Within-person Variability Research Articles

Menstrual cycle related depressive symptoms and their diurnal fluctuations – an ambulatory assessment study

Abstract Background Reproductive mood disorders indicate that within-person variation in depressive symptoms across the menstrual cycle can be related to ovarian hormone changes. Until now, such cycle-related symptom changes have been measured once daily, even though depression research indicates systematic diurnal changes in symptoms. Further, previous research often focused on aggregated depression scores. This study examined whether three daily assessments of depressive symptoms follow similar trajectories across the menstrual cycle and investigated within-person cyclical fluctuation of all individual symptoms and the aggregated score. Methods 77 naturally-cycling participants (35 with and 42 without depressive disorder) provided three daily ratings of depressive symptoms across one menstrual cycle to evaluate individual and summarized symptoms. Results Reliability estimates (w) of the three diurnal measurements ranged from 0.56 to 0.78. Cyclicity showed statistically significant interindividual differences for all symptoms, and individual symptoms differed significantly from each other in their magnitude of cyclicity. Limitations Only one menstrual cycle was assessed to reduce participant burden. Further, ovulation testing dates were based on self-reported cycle lengths, and only LH (luteinizing hormone) peaks were tested without subsequent progesterone rises. Conclusions The results highlight the need for a symptom-specific approach to assess individual variance in cyclicity of depressive symptoms. Reliability for one daily assessment can be improved by using the afternoon value, a sum score for depressiveness, or multiple items per symptom. Furthermore, this study emphasizes, that depressive symptoms can systematically change across the menstrual cycle, and it is, therefore, important to include it in depression research. Exploring female-specific risk factors of depression will enable the development of person-tailored treatments. Trial registration The study was preregistered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04086316) with the first registration on 27/08/2019.

Affect and executive function dynamics in primary school classrooms: an intensive longitudinal study

ABSTRACT This study investigates the temporal dynamics and affective associations related to executive function (EF) performance in primary school classrooms using an intensive longitudinal design. Data were collected from 35 students aged 8.9 to 11.4 years. Participants reported their affective experiences and completed EF measures three times daily following a fixed sampling schedule. The data collection spanned two consecutive school weeks across three primary school classrooms. Utilising Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling (DSEM), we examined 505 measurements of EF tasks and self-reported affective states over two weeks. The findings reveal significant within-person variability in EF, accounting for 52% of the observed variance, with performance declining later in the day and week. At the within-person level, positive affect was associated with improved EF performance, while negative affect was associated with poorer EF. No significant between-person relationships were found. These results underscore the importance of considering within-person processes and affective experiences in educational settings and highlight the need for further research employing intensive longitudinal methods to better understand the nuanced dynamics of affect and EF in real-world classroom environments.

Exploratory analyses of sleep intraindividual variability and fatigue in parents of children on the autism spectrum.

Fatigue is associated with numerous harmful physical and mental health outcomes. Despite research indicating a relationship between fatigue and sleep, there has been a limited focus on how the variability of a person's sleep may be associated with fatigue. In addition, previous studies have not explicitly explored relationships among child sleep, parent sleep, and parent fatigue. Increasing knowledge about this area of research could be particularly relevant for families with autistic children with an increased likelihood of sleep disturbances. The current study used two weeks of objective sleep (actigraphy) data and subjective ratings of parent fatigue from 81 parents and their autistic children to examine associations among child and parent within-person sleep variability regarding average parent fatigue levels. Evidence was assessed for the role of parent sleep variability in hypothesized connections between child sleep variability and parent fatigue. We found that only greater variability in parents' total sleep time was associated with higher levels of parents' average daily fatigue rating over the two weeks. Child sleep variability was not significantly associated with parent sleep variability or average daily fatigue. In addition, average levels of child sleep were unrelated to parent total sleep time variability and fatigue. Although cautious interpretation is required, findings support the idea that variability in total sleep time may be a unique aspect of parental sleep's association with fatigue, independent of child sleep. In addition, sleep variability could be important to consider when examining sleep in addition to average levels of parameters like total sleep time.

Exploring the Utility of a Real-Time Approach to Characterising Within-Person Fluctuations in Everyday Stress Responses.

