Onset Of Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Comparative Analysis Between the Empowering Lyricism of Queer and Non-Queer Pop Music Artists

Symptoms of depression experienced by self-identified LGBTQ+ (queer) high school students across the United States continue to be concerningly high. Part of what is found to have contributed to the onset of depression symptoms experienced by U.S. queer high school students is the lack of representation, applicability to, and inclusivity of LGBTQ+ individuals in the media due to its constant portrayal of heteronormativity. This study investigates this problem in the area of musical media. To acquire a better understanding of how this issue affects this study’s demographic, a survey was given to queer high school students in a northern Californian high school, and a one-sided two-sample t-test was also conducted to statistically analyze the average ratings of confidence reported after analyzing both types of lyricism. Survey results showed that the average level of increased confidence experienced after analyzing LGBTQ+ artists’ lyrics was approximately 3.15 out of 5, whereas identical survey question responses after analyzing lyrics written by heterosexual and cisgender artists were approximately 2.83 out of 5. This study’s unique analysis of how effective empowering mainstream American pop song lyrics are to queer high school students in empowering them finds that queer high school students generally find the empowering lyricism of LGBTQ+ artists to be slightly more empowering than that of heterosexual and cisgender artists. Findings in this study also support the conclusion that most queer high school students agree that LGBTQ+ representation and inclusivity could be more common in the mainstream American pop song industry.

Early Depressive Symptoms Predict Faster Dementia Progression in Autosomal-Dominant Alzheimer's Disease.

Depression is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). To evaluate the association between depressive symptoms and age of onset of cognitive decline in autosomal dominant AD, and to determine possible factors associated to early depressive symptoms in this population. We conducted a retrospective study to identify depressive symptoms among 190 presenilin 1 (PSEN1) E280A mutation carriers, subjected to comprehensive clinical evaluations in up to a 20-year longitudinal follow-up. We controlled for the following potential confounders: APOE, sex, hypothyroidism, education, marital status, residence, tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. PSEN1 E280A carriers with depressive symptoms before mild cognitive impairment (MCI) develop dementia faster than E280A carriers without depressive symptoms (Hazard Ratio, HR = 1.95; 95% CI, 1.15-3.31). Not having a stable partner accelerated the onset of MCI (HR = 1.60; 95 % CI, 1.03-2.47) and dementia (HR = 1.68; 95 % CI, 1.09-2.60). E280A carriers with controlled hypothyroidism had later age of onset of depressive symptoms (HR = 0.48; 95 % CI, 0.25-0.92), dementia (HR = 0.43; 95 % CI, 0.21-0.84), and death (HR = 0.35; 95 % CI, 0.13-0.95). APOEɛ2 significantly affected AD progression in all stages. APOE polymorphisms were not associate to depressive symptoms. Women had a higher frequency and developed earlier depressive symptoms than men throughout the illness (HR = 1.63; 95 % CI, 1.14-2.32). Depressive symptoms accelerated progress and faster cognitive decline of autosomal dominant AD. Not having a stable partner and factors associated with early depressive symptoms (e.g., in females and individuals with untreated hypothyroidism), could impact prognosis, burden, and costs.

Effect of Diet on Depression: A Review of Nutritional Solutions

Depression is a mental illness with several categories that have common symptoms such as chronic sorrow, lack of interest, lack of pleasure, mood swings between guilt and poor self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and a loss of appetite. Over 300 million individuals globally suffer from depression, and the socioeconomic cost of this debilitating disorder is expected to rise dramatically in the future decades.
 Behavioral health illnesses can be prevented and treated to some extent with dietary and nutritional means. Nutritional psychiatry has produced observational and effectiveness evidence regarding the role of healthy dietary patterns in the onset and treatment of depressive symptoms. Diet is associated with depressive symptoms or depression, meaning that an increase in depressive disorders coincide with a deterioration in healthy living choices, including poor quality diets.
 Healthy eating habits and adequate intake of essential nutrients via the diet can help prevent and treat depression by reducing symptoms of mental illness. In addition, because nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for depression, it is practical for the public to consider dietary changes to reduce the prevalence of depressive disorders.
 This paper reviews the potential value of diet-based actions to manage depression, and ways in which dietary changes could be made to improve mental and cognitive health. Furthermore, some practical solutions for preventing and controlling depression are proposed based on health-related effects of improving dietary habits and life style.

