Risk Factor For Psychopathology Research Articles

The Psychosocial Consequences of Sexual Violence Stigma: A Scoping Review.

Over the past decade, scholars have explored whether the stigma associated with sexual violence (SV) represents a risk factor for psychopathology and related comorbidities following SV. We conducted a scoping review to summarize and evaluate the state of this burgeoning literature. We included studies from Pubmed, APA PsychInfo, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Social Science Premium, and Web of Science that quantified stigma related to SV. Studies were screened and abstracted in accordance with the PRISMA-SCR guidelines for scoping reviews. Our final sample contained 62 studies. We address two key questions about SV stigma. First, is SV a stigmatized status? Articles (n = 14) provided evidence for SV stigma among potential stigmatizers (e.g., individuals who may perpetuate stigma) across a range of methods (e.g., vignettes) and outcomes (e.g., desire for social distance). Additional work (n = 20) corroborates perceptions of SV stigma among targets (i.e., SV survivors). Second, what are the psychosocial consequences of SV stigma? We reviewed studies (n = 28) demonstrating that SV stigma is correlated with a range of adverse psychosocial outcomes-including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, problematic drinking, and somatic symptoms-among individuals experiencing multiple types of SV (e.g., childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault). Thus, emerging evidence suggests that SV stigma may be a critical determinant of risk and recovery following SV exposure. However, a number of limitations were observed, including that SV stigma has not been consistently measured and that the literature has not fully incorporated stigma constructs, such as concealment and structural stigma. We offer several recommendations to advance this line of work.

Alexithymia and Personality Pathology.

Alexithymia is an important transdiagnostic risk factor for many psychopathologies. To explore its relevance for personality disorders, we examined the association between alexithymia and maladaptive personality traits, as conceptualized within the DSM-5-TR Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (i.e., negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, psychoticism). Participants (N = 651) completed a battery of psychometric questionnaires. Regressions revealed that alexithymia facets accounted for a significant 15% of the variance in negative affect, 22% in detachment, 11% in antagonism, 18% in disinhibition, and 25% in psychoticism. Latent profile analysis showed that profiles with more severe personality pathology were generally characterized by more severe levels of alexithymia. Overall, our data highlight that alexithymia is important in understanding personality dysfunction. All facets of alexithymia, across both positive and negative emotions, are linked to each maladaptive personality trait. The assessment and targeting of alexithymia may therefore be of high relevance for the treatment of personality pathology.

Conspiracy theories, social polarization and crises

Social media facilitate the distribution of conspiracy theories. It is uncertain whether indeed the number of myths and also the number of those who appropriate myths has increased. Conspiracy theories have so far essentially been the subject of sociological and psychosociological research showing ageneral disposition to become infected irrespective of the topic of amyth. Are there specific psychopathological risk factors for becoming infected by conspiracy myths? Are there effective therapeutic or preventive measures? Asystematic search was carried out in PubMed using the query "conspir*[title] AND review" followed by manual selection and appraisal only of publications addressing conspiracy theories in general, i.e. not limited to specific myths, with afocus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Moreover, the publications identified were manually screened for further meta-analyses. The search resulted in 166 hits. The available evidence is essentially based on studies using questionnaires, which can clarify only associations but not causalities. The evidence suggests that the strongest correlates of conspiratorial ideation pertain to low cognitive abilities, nonanalytic style of thought resulting in reduced balancing of probabilities before deciding, feelings of loss of control, paranoia, schizotypy and the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, authoritarianism). Specific psychological characteristics are risk factors for conspiratorial ideation. Current research approaches are unsuitable to clarify whether psychiatric disorders are overrepresented. Sociodemographic risk factors include male gender, low level of education, low income, social isolation and are non-specific. Group processes promote, again presumably nonspecifically, conspiracy theories thus contributing to social polarization. The genetic basis and neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. Conspiracy theories were and are used as an instrument of political contention. The enlightened democratic social contract requires free, unbiased thinking. Consequently, the risk factors identified so far facilitate conspiratorial ideation and question the very fundaments of the social contract by impairing unbiased evaluation and decision making. Therefore, prevention is warranted. .