Few studies have measured components of stress responses in real time-an essential step in designing just-in-time interventions targeting moments of risk. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we characterised stress response components to everyday stressors, including reactivity (the response following a stressor), recovery (the return towards baseline), and pile-up (the accumulation of stressors) (RRPs) by quantifying the dynamics of response indicators (i.e., subjective stress, negative affect, and perseverative cognition). To determine the utility of these novel measures in capturing and characterising acute moments of the stress response, this study evaluated the proportion of variance in RRPs attributed to (1) between-person, (2) between-days, and (3) within-day (momentary) levels. Healthy adults (n=123; aged 35-65, 79% women, 91% non-Hispanic White) participated in a 14-day study assessing stress response via EMA 6times a day. RRPs were constructed from 10,065 EMA reports. Multilevel models with moments nested within days nested within persons were used to partition variance in the RRPs. Reactivity and recovery indicators captured the most variation within-days (i.e., across moments; range 76%-80% and 87%-89%, respectively), with small amounts of variance between-person. For pile-up, variation was mostly observed between-days (range 60%-63%) and between-persons (range 27%-31%). In contrast, raw measures of stress response reflected substantial between-person (range 32%-54%) and within-day (range 34%-53%) variance. These results demonstrated that a person-specific approach to measuring stress response components (i.e., RRPs) can capture the dynamic within-person variation in stress response, as it occurs in real time, making it well-suited for use in novel just-in-time interventions targeting moments of risk.

Conscientiousness, trait self-control, and neuroticism predict individual differences in the variability of goal dimensions

When pursuing personal goals, individuals may experience fluctuations in goal-related dimensions like commitment and enjoyment. We present an approach to describe, analyze, and explain such within-person variability. In Part I, we determined to which extent within-person variability over time contributes to the total variability in goal dimensions, including between-person and between-goal variability. We observed strongest variability between goals, followed by variability over time, and between persons. In Part II, we estimated the within-person variability for each goal dimension using the indices dispersion (individual standard deviation), instability (root of squared successive differences), and inertia (autoregressive parameter). Dispersion was above-average for goal facilitation and progress and below-average for external motivation, value, and demand. Instability was above-average for facilitation and progress and below-average for commitment and demand. Inertia was above-average for facilitation and below-average for progress. Highlighting the relevance of self-regulatory competencies, we found that, when excluding outliers with extremely high variability, people with higher trait self-control, higher conscientiousness, and lower neuroticism showed lower variability. Both higher levels of trait self-control and conscientiousness predicted lower instability and higher inertia of goal dimensions. Conversely, higher neuroticism predicted higher dispersion and instability. We discuss these findings in the context of the Cybernetic Big Five theory.

A Prospective Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Early Pregnancy to Delivery in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort.

Longitudinal trends in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations across pregnancy have not been thoroughly examined, despite evidence linking prenatal PFAS exposures with adverse birth outcomes. We sought to characterize longitudinal PFAS concentrations across pregnancy and to examine the maternal-fetal transfer ratio among participants in a study of risk and protective factors for adverse birth outcomes among African Americans. In the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort (2014-2020), we quantified serum concentrations of four PFAS in 376 participants and an additional eight PFAS in a subset of 301 participants during early (8-14 weeks gestation) and late pregnancy (24-30 weeks gestation). Among these, PFAS concentrations were also measured among 199 newborns with available dried blood spot (DBS) samples. We characterized the patterns, variability, and associations in PFAS concentrations at different time points across pregnancy using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), maternal-newborn pairs transfer ratios, linear mixed effect models, and multivariable linear regression, adjusting for socioeconomic and prenatal predictors. Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were detected in of maternal samples, with PFHxS and PFOS having the highest median concentrations. We observed high variability in PFAS concentrations across pregnancy time points (). All median PFAS concentrations increased from early to late pregnancy, except for PFOA and N-methyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (NMFOSAA), which decreased [paired -test for all PFAS except for PFOA and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)]. Prenatal serum PFAS were weakly to moderately correlated with newborn DBS PFAS ( ). The median maternal-fetal PFAS transfer ratio was lower for PFAS with longer carbon chains. After adjusting for socioeconomic and prenatal predictors, in linear mixed effect models, the adjusted mean PFAS concentrations significantly increased during pregnancy, except for PFOA. In multivariable linear regression, PFAS concentrations in early pregnancy significantly predicted the PFAS concentrations in late pregnancy and in newborns. We found that the concentrations of most PFAS increased during pregnancy, and the magnitude of variability differed by individual PFAS. Future studies are needed to understand the influence of within-person PFAS variability during and after pregnancy on birth outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14334.

