longitudinal investigation of the cross-dimensional mediating role of negative life events between neuroticism and depressive symptoms in adolescents

BackgroundNeuroticism has been identified as a significant predictor for depression within the adolescent population However, few longitudinal studies have investigated this association and explored the mediation effect of the negative life events. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between neuroticism, negative life events, and depression in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. MethodsData on Five Factor Inventory-Neuroticism Subscale (FFI-N) was collected from 1150 participants aged 14–19 years old at baseline, and data on Adolescent Life Event Questionnaire (ALEQ) and Center of Epidemiological Study-Depression (CES-D) were collected both at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Multilevel modelings were used to analyze the longitudinal associations among neuroticism, negative life events and depression. ResultsThrough a longitudinal study design, results from multilevel regression analyses indicated a direct correlation between increased levels of neuroticism and the aggregation of negative life events with the prediction of more severe depressive symptoms. Further, results of multilevel mediations suggested that the negative life events served to partially mediate the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression. LimitationsThe results cannot be used to make a clinical diagnosis. ConclusionThe current findings suggest the negative life events as a cross-dimensional mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression. Regulating neuroticism levels and implementing strategies to coping stress derived from daily life events could be integral approaches to reducing the prevalence of depression within the adolescent population.

Neural foundation of the diathesis-stress model: longitudinal gray matter volume changes in response to stressful life events in major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Recurrences of depressive episodes in major depressive disorder (MDD) can be explained by the diathesis-stress model, suggesting that stressful life events (SLEs) can trigger MDD episodes in individuals with pre-existing vulnerabilities. However, the longitudinal neurobiological impact of SLEs on gray matter volume (GMV) in MDD and its interaction with early-life adversity remains unresolved. In 754 participants aged 18-65 years (362 MDD patients; 392 healthy controls; HCs), we assessed longitudinal associations between SLEs (Life Events Questionnaire) and whole-brain GMV changes (3 Tesla MRI) during a 2-year interval, using voxel-based morphometry in SPM12/CAT12. We also explored the potential moderating role of childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) on these associations. Over the 2-year interval, HCs demonstrated significant GMV reductions in the middle frontal, precentral, and postcentral gyri in response to higher levels of SLEs, while MDD patients showed no such GMV changes. Childhood maltreatment did not moderate these associations in either group. However, MDD patients who had at least one depressive episode during the 2-year interval, compared to those who did not, or HCs, showed GMV increases in the middle frontal, precentral, and postcentral gyri associated with an increase in SLEs and childhood maltreatment. Our findings indicate distinct GMV changes in response to SLEs between MDD patients and HCs. GMV decreases in HCs may represent adaptive responses to stress, whereas GMV increases in MDD patients with both childhood maltreatment and a depressive episode during the 2-year interval may indicate maladaptive changes, suggesting a neural foundation for the diathesis-stress model in MDD recurrences.

Negative life events and their association with anxiety in adolescents with subthreshold depression

Subthreshold depression (SD) is a serious mental health problem in adolescents, and there is increasing evidence that depressive symptoms frequently occur alongside anxiety. Despite this, the extent to which negative life events (NLEs) are an associated factor in adolescents with SD comorbid with anxiety remains unclear. A total of 371 Chinese adolescents with SD were recruited (204 girls, 166 boys and missing data), ranging in age from 14 to 19 years (M = 16.34, SD = 0.96). All subjects were rated on the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), the Individualism-Collectivism Scale (ICS), the Adolescent Life Events Questionnaire (ALEQ), and the Neuroticism Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-N). The SD adolescents with higher anxiety had higher neuroticism scores, more self-reported negative life events and vertical individual orientation than those with low anxiety, and more of them were female than male (all p < 0.05). Further logistic regression indicated that gender, severity of depressive symptoms, vertical individualism orientation, and neuroticism were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms (p < 0.05). Our cross-sectional study could not explain the causal relationship between the severity of individual anxiety and risk factors in SD adolescents. Our results suggest that SD adolescents with high anxiety are more likely to experience NLEs than SD adolescents with low anxiety. Gender, severity of symptoms, vertical individualism orientation, and neuroticism are independent risk factors for anxiety in SD adolescents.

