Mean Depressive Symptom Scores Research Articles

Reducing Depressive Symptoms Among Latina Mothers of Autistic Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study examines the intervention effect of a culturally tailored parent education program in reducing depressive symptoms among Latina mothers of autistic children. In this two-site randomized waitlist-control study (n = 109 mother-child dyads), a peer-to-peer mentoring (promotora) model was used to deliver an intervention that was designed to increase mothers' self-efficacy and use of evidence-based strategies. We assessed mothers' depressive symptom (CES-D) scores at three time points and used linear mixed models to determine whether their scores significantly changed from baseline to postintervention (Time 2) and at 4 months postintervention (Time 3). Results show that mothers in the intervention group reported a significant decrease in mean depressive symptom scores at Time 2 and that the effect was maintained at Time 3 with intermediate to medium effect sizes. There were no differences in results across sites. Findings suggest that Parents Taking Action, a culturally tailored intervention led by peer mentors, showed a significant effect both immediately after the intervention and 4 months postintervention in reducing depressive symptoms among Latina mothers of autistic children.

Music therapy on depression in college students

BackgroundThe incidence of depression among college students is increasing year by year, which has a serious impact on social development. As a non-drug intervention, music therapy can affect individual psychological state through emotional catharsis, emotion regulation and other ways, which has attracted more and more attention in recent years, and is expected to provide an effective auxiliary means for the management of depression in college students.Subjects and MethodsA total of 200 college students were randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group. The students in the control group maintained their usual learning lifestyle. The experimental group received 30 minutes of music therapy four times a week for a total of 8 weeks. Beck Depression Checklist was used to evaluate the degree of depression symptoms, and SPSS statistical software was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe results showed that the mean score of depressive symptoms in the experimental group decreased from 28.4±5.2 before the intervention to 15.2±3.8 after the intervention, while the score of the control group decreased by less than 1 (P< 0.001). The BDI score of the music therapy group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P< 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant.ConclusionsThe results show that music therapy has a significant therapeutic effect on depression intervention of college students, which can effectively reduce the symptoms of depression and improve the emotional state of college students.

Effect of Immediate Referral vs a Brief Problem-solving Intervention for Screen-Detected Peripartum Depression

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening adults for depression in settings with programs in place to ensure receipt of appropriate care. Best practices regarding how to ensure such care are unknown, particularly for pregnant and postpartum persons. To compare the effectiveness of 2 strategies for the initial management of screen-detected peripartum depressive symptoms. This randomized comparative effectiveness trial was performed from February 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020, at the prenatal clinic, postpartum unit, and pediatric clinic within an urban safety-net hospital. Participants included peripartum persons with positive depression screen results. Data were analyzed from July 6, 2020, to September 21, 2022, based on intention to treat. Engagement-focused care coordination (EFCC), which used shared decision-making and motivational techniques to refer patients to outside mental health services, and problem-solving education (PSE), a brief cognitive-behavioral program delivered at the screening site. The primary outcome consisted of severity of depressive symptoms; secondary outcomes included severity of anxiety symptoms and engagement with care, each measured bimonthly over 12 months. Rates of symptom elevations were modeled using negative binomial regression; rates of symptom trajectories were modeled using treatment × time interactions. Among the 230 participants (mean [SD] age, 29.8 [5.8] years), 125 (54.3%) were Black and 101 (43.9%) were Hispanic or Latina. At baseline, 117 participants (50.9%) reported at least moderately severe depressive symptoms (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology score ≥11), and 56 (24.3%) reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms (Beck Anxiety Inventory score ≥21). Across 6 assessment time points, the mean (SD) number of moderately severe depressive symptom episodes in EFCC was 2.2 (2.2), compared with 2.2 (2.1) in PSE, for an adjusted rate ratio (aRR) of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.77-1.17). The mean (SD) number of anxiety symptom elevations in EFCC was 1.1 (1.8), compared to 1.1 (1.6) in PSE, for an aRR of 0.98 (95% CI, 0.69-1.39). There were significant treatment × time interactions relative to mean depressive symptom scores (-0.34 [95% CI, -0.60 to -0.08]; P = .009 for interaction term), favoring EFCC. There were no differences in engagement with care. In this randomized comparative effectiveness trial, there were no differences in depressive or anxiety symptom burden across comparators; however, the evidence suggested improved depressive symptom trajectory with immediate referral. Further work is necessary to guide approaches to management following depression screening for peripartum persons. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03221556.

