Self-reported Depressed Mood Research Articles

Suicidal Ideation in Medicinal Cannabis Patients: A 12-Month Prospective Study

Objective To document the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation (SI) among individuals seeking cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs); to test whether SI declines or intensifies after three months of CBMP treatment and to document 12-month trajectories of depression in those reporting SI and other patients. Method Observational data were available for 3781 patients at entry to treatment, 2112 at three months and 777 for 12 months. Self-reported depressed mood and SI were assessed using items from the PHQ-9. Additional data included sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported well-being. Results 25% of the sample reported SI at treatment entry and those with SI had higher levels of depressed mood (mean = 17.4 vs. 11.3; F (1,3533) = 716.5, p < .001) and disturbed sleep (mean = 13.8 vs. 12.2, F (1,3533) = 125.9, p < .001), poorer general health (mean = 43.6 vs. 52.2, F (1,3533) = 118.3, p < .001) and lower quality of life (mean = 0.44 vs. 0.56 (F (1,3533) = 118.3, p < .001). The prevalence of SI reduced from 23.6% to 17.6% (z = 6.5, p < .001) at 3 months. Twelve-month follow-up indicated a substantial reduction in depressed mood with this reduction being more pronounced in those reporting SI (mean (baseline) = 17.7 vs. mean (12 months) = 10.3) than in other patients (mean (baseline) = 11.1 vs. mean (12 months) = 7.0). Conclusions SI is common among individuals seeking CBMPs to treat a range of chronic conditions and is associated with higher levels of depressed mood and poorer quality of life. Treatment with CBMPs reduced the prevalence and intensity of suicidal ideation.

Relationship between prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases, self-reported memory loss, and self-reported depressed mood of older adults in Korea according to frailty and physical activity status

As the older population increases worldwide, frailty is the area of research that deserve further investigation and is considered a major social and public health concern. Frailty appears physically and mentally, and recently, the term cognitive frailty has been used to combine physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment syndrome. Frailty in older adults is characterized by low physical activity levels and a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity is essential in managing mental health issues such as depression and can improve the executive function and memory of older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases, self-reported memory loss, and depression among older adults in Korea according to frailty and physical activity status. Using data from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, this study analyzed 613 community-dwelling older males aged ≥65 years. Physical activity was measured using a Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. A health-related quality of life instrument with eight items (HINT-8) was used to assess self-reported memory loss and depressed mood. Relationships between physical activity levels, self-reported memory loss and depressed mood were analyzed using logistic regression. The incidence of HINT-8 memory (0.52 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32–0.85)) was significantly lower in the Physical Activity Level (PAL)-high/pre-frail; the incidence of HINT-8 depression (0.35 (95% CI: 0.21–0.59); 0.29 (95% CI: 0.17–0.52)) was significantly lower in the and PAL-high/pre-frail. We verified that the group with PAL-low/frail had the highest self-reported memory loss and depressed mood, suggesting that more physical activity may reduce self-reported memory loss and depressed mood among frail older males in Korea. However further research is needed to analyze the level of physical activity separately between work and leisure.

The moderating effect of resting heart rate variability on the relationship between pain catastrophizing and depressed mood: an empirical study

Previous research indicated that pain catastrophizing—a negative emotional and cognitive response toward actual or anticipated pain—could contribute to pain intensity and could be associated with depressive symptoms not just in chronic pain patients but in healthy population as well. Accumulated evidence suggests that resting heart rate variability (HRV) as a putative proxy of emotion regulation could moderate the association of self-reported pain catastrophizing and depressed mood. In the present cross-sectional study, we investigated these associations in a healthy young adult sample controlling for the effect of trait rumination. Seventy-two participants (58 females, mean age = 22.2 ± 1.79 years ranging from 19 to 28 years old) completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Ruminative Response Scale. Resting HRV was measured by time domain metric of HRV, the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). The results showed that the relationship between pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms is significantly moderated by resting HRV (indexed by lnRMSSD). Specifically, in participants with higher resting HRV there was no significant relationship between the two investigated variables, while in participants with relatively low or medium HRV pain catastrophizing and depressed mood showed significant positive association. The relationship remained significant after controlling for sex, age and trait rumination. These results might indicate that measuring pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms is warranted in non-clinical samples as well and higher resting HRV could have a buffer or protective role against depressive symptoms.

