Variance In Depressive Symptoms Research Articles

Body image dissatisfaction during the first year of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis.

Dissatisfaction with one's body can be distressing; youth with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) may be at increased risk for body image dissatisfaction given disease symptoms and treatment side effects. Yet, no studies have examined body image dissatisfaction over time in youth with IBD and whether depressive symptoms are associated with change in dissatisfaction. Fifty-seven pediatric participants (8-17 years old) newly diagnosed with IBD were enrolled. Youth completed questionnaires assessing body image dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms shortly after diagnosis (Time 1) and 12 months later (Time 2). Multilevel longitudinal modeling was used to test the extent to which body image dissatisfaction changed across the first year of diagnosis and to test change in body image dissatisfaction as a function of depressive symptoms. Findings indicated significant between- and within-person variance in body image dissatisfaction over the 12 months, yet the sample as a whole did not report significant changes in dissatisfaction from Time 1 to Time 2. Children reporting depressive symptoms greater than their individual average over time reported greater body image dissatisfaction. Between-person variation in depressive symptoms demonstrated a significant interaction with time. As an individual's depressive symptoms exceeded the group average, their body image dissatisfaction increased, although less drastically as time since diagnosis progressed. Findings suggest that body image dissatisfaction is a complex and dynamic construct across youth and that interventions for pediatric IBD patients need to be tailored to the needs of individuals. Methods for assessing body image dissatisfaction efficiently and repeatedly across multiple visits are provided.

A path analysis investigation into menopausal osteoporosis, sarcopenia risk, and their impact on sleep quality, depressive symptoms and quality of life

PurposeThe objective was to investigate the relationships among disease characteristics, sarcopenia risk, bone function, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life in menopausal women. Additionally, we also examined the potential mediating role of coping in the relationship between these factors and health outcomes for individuals with osteoporosis. MethodsIn a cross-sectional approach, 201 participants were referred by a physician from the Family Medicine Department during their outpatient visits at a general hospital in Southern Taiwan. Data collection involved structured one-on-one interviews, and the analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, along with a structural equation modeling. ResultsThe participants' bone function was strongly positively related to coping, physical and mental quality of life (QOL), and negatively related to sleep quality and depressive symptoms. The duration of osteoporosis was positively related to pain, sarcopenia risk, sleep quality, but negatively related to bone function, physical and mental QOL. This structural framework explains 36% of the variance in depressive symptoms, 25% in sleep disturbances, 54% in mental QOL, and 72% in physical QOL. The best-fit structural equation modeling showed that physical function, exercise, sarcopenia, pain, and coping were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, with coping acting as a mediator in these relationships. ConclusionIndividuals who employed more active coping strategies exhibited fewer depressive symptoms, better sleep quality, and superior physical and mental QOL. Further, individuals with osteoporosis had lower pain levels, less sarcopenia risk, and higher engaged in exercise presentation improved physical and mental QOL. Future longitudinal research holds the promise of providing deeper insights into these complex relationships.

Black Grief Matters: Undergraduate Students’ Experiences Grieving Police Murders of Black Americans

Black Americans’ witnessing of online anti-Black police brutality is related to negative psychological outcomes, including stress and depressive symptoms. This study examined the degree to which grief disenfranchisement, social support, and coping style predicted stress, depressive symptoms, and prolonged grief among 189 Black undergraduate students grieving police murders of Black Americans. The students experienced moderate stress, elevated depressive symptoms, and low levels of prolonged grief, and coping style emerged as the most robust predictor of mental health outcomes. Specifically, planning, behavioral disengagement, and ritual-centered coping predicted variance in perceived stress. Additionally, behavioral disengagement explained variance in depressive symptoms; and disenfranchised grief, changes in goals, and collective-centered coping accounted for variance in prolonged grief. These findings may contribute to the development of interventions to support Black undergraduate students as they grieve police murders of Black Americans.