Maternal Exposure to Stress During Covid-19 and Non-Syndromic Orofacial Clefts: A Cohort Retrospective Study.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents an opportunity to study stress's effect on the development of non-syndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFCs). This study was aimed at assessing maternal stress exposure during the pregestational to first trimester pregnancy periods and the development of NSOFCs during a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cohort study of infants with NSOFCs and controls matched based on recruitment site and age. Government hospitals in Saudi Arabia between November 2020 and November 2021. Data collection included NSOFC clinical examination and maternal stress exposure assessment using the Modified Life Events Questionnaire, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and a focus on the lack of pregnancy planning and a threatened miscarriage. Of the 557 infants recruited, 191 had NSOFCs. Logistic regression analysis with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) that removed the effects of confounders showed that any of the seven stressful life events (AOR:3.78, P < .001) and the family histories of relatives with NSOFCs (AOR:9.73, P < .001) increased the AOR for NSOFC development. In contrast, maternal folic acid (AOR:0.56, P.010), threatened miscarriage (AOR:0.17, P = .001), fear of COVID-19 (AOR:0.83, P = .038), and suspected COVID-19 infection (AOR:0.43, P = .008) decreased the AOR for NSOFC development. Along with an established risk associated with family history of birth defects, stressful life events may be a risk factor for NSOFC development. Beyond folic acid's known benefit, it may be that higher maternal health concerns contribute to increased protective health behaviors during pregnancy. Ongoing research is needed to specify the maternal risk factors for NSOFC.

Maternal stressful life events during pregnancy and childhood asthma and wheeze

BackgroundStudies have linked prenatal maternal psychosocial stress to childhood wheeze/asthma but have rarely investigated factors that may mitigate risks. ObjectiveTo investigate associations between prenatal stress and childhood wheeze/asthma, evaluating factors that may modify stress effects. MethodsParticipants included 2056 mother-child dyads from Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)-PATHWAYS, a consortium of 3 prospective pregnancy cohorts (the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood study, The Infant Development and Environment Study, and a subset of the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth study) from 6 cities. Maternal stressful life events experienced during pregnancy (PSLEs) were reported using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Stressful Life Events questionnaire. Parents reported child wheeze/asthma outcomes at age 4 to 6 years using standardized questionnaires. We defined outcomes as ever asthma, current wheeze, current asthma, and strict asthma. We used modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors (SEs) to estimate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CI per 1-unit increase in PSLE, adjusting for confounders. We evaluated effect modification by child sex, maternal history of asthma, maternal childhood traumatic life events, neighborhood-level resources, and breastfeeding. ResultsOverall, we observed significantly elevated risk for current wheeze with increasing PSLE (RR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.03-1.14]), but not for other outcomes. We observed significant effect modification by child sex for strict asthma (P interaction = .03), in which risks were elevated in boys (RR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.02-1.19]) but not in girls. For all other outcomes, risks were significantly elevated in boys and not in girls, although there was no statistically significant evidence of effect modification. We observed no evidence of effect modification by other factors (P interactions > .05). ConclusionRisk of adverse childhood respiratory outcomes is higher with increasing maternal PSLEs, particularly in boys.

Suicide Risk Moderates the Relationship Between Stressful Life Events, the Suicidal Narrative, and the Suicide Crisis Syndrome: A Brazilian Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundStressful life events are associated with higher odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Furthermore, stressful life events can trigger specific symptoms, including the suicidal narrative and suicide crisis syndrome, resulting in an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This study examined the moderating role of suicide risk in the relationship between stressful life events, the suicidal narrative, and the suicide crisis syndrome.Methods2,260 adults completed an online survey recruited through advertisements on social media. The level of emotional distress was assessed through the Suicide Narrative Inventory, Suicide Crisis Inventory-2, Stressful Life Events Questionnaire, and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The PROCESS macro (Hayes) was used to analyze the moderation models.ResultsStressful life events were positively correlated with the suicidal narrative and suicide crisis syndrome. The effects of stressful life events on suicidal narrative and suicide crisis syndrome were strongest when suicide risk was low and weakest when suicide risk was high.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that including stressful life events as part of suicide risk assessment in general and clinical settings is critical to managing treatment for suicidal thoughts and developing adaptive coping.

Interplay of early negative life events, development of orbitofrontal cortical thickness and depression in young adulthood.