Study on the Role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Undiagnosed Chronic Abdominal Pain- Prospective Study

Patients with chronic abdominal pain is the most difficult to diagnose and treat. Potentially it can be unrewarding for both patients and treating physicians. Thereby affecting patients both physically and mentally. Chronic abdominal pain is associated with poor quality of life and the onset of depressive symptoms. Most patients in this group have already undergone numerous diagnostic procedures, including upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies, Ct scans, and screening for undetected carcinomas, apart from routine blood investigations. This is the time when the surgeon is approached when all other non-invasive investigations have failed to reach a satisfying conclusion. Clearly diagnostic laparoscopy is an important intermediate option between refusing to explore a patient's abdomen and performing laparotomy. Diagnostic Laparoscopy with advances in optics gives the perfect visual of the whole abdomen and further gives therapeutic advantages as well, which include target biopsies, staging of cancers, and various gynaecological pathologies. Laparoscopy is as much a surgical procedure as an exploratory laparotomy, often just as informative, and a skilled laparoscopic surgeon affords a better view of the entire peritoneal cavity than usual exploratory laparotomy. Achieving a high rate of positive diagnosis from laparoscopy requires much more than trained hands, it requires a thorough background in surgery, sound clinical knowledge, and a perception of abdominal pathologies. Most importantly it avoids unnecessary negative laparotomy in many cases. Moreover, early recovery and ambulation of patients help them get back to daily chores and are a source of delight for treating doctors.

Prevalence, severity, and associated factors of depression in newly diagnosed people living with HIV in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDepression is particularly common among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), with some studies showing a prevalence of depression three times higher among people living with HIV as compared to the general public. The stress associated with being diagnosed with HIV can be quite impactful, including concerns about one’s long-term health, stigma, and the burden of long-term treatment. Therefore, it is common for a new HIV diagnosis to contribute to the onset of depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of depression, and its associated factors in people diagnosed with HIV within the past 12 months.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey with patients newly diagnosed with HIV at three hospitals in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania utilizing a locally validated version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a screener for depression, the Demographic Health Survey (SES-DHS8) for socio-demographic characteristics, and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ) to assess perceived social support. We enrolled 272 participants between September and December 2020, diagnosed with HIV within the past 12 months. Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc analysis were used to determine associations of sociodemographic variables with the dependent variable of depression.ResultsOverall prevalence of depression in our sample was 41%, including 54 participants (20%) with moderate symptoms, 42 (15%) with moderately severe symptoms, and 16 (6%) with severe symptoms. Severity was highest in participants diagnosed with HIV less than 1 month ago. An ANCOVA model (overall F = 4.72, p < 0.001) assessing factors associated with greater depression severity revealed significant effects of study site (F = 7.6, p < 0.001), female gender (F = 5.11, p = 0.02), and less time since HIV diagnosis (F = 12.3, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe study demonstrates very high prevalence of depression among people living with HIV in this setting, particularly among those newly diagnosed, female participants, and those seen at the larger regional referral hospital. Integration of mental health screening and interventions into CTC care is vital in the first visits following a positive test result and may be tailored to meet the needs of patients at highest risk for developing symptoms of depression.

Relationship between Urinary Metabolomic Profiles and Depressive Episode in Antarctica.

