Symptoms In Young Adolescents Research Articles

Growth mindset and school burnout symptoms in young adolescents: the role of vagal activity as potential mediator.

Experiencing school burnout symptoms can have negative consequences for learning. A growth mindset, the belief that human qualities such as intelligence are malleable, has previously been correlated with fewer school burnout symptoms in late adolescents. This might be because adolescents with a stronger growth mindset show more adaptive self-regulation strategies and thereby increasing resilience against academic setbacks. Here we confirmed in a sample of 426 Dutch young adolescents (11-14 years old; 48% female) that this relationship between growth mindset and school burnout symptoms holds after controlling for other potential predictors of school burnout symptoms such as academic achievement, school track, gender, and socio-economic status. Our second aim was to increase our understanding of the mechanism underlying the relation between mindset and school burnout, by measuring physiological resilience (vagal activity, a measure of parasympathetic activity, also known as heart rate variability or HRV) in a subsample (n = 50). We did not find any relation between vagal activity and growth mindset or school burnout symptoms, nor could we establish a mediating effect of vagal activity in their relation. In conclusion, we found evidence for a potential protective effect of a growth mindset on school burnout symptoms in young adolescents, but not for physiological resilience (vagal activity) as an underlying mechanism. The protective effect of growth mindset as confirmed in our younger sample can be leveraged in interventions to prevent increasing school burnout symptoms.

Social support imbalance and depressive symptoms in young adolescents: the negative effect of giving but not receiving

ABSTRACT This study examined associations between receiving and giving support, and their imbalance on depression symptoms in adolescents. Our sample included 2,111 young adolescents drawn from 6th Wave European Social Survey who completed measures of social support and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D). A hierarchical linear regression demonstrated that both receiving and giving social support were associated with a 51% and 34% reduced risk of being depressed, respectively. However, analysis of group differences indicated those high on both giving/receiving, that is, a positive balance, reported less depression, compared to those with a negative balance, that is, low on both, with the highest symptoms observed by those reporting a negative imbalance, that is, high giving and low receiving social support. While there are benefits to receiving and giving social support, there is also a cost when this is imbalanced. Our findings are discussed from an equity theory and lifespan perspective.

Early-life critical windows of metal exposure associated with internalizing symptoms in young adolescents

Introduction and Aim: Internalizing disorders, such as anxiety and depression, affect 10 – 20% of children and increase the risk for later-life psychopathology. The neural circuitry subserving internalizing phenotypes begins developing in utero and is vulnerable to early-life environmental exposures. Although early-life exposure to metals can adversely impact children’s neurodevelopment and have lifelong impacts on mental health, little is known about critical windows to metal exposures and adolescent internalizing disorders. In this study, we hypothesized that early-life exposure to a mixture of metals is associated with increased internalizing problems in early adolescence. Methods: Among 431 (8-12 years; 216 females) pre-adolescents enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City, we estimated weekly concentrations of 15 metals in naturally shed deciduous teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (i.e., Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr, and Zn) from the 14th gestation week through one year of age). Internalizing problems were assessed using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). We used lagged weighted quantile sum (lWQS) regression to estimate a time-varying mixture effect of multiple metals on internalizing problems. Models were adjusted for age and sex. Results: A higher metal mixture index in the 22nd-43rd postnatal weeks was associated with increased internalizing problems (maximum β = 0.37 [95% CI 0.06, 0.69]), driven mainly by Mg, As, Sn, and Bi. Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that mixed metal exposure during specific critical windows in early life may associate with mental health disorders in childhood and adolescence. Our lWQS modeling approach and results may inform the role of exposure timing in driving neurodevelopmental outcomes, thereby pointing to future optimal, efficient, and properly timed public health interventions.

No associations in preregistered study of youth depression and functional connectivity of fronto-parietal and default mode networks

Adolescence is characterized by vulnerability to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD). The goal of this preregistered study was to assess neural correlates of depression symptoms in young adolescents, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The default mode network (DMN) is believed to support internal attention towards self-referential thoughts, while the fronto-parietal network (FPN) is theorized to support cognitive control and regulation of attention. As MDD diagnosis has been associated with heightened connectivity within DMN regions and diminished connectivity within FPN regions relative to healthy controls, our study builds upon group-difference analyses by using dimensional measures of depression severity. Our preregistered hypotheses were that within-DMN functional connectivity would be positively associated with concurrent depression severity, while within-FPN functional connectivity would be negatively associated with concurrent depression severity. Preregistered analyses also examined between DMN-FPN connectivity as an alternative predictor variable, and assessed the longitudinal associations between all three functional connectivity measures and change in depression severity over three subsequent waves. Multiple regression models tested cross-sectional analyses and hierarchical linear models tested longitudinal analyses. One hundred and twenty-four youth completed a resting state functional MRI. Their depression severity was assessed at the time of the scan and at three follow-up sessions. None of the predictor variables were associated with concurrent depression severity, nor with the slope of depression symptom trajectories in longitudinal analyses. These negative results add to extant cross-sectional studies, and may inform future investigations of brain correlates of depression psychopathology in youth.