Subjective cognition and memory lapses in the daily lives of breast cancer survivors: Examining associations with objective cognitive performance, fatigue, and depressed mood.

Subjective reports of cancer-related cognitive impairment often far exceed that documented using in-person neuropsychological assessment. This study evaluated whether subjective cognition was associated with real-time objective cognitive performance in daily life versus performance on an in-person neuropsychological battery, as well as fatigue and depressed mood. Participants were 47 women (M age=53.3years) who completed adjuvant treatment for early-stage breast cancer 6-36months previously. During an in-person assessment, participants completed a neuropsychological battery and questionnaires on subjective cognition, fatigue, and depressed mood. Over 14days, participants responded to up to 5 prompts that assessed real-time processing speed and memory and self-reported ratings of depressed mood and fatigue. In the evenings, participants rated their subjective cognition that day and reported on memory lapses (e.g., forgetting a word). During the in-person assessment, participants who rated their cognition worse reported worse depressed mood, but did not exhibit poorer objective cognitive performance. Women with worse rated daily subjective cognition reported more daily fatigue but did not demonstrate worse real-time objective cognition. Finally, women who reported memory lapses at the end of the day reported more fatigue and depressed mood, demonstrated better real-time performance on processing speed (p=0.001), and worse in-person processing speed and visuospatial skills (p's≤0.02). Subjective cognition was consistently associated with self-reported fatigue and depressed mood. Specific memory lapses were related to in-person and daily objective cognitive performance. This suggests that incorporating reports of memory lapses may help clinicians identify those with objectively measured cancer-related cognitive impairment.

Characterizing Longitudinal Patterns in Cognition, Mood, And Activity in Depression With 6-Week High-Frequency Wearable Assessment: Observational Study.

Cognitive symptoms are an underrecognized aspect of depression that are often untreated. High-frequency cognitive assessment holds promise for improving disease and treatment monitoring. Although we have previously found it feasible to remotely assess cognition and mood in this capacity, further work is needed to ascertain the optimal methodology to implement and synthesize these techniques. The objective of this study was to examine (1) longitudinal changes in mood, cognition, activity levels, and heart rate over 6 weeks; (2) diurnal and weekday-related changes; and (3) co-occurrence of fluctuations between mood, cognitive function, and activity. A total of 30 adults with current mild-moderate depression stabilized on antidepressant monotherapy responded to testing delivered through an Apple Watch (Apple Inc) for 6 weeks. Outcome measures included cognitive function, assessed with 3 brief n-back tasks daily; self-reported depressed mood, assessed once daily; daily total step count; and average heart rate. Change over a 6-week duration, diurnal and day-of-week variations, and covariation between outcome measures were examined using nonlinear and multilevel models. Participants showed initial improvement in the Cognition Kit N-Back performance, followed by a learning plateau. Performance reached 90% of individual learning levels on average 10 days after study onset. N-back performance was typically better earlier and later in the day, and step counts were lower at the beginning and end of each week. Higher step counts overall were associated with faster n-back learning, and an increased daily step count was associated with better mood on the same (P<.001) and following day (P=.02). Daily n-back performance covaried with self-reported mood after participants reached their learning plateau (P=.01). The current results support the feasibility and sensitivity of high-frequency cognitive assessments for disease and treatment monitoring in patients with depression. Methods to model the individual plateau in task learning can be used as a sensitive approach to better characterize changes in behavior and improve the clinical relevance of cognitive data. Wearable technology allows assessment of activity levels, which may influence both cognition and mood.

The Effects of Lack of Awareness in Age-Related Quality of Life, Coping with Stress, and Depression among Patients with Malignant Melanoma.