Early negative life events (NLE) have long-lasting influences on neurodevelopment and psychopathology. Reduced orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) thickness was frequently associated with NLE and depressive symptoms. OFC thinning might mediate the effect of NLE on depressive symptoms, although few longitudinal studies exist. Using a complete longitudinal design with four time points, we examined whether NLE during childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in young adulthood through accelerated OFC thinning across adolescence. We acquired structural MRI from 321 participants at two sites across four time points from ages 14 to 22. We measured NLE with the Life Events Questionnaire at the first time point and depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at the fourth time point. Modeling latent growth curves, we tested whether OFC thinning mediates the effect of NLE on depressive symptoms. A higher burden of NLE, a thicker OFC at the age of 14, and an accelerated OFC thinning across adolescence predicted young adults' depressive symptoms. We did not identify an effect of NLE on OFC thickness nor OFC thickness mediating effects of NLE on depressive symptoms. Using a complete longitudinal design with four waves, we show that NLE in childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in the long term. Results indicate that an accelerated OFC thinning may precede depressive symptoms. Assessment of early additionally to acute NLEs and neurodevelopment may be warranted in clinical settings to identify risk factors for depression.

Multiple psychiatric polygenic risk scores predict associations between childhood adversity and bipolar disorder

BackgroundIt remains unclear how adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and increased genetic risk for bipolar disorder (BD) interact to influence BD symptom outcomes. Here we calculated multiple psychiatric polygenic risk scores (PRS) and used the measures of ACE to understand these gene-environment interactions. Method885 BD subjects were included for analyses. BD, ADHD, MDD and SCZ PRSs were calculated using the PRS-CS-auto method. ACEs were evaluated using the Children Life Event Questionnaire (CLEQ). Participants were divided into groups based on the presence of ACE and the total number of ACEs. The associations between total ACE number, PRSs and their interactions were evaluated using multiple linear and logistic regressions. Secondary analyses were performed to evaluate the influence of ACE and PRS on sub-phenotypes of BD. ResultsThe number of ACEs increased with the ADHD PRS. BD participants who had ACEs showed an earlier age of BD onset and higher odds of having rapid cycling. Increased BD PRS was associated with increased odds of developing psychotic symptoms. Higher ADHD PRS was associated with increased odds of having rapid cycling. No prediction effect was observed from MDD and SCZ PRS. And, we found no significant interaction between ACE numbers and any of the PRSs in predicting any selected BD sub-phenotypes. LimitationsThe study was limited by sample size, ACE definition, and cross-sectional data collection method. ConclusionsThe findings consolidate the importance of considering multiple psychiatric PRSs in predicting symptom outcomes among BD patients.

Development and validation of a short version of the questionnaire of stressful life events (QSLE).

Stressful life events (SLE) tend to occur before the onset of psychosis, this highlights the importance of its detection and evaluation in these patients. The need to have instruments that assess SLE easily and quickly underpins the objective of this study, which is to validate a short version of the questionnaire of stressful life events (QSLE). 124 patients with first-episode psychosis and 218 healthy controls aged between 11 and 52 years were recruited. The QSLE scale underwent discrimination analysis, which revealed 18 items had good SLEs discriminability between the two samples. These 18 items were then used to create the shorter QSLE-SV. The QSLE-SV showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha =0.749). An AUC of 0.830 was observed, suggesting that the predictor was good. Using 2 as the cut-off score to predict an individual as a patient would yield a sensitivity of 91.1% and a specificity of 51.6%, and using a cut-off point of 3, the sensitivity was 77.4% and the specificity was 72.5%. QSLE-SV displayed satisfactory psychometric properties in a Spanish population. The QSLE-SV allows for investigating childhood, adolescent and adult life events by measuring current stress and age on a continuous scale in a quick and easy way.

False Memory and Borderline Personality Features

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder characterized by significant impairment in intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning, as well as patterns of personality pathology. Memory deficits are not recognized as a core symptom of BPD, but individuals with BPD symptoms have long been suspected to have inaccurate perceptions, disturbed memory processes, and an increased tendency to develop false memories. In the present study, we examined whether there was an association between BPD features and the production of false memories in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm—a laboratory-based procedure that is frequently used to investigate false memory. We also compared the traditional categorical BPD criteria (DSM-5 Section II) with the alternative model of personality disorders BPD criteria (DSM-5 Section III) in predicting memory performance. A total of 298 university students completed the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder, SCID-II Personality Questionnaire, Borderline Personality Disorder Impairment Scale, Personality Inventory for DSM-5, Beck Depression Inventory, Dissociative Experiences Scale, and Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire. Participants were also tested using both traditional DRM word lists as well as word lists that were specifically associated with BPD features. Using the traditional diagnosis of BPD, BPD features were correlated with higher false memory for positive information; in the alternative model of BPD, identity impairment and anxiousness were correlated with the overall false memory score. We also found that trauma and dissociation mediated the relation between BPD and false memory. These findings are discussed in terms of how the consequences of trauma, such as dissociation and identity disturbance, are associated with false memory. Whether false memory rates are higher in a clinical population of BPD patients than in non-clinical volunteers remains to be determined.