Antarctic expeditions have a high risk of participant depression owing to long stays and isolated environments. By quantifying the stress state and changes in biomolecules over time before the onset of depressive symptoms, predictive markers of depression can be explored. Here, we evaluated the psychological changes in 30 participants in the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Urinary samples were collected every three months for a year, and comprehensive urinary metabolomic profiles were quantified using liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Five participants showed major depressive episodes (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) at 12 months. The urinary metabolites between these participants and the 25 unaffected participants were compared at individual metabolite and pathway levels. The individual comparisons showed the most significant differences at 12 months in 14 metabolites, including ornithine and beta-alanine. Data from shorter stays showed less significant differences. In contrast, pathway and enrichment analyses showed the most significant difference at three months and a less significant difference at longer stays. These time transitions of urinary metabolites could help in the development of urinary biomarkers to detect subjects with depressive episodes at an early stage.

Association of spouse's health status with the onset of depressive symptoms in partner: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the associations between the multidimensional health status of one spouse and the onset of depressive symptoms in partner, and whether the associations differed by gender and residence. MethodsWe analyzed data from 2401 females and their husbands (scenario 1), and 2830 males and their wives (scenario 2) who participated in the 2011/2012 and 2015 waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Multidimensional health indicators included mobility disability, activities of daily living disability, frailty, global cognition, depressive symptoms, comorbidity, and self-reported health. Principal component analysis was used to construct a composite health indicator reflecting overall health status that was then categorized into three groups (poor, moderate, and excellent). Logistic regression models were performed. ResultsWe observed strong associations of spouse's health status with the onset of depressive symptoms in partner. For instance, females whose husbands had poor overall health status reported more depressive symptoms than those having husbands with excellent overall health after four years (OR: 1.75; 95 % CI: 1.35, 2.26). These associations were statistically significant in rural females and urban males, but surprisingly disappeared in rural males and urban females. LimitationsNo exact timing of depressive symptoms onset. ConclusionsIn Chinese middle-aged and older adults, spouse's health status is associated with depressive symptoms in partner and the associations vary by gender and residence. The findings underscore the importance of considering partner's health status to manage one spouse's mental health.

The relationship between timing of onset of menarche and depressive symptoms from adolescence to adulthood.

Girls who experience an earlier onset of menarche than their peers are at increased risk of depressive symptoms in mid-adolescence, but it is unclear if this association persists into adulthood. This study examines whether longitudinal patterns of depressive symptoms from adolescence to adulthood vary according to timing of menarche. About 4,864 female participants in the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children provided data on age at onset of menarche (assessed in repeated questionnaires from 8 to 17 years) and depressive symptoms across nine time points (13 to 26 years) using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. We compared patterns of depressive symptoms in girls with 'early' (<11.5 years), 'normative' (11.5 to 13.5 years) and 'late' (≥13.5 years) menarche using a linear spline multilevel growth curve model adjusted for indicators of socioeconomic position, father absence and body mass index. Early, compared with normative, menarche was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms at age 14 (imputed adjusted estimated difference = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.44, 1.45), but the association attenuated at 24 years (0.24 [-0.72, 1.19]). Late menarche, compared with normative, was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms at age 14 (-0.69 [-1.10, -0.29]), but this association also attenuated at 24 years (-0.15 [-0.92, 0.62]). This study did not find a persistent effect of early menarche, compared to normative, on depressive symptoms. However, our findings are consistent with the level of depressive symptoms increasing at the onset of menarche irrespective of timing. The late onset girls 'catch up' with their peers who experience menarche earlier in terms of depressive symptoms. Future studies should continue to assess the impact of timing of menarche further into adulthood.

Chronotype, Longitudinal Volumetric Brain Variations Throughout Adolescence, and Depressive Symptom Development.

