Trait Depression Research Articles

Association of depression with longitudinal changes in brain structure across the lifespan: A mendelian randomization study.

Understanding the impact of depression on brain aging benefits the prognosis of this disease and of the risk that other age-related brain disorders will develop in the same population. The aim of the present study was to explore the genetic effect of depression on longitudinal changes in brain structure throughout the lifespan using a Mendelian randomization approach. Summary data from a genome-wide association study of 195,321 to 377,277 participants in the FinnGen consortium were used to predict depression, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and antidepressant use genetically. Data from 15,640 participants in the ENIGMA consortium were included to predict changes in 15 brain structures throughout the lifespan. The causal relationship between these depressive traits and the brain structure parameters was assessed by two-sample Mendelian randomization (including inverse-variance weighted). Sensitivity analyses were conducted for quality control. Depression slowed the decrease of cortical gray matter volume significantly throughout the lifespan (p = 0.001). Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders nominally decreased the rates of change of volume in the cerebellum gray matter, lateral ventricles, and cortical gray matter throughout the lifespan (p = 0.048, p = 0.021, p = 0.038, respectively). Antidepressants did not affect these rates of change significantly (p > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability of this study. Depression and its main symptoms have a slight effect on longitudinal changes in a few brain structures throughout the lifespan at the genetic level. These findings do not support the notion that depression affects macro-aging in the brain crucially.

Poor psychosocial status and cardiovascular risk factors are associated with depression or anxiety

Abstract Background Depression and anxiety are rising in South Africa but their associations with psychosocial and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) remain under explored. This study determined the associations of depression and anxiety traits with poor psychosocial wellbeing, risky lifestyle behaviours and cardiometabolic diseases. Methods In a population-based cross-sectional study, data were collected via administered questionnaires, clinical examinations and biochemical assessments. Depression and anxiety traits were ascertained via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder screening questions. Multivariable logistic regressions determined the associations with depression and anxiety traits; the basic model comprised sociodemographic factors, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking and alcohol misuse (CAGE ≥2). Psychosocial and cardiometabolic variables were entered individually in separate models. Results Among 678 participants, median age 52 years and mainly women (81%), prevalence of depression scores ≥10 were 14.2% (men:12.7%, women:14.6%, p = 0.498) and anxiety scores ≥10 were 10.2% (men:10.3%, women:10.2%). In the basic regression models, depression, but not anxiety, was associated with being separated, living as married/widowed vs. single (OR:2.01, 95%CI:1.02-3.94), and alcohol misuse (2.07, 1.13-3.78). Depression and anxiety were associated with decreasing social support (depression: 1.09, 1.04-1.12; anxiety: 1.09, 1.04-1.14), and increasing number of adverse life events. Hypertension (1.76, 1.07-2.90, p = 0.025), diabetes (1.98, 1.03-3.82, p = 0.041) and dyslipidaemia (1.97, 1.01-3.85, p = 0.048) were associated with depression but not anxiety. Conclusions The high burden and associations of depression and anxiety traits with poor psychosocial wellbeing suggest a need for holistic care approaches. The associations of depression traits with CVRFs warrant screening and care of depression in the presence of cardiometabolic diseases and alcohol misuse. Key messages • The high burden of depression and anxiety traits in South Africa is associated with poor social support and quality of life, and increasing adverse life events experienced. • The associations of depression traits with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and alcohol misuse highlight the need for integrated management strategies.

Relationship Between Creativity and Depression: The Role of Reappraisal and Rumination

Previous research has found mixed evidence about whether increased creativity is associated with higher depression. We investigated the relationship between creativity and depression, and the role of two emotion regulation strategies: rumination and reappraisal. Previous research has found that rumination is a common factor that contributes to creativity and depression, which we attempted to replicate using a simplified model. No research has tested the relationship between reappraisal frequency and creativity. We hypothesized that controlling for reappraisal frequency could reduce the correlation between creativity and depression, or even reverse the relationship. To test the hypotheses, we measured creativity, self-reported rumination tendency and reappraisal frequency, and trait depression in an online survey of N=201 participants. We found a small overall negative association between creativity and depression. Further analysis found support for the hypothesis that self-reflective rumination is a common factor for creativity and depression. Rumination was associated with both creativity and depression, and there was no association between creativity and depression when self-reflective rumination was controlled. We found no association between reappraisal frequency and creativity, and no change to the relationship between creativity and depression when reappraisal frequency was controlled. Our results suggest that creativity and depression are only weakly associated, and that the emotional regulation strategy of self-reflective rumination, not reappraisal frequency, could account for the overall relation between creativity and depression.

