Manifestation Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

A Cluster Analysis of the Co-occurrence of Alcohol Consumption and Depressive Symptoms

This study will use cluster analysis to empirically derive the patterns of alcohol consumption and depression symptoms among these respondents by forming segments of respondents with similar alcohol use, depression symptoms, and socio-demographic characteristics among veterans and non-veterans. The empirical work of this study is based on the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Because the choice of clustering variables includes a combination of nominal, ordinal, and interval-ratio scaled measures, a two-step clustering within SPSS was employed to segment individuals based on drinking frequency (treated as a continuous variable), age (treated as continuous variable), depression symptoms (likert scores), sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and veteran status (dichotomies). Findings suggest that alcohol use and depression co-occur more commonly than expected. Individuals with more frequent manifestation of depressive symptoms tend to consume more alcohol. To mitigate the negative consequences of alcohol use and depression, there remains a pressing need for there remains a pressing need for an integrated treatment of both alcohol use and depression that simultaneously treat these two disorders.

A longer diagnostic interval is a risk for depression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Recognizing depressive symptoms in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains problematic given the potential overlap with the normal psychological responses to a terminal illness. Understanding mental health and disease-related risk factors for depression is key to identifying psychological morbidity. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in ALS and to explore mental health and disease-related risk factors for depression. Structured medical and psychiatric history questionnaires and a validated depression scale (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21) were completed by 27 ALS patients (60% female; 59% limb onset; age 65.11 ± SE 2.21) prior to their initial review at a multidisciplinary clinic. Physical function was assessed with the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). At the time of initial assessment, 44% of patients had a previous psychiatric history, although the majority (62%) reported no symptoms of depression. The mean ALSFRS-R score was 37.78 ± SE 1.22, with an average diagnostic interval of 16.04 ± SE 2.39 months. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the length of the diagnostic interval alone predicted depressive symptoms (χ²(3, n = 26) = 9.21, Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.12, p < 0.05. The illness experiences of ALS patients rather than established mental health risk factors influence the manifestation of depressive symptoms in the early stages of the disease, with clinical implications for the assessment and treatment of psychological morbidity. Patients with lengthy diagnostic intervals may be prime targets for psychological assessment and intervention, especially in the absence of ALS-specific tests and biomarkers.

Adolescent Depression

After participating in this educational activity, the physician should be better able to 1. Evaluate the relationship between reward processes, stress, and depression. 2. Assess the characteristics of the three etiological models of stress and reward processes. 3. Identify the biological basis for stress and reward processes. Adolescence is a peak period for the onset of depression, and it is also a time marked by substantial stress as well as neural development within the brain reward circuitry. In this review, we provide a selective overview of current animal and human research investigating the relationship among reward processes, stress, and depression. Three separate, but related, etiological models examine the differential roles that stress may play in relation to reward dysfunction and adolescent depression. First, the reward mediation model suggests that both acute and chronic stress contribute to reward deficits, which, in turn, potentiate depressive symptoms or increase the risk for depression. Second, in line with the stress generation perspective, it is plausible that premorbid reward-related dysfunction generates stress--in particular, interpersonal stress--which then leads to the manifestation of depressive symptoms. Third, consistent with a diathesis-stress model, the interaction between stress and premorbid reward dysfunction may contribute to the onset of depression. Given the equifinal nature of depression, these models could shed important light on different etiological pathways during adolescence, particularly as they may relate to understanding the heterogeneity of depression. To highlight the translational potential of these insights, a hypothetical case study is provided as a means of demonstrating the importance of targeting reward dysfunction in both assessment and treatment of adolescent depression.

1244 – Bipolar depression rating scale (BDRS): psychometric characteristics of the italian validation