An Examination of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: The Relationship of Personality Traits and Perceived Social Support

Present study aimed at investigating the association between personality traits, perceived social support and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Through convenient sampling, total 302 students (110 males and 192 females) were recruited from different universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The age range of sample was 18-25 years. In present study, The Big Five Inventory- Short Version (BFI-S) (Gerlitz & Schupp, 2005), The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) (Zimet et al., 1988), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) were used to access personality traits, perceived social support and depressive symptoms. Findings of the present study showed a significant positive relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms. However, extraversion, conscientiousness and perceived social support showed significant negative association with depressive symptoms. According to regression analysis, neuroticism is a positive while, perceived social support is significant negative predictor of depressive symptoms in young adolescents. Furthermore, findings of present study may assist in identifying the personality traits at risk of experiencing depression.

Relational impairments, sluggish cognitive tempo, and severe inattention are associated with elevated self-rated depressive symptoms in adolescents with ADHD.

This study examines how ADHD-related symptoms and impairments interact to predict depression symptoms in young adolescents with ADHD. A sample of 342 adolescents (71% male, mean age = 13years old) with DSM-IV-TR diagnosed ADHD completed baseline clinical assessments upon entry to a psychosocial treatment study for ADHD. Ratings of ADHD and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms, and social and academic impairment were obtained from parents, while ratings of depressive symptoms and conflict with parents were obtained from youth. Among adolescents with ADHD, elevated depressive symptoms were associated with higher SCT symptom severity, lower hyperactive/impulsive (HI) symptom severity, higher social impairments, higher conflict with parents, and lower academic problems. Interaction effects indicated that clinically significant depressive symptoms were most likely to occur when high levels of parent-youth conflict were present along with high inattentive (IN) symptoms, high SCT, and/or low HI. Among children and adolescents with ADHD, depression prevention efforts might target IN/SCT symptom management, as well as improving interpersonal relationships with parents and peers. Future work is needed to verify these findings longitudinally.

The relationships between religiosity and youth internalizing symptoms in African American parent-adolescent dyads.

African American (AA) adolescents face a greater risk of internalizing symptoms, including symptoms of both depression and anxiety, compared with other racial groups; yet, relatively less is known about the variables that contribute to internalizing symptoms. With the aim of advancing this work, this study examined factors that may buffer against such symptoms (maternal warmth, religiosity), as well as those that may confer additional risk (maternal psychopathology). One hundred ninety-three AA single mothers and their adolescent youth reported on religiosity, maternal warmth and depressive symptoms, and youth internalizing symptoms. Dyadic structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of mother and adolescent religiosity, maternal warmth, maternal depressive symptoms, and adolescent age on youth internalizing symptoms as reported by both the mother and the adolescent. Consistent with hypotheses, maternal depressive symptoms were significantly associated with youth internalizing symptoms (as reported by the adolescent). Further, the impact of maternal religiosity on self-reported youth internalizing symptoms and its subscales was moderated by adolescent age. Specifically, maternal religiosity was associated with fewer self-reported internalizing symptoms in young adolescents, whereas the effect waned in older youth. Possible predictive coprocesses such as maternal influence on adolescent religious choices and identity formation are explored in the context of adolescent internalizing symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record

Predicting Internet Gaming Disorder symptoms in young adolescents: A one-year follow-up study

Background and AimsProblematic gaming behavior in adolescence is becoming a bigger societal problem. An increasing number of adolescents have difficulties in controlling their game play and are at risk for the development of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) symptoms already at a young age. DesignIn this longitudinal study, 354 adolescents (mean age = 13.9, 48.9% boys) were followed over 12 months. It was hypothesized that attention problems, social vulnerability, and life satisfaction uniquely and interactively predict increase in IGD symptoms. ResultsThe findings of a zero-inflated model revealed main effects of social vulnerability (B = 0.297, SE = 0.142) and attention problems (B = 0.298, SE = 0.134) on IGD symptoms while controlling for gender differences. In addition, the effect of attention problems on IGD was the strongest among adolescents who were more socially vulnerable (B = −0.681, SE = 0.140) and less satisfied with life (B = −0.485, SE = 0.199). ConclusionsAdolescents with attention problems might have difficulties in directing their attention towards other tasks, placing them at an increased risk for developing problematic gaming behavior. This risk is further exacerbated by social vulnerability and dissatisfaction with life.