Time trends in mental health indicators in Germany's adult population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to compromise mental health. Despite a large number of studies, evidence on the development of mental health in general populations during the pandemic is inconclusive. One reason may be that representative data spanning the whole pandemic and allowing for comparisons to pre-pandemic data are scarce. We analyzed representative data from telephone surveys of Germany's adults. Three mental health indicators were observed in ~1,000 and later up to 3,000 randomly sampled participants monthly until June 2022: symptoms of depression (observed since April 2019, PHQ-2), symptoms of anxiety (GAD-2), and self-rated mental health (latter two observed since March 2021). We produced time series graphs including estimated three-month moving means and proportions of positive screens (PHQ/GAD-2 score ≥ 3) and reports of very good/excellent mental health, as well as smoothing curves. We also compared time periods between years. Analyses were stratified by sex, age, and level of education. While mean depressive symptom scores declined from the first wave of the pandemic to summer 2020, they increased from October 2020 and remained consistently elevated throughout 2021 with another increase between 2021 and 2022. Correspondingly, the proportion of positive screens first decreased from 11.1% in spring/summer 2019 to 9.3% in the same period in 2020 and then rose to 13.1% in 2021 and to 16.9% in 2022. While depressive symptoms increased in all subgroups at different times, developments among women (earlier increase), the youngest (notable increase in 2021) and eldest adults, as well as the high level of education group (both latter groups: early, continuous increases) stand out. However, the social gradient in symptom levels between education groups remained unchanged. Symptoms of anxiety also increased while self-rated mental health decreased between 2021 and 2022. Elevated symptom levels and reduced self-rated mental health at the end of our observation period in June 2022 call for further continuous mental health surveillance. Mental healthcare needs of the population should be monitored closely. Findings should serve to inform policymakers and clinicians of ongoing dynamics to guide health promotion, prevention, and care.

Factors influencing self-care among patients with primary hypertension: path analysis of mediating roles of self-efficacy and depressive symptoms.

Blood pressure control requires medication adherence and lifestyle modifications. Social cognitive theory suggests social support, psychological adaptation, and self-efficacy can reinforce lifestyle modifications. This study investigated if self-efficacy was a mediator between self-rated health status (SRHS), social support, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-care among patients with hypertension. This cross-sectional study recruited patients with primary hypertension by convenience sampling (N = 318) from an outpatient cardiology clinic. Data included participant characteristics and self-report scales for social support, SRHS, anxiety, depressive symptoms, Self-efficacy and self-care diet quality and weight management. We used path analysis to test the hypothesized model. The mean age of participants was 63.91 ± 11.80 years. Mean scale scores for social support and depressive symptoms were 54.23 ± 13.26 and 6.14 ± 3.14, respectively; SRHS was 66.91 ± 13.80, self-efficacy was 34.31 ± 11.62, self-care for diet quality and weight management were 36.50 ± 13.19 and 27.38 ± 8.64, respectively. Bootstrapping demonstrated self-efficacy was the mediator between social support and self-care for diet quality and weight management; depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between social support and self-efficacy. In addition, the variable of depressive symptoms was also a mediator between SRHS and self-efficacy. The final model showed SRHS, social support, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy explained 28% of self-care. Our findings suggest developing theory-based interventions for patients with hypertension that provide education and/or psychological support for increasing patients' self-efficacy and reducing depressive symptoms simultaneously to facilitate their long-term self-care behaviours.

The Impact of a Collaborative Care Model on Health Trajectories among Patients with Co-Morbid Depression and Diabetes: The INDEPENDENT Study.