The scales for the assessment of depressive symptoms, translated and validated in Italian, lacks in the recognition of the psychopathological nuances of the disorder. The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) is a tool specifically built to reflect the characteristics of bipolar depression. Screening criteria: - aged 18–65 years - diagnosis of BD (DSM-IV-TR) (125 patients) or - diagnosis of MDD (DSM-IV-TR) (30 patients) - manifestation of depressive symptoms - no further psychiatric comorbidity on axis I and axis II (including abuse/addiction) - no serious cognitive deficits Psychometric battery: Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The analysis of the BDRS scores, according to the Kolmogorov-Smimov method shows a normal distribution; the α Cronbach's coefficient shows that the the scale, in its Italian version, has considerable validity and reliability (r = 0.82). The factor analysis was verified using the Varimax rotational method: after several tests, we found 2 subscales, one linked to mixed/depressive symptoms and a second related to (hypo)manic symptoms. The BDRS is a valid scale for the measurement of depression in patients with Bipolar Disorder, with a notable internal consistency (Cronbach α 0.82), a significant consistency between items/total (Cronbach α from 0.80 to 0.82) and positive correlation with other scales (MADRS r 0.67, p < 0.001; HAM-D r 0.81, p < 0.001; YMRS r 0.46 p < 0.0001), including the Young Mania Rating Scale (better than the original validation sample Berk et al., 2007).

2799 – A comparison of depressive symptom manifestation: adolescents with low and high level of alexithymia

There is a dearth of literature on the effect of alexithymia on somatizing depression. Yet, the symptom manifestation of depression among people with alexithymia has not been well-investigated. The objective of this study was to examine symptom presentation in adolescents having high (HDA) or low (LDA) degrees of alexithymia. A total of 590 adolescents aged 11–18 years participated in this school-based study. Of 269 adolescents with mild to severe depressive symptoms (Center of Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale (CES-D)>15), 136 participants were selected and identified as either having HDA ( n = 100) or LDA ( n = 36). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) tested the fit of a correlated two-factor structure (somatic and affective symptoms of CES-D) to the data. HDA adolescents were compared to those with LDA on somatic and affective symptoms of depression, negative affect and somatization symptoms. Results of CFAs confirmed the two-factor model in HDA (CFI = 0.863) and LDA (CFI = 0.874) adolescents. HDA adolescents reported more somatic symptoms of depression ( t = −2.97, p = 0.004) and negative affect ( t = −3.53, p = 0.001) compared with LDA adolescents. No significant difference was observed between HDA and LDA adolescents on affective symptoms of depression and somatization symptoms ( p > 0.05). Our findings underscore that (1) HDA adolescents reported affective symptoms of depression in a similar manner to LDA adolescents, and (2) though the tendency toward reporting somatic symptom of depression is evident, HDA adolescents did not report significantly more somatization symptoms. These findings refute the notion that patients with alexithymia articulate their emotional and psychological distress primarily through physical symptomatology.

Depressive-symptom onset during toddlerhood in a sample of depressed preschoolers: Implications for future investigations of major depressive disorder in toddlers.

This study investigated the occurrence of depressive symptoms prior to age 36 months as retrospectively reported by parents of preschoolers with clinical depression. The study provides some of the first empirical data on the manifestations of depressive symptoms during the toddler period, advancing existing theoretical and case-report literature. A sample of 301 (depressed, disruptive, and healthy) children between the ages of 3.0 and 6.0 years were screened and oversampled for depressive symptoms from community sites. Primary caregivers (parents) were interviewed about their child's symptoms of depression (as well as other symptoms of mental disorders and developmental parameters), and age of first onset of depressive symptoms was ascertained. Findings suggest that clinical-level symptoms of depression may arise as early as age 24 months. The domain of negative self-concept during the toddler period evidenced by self-deprecation and difficulty making choices emerged as the two strongest variables predictive of preschool depression. Our results suggest that prospective empirical studies of depressive symptoms in children younger than 3 years of age should now be undertaken.

The Protective Role of Perceived Social Support Against the Manifestation of Depressive Symptoms in Peer Victims

Students who are victimized by their peers are at risk for developing depressive symptoms, which is detrimental for academic and social development. Social support may be a protective factor for peer victims, and the manner in which this occurs may vary according to gender, age, and other demographic variables. This study examined the main and stress-buffering effects of perceived social support from various sources against the manifestation of depressive symptoms for peer victims. A convenience sample of 544 seventh and eighth graders from three middle schools completed a survey assessing depressive symptoms, peer victimization experiences, and perceived social support from parents, teachers, classmates, and a close friend. Perceived social support from parents and from a close friend buffered the manifestation of depressive symptoms for male peer victims. Main effects, but not stress-buffering effects, were found for female peer victims across all sources of support. Implications of these findings, limitations of the study, and future directions are discussed.