Characteristics of Stressful Life Events and Its Relationship With Body Disperception in Patients With Eating Disorders

ObjectiveA distorted body image and body dissatisfaction (BD) are key features of eating disorders (ED). Stressful life events (SLEs) are involved in the evolution of the illness. The study aims to evaluate the relationship between SLEs and disturbance in body image. MethodCross-sectional, retrospective study. ED participants were outpatients from the unit care of ED. Healthy subjects (HS) were recruited by general advisements. A final sample of 119 (78 patients and 41 HS) was recruited. The traumatic life event questionnaire, the dissociative experiences scale, the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, and the eating disorder inventory (EDI) were used for assessment. ResultsNo differences between groups were found in mean age, sex, level of study, or SLEs prevalence. ED patients reported significantly more levels of dissociative experiences, BD, and body misperception. ED patients who reported SLEs presented more levels of dissociation, bulimia, perfectionism, impulsivity, and overestimation of the shape in the mirror. Besides, patients who overestimated their shape seemed to show more impulsivity. BD correlated with social insecurity and binging in the control group. HS with overestimation of their shape presented more punctuation in the EDI subscale of bulimia. ConclusionsED patients tend to overestimate their bodies more than HS both when they look in the mirror and when they feel their shape. Those with a greater number of SLEs have greater levels of dissociation. The presence of interpersonal SLEs determined more perfectionism, impulsivity, a distorted body image in the mirror, and a drive of thinness only in ED patients, while healthy subjects reported more anxiety, social insecurity, and non-planned impulsivity.

Negative Stressful Life Events and Social Support Are Associated With White Matter Integrity in Depressed Patients and Healthy Control Participants: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

BackgroundNegative stressful life events and deprivation of social support play critical roles in the development and maintenance of major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study aimed to investigate in a large sample of patients with MDD and healthy control participants (HCs) whether these effects are also reflected in white matter (WM) integrity. MethodsIn this diffusion tensor imaging study, 793 patients with MDD and 793 age- and sex-matched HCs were drawn from the Marburg-Münster Affective Disorders Cohort Study (MACS) and completed the Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ) and Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). Generalized linear models were performed to test voxelwise associations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and diagnosis (analysis 1), LEQ (analysis 2), and SSQ (analysis 3). We examined whether SSQ interacts with LEQ on FA or is independently associated with improved WM integrity (analysis 4). ResultsPatients with MDD showed lower FA in several frontotemporal association fibers compared with HCs (pTFCE-FWE = .028). Across both groups, LEQ correlated negatively with FA in widely distributed WM tracts (pTFCE-FWE = .023), while SSQ correlated positively with FA in the corpus callosum (pTFCE-FWE = .043). Modeling the combined association of both variables on FA revealed significant—and antagonistic—main effects of LEQ (pTFCE-FWE = .031) and SSQ (pTFCE-FWE = .037), but no interaction of SSQ × LEQ. ConclusionsOur results indicate that negative stressful life events and social support are both related to WM integrity in opposing directions. The associations did not differ between patients with MDD and HCs, suggesting more general, rather than depression-specific, mechanisms. Furthermore, social support appears to contribute to improved WM integrity independent of stressful life events.

Psychological distress, perceived stress and nocebo effect (multifood adverse reaction) in irritable bowel syndrome patients.

Psychological distress and perceived stress may complicate the clinical presentation, course, and treatment of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. The correlation between psychological distress, perceived stress, and the nocebo effect (multifood adverse reaction) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was the main aim of the present study. In this cross-sectional correlation study, data on 4,763 Iranian adults, 748 of whom by purposive sampling were patients with IBS (65.1% female), working in 50 different health centers affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences across Isfahan province were examined. For assessing dietary intake, a 106-item self-administered Dish-based Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire that was specifically designed and validated for Iranian adults was used. General Heath Questionnaire 12 and Stressful Life event Questionnaire were used to assess psychological distress and perceived stress. By using a modified Persian version of the Rome III questionnaire, IBS was assessed. Based on researcher-made definition of nocebo effect (multiitem food intolerance), 164 people had the nocebo phenomenon in IBS group. Age, sex, education, marital status, antidepressant use, and specifically chronic underlying disease (odds ratio [OR]: 3.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.73-7.23) of general characteristics had a significant correlation (P <.05) with presenting nocebo responses in IBS patients. Psychological distress (OR: 1.415; 95% CI: 0.992-2.020; P = 0.056) had a significant correlation with nocebo effect and did not find significant correlation with perceived stress (OR: 0.999; 95% CI: 0.990-1.008; P = 0.865). Data were analyzed by Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and OR. The present study showed that psychological distress with chronic underlying disease and antidepressant use are important elements in presenting multifood adverse reactions that we named here as the nocebo effect in IBS patients. Reducing psychological distress and managing chronic underlying diseases appear to be an effective factor in reducing the nocebo phenomenon in IBS patients. For managing the nocebo responses in IBS patients, these findings may help clinicians to improve their interventions. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.