Almost one-third of all malignant melanoma patients exhibit emotional stress indicating the need for professional care. Considering this, patients' psychological needs are routinely overlooked and unfulfilled, even though there is substantial evidence that psychological therapies may enhance psychosocial outcomes for melanoma patients, such as low mood, sadness, and anxiety. Among developing countries and some health systems in developed regions, the lack of awareness and screening methods for skin cancer creates a high risk of psychological issues associated with more advanced diseases. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate and compare the impact of malignant melanoma awareness for screening, prevention, and treatment on the patient's quality of life and coping with stress and depression, based on patients' age. This cross-sectional study recruited 238 patients with malignant melanoma distributed into two groups, Group A patients between 18 and 65 years and Group B patients older than 65. There were no significant gender differences and cancer staging differences between groups, although self-reported depressed mood and anhedonia were significantly more frequent in younger adults with malignant melanoma (43.8% vs. 28.9%). From the unstandardized surveys, it was observed that significantly fewer patients from Group B knew that melanoma could be caused by sun exposure (34.2% vs. 52.2%), and they were less likely to use sunscreen or visit a doctor to evaluate their skin moles (25.9% vs. 14.5%). Elderly patients preferred television as the main source of information, and only 68.4% of patients from Group B were using smart devices. There was a significantly higher physical score on the SF-12 scale among Group A patients, although patients from Group B scored higher in the mental health assessment, and the perceived helplessness on the PSS-10 scale was significantly higher compared to younger adults with melanoma (2.97 vs. 2.71, p-value = 0.036). Lower scores on the physical and mental SF-12 questionnaire determined a higher presence of depressive symptoms (rho = -0.352, respectively rho = -0.273). Higher scores on the DLQI sexual difficulties and treatment difficulties also correlated significantly with the presence of depressive symptoms and anhedonia (rho = 0.341, respectively rho = 0.264). Awareness campaigns for malignant melanoma should focus on the elderly population, too, using the television as the main communication channel. On the other hand, the more informed and knowledgeable group of adults younger than 65 are more likely to experience psychological problems and should be targeted for psycho-oncological aid.

Investigating sleep, stress, and mood dynamics via temporal network analysis

Objective/BackgroundPrior research has emphasized the bidirectional relationships between sleep, stress, and affective states, such as depression. Given the inherent variability and fluctuations associated with sleep, assessing how sleep and affective variables function within a dynamic system may help further uncover possible causes and consequences of sleep disturbances, as well as find candidate targets for intervention. To this end, we examined dynamic relationships between self-reported stress, depressed mood, and clinically-relevant sleep parameters via temporal network analysis. MethodsParticipants were 401 nurses (92% female, 78% White, Mage = 39.47 years) who completed 14 days of sleep diaries incorporating self-reported stress and depression, as well as total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset. Results and conclusionsOverall, total sleep time emerged as a highly influential variable in the context of “outstrength centrality,” meaning total sleep time had numerous outward connections with other variables (e.g., stress and sleep efficiency). The high outstrength centrality of total sleep time suggests this variable is a source of activation within this dynamic system. Conversely, stress showed high “instrength centrality,” suggesting this variable was highly impacted by other variables in the system, such as depressed mood and sleep efficiency. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing unfolding sleep processes within a naturalistic setting, and implicate the role of total sleep time in fueling depressed mood and stress. Discussion emphasizes implications of these results for understanding the connections between sleep, stress, and depression as well as clinical relevance of these findings.

LAUGHTER YOGA THERAPY: EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH OF COVID-19 INFECTED CLIENTS

A pretest and post-test experimental research design to measure the effects of laughter yoga therapy on the resiliency, recovery, and mental health of COVID-19 infected clients admitted at the CIU-TTMF. The majority of the participants were males aged 26 to 35 years old, college graduates, and employed. Participants were asked to complete a Pre and Post Intervention Survey using the 5-point Likert scale to measure the immediate effects of Laughter Yoga Therapy. Participants were asked to answer the following: Personal Well-being Index to measure the global life satisfaction, DASS-21 to assess self-reported depressed mood, anxiety, and stress. Participants also rated the Brief Cope Scale to measure resiliency and the post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale to measure recovery. The pretest and post-test scores showed a statistically significant resiliency, recovery, and mental health gain. The study was triangulated with FGD using some of the questions from the Psychological Outcomes of Well-being (POWB) as a guide to examine the research problem. As a result of the study, Laughter Yoga Therapy encourages clients to laugh through the body and not through the mind, and experiencing childlike playfulness, affects the recovery, resiliency, and mental health of COVID-19 infected clients.

Interferon-γ moderation of poor sleep maintenance and depressed mood in community-dwelling older adults.