Adolescence is a critical period for circadian rhythm, with a strong shift toward eveningness around age 14. Also, eveningness in adolescence has been found to predict later onset of depressive symptoms. However, no previous study has investigated structural variations associated with chronotype in early adolescence and how this adds to the development of depressive symptoms. Assessment of 128 community-based adolescents (51% girls) at age 14 and 19 years was performed. Using whole-brain voxel-based morphometry, baseline (at age 14) regional gray matter volumes (GMVs), follow-up (at age 19) regional GMVs, and longitudinal changes (between 14 and 19) associated with Morningness/Eveningness Scale in Children score and sleep habits at baseline were measured. The association of GMV with depressive symptoms at 19 years was studied, and the role of potential clinical and genetic factors as mediators and moderators was assessed. Higher eveningness was associated with larger GMV in the right medial prefrontal cortex at ages 14 and 19 in the whole sample. GMV in this region related to depressive symptoms at age 19 in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val/Val, but not in Met COMT, carriers. Larger GMV also was observed in the right fusiform gyrus at age 14, which was explained by later wake-up time during weekends. In adolescence, eveningness and its related sleep habits correlated with distinct developmental patterns. Eveningness was specifically associated with GMV changes in the medial prefrontal cortex; this could serve as a brain vulnerability factor for later self-reported depressive symptoms in COMT Val/Val carriers.

Nutritional risk and depression in adults over 60 years old

BACKGROUND: The literature suggests that nutritional status is associated with the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms, but the association is still unclear. OBJECTIVES: Describe the association between malnutrition and depressive disorder. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, in 221 non-randomly selected, community dwelling, individuals. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face interviews, which included questions on health, nutritional status, sociodemographic characteristics, and the interviewer versions of the Mini Nutritional Assessment and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0, and statistical significance for all procedures was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The most prevalent clinical feature was pain during the last month (73.3%). 58 participants (26.2%) were at risk for malnutrition and 2 participants (0.9%) presented malnutrition. Depression was more prevalent in women (55.3%) than in men (37.5%). Odds to exhibit depression are 1.83 times higher (95% CI 1.16–3.68, p = 0.036) with malnutrition and 2.45 times higher (95% CI 1.25–4.78, p = 0.009) if reporting pain. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider the assessment and intervention for both depression and malnutrition when encountering one of these conditions. Acute pain seems to have a strong association with depression and must also be addressed and considered in this regard.

A Qualitative Systematic Review of Experiences and Barriers Faced by Migrant Women with Perinatal Depression in Canada

Perinatal depression is the onset of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and up to one year after childbirth. Migrant women are at higher risk of experiencing perinatal depression due to numerous psychosocial stressors related to their experiences. This qualitative review aims to aggregate the experiences and barriers to care faced by immigrant and refugee women in Canada who have perinatal depression. Qualitative research can elucidate the barriers to treatment and culturally-impacted experiences of Canadian migrant women with perinatal depression. Following PRISMA and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for conducting qualitative systematic reviews, 13 eligible studies representing 10 samples (N = 262 participants) were identified and included in this review. Participants included service providers, immigrant women, and refugee women. Three synthesized themes were identified by this review using the JBI meta-aggregative approach: (1) culture-related challenges; (2) migration-related challenges; and (3) service accessibility and quality. Within these themes were experiences of migrant women that encompass six categories: (1) conceptualization of perinatal depression; (2) childbirth-specific challenges; (3) migration-related challenges; (4) social isolation; (5) accessibility of services; and (6) quality of care. The role of family, cultural differences, financial challenges, and the effects of these on service accessibility are impactful in the experiences of migrant women. A greater understanding of the role of both culture and migration in the delivery of care, especially regarding service provider attitudes in more representative samples, is recommended.

FACTORS RELATED TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

Objective: to identify the factors related to depressive symptoms in older adults with Diabetes Mellitus. Method: a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach conducted with 144 older adults registered in 72 Family Health units from the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The data were collected from September to December 2019, using an instrument to obtain information referring to the sociodemographic and clinical profile and the Geriatric Depression Scale by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: it was observed that 75.7% of the diabetic older adults did not present depressive symptoms. There was a significant association between depressive symptoms and the following variables: personal income (p=0.044), type of income (p=0.020), dyslipidemia (p=0.038), diabetes complications (p=0.045) and retinopathy (p=0.033). Conclusion: the social and health factors, as well as those related to diabetes, can exert negative influences on older adults' psychological state and favor the onset of depressive symptoms.