Risk factors for eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age: A 6-year longitudinal cohort study

Eating disorders pose risks to health and wellbeing in young adolescents, but prospective studies of risk factors are scarce and this has impeded prevention efforts. This longitudinal study aimed to examine risk factors for eating disorder symptoms in a population-based birth cohort of young adolescents at 12 years.Participants from the Gateshead Millennium Study birth cohort (n = 516; 262 girls and 254 boys) completed self-report questionnaire measures of eating disorder symptoms and putative risk factors at age 7 years, 9 years and 12 years, including dietary restraint, depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction. Body mass index (BMI) was also measured at each age.Within-time correlates of eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age were greater body dissatisfaction for both sexes and, for girls only, higher depressive symptoms. For both sexes, higher eating disorder symptoms at 9 years old significantly predicted higher eating disorder symptoms at 12 years old. Dietary restraint at 7 years old predicted boys' eating disorder symptoms at age 12, but not girls'. Factors that did not predict eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age were BMI (any age), girls’ dietary restraint at 7 years and body dissatisfaction at 7 and 9 years of age for both sexes.In this population-based study, different patterns of predictors and correlates of eating disorder symptoms were found for girls and boys. Body dissatisfaction, a purported risk factor for eating disorder symptoms in young adolescents, developed concurrently with eating disorder symptoms rather than preceding them. However, restraint at age 7 and eating disorder symptoms at age 9 years did predict 12-year eating disorder symptoms. Overall, our findings suggest that efforts to prevent disordered eating might beneficially focus on preadolescent populations.

Longitudinal and Incremental Relation of Cybervictimization to Negative Self-Cognitions and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adolescents.

Adolescents are among the most frequent users of social media websites, raising concern about the dangers of cyber bullying or cybervictimization (CV). A 12-month longitudinal study examined the unique, prospective relation of CV to the development of negative self-cognitions and depressive symptoms in a community sample of 827 children and young adolescents (ages 8-13; 55.1% female) from the southeastern United States. Over and above conventional types of peer victimization, CV significantly predicted changes in self-referential negative cognitions, victimization-related cognitive reactions, and depressive symptoms, even after controlling for baseline levels of the dependent variables. Results also showed that CV was significantly less stable than other forms of victimization and tended to increase slightly with time. The study highlights the unique effects of CV and has implications for research and practice.

Use of Polynomial Regression to Investigate Biased Self-Perceptions and ADHD Symptoms in Young Adolescents

Objective: This study investigated biased self-perceptions of academic and social competence among young adolescents with a range of ADHD symptoms. The goal was to better understand how to measure agreement and disagreement between competence ratings from multiple informants. Method: The commonly used discrepancy methodology was used along with polynomial regression/response surface analyses to explore the relationship between biased self-perceptions and ADHD symptoms. Participants were 164 middle school students and their homeroom teachers. Students and teachers completed measures about academic and social competence, and teachers rated ADHD symptoms. Results: Discrepancy score and polynomial regression/response surface analyses both supported the relationship between student overestimation of competence and ADHD symptoms. Response surface analyses also suggest that some students with ADHD symptoms accurately perceive their impairments, particularly in the academic domain. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate the importance of using more advanced methods to understand the relationship between both accurate and discrepant perceptions of competence and ADHD symptoms.

Stressful life events, worry, and rumination predict depressive and anxiety symptoms in young adolescents.

Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent and frequently comorbid mental health disorders that often manifest during childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine potential common underlying mechanisms predicting the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms to identify mutual underlying modifiable risk factors to target with mental health promotion and prevention interventions. A community-based sample of 11- to 15-year-old adolescents participated in a prospective, longitudinal pilot study with three waves of data collection over a 6-month period. At baseline, stressful life events, worry, and rumination accounted for 35% of the variance in anxiety scores (adjusted R(2) = 0.28) and 58% of the variance in depressive symptoms (adjusted R(2) = 0.53), while at Time 3 (T3; 6 months post baseline) these variables accounted for 63% of the variance in anxiety scores (adjusted R(2) = 0.59) and 45% of the variance in depressive symptoms (adjusted R(2) = 0.39). After controlling for baseline values, increases in stress, worry, and rumination were predictive of both depressive and anxiety symptoms at T3. Study findings point to the importance of prevention and early intervention programs including content addressing stress management, rumination, and worry.