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure effects on trajectories of maternal and adolescent mental health

BackgroundParental psychological distress is a well-known risk factor for developmental psychopathology, with longer term parental distress associated with worse youth mental health. Neurotoxicant exposure during pregnancy is a risk factor for both poor maternal and youth mental health. The impact of one class of pollutant, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), on long-term trajectories of maternal distress and youth self-reported mental health symptoms in adolescence has been understudied.MethodsPAH exposure was measured by DNA adducts in maternal blood sampled during the third trimester of pregnancy. Maternal distress, operationalized as maternal demoralization, was measured at 11 timepoints (prenatal to child age 16). Adolescent mental health symptoms were measured at age 13–15. Follow up analyses examined a subset of measures available at age 15–20 years. Structural equation modeling examined associations between PAH exposure during pregnancy and latent growth metrics of maternal distress, and between maternal distress (intercept and slope) and youth mental health symptoms in a prospective longitudinal birth cohort (N = 564 dyads).ResultsHigher prenatal PAH exposure was associated with higher concurrent maternal distress. Prenatal maternal distress was associated with adolescent’s self-reported anxiety, depression, and externalizing problems. On average, maternal distress declined over time; a slower decline in mother’s distress across the course of the child’s life was associated with greater self-reported anxiety and externalizing problems in youth.ConclusionsOur findings are consistent with an intergenerational framework of environmental effects on mental health: PAH exposure during pregnancy affects maternal mental health, which in turn influences mental health outcomes for youth well into adolescence. Future research is necessary to elucidate the possible social and biological mechanisms (e.g., parenting, epigenetics) underlying the intergenerational transmission of the negative effects of pollution on mental health in caregiver-child dyads.

Symptom network analysis of parent-child depression and anxiety in treatment-seeking youth.

Youth of parents who are experiencing psychopathology are more likely to develop emotional concerns, and these mental health symptoms can have a deleterious impact on parents' mental health. However, the relationship between the presentation of specific symptoms in parents and youth is infrequently examined. Symptom network analysis is an analytic approach that is increasingly being used to better understand the relationship of symptoms within and between disorders and can also be used to examine symptom relations within a dyad. The present study used symptom network analysis to examine bidirectional relationships among depressive and anxiety psychopathology in a transdiagnostic sample of treatment-seeking youth and their primary caregiver. Parental anhedonia and child worthlessness exhibited the greatest centrality within the network, suggesting that these may act as risk and maintenance factors for parent-child psychopathology and may be important intervention targets. Findings support the use of symptom network analysis to inform an understanding of the complex relationships among parent and child depressive and anxiety symptoms. Future research should consider the use of network analytic methods to examine the temporal relationships between parent and child psychopathology and to inform joint parent-child interventions for those with internalizing concerns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationships between serotonin 1A receptor DNA methylation, self-reported history of childhood abuse and gray matter volume in major depression

BackgroundEarly life adversity is a risk factor for psychopathology and is associated with epigenetic alterations in the 5-HT1A receptor gene promoter. The 5-HT1A receptor mediates neurotrophic effects, which could affect brain structure and function. We examined relationships between self-reported early childhood abuse, 5-HT1A receptor promoter DNA methylation, and gray matter volume (GMV) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). MethodsPeripheral DNA methylation of 5-HT1A receptor promoter CpG sites −681 and −1007 was assayed in 50 individuals with MDD, including 18 with a history of childhood abuse. T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was quantified in amygdala, hippocampus, insula, occipital lobe, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and at the voxel level. ResultsNo relationship was observed between DNA methylation and history of childhood abuse. We observed regional heterogeneity comparing −681 CpG site methylation and GMV (p = 0.014), with a positive relationship to GMV in orbitofrontal cortex (p = 0.035). Childhood abuse history was associated with higher GMV considering all ROIs simultaneously (p < 0.01). In whole-brain analyses, childhood abuse history was positively correlated with GMV in multiple clusters, including insula and orbitofrontal cortex (pFWE = 0.005), and negatively in intracalcarine cortex (pFWE = 0.001). LimitationsSmall sample size, childhood trauma assessment instrument used, and assay of peripheral, rather than CNS, methylation. ConclusionsThese cross-sectional findings support hypotheses of 5-HT1A receptor-related neurotrophic effects, and of increased regional GMV as a potential regulatory mechanism in the setting of childhood abuse. Orbitofrontal cortex was uniquely associated with both childhood abuse history and 5-HT1A receptor methylation.