Adult Attachment, Perceived Support, and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese and American Cultures

This study examines cross-culturally how perceived support from, and satisfaction with, a current romantic partner mediates the relation between adult attachment styles and manifestations of depressive symptoms. Three hundred and sixty-seven participants from two different cultural groups, Hong Kong and the U.S.A., were recruited. We hypothesized that perceived support from, and relationship satisfaction with, the current romantic partner would mediate the link between anxious and avoidant attachment styles and depressive symptoms in both Chinese and American samples. The strength of these associations, however, was predicted to be stronger for avoidance in the more collectivistic culture (Hong Kong). The results supported these hypotheses. Implications of the findings for future research are discussed.

Depressive symptoms of elderly Chinese in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei

Objectives: Understanding the socio-cultural context is an important pre-requisite for understanding global aging and mental health. This study aimed to examine the variation in the types of depressive symptoms of aging Chinese in three ethnic Chinese societies. Method: Data were based on a mixed purposive and random sample of aging Chinese in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei. The 891 Chinese participants of 65 years or older were included. Depressive symptoms were measured by a Chinese 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Factor analysis was used to identify the factor structure of the scale when used with elderly Chinese in the three cities. Results: There are ‘within-ethnic group’ differences in manifestation of depressive symptoms. Symptoms of the elderly Chinese in Guangzhou and Hong Kong were similarly related to items that indicate uncertainty and disinterest in living. The ones in Taipei expressed symptoms indicating disinterest and a negative mood. These differences were probably due to the variations in the socio-cultural, demographic, and structural characteristics among the three cities. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms can be culturally related and manifested differently by people sharing a similar ethnicity. The same ethnicity does not mean homogeneity. The findings should be useful for mental health practitioners in Western societies working with older Chinese immigrants. Knowing the mental health characteristics of these client groups will facilitate the designing of appropriate assessment and intervention tools to fit the culturally unique mental health needs of different subgroups in these ethno-cultural communities.

Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs Who have Better Coping Skills have Fewer Depressive Symptoms

Describe and quantify coping skills and prevalence of depressive symptoms in parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Describe the association of coping skills with parental depressive symptoms, severity of child's condition and family demographic characteristics. A baseline questionnaire was administered to parents of CSHCN 2-11 years old. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally. Coping skills were assessed using F-COPES, and depressive symptoms were measured using CESD 10, both previously tested tools. Multivariable regression models measured the association of coping skills with depressive symptoms, parents' rating of severity and demographic characteristics. Among 129 parents 54% had depressive symptoms above standard normal threshold. Parents with better coping skills had significantly fewer depressive symptoms. The severity of child's condition, parental marital status and employment status were significantly related to depressive symptoms; after accounting for these factors, better coping skills were still associated with fewer depressive symptoms (P-value < 0.05). Parents of CSHCN are at increased risk for depressive symptoms, especially if single and unemployed. In this study better parental coping skills were associated with fewer depressive symptoms, regardless of the severity of child's condition; and remained significant after accounting for demographic factors. Educational interventions to improve coping skills for parents of children who have a variety of diagnoses and severity levels may potentially mitigate the manifestation of depressive symptoms and in turn improve parenting.

Alcohol misuse and report of recent depressive symptoms among ED patients

Objective This study examined the magnitude of association between alcohol misuse and recent depressive symptoms. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 412 randomly selected patients at least 18 years old and seeking emergency department (ED) care. Results Of the patients, 51.0% reported depressive symptoms. At-risk drinking was reported by 26.0%, and 28.2% scored positive on the Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen 4. Alcohol abuse and binge drinking were reported by 25.1% and 28%, respectively, of the patients. According to our results, at-risk drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.47-4.20, P ≤ .001), problem drinking (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.27-3.51, P ≤ .004), drinking abuse (OR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.51-4.40, P < .001), and binge drinking (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.13-3.15, P < .001) were all related to the manifestation of depressive symptoms. Conclusions The findings of this study yield information that could be used by ED health care practitioners and health educators to educate ED patients at risk for alcohol misuse and depression.