Brooding and Reflection as Explanatory of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Experiencing Stressful Life Events

Delineating etiologic mechanisms of adolescent-onset depressive disorders has implications for advances in depression recognition and prevention. Two cognitive processes, namely brooding and reflection, may be instrumental in the development of depressive symptoms. Study aims were to (1) examine the relationships among brooding, reflection, dysfunctional attitudes, negative inferential style, stressful life events, and depressive symptoms and (2) determine the unique contributions of brooding and reflection to depressive symptoms in adolescents who are experiencing stressful life events. A secondary data analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data gathered via a web-based survey (N = 111) of 12–15 year olds. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and hierarchical linear regression modeling were used to evaluate study aims. The final regression model explained approximately 73% of the variance in depressive symptoms (Multiple R = 0.85, p < .001). After controlling for each of the study variables, both brooding (beta = .48, p < .001) and reflection (beta = .33, p < .001) demonstrated unique contributions to the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that brooding and reflection are significant contributors to depressive symptoms in young adolescents experiencing stressful life events. With this knowledge, nurses are better equipped to identify adolescents at high risk for depressive symptoms and implement appropriate levels of intervention.

Interpersonal Stress Generation as a Mechanism Linking Rumination to Internalizing Symptoms in Early Adolescents

Rumination is a risk factor for depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Previous investigations of the mechanisms linking rumination to internalizing problems have focused primarily on cognitive factors. We investigated whether interpersonal stress generation plays a role in the longitudinal relationship between rumination and internalizing symptoms in young adolescents. Adolescents (Grades 6–8, N = 1,065) from an ethnically diverse community completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived friendship quality, and peer victimization at two assessments, 7 months apart. We determined whether rumination predicted increased exposure to peer victimization and whether changes in perceived friendship quality mediated this relationship. We also evaluated whether peer victimization mediated the association between rumination and internalizing symptoms. Adolescents who engaged in high levels of rumination at baseline were more likely to experience overt, relational, and reputational victimization at a subsequent time point 7 months later, controlling for baseline internalizing symptoms and victimization. Increased communication with peers was a significant partial mediator of this association for relational (z = 1.98, p = .048) and reputational (z = 2.52, p = .024) victimization. Exposure to overt (z = 3.37, p = .014), relational (z = 3.67, p < .001), and reputational (z = 3.78, p < .001) victimization fully mediated the association between baseline rumination and increases in internalizing symptoms over the study period. These findings suggest that interpersonal stress generation is a mechanism linking rumination to internalizing problems in adolescents and highlight the importance of targeting interpersonal factors in treatment and preventive interventions for adolescents who engage in rumination.

Associations between household and neighborhood income and anxiety symptoms in young adolescents.

A better understanding of the role of both family- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics in the development of anxiety disorders is important for identifying salient target populations for intervention efforts. Little research has examined the question of whether associations between anxiety and socioeconomic status (SES) differ depending upon the level at which SES is measured or way in which anxiety manifests. We studied associations between both household- and neighborhood-level income and four different manifestations of anxiety in a community sample of young adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data on 498 subjects aged 11-13 from a cohort study of Seattle-area middle school students. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association between both annual household income and neighborhood median income and each of four anxiety subscale scores from the multidimensional anxiety scale for children (MASC): physical symptoms, harm avoidance, social anxiety, and separation/panic anxiety. A negative association was found between household income and scores on two of the four MASC subscales--physical symptoms and separation/panic anxiety. In contrast, at equivalent levels of household income, adolescents living in higher income neighborhoods reported higher physical and harm avoidance symptom scores. The role that SES plays in the development of childhood anxiety appears to be complex and to differ depending on the specific type of anxiety that is manifest and whether income is evaluated at the household or neighborhood level.