Questionnaire-assessed atypical sensory sensitivity is prospectively related to higher ARFID psychopathology, higher food neophobia, and lower satisfaction with food-related life in an online sample of Chinese older adults

Altered sensory processing is common in older adults, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) psychopathology and food neophobia contribute to adverse health outcomes in older adults. Yet, the relationships, particularly longitudinal relationships, between sensory processing, ARFID psychopathology, and food neophobia, as well as their associations with satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL), remain unexplored in older adults. A sample of Chinese older adults (N = 202; 45 % men; Mage = 59.35 years) completed an online survey at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2); atypical sensory sensitivity, ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL were measured with self-report questionnaires. Cross-lagged and mediation regression analyses were conducted to examine the prospective associations between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL. The results revealed that higher T1 atypical sensory sensitivity predicted higher T2 ARFID psychopathology and food neophobia and lower SWFL. The results also showed that the relationship between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 SWFL was mediated by T2 picky eating and food neophobia. These findings suggest that atypical sensory sensitivity may be a risk factor for ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and poor SWFL in older adults. Future studies with larger samples and experimental designs are needed to further explore the mechanisms linking atypical sensory sensitivity and ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL in older adults.

Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders in young people: prospective cohort study exploring the role of childhood trauma (the HUNT study).

Better knowledge about childhood trauma as a risk factor for psychiatric disorders in young people could help strengthen the timeliness and effectiveness of prevention and treatment efforts. To estimate the prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders in young people following exposure to childhood trauma, including interpersonal violence. This prospective cohort study followed 8199 adolescents (age range 12-20 years) over 13-15 years, into young adulthood (age range 25-35 years). Data about childhood trauma exposure from adolescents participating in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT, 2006-2008) were linked to data about subsequent development of psychiatric disorders from the Norwegian Patient Registry (2008-2021). One in four (24.3%) adolescents were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder by young adulthood. Regression analyses showed consistent and significant relationships between childhood exposure to both interpersonal violence and other potentially traumatic events, and subsequent psychiatric disorders and psychiatric comorbidity. The highest estimates were observed for childhood exposure to two or more types of interpersonal violence (polyvictimisation), and development of psychotic disorders (odds ratio 3.41, 95% CI 1.93-5.72), stress and adjustment disorders (odds ratio 4.20, 95% CI 3.05-5.71), personality disorders (odds ratio 3.98, 95% CI 2.70-5.76), alcohol-related disorders (odds ratio 3.28, 95% CI 2.06-5.04) and drug-related disorders (odds ratio 4.67, 95% CI 2.87-7.33). These findings emphasise the importance of integrating knowledge about childhood trauma as a potent risk factor for psychopathology into the planning and implementation of services for children, adolescents and young adults.

Monozygotic twins discordant for depression: An extended network comparison of depressive symptoms, cognitive functions and daily activities

Monozygotic twins share the same genotype; however, they can be phenotypically discordant on various traits. Studying discordant monozygotic twins allows the investigation of differences in associations between symptoms and psychopathological risk factors, controlled for shared genetic liability. The network approach to psychopathology suggests that depressive symptoms, along with risk and protective factors (e.g., cognition, daily activities), form a complex system of mutually interacting components. We compared monozygotic twins discordant for lifetime depression on their respective extended networks of depressive symptoms, cognitive functions and daily activities (intellectual, physical, social), and evaluated if these networks differ in their associations between variables and in the role of each variable within the network. Regularized partial correlations investigated the networks' composition in 147 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for depression from the Danish Twin Registry. Affected twins had stronger overall associations within their network of depressive symptoms, cognitive functions and daily activities than their unaffected co-twins, while the importance of the network components’ associations did not differ between the co-twins. In affected twins, decreased frequency in experiencing happiness had the strongest association with remaining variables (i.e., the most influence in activating other network elements). Also, variables from different groups were significantly associated (e.g., loneliness with delayed memory, pessimism with low social activities, verbal learning with intellectual activities). In unaffected twins, both mood symptoms and cognitive functions were important, but between-groups associations were quasi-absent. These results suggest that external events affecting the ability to feel happiness likely trigger the psychopathological process (depression network activation), independently from the genetic predisposition to depression.