Associations Between Negative Context of Reception and Depressive Symptoms Among Immigrant Latino Men: The Moderating Effect of Machismo and Hispanicism

This study examines the cumulative effects of negative context of reception (NCR), traditional Latino gender norms, and acculturation on depressive symptoms among adult Latino immigrant men, and if levels of acculturation and traditional Latino gender norms moderated associations between NCR and depressive symptoms in the study sample. Hierarchical Multiple Regression (HMR) and moderation analyses were conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 280 Latino men. Predictor variables were entered into the HMR model: (1) demographic variables, (2) perceived stress, (3) acculturation and gender norms, and (4) NCR. Subsequently, moderation analysis was conducted using PROCESS v3.2 model 1. 19% of the variance of depressive symptoms was explained by all predictor variables entered in the HMR model. Moderation analyses revealed significant interaction effects with machismo (exacerbating) and Hispanicism (attenuating) the association between NCR and depressive symptoms. Study findings have implications for culturally appropriate interventions that target gender norms among Latino immigrant men.

Trajectories in Depressive Symptoms and Midlife Brain Health

AbstractBackgroundEvidence in older adults suggests that depressive symptoms may be part of prodromal mood changes in dementia, rather than a risk factor. However, it is unclear whether variations in depressive symptoms in adulthood exhibit distinct characteristics in brain structure and cognitive function in midlife.MethodsFrom the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, we identified 662 Black and White participants (age 23‐36 at baseline) who completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES‐D) at six time points over 20 years. 20 years after baseline, the participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging to characterize gray matter (GM) structures (total GM, temporal cortex, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). Participants also completed neuropsychological tests including the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Rey‐Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Stroop Test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and category and letter fluency tests, analyzed as z‐scores.ResultsUsing growth mixture modeling, we identified four trajectories of depressive symptoms (Figure 1): consistently low scorers (“steady low”; n = 509, 76.9%), a class with an early peak and decline in symptoms (“declining”; n = 63, 9.5%), a class with late increases in symptoms (“increasing”; n = 49, 7.4%), and consistently high scorers (“steady high”; n = 41, 6.2%). Compared to the steady low class, the steady high class had lower entorhinal cortex volume (β: ‐180.80, 95% CI: ‐336.69 to ‐24.91). The increasing class, had more WMHs (β: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.89) and less total brain volume (β: ‐9269.25, 95% CI: ‐17104.67 to ‐1444.82). Both the steady high and the increasing classes had poorer performance on the Stroop task (β: ‐0.40, 95% CI: ‐0.70 to ‐0.10; β: ‐0.39, 95% CI: ‐0.64 to ‐0.14, respectively), however the steady high also had poorer DSST performance (β: ‐0.40, 95% CI: ‐0.67 to ‐0.13), while the increasing class had poorer performance on the MoCA (β: ‐1.20, 95% CI: ‐2.04 to ‐0.37). The declining group was not significantly different from the steady low group on any brain or cognitive measures.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that trajectories in depressive symptoms in young to mid‐adulthood show different cognitive and brain phenotypes in midlife.

Social Vulnerability, COVID-19, Racial Violence, and Depressive Symptoms: a Cross-sectional Study in the Southern United States.

In March 2020, the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. In May 2020, George Floyd was murdered, catalyzing a national racial reckoning. In the Southern United States, these events occurred in the context of a history of racism and high rates of poverty and discrimination, especially among racially and ethnically minoritized populations. In this study, we examine social vulnerabilities, the perceived impacts of COVID-19 and the national racial reckoning, and how these are associated with depression symptoms in the South. Data were collected from 961 adults between June and November 2020 as part of an online survey study on family well-being during COVID-19. The sample was majority female (87.2%) and consisted of 661 White participants, 143 Black participants, and 157 other racial and ethnic minoritized participants. Existing social vulnerability, perceived impact of COVID-19 and racial violence and protests on families, and depressive symptoms were assessed. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to predict variance in depressive symptoms. Half of the sample (52%) reported a negative impact of COVID-19, and 66% reported a negative impact of national racial violence/protests. Depressive symptoms were common with 49.8% meeting the cutoff for significant depressive symptoms; Black participants had lower levels of depressive symptoms. Results from the hierarchical regression analysis indicate social vulnerabilities and the perceived negative impact of COVID-19 and racial violence/protests each contribute to variance in depressive symptoms. Race-specific sensitivity analysis clarified distinct patterns in predictors of depressive symptoms. People in the South report being negatively impacted by the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of racial violence/protests in 2020, though patterns differ by racial group. These events, on top of pre-existing social vulnerabilities, help explain depressive symptoms in the South during 2020.