Collaborative care models for depression have been successful in a variety of settings, but their success may differ by patient engagement. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of the INDEPENDENT trial to investigate the role of differential engagement of participants on health outcomes over 3 years. INDEPENDENT study was a parallel, single-blinded, randomised clinical trial conducted at four socio-economically diverse clinics in India. Participants were randomised to receive either active collaborative care or usual care for 12 months and followed up for 24 months. We grouped intervention participants by engagement, defined as moderate (≤7 visits) or high, (8 or more visits) and compared them with usual care participants. Improvements in composite measure (depressive symptoms and at least one of three cardio-metabolic) were the primary outcome. Mean levels of depression and cardio-metabolic measures were analysed over time using computer package IBM SPSS Statistics 25. The composite outcome was sustained the highest in the moderate engagers [27.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 19.5, 36.7] and the lowest in high engagers (15.8%, 95% CI: 8.1, 26.8). This pattern was observed for individual parameters - depressive symptoms and glycosylated haemoglobin. Progressive reductions in mean depressive symptom scores were observed for moderate engagers and usual care group from baseline to 36 months. However, in high engagers of collaborative care, mean depressive symptoms were higher at 36 months compared to 12 months. Sustained benefits of collaborative care were larger in participants with moderate engagement compared with high engagement, although a majority of participants relapsed on one or more outcome measures by 36 months. High engagers of collaborative care for co-morbid depression and diabetes may need light touch interventions for longer periods to maintain health and reduce depressive symptoms.

The influence of internet use frequency, family atmosphere, and academic performance on adolescent depression: Based on the chain mediating effect of self-adjustment and campus deviant behavior

Depression has become a prominent psychological problem among young people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between the frequency of Internet use, family atmosphere, academic performance, self-adjustment, campus deviant behavior, and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Based on the survey data of the fifth wave (2017~2018) and the sixth wave (2019~2020) of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study used LISREL8.8 software to analyze 1,577 10~15 data on adolescents. In this study, the mean score of self-adjustment was 42.40 (SD = 6.79), the mean score of campus deviant behavior was 12.59 (SD = 4.00), the mean score of depressive symptoms in 2018 was 11.88 (SD = 3.04), and the mean score of depressive symptoms in 2020 was 7.64 (SD = 2.20). Secondly, the frequency of Internet use had no direct effect on the depressive symptoms of adolescents, family atmosphere was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (p < 0.005), and academic performance was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (p < 0.005). Depressive symptoms in 2020 had a direct effect (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), and also had a negative effect on depressive symptoms in 2020, with a total effect of-0.07 (p < 0.001); self-adjustment had no direct effect on depressive symptoms in adolescents in 2018, However, the total effect was -0.14 (p < 0.001), which had a significant positive effect on 2020 depressive symptoms, and the total effect was 0.18 (p < 0.001), and self-adjustment had a significant negative effect on adolescent campus deviant behavior (β = -0.38, p < 0.001); in addition, the frequency of Internet use, family atmosphere, and academic performance all had indirect effects on adolescents' 2020 depressive symptoms, with total effects of -0.60, 0.01, and 0.02 (p < 0.001), respectively. This study also found depressive symptoms in adolescents have a certain persistence in time. Based on this study, it is necessary to pay more attention to the depression of adolescents, strengthen the training of self-adjustment, improve the anti-frustration ability and psychological resilience, and reduce the campus deviant behavior of adolescents. It is recommended to try to start from emotional self-adjustment to promote the personality health of adolescents.

Abstract 10976: Midlife Caregivers: At Risk for Cardiovascular Disease?

Introduction: Caregivers remain an invisible population that may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) secondary to the additional stress of caregiving. Some groups of caregivers demonstrate as much as an 82% increased risk of CVD compared with non-caregivers. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics of midlife caregivers from a large, publicly available dataset and to identify CVD risk factors among a subset of these caregivers. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. The sample was limited to participants who reported caring for someone else. Data were collected using sociodemographic questionnaires and survey instruments. Key CVD risk factors examined were for a subset of caregivers with complete data for these variables: blood pressure (BP), cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), perceived stress (Cohen’s perceived stress scale [PSS]), depression (Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Inventory [CESD]), and anxiety (Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory). Results: In the overall sample of 417 midlife caregivers, the mean age was 52±13 years, 62.1% were female, 62.1% were married, and 18% graduated from a 4-year institution. The most common care recipient was the mother of the caregiver (24.2%), 52.3% lived with their care recipient, and the average number of care hours per week was 25.13 ± 27.23. Care given included help bathing, dressing, and toileting (55.4%), shopping, cooking, laundry, and housework (88.7%), and help with transportation in and out of the home (65.2%). Data regarding CVD risk factors were available for a subset of 66 caregivers. Of those, 71.2% were either overweight or obese, mean systolic BP was 128±20, mean diastolic BP was 78±11, 57.6% had high density lipoprotein cholesterol &lt;60, low density lipoprotein &gt;100 (48.5%), 31.8% had total cholesterol &gt;200, and 13% had triglycerides &gt;150. The average score on the PSS was moderate at 22.5±6.5. Mean depressive symptom score was 8.7±7 and mean anxiety was high at 34.9±9. Conclusions: Caregivers at midlife are a unique subgroup, often caring for parents, and show unfavorable levels of CVD risk factors such as low HDL, high LDL, and high perceived stress and anxiety.