Identifying factors impacting missingness within smartphone-based research: Implications for intensive longitudinal studies of adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Intensive longitudinal research-including experience sampling and smartphone sensor monitoring-has potential for identifying proximal risk factors for psychopathology, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). Yet, missing data can complicate analysis and interpretation. This study aimed to address whether clinical and study design factors are associated with missing data and whether missingness predicts changes in symptom severity or STB. Adolescents ages 13- to 18 years old (N = 179) reporting depressive, anxiety, and/or substance use disorders were enrolled; 65% reported current suicidal ideation and 29% indicated a past-year attempt. Passively acquired smartphone sensor data (e.g., global positioning system, accelerometer, and keyboard inputs), daily mood surveys, and weekly suicidal ideation surveys were collected during the 6-month study period using the effortless assessment research system smartphone app. First, acquisition of passive smartphone sensor data (with data on ∼80% of days across the whole sample) was strongly associated with survey data acquisition on the same day (∼44% of days). Second, STB and psychiatric symptoms were largely not associated with missing data. Rather, temporal features (e.g., length of time in study, weekends, and summer) explained more missingness of survey and passive smartphone sensor data. Last, within-participant changes in missing data over time neither followed nor predicted subsequent change in suicidal ideation and psychiatric symptoms. Findings indicate that considering technical and study design factors impacting missingness is critical and highlight several factors that should be addressed to maximize the validity of clinical interpretations in intensive longitudinal research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Polygenic scores for psychiatric traits mediate the impact of multigenerational history for depression on offspring psychopathology.

A family history of depression is a well-documented risk factor for offspring psychopathology. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of depression remain unclear. We used genetic, family history, and diagnostic data from 11,875 9-10 year-old children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. We estimated and investigated the children's polygenic scores (PGSs) for 30 distinct traits and their association with a family history of depression (including grandparents and parents) and the children's overall psychopathology through logistic regression analyses. We assessed the role of polygenic risk for psychiatric disorders in mediating the transmission of depression from one generation to the next. Among 11,875 multi-ancestry children, 8,111 participants had matching phenotypic and genotypic data (3,832 female [47.2%]; mean (SD) age, 9.5 (0.5) years), including 6,151 [71.4%] of European ancestry). Greater PGSs for depression (estimate = 0.129, 95% CI = 0.070-0.187) and bipolar disorder (estimate = 0.109, 95% CI = 0.051-0.168) were significantly associated with higher family history of depression (Bonferroni-corrected P < .05). Depression PGS was the only PGS that significantly associated with both family risk and offspring's psychopathology, and robustly mediated the impact of family history of depression on several youth psychopathologies including anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation, and any psychiatric disorder (proportions mediated 1.39%-5.87% of the total effect on psychopathology; FDR-corrected P < .05). These findings suggest that increased polygenic risk for depression partially mediates the associations between family risk for depression and offspring psychopathology, showing a genetic basis for intergenerational transmission of depression. Future approaches that combine assessments of family risk with polygenic profiles may offer a more accurate method for identifying children at elevated risk.

Examining the Connection Between Attachment and Risk for Psychopathology in Adolescents : A Comprehensive Review

The foundation of attachment theory is the notion that early relationships – such as the one between a child and primary caregiver – play a crucial role in patterns of emotional regulation, interpersonal behaviors and adult functioning. This review explores how attachment styles are associated with psychopathology in adolescents by systematically assessing research studies up to May 2024. Studies have shown that insecure attachment styles are risk factors for adaptation and psychopathology in adolescence, including anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, borderline personality disorder, conduct disorder and substance use. Securely attached adolescents have better mental health outcomes. Longitudinal studies have also confirmed that early attachment affects later psychopathology. Insecure infant attachment is linked to depression, suicidality, substance use and dissociation in adolescents. Emerging attachment-based interventions – including, for example, Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) – have demonstrated promise in treating adolescent mental health by targeting attachment disorganization level. Ultimately, working on reflective functioning, parental sensitivity and emotion regulation skills can help adolescents repair their attachments. Even in light of these findings, attachment does not appear as straightforwardly explanatory as one might expect, given the developmental importance of attachment entering a new stage. Attachment researchers should consider participants’ experiences of early attachment, in light of patterns of change during individual development, as well as in light of a family systems perspective – for instance, understanding that some adolescents who become disaffected from their families have parents who tend to be dismissive of their emotional needs. All of these could help in effective prevention and treatment of adolescent psychopathology.

Environmental and psychopathological predictors of clinical high-risk of psychosis in adolescence.