Depressive symptoms, such as depressed mood, are common in older adults and associated with an increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Given the evidence that sleep disturbance and alterations in interferon (IFN)-γ biology are associated with depression risk, this study examines the separate and joint contributions of poor sleep maintenance and IFN-γ to depressed mood in older adults. Community-dwelling, non-depressed older adults (n = 36, 72.1 ± 6.8 years) underwent a night of polysomnography to assess sleep maintenance [i.e. wake time after sleep onset (WASO)]. The morning after polysomnography, plasma levels of IFN-γ were evaluated along with self-reported depressed mood throughout the day. Multivariate linear regression tested associations of WASO and IFN-γ with the severity of depressed mood. In addition, moderation and mediation models examined the role of IFN-γ for the relationship between WASO and depressed mood. A greater amount of WASO (p < 0.05) and higher levels of IFN-γ (p < 0.01) were both associated with the severity of depressed mood. Moreover, IFN-γ moderated the relationship between WASO and depressed mood (p < 0.01), such that WASO was more strongly related to the depressed mood among those with higher IFN-γ, than among those with lower IFN-γ. However, IFN-γ did not mediate the relationship between WASO and depressed mood. In this study of older adults, poor sleep maintenance and higher levels of IFN-γ were both related to depressed mood. Moreover, IFN-γ moderated the relationship between poor sleep maintenance and depressed mood. Together, these findings suggest that older adults with higher IFN-γ are at heightened risk for depressive symptoms following sleep disturbance.

Associations between neuroticism, subjective sleep quality, and depressive symptoms across the first year of college

Objective Examine neuroticism’s impact on the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality during the college transition. Participants First-year students (N = 302) from a southeastern university in the USA. Methods A longitudinal cross-lagged panel model assessed direct and indirect effects between self-reported sleep and depressed mood. Results Higher neuroticism was directly associated with both greater depressed mood and sleep quality. Poorer sleep quality was associated with depressive symptoms at baseline (β = 0.250, [95% CI = 0.123,0.362]) and during spring semester (β = 0.261, [95% CI = 0.126,0.383]). Baseline depressive symptoms predicted sleep quality during fall semester (β = 0.140, [95% CI = 0.031, 0.247]), and fall semester sleep quality predicted spring semester depression symptoms (β = 0.106, [95% CI = 0.007,0.201]). Discussion Neuroticism is an indicator of emotional distress and disrupted sleep upon college entry. Furthermore, there was evidence for both within time-point and prospective associations between sleep quality and depression symptoms albeit at different times throughout the first year of college.

Distinct Insular Functional Connectivity Changes Related to Mood and Fatigue Improvements in Major Depressive Disorder Following Tai Chi Training: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Tai chi (TC), a contemplative practice combining slow movements and deep breathing, has been shown to be clinically effective in alleviating depressive symptoms. Feelings of fatigue or low vitality often accompany major depressive disorder (MDD) though they are commonly overlooked and not well understood neurologically. By using resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) using the insula as the seed, this study examines the relationship between mood and vitality symptoms in MDD and how they are impacted by TC training.Methods: Patients (N = 16) with MDD participated in a 10-week TC intervention. Self-report scores of vitality (using the SF-36 scale) and depressed mood (using the Beck Depression Inventory) as well as rs-fMRI were collected pre- and post-intervention. A seed-to-voxel approach was used to test whether changes in insular rs-FC were related to therapeutic improvement in MDD-related symptoms resulting from TC practice.Results: We found decreased self-reported depressed mood and increased vitality following the TC intervention. Furthermore, decreases in depressed mood were associated with increased rs-FC between the right anterior insula (AIC) and superior temporal gyrus and caudate (cluster-corrected p < 0.05). Increased vitality was associated with increased rs-FC between the right posterior insula (PIC) and regions associated with sensorimotor processes (cluster-corrected p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results provide support for differential changes in insula connectivity as neural correlates of symptom improvement in MDD.

The Effects of Performance of Public Sector Health System on Quality of Life in China: Evidence from the CGSS2015.

The determinants of quality of life can be social, economic, cultural, and governmental, to name a few. Prior research has shown that demographic factors and social support can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life. This research attempts to examine the effects of public sector health system performance on individuals’ quality of life in China, measured by (1) self-reported health, (2) depressed mood, and (3) happiness. The targeted population was individuals aged 18 and above. The primary data was collected from the CGSS2015 (Chinese General Social Survey 2015), and the National Statistical Yearbook was also used. Using various statistical models, this study finds that the correlation coefficients of government performance in providing healthcare for patients on quality of life are 0.144, 0.167, and 0.328, respectively. The more satisfied with medical care and public health delivered by the government, the higher the level of quality of life. In addition, the relationship between government expenditure on public health service and quality of life is positively significant. These findings are robust after weighting methods are used. The performance of the Public Sector Health System has a significantly positive association with quality of life in China.