Mental health surveillance of German adults in the COVID-19 pandemic: trends in depressive symptoms

Abstract Background While literature on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic has grown rapidly, studies reporting on developments beyond the first wave using continuous, population-based data are still scarce. We examined monthly estimates of depressive symptom levels in Germany’s adult population covering almost two years of the pandemic and the year prior. Methods We analyzed representative data from two population-based telephone surveys of German adults: “German Health Update (GEDA)” and “COVID-19 vaccination rate monitoring in Germany (COVIMO).” Core symptoms of depression measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) were observed in approximately 1,000 randomly sampled participants monthly from April 2019 to December 2021. We estimated three-month moving means and proportions as well as smoothing curves to produce time series graphs. Statistical comparisons between specific time periods were used to verify results of visual inspection. Analyses were stratified by gender, age and level of education to assess potential time trend differences between subgroups. Results Both the mean population depressive symptom score and the proportion of the population with a positive PHQ-2 depression screen first decreased to below 2019 levels between the first wave and summer of the pandemic and then increased from autumn 2020, reaching levels significantly above 2019 in 2021 and remaining elevated. 2021 saw a 2.2% increase in positive screens compared to 2019. Women, the youngest and eldest adults, and those with a high level of education experienced a particular increase in depressive symptoms between 2019 and 2021. However, we found no corresponding changes in symptom level differences between population subgroups. Conclusions Our finding of elevated depressive symptoms among Germany’s adults following an increase in the second wave of the pandemic demonstrate the importance of continued surveillance to assess the further development of mental health in the ongoing crisis. Key messages • Monthly data from April 2019 to December 2021 suggests that depressive symptoms decreased at the start of the pandemic and then increased from autumn 2020, reaching levels above 2019 in 2021. • Continued mental health surveillance is needed to assess the further development of mental health indicators in the ongoing crisis and its aftermath.

Effects of vitamin D on insulin resistance and fasting blood glucose in pregnant women with insufficient or deficient vitamin D: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BackgroundGestational diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders during pregnancy. Some studies have reported the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the incidence of this disorder. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, fasting blood insulin (FBI) levels and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (primary outcomes) and symptoms of depression, musculoskeletal pain, frequency of gestational diabetes and the frequency of abortion (secondary outcomes).MethodsIn this triple-blind randomized controlled trial, 88 pregnant women at 8–10 weeks of pregnancy who had the vitamin D of less than 30 ng/ml were randomly assigned to the vitamin D group (n = 44) and control group (n = 44) using block randomization. The vitamin D group received 4,000 units of vitamin D tablets daily and the control group received placebo tablets for 18 weeks. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U and ANCOVA tests were used to analyze the data.ResultsAfter the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of FBG (P = 0.850), FBI (P = 0.353), HOMA-IR (P = 0.632), mean score of depressive symptoms (P = 0.505), frequency of gestational diabetes (P = 0.187) and frequency of abortion (P = 1.000) and there was only a difference in terms of serum vitamin D level (P = 0.016) and musculoskeletal pain including knee pain (P = 0.025), ankle pain (P < 0.001) and leg pain (P < 0.001).ConclusionVitamin D could improve the musculoskeletal pain in pregnant women but couldn’t decrease FBG, FBI, HOMA-IR, depression symptoms score, incidence of GDM and abortion.Trial registration:Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20120718010324N59. Date of registration: 4/11/2020. URL: https://en.irct.ir/user/trial/50973/view; Date of first registration: 21/11/2020.