Prevalence and variability of depressive symptoms in Europe: update using representative data from the second and third waves of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-2 and EHIS-3)

Assessing the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms and their possible variation by country and over time could be a valuable resource to inform the development of public health policies and preventive resources to reduce mental health burden. We aimed to assess cross-national differences in the point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe in 2018-20, and to evaluate point prevalence differences between countries and over time between 2013-15 and 2018-20. In this population-based study, data from participants in the second and third waves of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-2 from 2013 to 2015 and EHIS-3 from 2018 to 2020) from 30 European countries were used (n=542 580). From the total sample, 283 692 participants belonging to EHIS-3 were included in the study (52·4% women and 47·5% men). The non-response in EHIS-3 ranged by country, from 12% to 78%. Point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms was evaluated using a cutoff score of 10 or more for the 8-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Crude prevalence ratios and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were obtained to assess differences in the prevalence between countries and over time within countries. The point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe in 2018-20 was 6·54% (95% CI 6·34-6·73), ranging across countries from 1·85% (1·53-2·17) in Greece to 10·72% (10·04-11·40) in Sweden. Compared with the other European countries, those with the lowest aPRs were Greece, Serbia, and Cyprus and those with the highest aPRs were Belgium, Slovenia, and Croatia. A small but significant increase in the prevalence between EHIS-2 and EHIS-3 was observed (aPR 1·11 [1·07-1·14]). A wide variability over time in the point prevalence within countries was observed, ranging from an aPR of 0·63 (0·54-0·74) in Hungary to 1·88 (1·53-2·31) in Slovenia. This study, based on large and representative datasets and a valid and reliable screening tool for the assessment of depression, indicates that the point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe from 2013 to 2020 remains relatively stable, with wide variability between countries. These findings could be considered a baseline for monitoring the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe, and could inform policy for the development of preventive strategies for depression both at a country and European level. Center for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network and AGAUR.

Using a Trans-theoretical Approach to Identify Differences in Determinants of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Mental Wellbeing Between Two Age Groups

The objective of this research was to compare social, emotional, and cognitive determinants of depression and anxiety symptoms and mental wellbeing using the two-continua model of mental health and illness in two age groups. The two-continua model proposes that mental health and mental illness are not two ends of the same spectrum but are, in fact, two separate but related spectrums. This cross-sectional study used a multi-age group comparison approach to identify the relative predictive strengths of risk and protective factors for the two-continua model of mental health and mental illness. Participants (n = 458: 251 16–25 year olds, and 207 35–64 year olds) completed an online survey that measured the outcome variables of depression and anxiety symptoms and mental wellbeing. Independent variables from three conceptual areas in psychology—(1) positive psychology: optimism, pessimism, and accomplishment; (2) emotion regulation: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression; and (3) interpersonal theories: belonging and relationship with parent/child—were measured to ascertain the determinants of these outcome variables. The all-variables models explained 58–68% of the variance in depression symptoms, 77–80% in mental wellbeing, and 26–43% in anxiety symptoms. For both groups, the strongest predictor of mental wellbeing in these models was accomplishment. The strongest predictors in these models of mental illness symptoms differed between groups: belonging in the younger group and accomplishment in the older group. Programs targeting belonging and accomplishment could be highly effective in promoting mental wellbeing and reducing mental ill-health for these groups. Interventions require contextual investigation to locate drivers of mental wellbeing and illness for different age groups prior to implementation.

Longitudinal relationships between self-compassion and depressive symptoms in midlife women

Objective Women in midlife face a range of biopsychosocial stressors that increase the risk of depression, with potential negative consequences in older adulthood. Lower self-compassion is known to predict subsequent depressive symptoms, but little is known about whether depressive symptoms predict subsequent levels of self-compassion. This study examined the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between self-compassion and depressive symptoms over a 5-year period in midlife. Method This longitudinal study used data from 272 women aged 40–60 years at baseline. Cross-lagged panel analysis was used to investigate reciprocal relationships between depressive symptoms and self-compassion at baseline and 5-year follow-up. Results After controlling for autoregressive effects, self-compassion at baseline explained 4% of unique variance in depressive symptoms 5 years later. Baseline depressive symptoms also predicted subsequent levels of self-compassion, with 2% of unique variance explained. Conclusion This is the first study to report a bidirectional longitudinal relationship between self-compassion and depressive symptoms. Midlife women may experience a negative cycle whereby low self-compassion and depressive symptoms reinforce each other through midlife and into older adulthood. Clinical trials examining self-compassion interventions in midlife are indicated.