Effects of a Self-Compassion Break Induction on Self-Reported Stress, Self-Compassion, and Depressed Mood.

The objective of the study was to determine whether practicing a self-compassion induction would reduce self-reported stress, depressed mood, and increase self-compassion in a randomized controlled study measuring variables of interest at two time points spanning three weeks. Participants were 129 students (91 females and 38 males, Mage = 19.47, SD = 3.20) divided into three groups: Self-compassion Break, Time Management Control Group, and a No-Induction Control Group. Participants were part of the general student body and were not diagnosed or screened for clinical depression. Self-compassion, stress, and depressed mood were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Participants practiced their respective inductions over three weeks after being guided through their respective inductions at Time 1. There were no significant differences between groups in outcome variables. Results of this study may indicate the importance of weekly group check-in meetings to facilitate positive change as findings in this study did not mirror those of similar studies using frequent meetings.

Transcriptomic predictors of inflammation-induced depressed mood.

Inflammation plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of depression. However, not all individuals exposed to inflammatory challenge develop depression, and identifying those at risk is necessary to develop targeted monitoring, prevention, and treatment strategies. Within a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study (n = 115), we examined whether leukocyte transcriptome profiles predicted inflammation-induced depressed mood in volunteers who received low-dose intravenous endotoxin (n = 58; aged 18-50). At baseline, transcription factor (TF) activities were assessed using genome-wide transcriptional profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and promoter-based bioinformatic analyses. Then, participants were administered endotoxin. Self-reported depressed mood was assessed using the Profile of Mood States. Based on extant studies linking transcriptional profiles to depressive disorder, we examined whether post-endotoxin depressed mood is predicted by baseline activity of TFs related to immune activation, sympathetic activation, and glucocorticoid insensitivity: respectively, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Twenty-one participants (36%) experienced an increase in depressed mood from baseline to 2 h post endotoxin, when depressive response peaks. Bioinformatics analyses controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, and physical sickness response revealed that post-endotoxin depressed mood was predicted by increased baseline activity of TFs related to inflammation (NF-kB) and beta-adrenergic signaling (CREB) and by decreased activity of GR-related TFs (P's < 0.001). Inflammation-induced depressed mood is predicted by peripheral transcriptome profiles related to immune activation, sympathetic activation, and glucocorticoid insensitivity. With further replication, these stress-related molecular profiles could be used for a novel genomic approach for identifying individuals at high-risk for the inflammatory subtype of depression.

818: Correlation of self-reported depressed mood using telehealth and 6-week EPDS in postpartum women with hypertension

818: Correlation of self-reported depressed mood using telehealth and 6-week EPDS in postpartum women with hypertension

How changes in physical activity relate to fatigue interference, mood, and quality of life during treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer.

Physical activity (PA) following surgery for breast cancer may improve depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) via reduction in fatigue-related daily interference (FRDI). Less is known about how change in PA may relate to these psychosocial factors throughout the course of treatment. In a secondary analysis of a previous psychosocial intervention trial, we examined relationships between change in PA, depressive symptoms, and functional QoL, as mediated by change in FRDI, and whether naturally occurring change in PA provided benefit independent of the intervention. Women (N=240) with non-metastatic stage 0-III breast cancer were randomized to cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) or a control 2-10weeks post-surgery. PA, FRDI, clinician-rated depressive symptoms, self-reported depressed mood, and functional QoL were assessed at baseline and three months post-intervention. Increased PA was associated with reductions in clinician-rated depressive symptoms, depressed mood, and improved QoL, mediated by a reduction in FRDI. This was above and beyond the effect of CBSM. Increased PA may mitigate FRDI and improve depressive symptoms and functional QoL for women undergoing breast cancer treatment, beyond effects of a psychosocial intervention. Benefits of an integrated PA and psychosocial approach should be investigated further.