Living Alone and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Role of Non-Face-to-Face Social Interactions.

ObjectiveThis study examined the association of living alone with changes in depressive symptom status and the moderating effect of non-face-to-face social interactions among older adults during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.DesignA longitudinal studySetting and ParticipantsThis study recruited individuals aged ≥ 65 years without long-term care in one semi-urban city in Japan, who completed mailed questionnaires in March (baseline) and October 2020 (follow-up).MethodsBased on depressive symptoms assessed by the Two-Question Screening at baseline and follow-up, participants were classified as: “non-case,” “onset,” “remission,” and “persistence.” Non-face-to-face social interactions during the pandemic, including phone calls or emails with separated families or friends, were dichotomized as “less than weekly interactions” and “weekly interactions.” A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of living arrangement (living alone or together) with changes in depressive symptoms status.ResultsData of 1,001 participants were analyzed (mean age = 79.9 years). Of them, 13.8% lived alone. Overall, 40.6% participants were grouped as “non-case,” 11.7% as “onset,” 11.0% as “remission,” and 27.1% as “persistence.” Living alone was significantly associated with depressive symptom onset (odds ratio = 1.92, 95% confidence interval = 1.03–3.56, p = 0.039), and a negative interaction (protective effect) was found between living alone and weekly non-face-to-face social interactions for depressive symptom onset.Conclusion and ImplicationsDuring the pandemic, older adults living alone had a higher depressive symptom risk, but non-face-to-face social interactions may have buffered this risk. Our findings suggest the importance of supporting older adults living alone in times of social restrictions such as the pandemic, and furthermore, maintaining social connections, including non-face-to-face relationships, is necessary to protect their mental health.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression in Thai Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteoporosis, cancer, and autoimmune disease; evidence on its association with depression remains controversial. During the COVID-19 pandemic, preventive measures lead to reduced outdoor time and sunlight exposure, which is the major source of vitamin D. This study aims to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Thai medical students during the pandemic and to determine its association with depression. Medical students of year 4 and year 5 rotating in the Srinakharinwirot University Hospital who had no diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency and had not taken vitamin D supplement in the past year were invited to participate. Their total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were assessed with ELISA. Their demographic data were recorded, including age, sex, family income, class year, grade point average, current and history of psychiatrist-diagnosed psychiatric illnesses, other underlying diseases, and perceived difficulties in academic, relationship, substance use, and social supports. Students' depressive symptoms were assessed using the Thai version of Patient Health Questionnaire-adolescent (PHQ-A). A total of 63 female and 36 male medical students participated. 47.5% were year 4 and 52.5% were year 5. The mean vitamin D level was 21.7 ng/mL. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic was 52.6% (using the cut-off of <20 ng/mL) or 69.5% (using the cut-off of <30 ng/mL). The mean vitamin D level in year 4 students was significantly lower than that in year 5 students (12.2 vs 30.2 ng/mL, t = -10.00, p < 0.01). Vitamin D level was associated with age (r = 0.38, p < 0.01) and sex (marginally) [t = -1.80, p = 0.07]. In linear regression analysis, vitamin D level remained associated with the year of class after adjusting for age and sex (B = 18.67, p < 0.01). The mean PHQ-A score was 5.8. 16 participants were identified to have depression. Vitamin D level was not correlated with PHQ-A score (r = 0.03, p = 0.80). In stepwise regression analysis, only total perceived difficulties score remained a predictor for PHQ-A score. In linear regression analysis, vitamin D level was not associated with PHQ-A score after adjusting for total perceived difficulties score (B = -0.02, p = 0.46). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic was high (52.6% or 69.5%), probably owing to a lack of sunlight exposure. Nonetheless, vitamin D level was not associated with depressive symptoms, probably owing to the small sample size or delayed onset of depressive symptoms.