The Association between Adverse Childhood and Adulthood Experiences, Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Depression among Young Adults in South Korea.

This study examined the association between social isolation, loneliness, and depressive symptoms among young adults in South Korea after controlling for sociodemographic variables, adverse child and adult experiences, and perceived health status. The researcher analyzed the data of 2014 young adults aged 18-34 years from the Youth Social Economic Survey using hierarchical multiple regression analysis conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, education, and household income were significantly related to depressive symptoms. Females reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than males, and those attending college or having a college (or higher) degree reported lower levels of depressive symptoms than those with a high-school diploma or lower. Higher household income was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Perceived health status was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, while adverse childhood and adulthood experiences, social isolation, and loneliness were positively associated with it. Among the major independent variables, loneliness was most strongly related to depressive symptoms, whereas social isolation had the weakest relevance to it. The prediction model proposed explained 32.7% of the variance in depressive symptoms and was considered good. Therefore, focusing on loneliness may be more important than focusing on social isolation to prevent and deal with depressive symptoms among young adults.

Addictive Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Abstract: Theoretical Background: The use of social media has become an integral part of the lives of young people. Negative effects on mental health have been reported previously; however, it remained unclear whether the amount of time spent with social media use per se or its usage patterns lead to possible impairments. Addictive use is characterized by compulsive usage patterns in contrast to a flexible use. Objective: The present work investigated the associations between the amount of time spent with social media, the usage pattern (i. e., addictive use vs. flexible use), and the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Method: Cross-sectional data based on the self-reports of 513 high-school students aged 11 – 19 ( M = 12.91, SD = 1.02) from 39 classes (18 schools) in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, are presented. Hierarchically linear models accounted for the nested structure and were applied to investigate the predictive significance of time spent with social media and addictive use of social media on depressive symptoms. Results: Addictive use of social media could be identified as a significant predictor of depressive symptoms and explained 17 % of variance in depressive symptoms in the present model. Time spent with social media use did not explain a significant share of variance in depressive symptoms, after controlling for addictive social media use. Discussion and Conclusion: These findings highlight that it is not the time spent on social media per se, but the addictive usage patterns that explain a significant share of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Although a reciprocal or circular association between both disorders can be assumed, addictive usage patterns of social media may represent a potential risk to adolescents’ mental health. To prevent negative consequences of social media use, interventions should focus on the particular functionality of social media use.

The Relations Between Self-Warmth, Self-Coldness, Internalized Heterosexism, and Depressive Symptoms Among Sexual Minority Men: A Moderated-Mediation Model

ABSTRACT Depression is a prevalent mental health issue for sexual minority men (SMM), with the internalization of sexual identity-based stigma a key risk factor. Self-warmth is a protective factor and self-coldness is a risk factor for depressive symptoms, yet limited research in this area has focused on SMM. In the present study, an international sample of 1,285 gay and 487 bisexual men completed measures of depression, internalized heterosexism, and self-warmth/self-coldness. A multiple linear regression showed that internalized heterosexism explained 0.4% unique variance, self-warmth explained 0.5% unique variance, and self-coldness explained 18.8% unique variance in depressive symptoms. Self-warmth was directly and indirectly related to lower levels of depressive symptoms among SMM. In contrast, self-coldness was directly related to higher levels of depressive symptoms among SMM, and indirectly related to higher levels of depressive symptoms only for gay men. Findings should inform work aiming primarily to reduce self-coldness among SMM, thereby reducing depressive symptoms.

Breaking the Silence: Understanding the Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence on Refugee Men, with Depression as a Key Outcome

ABSTRACT The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the association between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and symptoms of depression among a sample of married refugee men. The study recruited a convenient sample of 539 married Syrian refugee men residing in refugee camps and other locations in Jordan between 2021-2022. A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed. IPV and symptoms of depression among the participants were assessed by the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and the Patient Health Questionnaire, respectively. The findings of the study revealed a moderate prevalence of depression among the refugee men, with the most experienced types of IPV being the absence of negotiation with partners, psychological violence, physical violence, and injury. Significant positive correlations were observed between all types of IPV and symptoms of depression. It was determined that approximately 80% of the variation in symptoms of depression could be explained by the combination of the four types of IPV. Psychological violence was the strongest predictor for symptoms of depression followed by the absence of negotiation between partners and the occurrence of injury. Offering recommendations for interventions would aid in the development of effective strategies and support systems aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of IPV on the mental well-being of married refugee men.