Sintomas depressivos e eventos estressores em crianças e adolescentes no contexto de institucionalização

INTRODUÇÃO: O presente estudo verificou a manifestação de sintomas depressivos e a freqüência e o impacto de eventos estressores em crianças e adolescentes institucionalizados e não-institucionalizados. MÉTODO: Participaram 257 jovens de 7 a 16 anos de ambos os sexos, sendo que 130 residiam em abrigos de proteção e 127 moravam com suas famílias na região metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Todos os participantes freqüentavam da 1ª à 8ª série do ensino fundamental de escolas públicas localizadas em bairros de baixas condições socioeconômicas. Foram aplicados os instrumentos Children's Depression Inventory e o Inventário de Eventos Estressores na Infância e Adolescência. RESULTADOS: Foram encontradas médias mais altas no Children's Depression Inventory e no Inventário de Eventos Estressores na Infância e Adolescência no grupo institucionalizado, com diferença significativa. Os eventos mais freqüentes foram "ter que obedecer às ordens de seus pais" para o grupo da família e "ser levado para um abrigo" no outro grupo. Os eventos que apresentaram maior impacto foram "morte de um dos pais", "ser estuprado", "ser rejeitado pelos familiares" e "ser tocado sexualmente contra a vontade". Foram encontradas diferenças entre os sexos e entre os contextos no impacto atribuído aos eventos. Os adolescentes, independentemente dos contextos, apresentaram freqüência de eventos significativamente maior do que as crianças, o que não ocorreu quanto ao impacto. CONCLUSÃO: Os jovens abrigados apresentaram maior exposição a situações potenciais de risco, o que pode estar relacionado à maior manifestação de sintomas depressivos. A avaliação do impacto de um evento estressante, no entanto, não esteve correlacionada com o Children's Depression Inventory em nenhum dos contextos.

Suicidal thoughts in patients with Parkinson's disease treated by deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nuclei: two case reports and review of the literature.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nuclei (STN) can result in depression despite the obvious motor improvement. Two patients with serious life-threatening depressive episodes are described. In the first case, the trigger for depression was a slight adjustment of the left stimulating electrode's contact. In the second case, reducing both the dopaminergic therapy and the voltage of DBS resulted in the manifestation of depressive symptoms. DBS-induced depression possibly has pathogenetic differences from ordinary Parkinson's disease depression. The STN region seems to be a sensitive zone that influences emotions.

Depressive symptom manifestation and help‐seeking among Chinese college students in Taiwan

One longstanding hypothesis in the research of depression among Chinese populations is that they tend to express depressive symptoms in somatic terms, which, in turn, prevent them from seeking assistance from mental health services. This study aimed to examine the manifestation of depressive symptoms and its relationship to help‐seeking attitudes among Chinese college students. The Chinese Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II; Beck, Steer, &amp; Brown, 1996) and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help: Shortened Form (ATSPPH‐SF; Fischer &amp; Farina, 1995) were administered to 1039 Chinese college students in a private university in Taiwan. Factor ratio scores analyses revealed that Chinese college students generally emphasized somatic complaints compared to cognitive‐affective complaints in expressing depressive symptoms. Probably‐depressed Chinese students (BDI‐II scores⩾16), however, placed significantly less emphasis on somatic symptoms than did nondepressed students. Additionally, multiple regression analyses showed that while Chinese students with elevated BDI‐II scores were less likely to seek professional psychological help, neither somatic nor cognitive‐affective symptoms were correlated with their attitudes toward seeking and avoiding professional psychological help. These findings seem to run counter to the common assumption that Chinese people tend to express depression in somatic terms and that somatic complaints help to explain their reluctance to seek professional psychological assistance. The current results suggest that Chinese students with elevated depressive symptoms readily acknowledged and expressed cognitive‐affective symptoms of depression and they were likely to distance themselves from professional psychological help. However, somatic symptoms did not explain their reluctance to utilize mental health services.

A Sex-Specific Role of Type VII Adenylyl Cyclase in Depression

Major depression represents a complex mental disorder. The identification of biological markers that define subtypes of major depressive disorder would greatly facilitate appropriate medical treatments, as well as provide insight into etiology. Reduced activity of the cAMP signaling system has been implicated in the etiology of major depression. Previous work has shown low adenylyl cyclase activity in platelets and postmortem brain tissue of depressed individuals. Here, we investigate the role of the brain type VII isoform of adenylyl cyclase (AC7) in the manifestation of depressive symptoms in genetically modified animals, using a combination of in vivo behavioral experiments, gene expression profiling, and bioinformatics. We also completed studies with humans on the association of polymorphisms in the AC7 gene with major depressive illness (unipolar depression) based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria. Collectively, our results demonstrate a sex-specific influence of the AC7 gene on a heritable form of depressive illness.