Individual differences in latent trait cortisol (LTC): Implications for the onset and course of future depressive symptoms

Research suggests that various indicators of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity prospectively predict depression, but few studies have evaluated whether trait indicators of HPA axis activity are related to depression. Further, no prior study has examined links between trait cortisol and psychopathology using a trait indicator that captures HPA axis activity over multiple time points. Here we examined whether we could construct an across-wave latent trait cortisol (LTC) factor using cortisol samples collected over 13 weeks, and whether the across-wave LTC prospectively predicted new depressive symptom onsets and symptom duration. Emerging adults (n = 85; M age = 19.37 years) provided salivary cortisol samples four times a day (waking, 30 min and 45 min post-waking and bedtime) over three 3-day measurement waves separated by 6 weeks. Diagnostic interviews at 3 timepoints (baseline, 1- and 2.5 years post-baseline) assessed lifetime and current depressive symptoms. Results indicated that the across-wave LTC predicted new onsets of depressive symptoms and longer symptom duration. Follow-up tests revealed that the link between the across-wave LTC and new onsets was not significant after adjusting for past depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that an indicator of individual differences in HPA axis regulation has implications for depressive symptom onsets and course.

Muscle Strength And The Onset Of Depressive Symptoms Among Older Japanese Women: The Otassha Study

Geriatric depression is a crucial public health concern. Cardiorespiratory fitness protects from the development of geriatric depression. However, the potential benefit of maintaining muscular fitness for preventing depressive symptoms remains unclear. PURPOSE: To prospectively investigate the relationship between knee extensor muscle strength and depressive symptoms in older women. METHODS: We conducted a 2-year cohort study of older Japanese women living independently in Itabashi, Tokyo, recruited through the Basic Resident Register. They underwent a baseline comprehensive geriatric examination, evaluating isometric knee extensor muscle strength (newtons/kilogram of body weight) and depressive symptoms (assessed by 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]) via an interview-based questionnaire in 2017 or 2018. Their age, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, comorbidities, working statuses, hobbies, volunteer activities, sleep durations, years of education, and dietary patterns were assessed as covariates. Participants free of stroke, dementia, or depression, were followed up. The onset of depressive symptoms was defined as a GDS score ≥ 5 points at follow-up. A logistic regression model was established by adjusting the baseline GDS score and the covariates. We performed a sensitivity analysis with the GDS cutoff of ≥6 points as an outcome variable. RESULTS: We recruited 1365 women in 2017 and 2018, and 1087 were eligible for this analysis. In 2019 and 2020, 642 women (mean age 71.4 years [standard deviation: 4.1]) provided valid data. Of them, 72 women (11.2%) developed depressive symptoms. After adjusting for the covariates, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of depressive symptoms was 0.69 (0.35, 1.33) for the middle tertile and 0.49 (0.23, 1.00) for the highest muscle strength tertiles using the lowest tertile as reference (p for trend = 0.006). The sensitivity analysis also supports a linear association between muscle strength and depression (p for trend = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests an inverse dose-response relationship between muscle strength and the onset of depressive symptoms in older Japanese women. It may be required to test whether muscle-strengthening training is beneficial in alleviating depressive symptoms in older women.

The association between family relationships and depressive symptoms among pregnant women: A network analysis.