Investigating the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in the development of adolescent emotional problems

Previous research has indicated that cognitive emotion regulation strategies contribute to the development and maintenance of emotional problems in adults and adolescents. However, there is a lack of longitudinal research with adolescent samples, hence knowledge of exactly how these strategies influence the development of emotional problems in adolescence is sparse. This study investigated maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation (cognitive avoidance and repetitive negative thinking) as a potential mediator in the development of anxiety and depressed mood over time in adolescence. Self-reported depressed mood, anxiety, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies were assessed during school hours in a sample of Swedish 10th graders (N = 149; 53% girls), with follow-up assessments one and two years later. Repetitive negative thinking and cognitive avoidance formed a unidimensional factor of cognitive emotion regulation. Cognitive emotion regulation was found to mediate the development of both anxiety and depressed mood over time, lending support to the previous findings that cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive avoidance and repetitive negative thinking might act as transdiagnostic mechanisms in the development of emotional symptoms in adolescence. This suggests that maladaptive forms of cognitive emotion regulation could be important targets in prevention and treatment of emotional problems in adolescence.

Preexisting mild sleep disturbance as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-induced depressed mood: a human experimental study.

Sleep disturbance and depression are common, particularly in females, and sleep disturbance is a well-known risk factor for depression. Systemic inflammation has been suggested as a potential mechanism of this association. This study examined whether preexisting sleep disturbance acted as a vulnerability factor for depressed mood induced by an inflammatory challenge in healthy females vs males. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design, volunteers aged 18–50 (N=111; 67 females) were assigned to placebo or low-dose endotoxin. Before substance administration, sleep disturbance was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and dichotomized using median split (⩾3 vs <3). Self-reported depressed mood (profile of mood states) and circulating proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α) were repeatedly assessed over 6 h. Among females, moderation of depressed mood by sleep disturbance was significant even after adjustment for covariates (X2=12.73, df=6, P<0.05). There was a robust time-by-condition interaction in females with sleep disturbance (X2=26.22, df=6, P<0.001), but not in females without sleep disturbance (X2=8.65, df=6, P=0.19). Although cytokines increased equally in all females, the correlations between cytokines and depressed mood were significantly stronger in females with sleep disturbance. Among males, no moderating effect of sleep disturbance was observed. Inflammation-induced depressed mood was considerably more severe among females reporting mild sleep disturbance compared with those reporting no sleep disturbance, suggesting that even mild sleep disturbance may increase vulnerability for inflammation-induced depression in females. Furthermore, sleep disturbance appears to increase the vulnerability to depression by augmenting affective sensitivity to cytokines rather than by enhancing cytokine responses to inflammatory challenge in females.

Mild sleep disturbance as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-induced depressed mood in women: An experimental study

Sleep disturbance and depression are major public health burdens, particularly in women, and sleep disturbance is a well-known risk factor for depression. Systemic inflammation has been suggested as a potential mechanism of this association. This study examined whether self-reported sleep disturbance acted as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-induced depression among healthy women. Healthy women aged 18–50 (N = 67) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or low-dose endotoxin (0.8 ng/kg). Self-reported depressed mood was repeatedly assessed over 6 h. Participants exposed to endotoxin, compared with placebo, showed greater increases in depressed mood over time according to mixed-effects model regression (X2 = 28.35, df = 6, p = 0.0001). To examine whether sleep disturbance enhances depressive responses to endotoxin, moderation was tested for sleep disturbance assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as a binary variable using median split (PSQI global score ≥3 vs.

The benefits of contemplating tragic drama on self-regulation and health.

Although drama exposure has been examined in the context of health promotion programs, the underlying mechanisms of reflecting on drama have not been established. The degree to which drama contemplation leads to cognitive changes (increased processing, self-compassion and emotional self-efficacy) and improved well-being was examined in the present research. An experiment was conducted in which young adults (n = 148) were randomly assigned to experience and write reflectively on (i) drama via Hollywood movie clips, (ii) drama via scripts or (iii) to perform a control task. Writing content was analyzed for word use. At baseline and 4-week follow-up measures, participants self-reported self-compassion, emotional self-efficacy, physical symptoms, general health, depressed mood and anxiety. Using structural equation modeling, indirect effects of drama contemplation were found. Tragic drama exposure was associated with word use indicative of increased cognitive processing. The use of greater insight words was related to increased emotional self-efficacy, which in turn was associated with improved psychological and general health, whereas discrepancy word use was associated with increased self-compassion, which was in turn linked to better psychological well-being. Conversely, greater use of causation and certainty words was associated with a marginal decrease in self-compassion and psychological well-being. The persistence of drama has long been related to its capacity to enhance individuals' understanding of the human condition. This study helps explain the connection between reflecting on drama and benefits to self-regulation and health. Implications of drama processing as an inexpensive and accessible adjunct to health promotion interventions are discussed.