Acculturation and manifestation of depressive symptoms among Korean-American older adults

The present study examined the role of acculturation in manifestation of depressive symptoms among 230 Korean-American older adults (M age = 69.8, SD = 7.05) in Florida. Given the cultural emphasis on modesty and self-effacement in the traditional Korean society, we hypothesized that older Korean-Americans who were less acculturated to American culture, when compared to the more acculturated ones, would be more likely to inhibit positive affects in depressive symptom reports. Using two validated measures of depressive symptoms, the short forms of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-SF) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), different response patterns for low and high acculturation groups were identified. First, there was low comparability in the factor structures for both the GDS-SF and the CES-D across low and high acculturation groups. A differential item function (DIF) analysis based on partial correlations indicated that older adults in the low acculturation group inhibited endorsing positive affect items; one item in the GDS-SF (#7 ‘feel happy’) and two items in the CES-D (# 5 ‘felt hopeful’ and # 8 ‘was happy’). The finding suggests the substantial cultural influences in expressing emotions, especially those related to positive affects. Implications are discussed from a cultural perspective.

Non-Cognitive Disturbances and Patient Characteristics: Prevalence and Relationship in Alzheimer's Disease

The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine the spectrum of non-cognitive symptom manifestation in a cohort with Alzheimer's disease. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between non-cognitive indices and patient characteristics. Information was elicited from 63 primary caregivers using a biographical questionnaire, the Behaviour Rating Scale for Dementia and the Blessed Dementia Scale. Symptoms clustered under the neuropsychiatrie nomenclature included mood-related behaviours, which occurred in over 50% of the sample. Agitation, irritability and apathy were the most common neuro-behavioural dysregulatory behaviours reported by caregivers. The correlation between non-cognitive symptoms and patient characteristics revealed that lower cognitive functioning is significantly associated with aggressive actions and higher levels of cognitive functioning with the manifestation of depressive symptoms. These findings have implications for caregiver distress and caregiver management of non-institutionalised Alzheimer's patients.

Race/ethnicity and depressive symptoms: a cross-cultural/ethnic comparison among university students in East Asia, North and South America

To examine manifestations of depressive symptomatology among undergraduate students in East Asia, North and South America, responses to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were compared across Japanese ( n=310), Anglo-American ( n=377), Native American ( n=353), and Argentinean ( n=110) undergraduate students. Japanese reported a significantly higher level of low positive affect, leading to significantly higher total CES-D scores, whereas their negative symptoms score was comparable to scores of Anglo-Americans and Argentineans. Although Native Americans were more likely to endorse negative symptoms, their low positive affect score was comparable to those of Argentineans. Argentineans appear to suffer less from depressive symptoms. Results from a Differential Item Functioning analysis, using Anglo-Americans as the reference group, indicated that: (1) the manifestation of depressive symptoms seemed to be similar for Anglo-Americans and Argentineans, except for low positive affect; (2) Native Americans tended to favor somatic symptoms over affective (depressive) symptoms; (3) responses to positive affect questions could possibly be biased not only for Japanese but also for people in North America; i.e., the expression of positive affect might be enhanced in North American culture, while inhibited in Japanese culture.

The Influence of Early Parents' Death on Manifestations of Depressive Symptoms among Young Adults

This study investigated the influence of early parents' death on manifestations of depressive symptoms among young adults. One hundred students, consisting of 50 orphans (20 male and 30 female) and 50 non-orphans (20 male and 30 female) drawn from 10 secondary schools in Nsukka area of Enugu State, participated in the study. Each student was individually administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which is a self-report assessment device consisting of 21 items designed to tap the affective, cognitive, motivational, and somatic symptomatology of depression. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data to test the two hypotheses of the study. Results showed that the orphans reported significantly higher depressive symptoms than the non-orphans ( p &lt; .001). There was no significant difference in depressive symptoms reported by male and female subjects. It was concluded from the study that the early loss of both parents through death could predispose an individual to develop some emotional difficulties such as depression later in adult life.

A cross-cultural comparison of depressive symptom manifestation: China and the United States.

A cross-cultural comparison of depressive symptom manifestation: China and the United States.