Depression severity is associated with reduced pleasantness of observed social touch and fewer current intimate touch experiences.

Depression is associated with loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities and withdrawal from social interactions. Depression alters the perception of social cues, but it is currently unclear whether this extends to social touch. In the current cross-sectional study, we explored the association between depression severity, perceived pleasantness of observed social touch, and general longing for touch. For observed touch, we contrasted videos of slow touch (1-10cm/s), which optimally activates C tactile afferent nerve fibres and generally feels pleasant, with 'non-CT-optimal' touch (i.e., outside the 1-10cm/s range, commonly rated more neutral). We predicted that greater depression severity would be related to lower pleasantness ratings specifically for CT-optimal touch, and less longing for touch. N = 226 adults completed self-report measures of depression severity and longing for touch, and rated touch pleasantness for six videos depicting social touch at three velocities (3cm/s in the CT-optimal range, 0.5 and 30cm/s outside this range) and at two locations varying in CT innervation (palm vs. arm). We controlled for general anhedonia and individual differences in touch experiences and attitudes. Across touch locations, greater depression severity was associated with lower perceived pleasantness of touch, especially for the fastest non-CT-optimal (rather than the CT-optimal) velocity, contrary to our prediction. However, when grouping participants into probable vs. no/minimal depression, the probable depression group rated both the fastest non-CT-optimal and the CT-optimal velocity as less pleasant than did the no/minimal depression group. Overall, while depression was associated with perceived pleasantness of observed touch, this was not specific to CT-optimal touch. Furthermore, touch longing was not associated with depression severity. Instead, variance in depression symptoms was better explained by reduced levels of current intimate touch. Though the direction of causality is unclear, greater depression severity is related to lower pleasantness of observed social touch, and lower levels of current intimate touch.

Serial multiple mediation of loneliness and depressive symptoms in the relationship between pain and cognitive function among older people

Objectives Although the negative effect of pain on cognitive function has been widely reported, it is unclear how the effect is mediated. The aim of this study is to analyze the mediating role of loneliness and depressive symptoms in the association between pain and cognitive function. Methods A total of 6,309 participants aged ≥50 years from 2012/13 (T1), 2014/15 (T2), 2016/17 (T3) and 2018/19 (T4) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) were included. Of them, 55.8% were females, and the median age (rang) was 65 (50-99) years at T1. Serial mediation analysis was performed using Mplus 8.3. Results The mediation model explained 10.1% of the variance in loneliness, 22.1% of the variance of depressive symptoms, and 22.7% of the variance of cognitive function. Higher level pain was associated with poorer cognitive function (c: β = −0.057; p < 0.001). The negative effect of pain on cognition was mediated separately and sequentially through loneliness and depressive symptoms, with loneliness and depressive symptoms explaining 8.8% of the total effect, respectively, and the pathway of loneliness and subsequent depression explaining 1.8%. Conclusions Diversified interventions aimed at treating pain in older adults would be beneficial for their mental health and cognitive function.

Physical activity mediates the effect of education on mental health trajectories in older age

ObjectiveWhy people with lower levels of educational attainment have poorer mental health than people with higher levels can partly be explained by financial circumstances. However, whether behavioral factors can further explain this association remains unclear. Here, we examined the extent to which physical activity mediates the effect of education on mental health trajectories in later life. MethodsData from 54,818 adults 50 years of age or older (55 % women) included in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were analyzed using longitudinal mediation and growth curve models to estimate the mediating role of physical activity (baseline and change) in the association between education and mental health trajectories. Education and physical activity were self-reported. Mental health was derived from depressive symptoms and well-being, which were measured by validated scales. ResultsLower education was associated with lower levels and steeper declines in physical activity over time, which predicted greater increases in depressive symptoms and greater decreases in well-being. In other words, education affected mental health through both levels and trajectories of physical activity. Physical activity explained 26.8 % of the variance in depressive symptoms and 24.4 % in well-being, controlling for the socioeconomic path (i.e., wealth and occupation). ConclusionsThese results suggest that physical activity is an important factor in explaining the association between low educational attainment and poor mental health trajectories in adults aged 50 years and older.