The different impacts of pain-related negative emotion and trait negative emotion on brain function in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of chronic, non-specific intestinal diseases that could comorbid with varieties of negative emotional constructs, including pain-related negative emotions and trait negative emotions; however, the link between brain functions and different dimensions of negative emotions remains largely unknown. Ninety-eight patients with IBD and forty-six healthy subjects were scanned using a 3.0-T functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were used to assess resting-state brain activity. Partial least squares (PLS) correlation was employed to assess the relationship among abnormal brain activities, pain-related and trait negative emotions. Compared to controls, patients with IBD exhibited higher values of ALFF in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), lower values of ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus, and higher values of DC in the bilateral ACC. Multivariate PLS correlation analysis revealed the brain scores of the ACC were correlated with pain-related negative emotions, the brain salience in the left postcentral gyrus was associated with the higher-order trait depression. These findings can enhance our comprehension of how pain-related negative emotion and trait negative emotion affect the brains of patients with IBD in distinct ways.

Lower thresholds and stronger adaptation to pain in musicians reflect occupational-specific adaptations to contact heat stimulation.

Extensive audio-motor training and psychological stress can cause professional musicians acute overstrain-injury and chronic pain, resulting in damaged careers and diminished quality of life. It has also been previously shown that musicians might perceive pain differently than non-musicians. Therefore, the aim of our study was to quantify differences between musicians and non-musicians regarding their subjective responses to painful contact heat stimuli and assess how emotional traits might influence these responses. Upon completing the StateTrait-Anxiety-Depression Inventory, 15 healthy musicians and 15 healthy non-musicians from German universities received 15 noxious contact heat stimuli at the dorsal side of each hand and foot. After each stimulation, participants were asked to provide a pain rating from 0 to 10. Musicians not only reported significantly higher pain ratings after the first stimulation but also showed a significantly higher degree of habituation compared to non-musicians. Additionally, musicians showed a significantly less pronounced difference regarding the pain rating of the hands compared to the feet than non-musicians. Trait anxiety and trait depression scores had no effect on the pain rating or the habituation. The more pronounced habituation of musicians might hint at a neuroplastic nociceptive alteration in musicians. The lack of significance between the psychological traits and their effect on the pain ratings is surprising but could be a result of both participant groups having stressful careers. The findings of this report justify musicians' repetitive sensorimotor training as an important model for plasticity and contribute to a better understanding of pain perception in musicians.

150 - Back translation of IC/BPS patients´ phenotypes based on sensory testing and depression traits into animal models

150 - Back translation of IC/BPS patients´ phenotypes based on sensory testing and depression traits into animal models

Experiencing Migraine and the Assessment of the Quality of Life in the Context of Feeling Ressentiment Considering Causes for Increasing Depression and Anxiety

Migraine is a chronic neurological disease. Research indicates that it has a significant negative impact on daily functioning and, consequently, on the quality of life. Migraine sufferers often experience psychological strain, which can lead to anxiety disorders, depression, and feelings of ressentiment. This article attempts at examining these threads. The study involved 120 women experiencing migraine headaches. The subjects completed several questionnaires: Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) – used to assess the impact of headaches on the life of a person with migraine; Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) – to assess the disability of a person with migraine; General Health Questionnaire – Goldberg (GHQ-28) – to assess adults’ mental health; World Health Organization Quality of Life Test-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) – to assess the quality of life; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) – to assess the severity of anxiety; Beck Depression Scale – a screening tool examining the presence and severity of depressive traits; and the Ressentiment Questionnaire. The results show that migraine significantly affects the quality of life of the surveyed women; moreover, ressentiment, as indicated in the research, causes feelings of anxiety and depression and plays an intermediary role in the relationship between migraine and quality of life. As migraines increase in severity and their consequences, the levels of anxiety, depression, and ressentiment increase as well, which negatively affects women’s quality of life.