The Medical Somatic Dissociation Questionnaire Assessment For Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Brief Report

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse is a prevalent phenomenon worldwide. However, a gap exists between its incidence and its disclosure rate. Furthermore, assessment tools and techniques capable to identify the source of symptoms are lacking. This study investigates the extent to which the validated Medical Somatic Dissociation Questionnaire (MSDQ) can differentiate between sexually and non-sexually abused children. A total of 794 children and youth between the ages of 8 and 18 (mean age: 12.2 (SD = 2.3); 42% female, 58% male) were recruited from the general population; other participants were residents of boarding schools and children who were referred to medical treatment. The anonymous online questionnaire included queries about demographics, a condensed version of the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, and the MSDQ. Findings indicate strong internal consistency, reliability, incremental validity, and predictive validity of the instrument, indicating the superiority of the MSDQ’s ability to predict sexual abuse compared to physical abuse or the loss of a family member. It is concluded that the MSDQ can be integrated into the evaluation process performed by healthcare professionals in the diagnosis of minors with unexplained symptomatology.

A systematic examination of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, global emotion dysregulation, and cognitive insight in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among trauma exposed patients with early nonaffective psychosis.

Previous research has shown that emotion dysregulation after trauma is associated with increased posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity. However, it remains unclear how different dimensions of emotion dysregulation and cognitive insight may interact to predict Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) PTSD symptoms in early psychosis. The present study systematically examines cognitive emotion regulation strategies, global emotion dysregulation, and cognitive insight in relation to DSM-5 PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed patients with early nonaffective psychosis. A total of 150 outpatients with early nonaffective psychosis were screened for trauma exposure on the Stressful Life Events Questionnaire. Participants (N = 79; 52.6%) who met the DSM-5 Criterion A subsequently completed the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Difficulties With Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Severity of psychotic and depressive symptoms were rated on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Multivariate regression models adjusting for age, gender, psychotic and depressive symptoms revealed that PTSD symptom clusters were associated with more maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (catastrophic thinking, rumination, and other blame) and less adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and planning; Cohen's f² = 1.50-3.17). Further moderation analyses revealed a negative interaction between global emotion dysregulation and self-reflection on intrusive symptoms such that for patients with low self-reflectivity, global emotion dysregulation was associated with increased severity of intrusive symptoms (f² = 0.96). Our findings suggest that addressing emotion dysregulation and cognitive insight may improve intrusive symptoms, and this may prevent the development of full PTSD in patients with early nonaffective psychosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Victimization Can Lead to Transgression: Exploring the Psychometric Properties of the Short Stressful Life Events Questionnaire in Adolescents

ABSTRACT We aimed to provide evidence of validity and reliability for the scores of a stressful life events risk assessment in offender and non-offender Chilean adolescents. The design was instrumental. A total of 2,516 adolescents from two previous projects were part of the study. The offender sub-sample (25.36%) was recruited by non-probabilistic convenience sampling and the non-offender (74.64%) by proportional and stratified by conglomerates sampling. We identified 47 items that are risk factors for delinquency and antisocial outcomes, and we grouped them into six theoretical dimensions. We obtained good content coherence, acceptable internal consistency, adequate factor structure, convergent associations with theoretically related constructs, and predictive capacity for some dimensions. The logistic regression analysis showed that adolescents who accumulated more risk factors had an augmented risk of being an offender. The hierarchical multiple regression indicated that four of the six dimensions were predictors of violent antisocial behavior. As evidence of three validity sources and reliability were demonstrated, we recommend using the scale for detecting events that are risk factors of antisocial and delinquent behavior in adolescents and for intervention to prevent violent criminal and antisocial conduct.