Clinical high-risk of psychosis (CHRp) samples can be heterogeneous, consisting essentially of people with not only psychotic-like experiences but also nonspecific symptoms that may reflect common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse pathologies. Few studies have attempted to analyze and understand psychosis risk in relation to both environmental (ER) and psychopathological risk (PsR) factors. This study aimed to determine the clinical risk of psychosis in adolescents. A representative sample of 1824 Spanish adolescents from the general population was evaluated using different scales to thoroughly examine the possible interaction of CHRp with various ER and PsR factors. Partial correlations were calculated to assess the relationships between the variables. A series of hierarchical linear regression models were then used to obtain a CHRp predictor model. The CHRp predictor model indicated that PsR was the most significant determining factor, explaining 22% of the total associated variance of CHRp. However, the ER factor also emerged as a significant predictor of high-risk psychosis (accounting for 9% of the variance). A predictive model for CHRp in adolescents was found, in which common psychological problems were presented as more determinant risk factors than ER disruptors. Furthermore, certain transdiagnostic processes, such as psychological inflexibility, may play a central role in the development of mental health problems, including psychosis. Specifying the mechanisms underlying the emergence of CHRp in adolescence is the key to optimizing the focus of preventive therapeutic interventions in these early stages.

Self-Criticism: Conceptualization, Assessment and Interventions

Self-criticism, considered as a transdiagnostic concept in the emergence of various psychopathologies, is considered as negative evaluations directed towards oneself especially in perceived failure situations. In literature various views regarding self-criticism, suggesting it as a personality trait, a style of relating to oneself, a coping response to various situations, or a safety strategy developed to restrain negative experiences, exist. In this regard, various researchers have conceptualized self-criticism with different dimensions and structures, leading to the development of various measurement tools. Findings obtained from these scales indicate that self-criticism is a risk factor for psychopathology and a factor that affects individuals to experience difficult emotions and their engagement in various challenging behaviors such as perfectionism and emotional eating. For this reason, several interventions aimed at reducing individuals' levels of self-criticism have been conducted in the literature. In this study the scales developed based on different conceptualizations of self-criticism were introduced, the effects of self-criticism on individuals were presented by compiling results of studies in which the relationships between self-criticism and various variables were examined and finally the results of intervention studies based on Cognitive Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy were summarized. It is believed that providing comprehensive theoretical and empirical knowledge related to self-criticism will contribute to future studies in the field.

Chronic ingestion of soy peptide supplementation reduces aggressive behavior and abnormal fear memory caused by juvenile social isolation

Juvenile loneliness is a risk factor for psychopathology in later life. Deprivation of early social experience due to peer rejection has a detrimental impact on emotional and cognitive brain function in adulthood. Accumulating evidence indicates that soy peptides have many positive effects on higher brain function in rodents and humans. However, the effects of soy peptide use on juvenile social isolation are unknown. Here, we demonstrated that soy peptides reduced the deterioration of behavioral and cellular functions resulting from juvenile socially-isolated rearing. We found that prolonged social isolation post-weaning in male C57BL/6J mice resulted in higher aggression and impulsivity and fear memory deficits at 7 weeks of age, and that these behavioral abnormalities, except impulsivity, were mitigated by ingestion of soy peptides. Furthermore, we found that daily intake of soy peptides caused upregulation of postsynaptic density 95 in the medial prefrontal cortex and phosphorylation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein in the hippocampus of socially isolated mice, increased phosphorylation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in the hippocampus, and altered the microbiota composition. These results suggest that soy peptides have protective effects against juvenile social isolation-induced behavioral deficits via synaptic maturation and cellular functionalization.

Validity of the distress tolerance inventory in predicting response to the Cold-Pressor Test

ABSTRACT Distress intolerance—a broad band dispositional variable has been shown to serve as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. We investigated the predictive validity of the physical and emotional subscales of the Distress Tolerance Inventory (DTI) on behavioral responding (immersion time) and moment-to-moment subjective distress ratings to the Cold-Pressor Test. College students (N = 134) completed self-report questionnaires indexing physical and emotional distress tolerance and then completed a cold pressor challenge. The DTI displayed convergent validity with several well-established self-report measures assessing distress tolerance (i.e. DTS, PCS, DIS). Participants’ scores on the DTI physical subscale (but not the DTS or DTI emotional subscale) predicted participants’ immersion time on the cold pressor challenge, thus supporting the construct validity of the DTI physical distress subscale. The DIS also predicted immersion time, though its internal consistency was marginal. These data suggest that the DTI is a valid measure for both emotional and physical distress tolerance and should be considered as a viable alternative to the DTS, especially for investigative domains involving physical distress such as chronic pain, or screening personnel for physically demanding tasks.