Long-term effect of inbreeding in the yellow steppe lemming, Eolagurus luteus, captive colony

Abstract In the current research, we investigated the impact of gradually increasing inbreeding on the life span and reproductive rate of yellow steppe lemmings, Eolagurus luteus, that reproduced in the Moscow Zoo. The focal captive colony existed from 2017 to 2021. The studied animals belonged to the second to tenth generations. The founders of the colony were 5 females and 5 males originating from 3 females and 4 males livetrapped in the Zaisan basin (Kazakhstan). The degree of their descendant relatedness progressively increased. The animals intended to be used for reproduction were distributed to pairs with unfamiliar partners. We constructed the pedigree of 177 individuals and calculated their inbreeding coefficients. This parameter varied from 0 to 0.29, and the maximum values were registered in the lemmings of the seventh to tenth generations. We measured the life span of 61 individuals and used information about the reproduction or its absence in 45 pairs. A substantial decline in individual life span and reproductive parameters in the breeding pairs, along with a progressive increase in the inbreeding coefficients, was registered. The number of delivered litters, born pups, and young lived up to the age of puberty significantly depended on the level of mother inbreeding. The noticeable traits of inbreeding depression in the colony appeared in 2019–2020 when the offspring inbreeding coefficients reached approximately 0.2. Therefore, we assume that if the E. luteus population originates from a relatively small number of noninbred and unfamiliar individuals, then successful reproduction without significant inbreeding depression will continue for several generations of offspring.

Parents' and Children's Emotional Well-Being and Language Beliefs in Heritage Bilingual Families.

The present study aimed to examine how parents' psychological characteristics and positive beliefs about multilingualism predict children's emotional well-being in 51 multilingual families with an immigrant background. Parents were interviewed to assess their beliefs about multilingualism and completed a battery of questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, psychological distress, parental competence, quality of life, and acculturative stress. They also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which assessed their children's socio-emotional and behavioral characteristics. The results from regression analyses showed that parents' depressive symptoms were significant concurrent predictors of children's conduct problems. In contrast, higher acculturation stress was associated with more emotional problems and better prosociality in children, although the stronger predictor for the latter variable was parents' self-efficacy. Positive beliefs about bilingualism were not related to children's well-being. The discussion highlights the importance of targeting parents' depressive traits and acculturation stress as possible risk factors for children's emotional and behavioral problems. Conversely, fostering parental self-efficacy may promote children's prosociality.

Linking Affect Dynamics and Well-Being: A Novel Methodological Approach for Mental Health.

Emotions are dynamic processes; their variability relates to psychological well-being and psychopathology. Affective alterations have been linked to mental diseases like depression, although little is known about how similar patterns occur in healthy individuals. This study investigates the psychophysiological correlations of emotional processing in healthy subjects, specifically exploring the relationship between depressive traits, cognitive distortions, and facial electromyographic (f-EMG) responses during affective transitions. A cohort of 44 healthy participants underwent f-EMG recording while viewing emotional images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Self-report measures included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Cognitive Distortion Scale (CDS). Higher BDI scores were associated with increased EMG activity in the corrugator muscle during transitions between positive and negative emotional states. Cognitive distortions such as Catastrophizing, All-or-Nothing Thinking, and Minimization showed significant positive correlations with EMG activity, indicating that individuals with higher levels of these distortions experienced greater facial muscle activation during emotional transitions. This study's results indicate that there is a bidirectional correlation between depressed features and cognitive distortions and alterations in facial emotional processing, even in healthy subjects. Facial EMG in the context of dynamic affective transitions has the potential to be used as a non-invasive method for detecting abnormal emotional reactions at an early stage. This might help in identifying individuals who are at risk of developing depression and guide therapies to prevent its advancement.