Determinants of Between-Person Variation in Shoulder Pain in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

The aim of the study was to evaluate determinants of between-person variation in shoulder pain ("yes"/"no") in individuals with spinal cord injury living in Switzerland. This longitudinal study used data from the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort community surveys 2012, 2017, and 2022. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify determinants of between-person variability in shoulder pain while controlling for within-person variability. The prevalence of shoulder pain was 34.4% (95% CI = 33.0-35.9) when studying 4393 completed questionnaires. Significant determinants for between-subject variability revealed higher likelihoods for shoulder pain in females as compared with males (odds ratio: 1.57; 95% CI = 1.21-2.05), and when spasticity (1.49; 1.14-1.95), contractures (2.77; 2.21-3.48), and depression (1.39; 1.02-3.48) were present. In addition, shoulder pain presented highest likelihoods in individuals with incomplete tetraplegia (1.81; 1.32-2.48) versus incomplete paraplegia, in individuals over 26 yrs since injury (1.65; 1.15-2.37) versus up to 5 yrs since injury, and in individuals using a manual (2.17; 1.53-3.08) or electrical (2.16; 1.41-3.31) wheelchair versus no aids. There were significant interaction effects for gender with time since injury, contractures, and depression. Determinants of between-subject variability in shoulder pain were female gender, lesion severity, time since injury, specific health conditions, and wheelchair use.

Revisiting the Alcohol-Aggression Link: The Impact of Alcohol Consumption Patterns

Laboratory studies have repeatedly reported a link between alcohol and aggression, yet many rely on single-dose administration methods and overlook variations in alcohol consumption patterns. The present study investigates the effects of alcohol on aggressive behavior using a double-blind, placebo-controlled cumulative drinking administration approach that mirrors the natural drinking behaviors often observed in pubs within a laboratory setting. This study also pioneers the examination of how alcohol consumption patterns (light or heavy) moderate the relationship between precise Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) levels and extreme aggressive behavior. Seventy-five light (N=38) and heavy (N=37) alcohol drinkers were randomly assigned to alcohol (N=33) or placebo (N=42) conditions. Participants drank four drinks successively. Taylor's aggression paradigm was completed twenty minutes after each drink. Multilevel modeling was applied to analyze the effects of precise BrAC and account for within-person variability. Alcohol showed a dose-dependent effect on aggression; as alcohol levels rose, so did aggression (p<.001). Alcohol consumption pattern moderated the effect of cumulative BrAC on aggression, such that the effect was more substantial for light as compared with individuals who drink heavily (p=.03). The current study highlights the moderating role of alcohol consumption pattern in the association between precise BrAC levels and extreme aggression, offering insights into individual differences in susceptibility to alcohol-induced aggression, and supporting the I3 meta-theory (Finkel, 2014). The Findings underscore the importance of investigating the interplay between acute and chronic alcohol use on behavior, challenging conventional thresholds for hazardous drinking classification. Implications for future studies, legislators, and policymakers are discussed.

Harsh parenting, amygdala functional connectivity changes across childhood, and behavioral problems.

Harsh parenting in early childhood is related to offspring's adverse behavioral outcomes. Due to the scarcity of longitudinal neuroimaging data, few studies have explored the neurobiological underpinnings of this association, focusing on within-person variability. This study examined the temporal associations among harsh parenting, later behavioral problems, and the developmental trajectories of amygdala volume and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) profiles, using longitudinal neuroimaging data. The study was embedded in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. T1-weighted (296 children, 642 scans) and resting-state functional scans (256 children, 509 scans) were collected at ages 4.5, 6, 7.5, and 10.5 years. Amygdala volume and RSFC between the amygdala and six brain regions that have leading roles in emotional regulation were extracted. Harsh parenting at 4.5 years and child behavioral problems at 10.5 years were assessed via parent-report questionnaires. Linear regression and linear mixed models were applied. Harsh parenting was associated with more severe externalizing problems in girls (β = 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.40) but not boys (pint = 0.07). In the overall sample, harsh parenting was associated with the developmental trajectories of amygdala-ACC, amygdala-OFC, and amygdala-DLPFC RSFC. In addition, the developmental trajectory of amygdala-ACC RSFC mediated the harsh parenting-externalizing problems association in girls (indirect effect = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.14). Harsh parenting in early childhood was associated with amygdala neurocircuitry development and behavioral problems. The developmental trajectory of amygdala-ACC RSFC is a potential neural mechanism linking harsh parenting and externalizing problems in girls.