Comparison of pregnant women’s anxiety, depression and birth satisfaction based, on their traumatic childbirth perceptions

This study was conducted to identify and compare pregnant women’s anxiety, depression, and birth satisfaction levels based on their traumatic childbirth perceptions. This study used a cross-sectional design. The data were collected at two stages, namely, the prenatal and postpartum stages. First, the Traumatic Childbirth Perception Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory were applied to the pregnant women. Next, in the postpartum period, the Childbirth Information Form and the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised were applied. It was found that the participants with high levels of traumatic childbirth perception had higher mean anxiety and depressive symptom scores (26.13 ± 11.30 and 16.16 ± 9.02, respectively), whereas the participants with low levels of traumatic childbirth perception had a higher mean birth satisfaction score (17.50 ± 4.91). The findings indicated that high levels of traumatic childbirth perception may lead to have anxiety and depression, while low levels of traumatic childbirth perception may enhance their birth satisfaction. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? In the literature, it is stated that the perception of a traumatic birth can lead to permanent or long-term negative consequences in women's lives, negatively affecting their future health, subsequent birth experiences, and family relationships. What do the results of this study add? In this study, 37.7% of the participants were found to have high levels of traumatic childbirth perception. It was determined that the anxiety and depression levels of the participants with high levels of perception of traumatic birth were higher, and the levels of birth satisfaction were higher in the pregnant women with low levels of perception of traumatic birth. The results indicated that severe depressive symptoms, severe anxiety, and low levels of birth satisfaction were likely to raise traumatic childbirth perception levels in pregnant women. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The care to be given under the leadership of midwifery professionals is important in terms of reducing pregnant women’s perceptions of a traumatic birth, anxiety, and depression levels and increasing their levels of birth satisfaction.

Cross-sectional associations of personal efforts and beliefs and depressive symptoms among older adults in India

Whilst there is growing evidence on the increased vulnerability of older adults to depression, there is limited research on potentially mitigative factors against symptoms of depression at a population level. This research examined associations of possible protective factors (personal efforts and beliefs) and depressive symptoms among older adults in India. This cross-sectional study used data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India with 31,464 respondents aged 60 years and above. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multivariable linear regression was used while exploring the associated factors of depressive symptoms. The mean score of depressive symptoms was 2.94 (CI 2.92, 2.96). Older adults who engaged in moderate [aCoef: −0.11, CI −0.18, −0.05], vigorous [aCoef: −0.09, CI −0.16, −0.03], or both types of physical activity [aCoef: −0.10, CI −0.19, −0.02] had lower likelihood of depressive symptoms in comparison to those who were physically inactive. Older adults who participated in social activities were less likely to have depressive symptoms [aCoef: −0.44, CI −0.50, −0.39] compared to their socially inactive counterparts. Further, older adults who perceived religion as very important [aCoef: −0.29, CI −0.41, −0.17], who had high life satisfaction [aCoef: −0.78, CI −0.82, −0.73], who had good self-perceived health [aCoef: −0.29, CI −0.33, −0.25] and those who had high self-perceived social standing [aCoef: −0.39, CI −0.47, −0.31] had lower likelihood of depressive symptoms in comparison to their respective counterparts. Physical activity, social participation, voluntary work and financial contribution to family, religiosity, life satisfaction, self-perceived health and self-perceived social standing are associated with lower likelihood of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in this study. Future longitudinal studies should explore these factors that can guide interventions against depression in old age.

Identifying the Mental Health Profiles of Black Adolescents Who Experience School Policing and School Discipline: A Person-Centered Approach.

Educational environments that are structured by race perpetuate poor mental health for Black adolescents. This empirical relationship is pronounced when it is examined through Racial Battle Fatigue theory, which provides a framework that links educational environments and poor psychological health of Black students. School police have a major effect on Black adolescents' educational and health experiences and trajectories. The purpose of this person-centered study was to assess the risk of Black students' depressive symptoms who were stopped by school police, saw other students stopped by school police, or experienced school discipline. Data on Black student youths from the Fragile Families Study Year 15 wave (N= 1,601) were used to conduct a latent class analysis to identify subgroups of school policing (ie, being stopped by school police, seeing other students stopped by school police) and school discipline on the distal outcome of depressive symptoms. Covariates included demographic and school attachment. We identified 4 distinct Black student subgroups: (1) unscathed [no school policing or discipline reported]; (2) school disciplined; (3) combined school policing; and (4) school policed [arrested by police]. Each subgroup had an incremental increase in mean depressive symptom scores. Compared to the unscathed subgroup, each subgroup also had lower school attachment. This study disrupts the notion that education environments are a social determinant of health and a great equalizer. This study critically exposes how educational institutions complicit with school policing are associated with racism-related mental health conditions of Black youths.

Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy: The CONCEPTION study – Phase I

IntroductionMental health regional differences during pregnancy through the COVID-19 pandemic is understudied.ObjectivesWe aimed to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy.MethodsA cohort study with a web-based recruitment strategy and electronic data collection was initiated in 06/2020. Although Canadian women, &gt;18 years were primarily targeted, pregnant women worldwide were eligible. The current analysis includes data on women enrolled 06/2020-11/2020. Self-reported data included mental health measures (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD-7)), stress. We compared maternal mental health stratifying on country/continents of residence, and identified determinants of mental health using multivariable regression models.ResultsOf 2,109 pregnant women recruited, 1,932 were from Canada, 48 the United States (US), 73 Europe, 35 Africa, and 21 Asia/Oceania. Mean depressive symptom scores were lower in Canada (EPDS 8.2, SD 5.2) compared to the US (EPDS 10.5, SD 4.8) and Europe (EPDS 10.4, SD 6.5) (p&lt;0.05), regardless of being infected or not. Maternal anxiety, stress, decreased income and access to health care due to the pandemic were increasing maternal depression. The prevalence of severe anxiety was similar across country/continents. Maternal depression, stress, and earlier recruitment during the pandemic (June/July) were associated with increased maternal anxiety.ConclusionsIn this first international study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, CONCEPTION has shown significant country/continent-specific variations in depressive symptoms during pregnancy, whereas severe anxiety was similar regardless of place of residence. Strategies are needed to reduce COVID-19’s mental health burden in pregnancy.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Screening for depressive symptoms in adolescence: A Rasch analysis of the short-form childhood depression inventory-2 (CDI 2:SR[S

BackgroundScreening for depressive symptoms during adolescence is of high clinical significance. The shorter 12-item version of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI 2:SR[S]) was specifically developed for this purpose. Evaluations of the CDI 2:SR[S] psychometrics are limited, however. The purpose of this study was to validate the CDI 2: SR[S] for use as a screening measure using Rasch analysis. MethodsThe CDI 2: SR[S] was administered online to 1513 10–17 year old Western Australian adolescents (635 males, 878 females) from 11 schools. Overall fit, individual item fit, local response dependence, dimensionality, operation of response categories, and differential item functioning (DIF) were examined. ResultsThe Rasch analysis demonstrated the CDI 2: SR[S] has good reliability. Thresholds for all items were ordered, showing its three response categories functioned as intended. One item (I have to push myself to do schoolwork) showed misfit. No items were locally dependent. Two items (I am sad) and (I have to push myself to do schoolwork) showed DIF for gender. At the same level of depression, females reported being sad more than males, while males pushed themselves more to do schoolwork than did females. Adolescents (14–17 years) reported significantly higher mean depressive symptom scores than early adolescents (10–13 years). LimitationsSole reliance on adolescent's self-report and limited data about cultural backgrounds are limitations. ConclusionsThe results support the interval scale measurement properties of the CDI 2: SR[S] and provides educators, clinicians and researchers with a screening measure to assess depressive symptoms in adolescents.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Maternal Mental Health Differently Depending on Pregnancy Status and Trimester of Gestation.

Introduction: We aimed to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health, stratifying on pregnancy status, trimester of gestation, and pandemic period/wave. Methods: Pregnant persons and persons who delivered in Canada during the pandemic, >18 years, were recruited, and data were collected using a web-based strategy. The current analysis includes data on persons enrolled between 06/2020–08/2021. Maternal sociodemographic indicators, mental health measures (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD-7), stress) were self-reported. Maternal mental health in pregnant women (stratified by trimester, and pandemic period/wave at recruitment) was compared with the mental health of women who had delivered; determinants of severe depression were identified with multivariate logistic regression models. Results: 2574 persons were pregnant and 626 had already delivered at recruitment. Participants who had delivered had significantly higher mean depressive symptom scores compared to those pregnant at recruitment (9.1 (SD, 5.7) vs. 8.4 (SD, 5.3), p = 0.009). Maternal anxiety (aOR 1.51; 95%CI 1.44–1.59) and stress (aOR 1.35; 95%CI 1.24–1.48) were the most significant predictors of severe maternal depression (EDPS ˃ 13) in pregnancy. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on maternal depression during pregnancy and in the post-partum period. Given that gestational depression/anxiety/stress has been associated with preterm birth and childhood cognitive problems, it is essential to continue following women/children, and develop strategies to reduce COVID-19′s longer-term impact.