Neuromorphic learning and recognition in WO3−x thin film-based forming-free flexible electronic synapses

In pursuing advanced neuromorphic applications, this study introduces the successful engineering of a flexible electronic synapse based on WO3-x, structured as W/WO3-x/Pt/Muscovite-Mica. This artificial synapse is designed to emulate crucial learning behaviors fundamental to in-memory computing. We systematically explore synaptic plasticity dynamics by implementing pulse measurements capturing potentiation and depression traits akin to biological synapses under flat and different bending conditions, thereby highlighting its potential suitability for flexible electronic applications. The findings demonstrate that the memristor accurately replicates essential properties of biological synapses, including short-term plasticity (STP), long-term plasticity (LTP), and the intriguing transition from STP to LTP. Furthermore, other variables are investigated, such as paired-pulse facilitation, spike rate-dependent plasticity, spike time-dependent plasticity, pulse duration-dependent plasticity, and pulse amplitude-dependent plasticity. Utilizing data from flat and differently bent synapses, neural network simulations for pattern recognition tasks using the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology dataset reveal a high recognition accuracy of ∼95% with a fast learning speed that requires only 15 epochs to reach saturation.

Awake bruxism behaviors frequency in a group of healthy young adults with different psychological scores

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the frequency of awake bruxism (AB) behaviors in a group of undergraduate dentistry students and correlate it with the status of anxiety and depression. Materials and Methods The frequency of five oral behaviors (i.e., relaxed jaw muscle, teeth contact, mandible bracing, teeth clenching, teeth grinding) was evaluated using a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach. The anxiety and depression status was investigated with the four-item patient health questionnaire for anxiety and depression (PHQ-4). ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test was used to assess the difference in frequency of AB behaviors among the four PHQ-4 groups. Results Among the four groups, there was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of relaxed jaw muscle, teeth contact, mandible bracing, and teeth clenching, but not for teeth grinding. Conclusion Based on this cross-sectional study’s findings, psyche seems to have a determinant impact on AB behaviors, which is significantly higher in individuals with anxiety and depression traits.

Does childhood maltreatment affect hikikomori via traits of modern-type depression?

BackgroundIn the 1990s, the concepts of hikikomori and modern-type depression (MTD) emerged in Japan. Hikikomori is a condition of social avoidance or isolation, characterized by staying at home and being physically isolated for at least six months. MTD is characterized by depressive symptoms—mainly in stressful work or school situations during adolescence and early adulthood—which tend to rapidly reduce or disappear after leaving the stressful situation. We hypothesized that childhood maltreatment can form MTD traits that lead to hikikomori. MethodsAs a first step, we conducted a multigroup path analysis between childhood maltreatment, MTD traits, and physical isolation in the hikikomori group. This study utilized the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Home Environment Questionnaire (HEQ), 22-item Tarumi Modern-Type Depressive Trait Scale (TACS-22), 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-25), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The HQ-25 contains three factors: physical isolation, lack of socialization, and lack of emotional support. ResultsThe hikikomori group included 92 patients and the control group comprised 137 healthy individuals. All total and subscale scores of PHQ-9, HEQ, TACS-22, HQ-25, and HDRS were significantly higher in the hikikomori group than in the control group. The risk model of childhood maltreatment for physical isolation via MTD traits obtained good fit with a goodness-of-fit index of.982. LimitationsThe study's limitations were its sample selection bias, cross-sectional design, and use of self-report scales. ConclusionsOur findings support the hypothesis that childhood maltreatment is an important risk factor for hikikomori via MTD traits.

Capturing of neurotoxins causing diabetes stress and nervous breakdown in the aqueous medium by naphthazarin esters.

The fear of an increase in blood sugar can be very traumatic. Being diabetic either type I or type II leads to a disorder called diabetes distress having traits of stress, depression, and anxiety. Among risk factors of diabetes mellitus heavy and trace metal toxicity emerges as new risk factors reported in many studies. In this study we target toxic metals, viz., Ni2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+, involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic stress with naphthazarin esters. The compounds C1-C3 isolated from the leaves and roots of Arnebia guttata were tested for their metal-binding ability in an aqueous medium in UV-Visible and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies. These probes are well-known naphthoquinones present in the Arnebia species. In the UV-Visible titrations of compounds C1-C3 with Na2+, K2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ ions, significant binding was observed with Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ ions in MeOH/H2O. There occurs a beautiful formation of red-shifted bands between the 520 to 620 nm range with a synergistic increase in absorbance. Also, the disappearance of proton peaks in the 1H NMR spectrum on addition of metal ions confirmed binding. Compounds C1-C3 isolated from A. guttata came out as potent Ni2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ sensors that are reportedly involved in islet function and induction of diabetes.