The Relative Importance of Internal Cognitive Processes in Explaining Depressive Symptoms in University Students

ABSTRACT Depression is a common reason university students seek counseling. Various internal cognitive processes are risk factors for college students’ depression (e.g., anxiety, stress level, inability to manage stressors, brooding rumination, and self-deprecating thoughts). We used dominance analyses to determine the relative contribution of each internal cognitive process in explaining depressive symptoms, which process was most important, and whether any process completely dominated other processes. Self-report data were collected from 5,033 ethnically-diverse university students (18-25 years). Women (compared to men) reported significantly higher depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress level, inability to manage stressors, brooding, and self-deprecation. The combination of internal cognitive processes accounted for substantial variance in depressive symptoms in women and men. Each internal cognitive process made unique contributions, although complete dominance was not found. The order of relative contribution from most important to least important follows: generalized anxiety, inability to manage stressors, self-deprecation, stress level, and brooding rumination.

"More is better" or "better near the middle"? A U.S.-based individual participant data meta-analysis of socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a widely researched construct in developmental science, yet less is known concerning relations between SES and adaptive behavior. Specifically, is the relation linear, with higher SES associated with better outcomes, or does the direction of association change at different levels of SES? Our aim was to examine linear ("more is better") and quadratic ("better near the middle") associations between components of SES (i.e., income, years of education, occupational status/prestige) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale), and to explore moderation by developmental period (adolescence, young, middle, and older adulthood), gender/sex (female, male), and race/ethnicity (Asian American, Black, Latinx, multiracial, Native American, White). We hypothesized that there would be more support for a model containing quadratic associations. We conducted a two-stage meta-analytic structural equation model of 60 data sets (27,242 correlations, 498,179 participants) within the United States, accounting for dependencies between correlations, which were identified via the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research and handled using a two-step approach. Income was quadratically associated with depressive symptoms, but the quadratic model did not explain more variance in depressive symptoms than the linear model. Developmental period and race/ethnicity moderated the associations: Income was quadratically associated with depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults, and years of education were quadratically associated with depressive symptoms among White samples. Our findings suggest that researchers and clinical practitioners should consider the elevated risk of depressive symptoms for individuals from low and high-income backgrounds in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Depressive Symptoms and Its Correlates in Undergraduates during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aims to investigate depressive symptoms and its association with resilience, pessimistic bias of COVID-19, lifestyle changes, and family conflicts among undergraduates in a Hong Kong university. 1020 undergraduates in The University of Hong Kong completed the online survey between May and August 2020. Severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Pessimistic bias was assessed using two questions on the perceived risks of contracting COVID-19 and of dying from COVID-19. Changes in lifestyles and the presence of family conflicts were measured. Multivariable and mediation analyses were performed to examine association of depressive symptoms with other variables. 61.7% of the respondents reported having mild to severe depressive symptoms. 18.5% of the variance in depressive symptoms was explained by resilience, pessimistic bias, changes in the frequency of sleep, studying at home, and family conflict. Pessimistic bias partially mediated the association between resilience and depressive symptoms. The proportion of undergraduates with mild to severe depressive symptoms during the pandemic was high. Measures to reduce family conflict, maintain healthy daily habits, adjust pessimistic bias, and enhance resilience may help to improve the mental well-being of undergraduates during the pandemic.

Social Media Use May Not Be As Bad As Some Suggest: Implication for Older Adults.

Social media use (SMU) has increased over the past decade among older adults. Cross-sectional studies report SMU is related to negative mental health outcomes (i.e., depression). Given depression is the most common mental health issue for older adults and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, determining longitudinally whether SMU is related to increased depression is critical. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between SMU and depression. Data from 6 waves (2015-20) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) were analyzed. Participants included a nationally representative sample of U.S. older adults, aged 65 years and older (N = 7,057). We used a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM) framework to examine the relationship between primary outcomes of SMU and depression symptoms. No pattern was found of SMU predicting depression symptoms, or depression symptoms predicting SMU. The major driver of SMU in each wave was SMU in the previous wave. On average, our model accounted for 3.03% of the variance in SMU. The major predictor of depression in each wave was the pre-existing depression. Our model accounted for an average of 22.81% of the variance in depressive symptoms. The results suggest that SMU and depressive symptoms are driven by the previous patterns of SMU and depression, respectively. We did not find any patterns of SMU and depression influencing each other. NHATS measures SMU with a binary instrument. Future longitudinal research should employ measures that account for SMU duration, type, and purpose. These findings suggest that SMU may not be related to negative health outcomes, in this case, depression, for older adults.