BackgroundDepression of pregnant women has been a growing concern in recent years, and previous research has found that family relationships are strongly associated with depression. From a network perspective, family relationships and depression can be conceptualized as the result of interactions between individual symptoms. This research approach can elucidate the structure and mechanisms of the relationship between individual symptoms within the two groups.MethodsA total of 990 participants were recruited from the obstetrics outpatient clinic of Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Huai'an through a randomized whole-group sampling. Respondents' depressive symptoms and family relationships were self-reported using questionnaire, and the structure of the family relationship-depressive symptoms network and related centrality indicators were examined for this sample.ResultsThe results of the network analysis suggested that the most influential symptoms in the network of family relationship-depressive symptoms were worry, feeling worthless, equal status with husband and couple relationship. And equal status with husband was the most prominent bridging symptoms in this study. The whole network was robust in both stability and accuracy tests.LimitationsInformation was obtained from subjects' self-reports, which may be subject to information bias. As a cross-sectional study, no causal link between family relationships and depressive symptoms can be established.ConclusionWorry, feeling worthless, equal status with husband and couple relationship are central symptoms of the family relationship-depressive symptoms network structure in pregnant women. Timely and systematic multilevel interventions targeting the central symptoms may be effective in alleviating the onset of depressive symptoms in women during this period.

Association between decreased frequency of seeing friends and the onset of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal study

Objectives: Mental health among the older adults has been shown to be affected by reduced social interaction with friends. However, this relationship has not been confirmed in short periods of limited social interaction, such as that experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the development of depressive symptoms and a 6-month decrease in the frequency of visits with friends among community-dwelling elderly in Japan. Methods: Participants were 491 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older (47.5% female, mean age [standard deviation] = 80.5 [4.7] years) who responded to the March 2020 baseline survey by mail questionnaire and the October 2020 follow-up survey. Results: The onset of depressive symptoms was observed in 22.8% in about 6 months. The change in frequency of seeing friends, 56.2% remained unchanged, 23.2% increased, and 20.6% decreased. A logistic regression analysis with maintenance of frequency of seeing friends as a reference showed that a decreased frequency of seeing friends was significantly associated with the incidence of depressive symptoms. (odds ratio = 2.26, 95% confidence interval = 1.32–3.86, p = 0.003). Discussion: A decrease in the frequency of seeing friends over even a short period of time can have a negative impact on older adults’ mental health. The findings suggest that in situations where the frequency of seeing friends decreases during a short period of time, maintaining interaction with friends and avoiding face-to-face restrictions is important for maintaining the mental health of older adults.

Decoding of Processing Preferences from Language Paradigms by Means of EEG-ERP Methodology: Risk Markers of Cognitive Vulnerability for Depression and Protective Indicators of Well-Being? Cerebral Correlates and Mechanisms

Depression is a frequent mental affective disorder. Cognitive vulnerability models propose two major cognitive risk factors that favor the onset and severity of depressive symptoms. These include a pronounced self-focus, as well as a negative emotional processing bias. According to two-process models of cognitive vulnerability, these two risk factors are not independent from each other, but affect information processing already at an early perceptual processing level. Simultaneously, a processing advantage for self-related positive information including better memory for positive than negative information has been associated with mental health and well-being. This perspective paper introduces a research framework that discusses how EEG-ERP methodology can serve as a standardized tool for the decoding of negative and positive processing biases and their potential use as risk markers of cognitive vulnerability for depression, on the one hand, and as protective indicators of well-being, on the other hand. Previous results from EEG-ERP studies investigating the time-course of self-referential emotional processing are introduced, summarized, and discussed with respect to the specificity of depression-related processing and the importance of EEG-ERP-based experimental testing for well-being and the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders.

Maternal and Child Depressive Symptoms in a Sample of Low-income Families of Color: The Mediating Role of Child Adaptability.

Maternal depressive symptoms are linked with child internalizing concerns, such as depressive symptoms. The impact that maternal depressive symptoms have on the onset and maintenance of child depressive symptoms might be especially salient in families of color who are low-income because of elevated rates of maternal depressive symptoms and environmental stressors in those populations. The relationship between maternal and child depressive symptoms might be partially explained by a child's capacity to flexibly respond to stressors in the environment, a construct known as adaptability. A simple mediation model was conducted with a sample of low-income, Black/African American and Latina mothers and their children (n = 128). Results suggested that child adaptability partially mediated the link between maternal and child depressive symptoms. We discussed how this study can inform research and practice that aim to assist low-income families of color with mental health needs.