Altered asymmetry of functional connectome gradients in major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating disease involving sensory and higher-order cognitive dysfunction. Previous work has shown altered asymmetry in MDD, including abnormal lateralized activation and disrupted hemispheric connectivity. However, it remains unclear whether and how MDD affects functional asymmetries in the context of intrinsic hierarchical organization. Here, we evaluate intra- and inter-hemispheric asymmetries of the first three functional gradients, characterizing unimodal-transmodal, visual-somatosensory, and somatomotor/default mode-multiple demand hierarchies, to study MDD-related alterations in overarching system-level architecture. We find that, relative to the healthy controls, MDD patients exhibit alterations in both primary sensory regions (e.g., visual areas) and transmodal association regions (e.g., default mode areas). We further find these abnormalities are woven in heterogeneous alterations along multiple functional gradients, associated with cognitive terms involving mind, memory, and visual processing. Moreover, through an elastic net model, we observe that both intra- and inter-asymmetric features are predictive of depressive traits measured by BDI-II scores. Altogether, these findings highlight a broad and mixed effect of MDD on functional gradient asymmetry, contributing to a richer understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings in MDD.

Anxiety and depression in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease: relation with socio-demographic features and liver disease severity

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression traits in Italian patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and the possible relation with the severity of liver disease.MethodsDemographic, anthropometric, clinical and laboratory parameters were collected in patients referred to a metabolic unit for a comprehensive evaluation of possible liver disease. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were evaluated by surrogate biomarkers. Imaging (controlled attenuation parameter-CAP and vibration-controlled transient elastography-VCTE). Beck depression inventory (BDI) and state-trait anxiety inventory-Y (STAI-Y) were used to define depressive/anxiety states; calorie intake and lifestyle were self-assessed by questionnaires.ResultsThe whole sample comprised 286 patients (61.9% females; mean age 52.0 years; BMI, 34.6 kg/m2); 223 fulfilled MASLD criteria. BDI and trait anxiety scores were lower in the MASLD cohort, and the prevalence of both moderate/severe depression and severe trait anxiety was reduced compared with non-MASLD cases, despite VCTE-diagnosed fibrosis F3–F4 present in over 15% of cases. However, after correction for demographic and anthropometric confounders, MASLD was not associated with a lower risk of moderate/severe depression or severe anxiety trait (odds ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–1.01 and 0.79, 0.27–2.34). Additional adjustment for the severity of fibrosis did not change the results. No differences in state anxiety were observed.ConclusionThe risk of anxiety and depression in MASLD is not different from that generated by diabetes and obesity per se. MASLD patients do not perceive liver disease as a specific source of psychological distress, possibly as a consequence of the unawareness of progressive liver disease.

Surgical treatment may improve depressive and hysterical traits in temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis: Study using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.

The influence of surgeries on psychiatric symptoms and personality traits is not well known in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We investigated changes in personality traits with respect to postoperative seizure outcomes, etiology, side of surgery, and sex differences. Clinical information was retrospectively collected for 44 patients whose Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was examined before and 1 year after surgical treatment for drug-resistant TLE. Postoperative changes in MMPI T-scores were analyzed using a paired t-test. Participants were divided into two groups based on postoperative seizure outcome, the presence or absence of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) as the etiology, side of surgery, and sex differences. The effect of these clinical factors on postoperative changes in MMPI T-scores was evaluated using analysis of covariance (P-values < 0.05). The hypochondria (Hs) scale decreased significantly in all patients (p = 0.022). The postoperative seizure-free group had a significant decrease in the depression (D) scale (p = 0.037). The HS group had significant decreases in the D scale and the hysteria (Hy) scale (p = 0.016 and 0.004, respectively), and a significant increase in the masculinity-femininity (Mf) scale (p = 0.009). No significant differences existed between the sides of surgery or sex. Depressive traits were improved in patients with postoperative seizure freedom. Depressive and hysterical traits were improved in patients with HS, which may be attributed to a reduction in anxiety and fear associated with aura. Most personality traits are not significantly changed or exacerbated by surgical treatment of TLE.