Testing Reciprocal Longitudinal Relations Between Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adolescents

A 2-wave longitudinal study of young adolescents was used to test whether peer victimization predicts depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms predict peer victimization, or the 2 constructs show reciprocal relations. Participants were 598 youths in Grades 3 through 6, ages 8 to 14 (M = 10.9, SD = 1.2) at Wave 1. The sample was 50.7% female and 90.3% Caucasian. Participants completed self-reports of depressive symptoms, and self-reports and peer nomination measures of physical and relational peer victimization at 2 time points separated by 1 year. The results were as follows: (a) depressive symptoms predicted change in both physical and relational victimization, but neither type of peer victimization predicted change in depressive symptoms; (b) depressive symptoms were more predictive of physical victimization for boys than for girls; and (c) boys experienced more physical victimization, and girls experienced more relational victimization. Expression of some depressive symptoms may represent signs of vulnerability. For boys, they may also represent a violation of gender stereotypes. Both factors could be responsible for these effects. Implications for intervention include the possibility that treatment of depression in young adolescents may reduce the likelihood of peer victimization.

Emotion Regulation in Adolescence

Cross-sectional studies have shown a positive association between expressive suppression and depressive symptoms. These results have been interpreted as reflecting the impact of emotion regulation efforts on depression. However, it is also possible that depression may alter emotion regulation tendencies. The goal of the present study was to prospectively examine the bidirectional association between habitual use of suppression and depressive symptoms in young adolescents. Participants were 1,753 adolescents (mean age = 13.8 years) who reported their use of suppression and depressive symptoms at two time points with a 1-year interval. Suppression and depressive symptoms were correlated within each time point. Depressive symptoms preceded increased use of suppression 1 year later, but suppression did not precede future depressive symptoms. Overall, the findings suggest depressive symptoms may be a potential precursor of habitual use of suppression during adolescence.

Cognitive Vulnerabilities, Negative Life Events, and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adolescents

Negative patterns of thinking, termed cognitive vulnerabilities, have been identified as risk factors for the development of depressive symptoms when adolescents experience negative life events. This study evaluated the associations among three cognitive vulnerabilities (i.e., dysfunctional attitudes, negative inferential style, and ruminative response style) and negative life events with depressive symptoms in a sample of young adolescents. All three cognitive vulnerabilities were found to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, ruminative response style was found to have a significant unique contribution to the number of depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that cognitive vulnerabilities, particularly rumination, may be instrumental in explaining the development of depressive symptoms in young adolescents.

Parental Overprotection Predicts the Development of Functional Somatic Symptoms in Young Adolescents

To examine whether parental overprotection contributes to the development of functional somatic symptoms (FSS) in young adolescents. In addition, we aimed to study whether this potential effect of parental overprotection is mediated by parenting distress and/or moderated by the adolescent's sex. FSS were measured in 2230 adolescents (ages 10 to 12 years from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey) by the Somatic Complaints subscale of the Youth Self Report at baseline and at follow-up 2 1/2 years later. Parental overprotection as perceived by the child was assessed by means of the EMBU-C (Swedish acronym for my memories of upbringing-child version). Parents completed the Parenting Stress Index. Linear regression analyses were performed adjusted for FSS at baseline and sex. Parental overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in young adolescents (beta = 0.055, P < .01). Stratified analyses revealed that maternal overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in girls (beta = 0.085, P < .02), whereas paternal overprotection was a predictor of the development of FSS in boys (beta = 0.072, P < .01). A small (5.7%) but significant mediating effect of maternal parenting stress in the relationship between parental overprotection and FSS was found. Parental overprotection may play a role in the development of FSS in young adolescents.

Stressful life events and depressive symptoms in young adolescents: Modulation by respiratory sinus arrhythmia? The TRAILS study

Background Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) has been proposed as a physiological marker of emotion-regulation capacity, and shown to be cross-sectionally associated with depression. Little is known about the role of RSA as a predictor of (subclinical) depressive symptoms over time and as a modifier of the depressogenic effect of stressful life events (SLEs). Methods In a longitudinal population-based study with data collected in 1653 adolescents twice (at age 11 and 13.5 years, respectively), RSA was assessed in supine position at the first assessment wave. Depressive symptoms were assessed at both waves and SLEs experienced between the two waves at the last wave. Results Low levels of RSA were not associated with concurrent or future depressive symptoms, and did not enhance the depressogenic effects of SLEs. Conclusions In a normal population of young adolescents, a low level of RSA does not identify adolescents at risk for depressive symptoms when confronted with SLEs. In post hoc analyses, among those reporting high exposure to stressful life events, higher RSA tended to predict less self-reported anxiety and more self-reported somatic symptoms as compared to those with lower RSA.