Predictors of Depressive Symptoms among Thai Undergraduate Students

Depression is a negative cognitive triad that consists of alternating amounts of alienation. In addition, this generally leads to inaction, remorse, lack of focus, societal disengagement, sleep disruptions, and suicidal impulses. The cross-sectional descriptive study intended to analyze depression and ascertain the influences of depression among 439 undergraduate students. These pupils were attending their second semester of the academic year 2020, Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand. Research instruments were self-report questionnaires, the 9-item patient health questionnaire, the Parenting Style Questionnaire, the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the revised Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The Cronbach's alpha reliabilities comprised .85, .69, .72 and .92, respectively. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis examined the data gathered. Results revealed that the mean score of depressive symptoms was 6.51 (SD = 4.27), which was minimal depressive symptoms. Authoritarian parenting style was the best significant predictor (β = .316), the second-best was social support (β = -.237), and the third-best was self-esteem (β = .104). The three predictors accounted for 20.7 % (F3, 435 = 37.837, p &lt; .001) in the prediction of depressive symptoms among undergraduate students. Moreover, the findings recommended that healthcare providers and school workers should plan activities or interventions for undergraduate students. Consequently, they should encourage self-esteem, social support and cultivate appropriate parenting styles. As a result, depressive symptoms would decline.

Technology-Assisted, Group-Based CBT for Rural Adults' Depression: Open Pilot Trial Results.

This pilot study assesses the association of Raising Our Spirits Together (ROST), a technology-assisted, group-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, with rural adults' depressive symptoms and anxiety. Nine adults from rural Michigan participated in an open pilot of ROST. Clergy facilitated pilot groups. The pilot began in February 2020 in-person. Due to COVID-19, the pilot was completed virtually. Mean depressive symptom scores, based on the PHQ-9, significantly decreased from pre-treatment (M = 14.4) to post-treatment (M = 6.33; t (8) = 6.79; P < .001). Symptom reduction was maintained at 3-month follow-up (M = 8.00), with a significant pattern of difference in depressive symptoms over time (F(2) = 17.7; P < .001; eta-squared = .689). Similar patterns occurred for anxiety based on the GAD-7. Participants attended an average of 7.33 of 8 sessions. Fidelity ratings were excellent. ROST is a potentially feasible intervention for rural adults' depressive symptoms. ROST offers a promising model for increasing treatment access and building capacity in rural areas.

PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns in WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed firefighters.

Firefighting has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. We previously found that among Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) responders to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, higher-intensity WTC-exposure predicted PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns. The present study aims to compare these symptoms in the FDNY WTC-exposed cohort versus a comparison cohort of non-FDNY, non-WTC-exposed firefighters. The study population included WTC-exposed male firefighters from FDNY (N = 8466) and non-WTC-exposed male firefighters from Chicago (N = 1195), Philadelphia (N = 770), and San Francisco (N = 650) fire departments who were employed on 9/11/2001 and completed a health questionnaire between 3/1/2018 and 12/31/2020. Current PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns were assessed via validated screening instruments. Multivariable linear regression analyses stratified by fire department estimated the impact of covariates on each outcome. Adjusted mean PTSD symptom scores ranged from 23.5 ± 0.6 in Chicago firefighters to 25.8 ± 0.2 in FDNY, and adjusted mean depressive symptom scores ranged from 7.3 ± 0.5 in Chicago to 9.4 ± 0.6 in Philadelphia. WTC-exposure was associated with fewer subjective cognitive concerns (β = -0.69 ± 0.05, p < .001) after controlling for covariates. Across cohorts, older age was associated with more cognitive concerns, but fewer PTSD and depressive symptoms. WTC-exposed firefighters had fewer cognitive concerns compared with non-WTC-exposed firefighters. We were unable to estimate associations between WTC exposure and PTSD symptoms or depressive symptoms due to variability between non-WTC-exposed cohorts. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to assess PTSD, depressive, and cognitive symptom trajectories in firefighter populations as they age.