Disruption of sphingomyelin synthase 2 gene alleviates cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

The membrane raft accommodates the key enzymes synthesizing amyloid β (Aβ). One of the two characteristic components of the membrane raft, cholesterol, is well known to promote the key enzymes that produce amyloid-β (Aβ) and exacerbate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Given that the raft is a physicochemical platform for the sound functioning of embedded bioactive proteins, the other major lipid component sphingomyelin may also be involved in AD. Here we knocked out the sphingomyelin synthase 2 gene (SMS2) in 3xTg AD model mice by hybridization, yielding SMS2KO mice (4S mice). The novel object recognition test in 9/10-month-old 4S mice showed that cognitive impairment in 3xTg mice was alleviated by SMS2KO, though performance in the Morris water maze (MWM) was not improved. The tail suspension test detected a depressive trait in 4S mice, which may have hindered the manifestation of performance in the wet, stressful environment of MWM. In the hippocampal CA1, hyperexcitability in 3xTg was also found alleviated by SMS2KO. In the hippocampal dentate gyrus of 4S mice, the number of neurons positive with intracellular Aβ or its precursor proteins, the hallmark of young 3xTg mice, is reduced to one-third, suggesting an SMS2KO-led suppression of syntheses of those peptides in the dentate gyrus. Although we previously reported that large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels are suppressed in 3xTg mice and their recovery relates to cognitive amelioration, no changes occurred by hybridization. Sphingomyelin in the membrane raft may serve as a novel target for AD drugs.

Relationship between ruminative style and adolescent depression

BackgroundThe role of rumination in depression remains controversial. We aimed to establish the ruminative tendency style theory (RTST), discuss the occurrence of depression in adolescents with rumination as the core, and explore the different associations between adolescent ruminative tendency, ruminative style, and depression. MethodsThis study employed an online questionnaire survey of 1110 Chinese adolescents aged 12–17 years, assessing ruminative tendency, ruminative style, stressful life events, depressive state, depressive trait, the Big Five personality traits, and social support. Conditional process analysis was used to test the chain mediation effect with Ruminative Style as a moderator. After screening for the predictor variables, a logistic regression risk prediction model was established and validated internally. ResultsThe chain mediation effect of ruminative tendency and depressive trait between stressful life events and depressive state was significant, with the indirect effect accounting for 63.4%. Ruminative Style negatively moderated the relationship between Ruminative Tendency and Depressive Trait (β=-0.053，P＜0.001). The risk prediction model for depressive state showed good calibration and clinical utility. Area under the curve values for the validation and training sets were 0.926 and 0.927, respectively. ConclusionDifferent associations may exist between adolescent ruminative tendency, ruminative style, and depression, and the proposal of ruminative style is of great significance for intervention in adolescent depression.

I don't feel sick: Cognitive and affective processing of self-health associations using the Implicit Association Test.

Measuring implicit associations of self-concept with health or illness attributes may offer valuable insight into the mechanisms entailing the perception of one's own health, as explicit measures of self-reported health are usually influenced by social desirability or response bias. In this study, healthy participants performed a modified version of the implicit association test (IAT) investigating implicit associations between the self and either health or illness related representations. Behaviorally, implicit associations dominated for self-health pairing, and their strength was inversely correlated with depressive traits. Neurally, concomitant EEG recording showed significant modulations of the P1, LPP, and N4 components evoked by such pairings, suggesting a facilitation of sensory responses to self-related stimuli and differential emotional processes engaged to integrate health versus illness information into self-related representations. These data offer new clues to better understand the cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying unrealistic optimism and pathological awareness of health conditions in various clinical populations.