Empathy and psychopathology in children and adolescents: the role of parental mental illness and emotion regulation.

Although empathy is known to be a strength, recent studies suggest that empathy can be a risk factor for psychopathology under certain conditions in children. This study examines parental mental illness as such a condition. Further, it aims to investigate whether maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) mediates the relationship between empathy and psychopathological symptoms of children. Participants were 100 children of parents with a mental illness (55% female) and 87 children of parents without a mental illness (50% female) aged 6 - 16 years and their parents. Greater cognitive empathy was related to more psychopathological symptoms in COPMI, but not in COPWMI. In addition, in COPMI maladaptive ER mediated this relationship. In contrast, greater affective empathy was associated with more psychopathological symptoms regardless of whether parents had a mental illness. Our findings highlight the importance of implementing preventive programs for COPMI that specifically target the reduction of maladaptive ER.

(Self)tainted love: Shame and self-criticism as self-discriminatory processes underlying psychological suffering in sexual minority individuals

ABSTRACT Sexual Minoritized (SM) people are reported to experience higher levels of psychopathology when compared to heterosexual individuals. Minority Stress Theory and Psychological Mediation Framework suggest that exposure to minority stress is responsible for this disparity. Shame is also a known risk factor for psychopathology. This study aims to test the indirect effect of discrimination on psychopathology through internalized stigma, shame, and self-criticism, in a sample of 372 SM adults. All variables were significantly correlated with each other, except internalized stigma with discrimination, anxiety, and social anxiety. Internalized stigma did not exert a significant indirect effect between discrimination and psychopathology. Shame and self-criticism were the sole significant underlying processes mediating the relationship between discrimination and psychopathology.

The neurobiological effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function, and attachment.

Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for psychopathologies, and influences brain development at specific periods, particularly during early childhood and adolescence. This narrative review addresses phenotypic alterations in sensory systems associated with specific types of childhood maltreatment exposure, periods of vulnerability to the neurobiological effects of maltreatment, and the relationships between childhood maltreatment and brain structure, function, connectivity, and network architecture; psychopathology; and resilience. It also addresses neurobiological alterations associated with maternal communication and attachment disturbances, and uses laboratory-based measures during infancy and case-control studies to elucidate neurobiological alterations in reactive attachment disorders in children with maltreatment histories. Moreover, we review studies on the acute effects of oxytocin on reactive attachment disorder and maltreatment and methylation of oxytocin regulatory genes. Epigenetic changes may play a critical role in initiating or producing the atypical structural and functional brain alterations associated with childhood maltreatment. However, these changes could be reversed through psychological and pharmacological interventions, and by anticipating or preventing the emergence of brain alterations and subsequent psychopathological risks.

Stability of and Change in Psychopathological Risk Levels in Pre-Early Adolescents before, during, and after Their Study Sojourns: A Descriptive Study.

Adolescents can benefit from studying abroad in terms of personal development, cross-cultural encounters, and academic enrichment. This article digs into the psychological challenges that students may face before and during their study abroad, focusing on the emotional components of their experiences. The current descriptive study sought to assess the stability or change in levels of psychopathological risk in a sample of N = 195 adolescents before and during a study abroad sojourn. To examine psychological symptoms in pre-adolescents, teachers were asked to complete a report-form questionnaire. The findings of this study revealed that students' psychological functioning changed significantly after their study abroad experience. Anxious/depressed and withdrawn ratings specifically increased from the pre-sojourn assessment (T1) to the evaluation during the stay (T2), then remained consistent (T3). In addition, the scores for rule-breaking and aggressive conduct changed, increasing from T1 to T2 and then decreasing from T2 to T3. This trend implies that teenagers may struggle with behavioral challenges early in their study abroad experience, but subsequently adjust and improve their conduct as they grow more used to the new environment. this research offers insight into the emotional and behavioral issues that adolescents face when studying abroad, underlining the significance of treating psychopathological risk factors in this demographic.