State gender variability and body satisfaction among sexual minority men

Prominent theories of gender suggest that gender can be variable, rather than static. For example, a person may experience changes in their masculinity and femininity in daily life, which we refer to as ‘state gender variability.’ Theory and research suggest that the degree to which masculinity and femininity fluctuate may have implications for body satisfaction. In this study, we analysed intensive longitudinal data to gain nuanced insights into how masculinity and femininity vary in everyday life among a sample of majority cis-gender sexual minority men. We first present a comprehensive descriptive analysis of gender variability. Second, we test whether individual differences in gender variability are associated with body satisfaction. Masculinity and femininity were moderately stable, with substantial within-person variability. Masculinity and femininity tended to be more variable than state body satisfaction and negative affect. Further, variability and instability in masculinity were associated with lower body satisfaction. Conversely, variability in femininity was associated with higher scores on body satisfaction. Our study contributes to a growing literature examining the implications of masculinity and femininity for sexual minority men’s body image and opens up new lines of inquiry focused on state gender variability.

Visit-to-visit HbA1c variability and risk of potentially avoidable hospitalisations in adults with type 2 diabetes receiving outpatient care at a tertiary hospital.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between long-term visit-to-visit within-person HbA1c variability and hospitalisation outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We conducted a cohort study at a tertiary hospital in Singapore involving people aged 21 to 101 years with T2D who had ≥3 HbA1c tests over 2 years. HbA1c variability was assessed using coefficient of variation (CV), variability independent of the mean (VIM) and HbA1c variability score (HVS). A 1-year follow-up was performed after the last HbA1c measurement to identify all-cause and potentially avoidable hospitalisations (PAH), categorised as overall, acute, chronic and diabetes composites. The study included 14 923 patients (mean age: 62.9 ± 12.9 years; 55% male). The median HbA1c variability was 8.6% CV (IQR: 5.1-14.3). Higher quartiles of HbA1c variability were associated with greater risks of PAH and all-cause hospitalisations, independent of glycaemic control. Compared to Q1, for example, the risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for diabetes-related PAH based on HbA1c CV were as follows: Q2, 1.32 (0.93-1.88); Q3, 1.65 (1.18-2.31) and Q4, 2.16 (1.54-3.03). For all-cause hospitalisations, they were as follows: Q2, 0.97 (0.90-1.05); Q3, 1.08 (1.00-1.17) and Q4, 1.16 (1.07-1.26). When stratified by glycaemic control, elevated risk of PAH persisted even in those with optimal glycaemic control. Consistent findings were observed using HbA1c VIM and HVS measures. In individuals receiving care at specialist outpatient clinics of a tertiary hospital, HbA1c variability is associated with a higher risk of PAH. Comprehensive diabetes management strategies addressing both glycaemic control and variability may offer benefits.

Within-Person Effects of Executive Functioning on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Youth with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives The objective was to disentangle the role of between- and within-person variation in executive functioning (EF) in the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms among youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods We assessed 85 youth with ADHD, 38 youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 50 typically developing (TD) youth at baseline (Mage = 11.7 years, 64% males), 2-year follow-up, and 10-year follow-up with neuropsychological tests of EF and anxiety and depressive symptoms scales. Results Across groups, depressive symptoms increased with age, whereas anxiety symptoms were stable. Greater within-person improvement in overall EF from baseline to 2-year follow-up predicted reduced anxiety symptoms. Greater within-person improvement in cognitive flexibility predicted reduced depressive symptoms from baseline to 2-year follow-up. Conclusions We conclude that improvement in EF skills in youth may lessen the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms over time. Thus, EF could be an intervention target to prevent anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Problematic alcohol use, jealousy, and digital dating abuse: A dyadic analysis

Young adults engage in digital dating abuse (DDA), or threatening, monitoring, and controlling behavior towards a romantic partner through technology. Alcohol use and jealousy are well-established risk factors for in-person partner abuse but have not yet been investigated in couples in the context of DDA. Jealousy might be a relevant moderator in the digital context, potentially amplifying the negative associations between problematic alcohol use and DDA. Thus, we examine dyadic associations between young adults’ problematic alcohol use and DDA perpetration, with romantic jealousy as a moderator. Participants are young adult heterosexual couples ( N = 91 couples, M age = 21.03 years, 54.4% White, 19.2% Latino, 26.3% other). Results from actor-partner interdependence models suggest that men’s jealousy significantly moderates both the actor effect for men and the partner effect for women. In contrast, women’s jealousy significantly moderates the partner effects for both men and women. Men’s problematic alcohol use is a risk factor for their own DDA perpetration at high levels of jealousy and is a risk factor for their partner’s DDA perpetration across their own or their partner’s jealousy. Women’s problematic alcohol use is a risk factor for their partner’s DDA perpetration across levels of their jealousy. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual and relational factors in understanding DDA. The study highlights the need for dyadic interventions targeting problematic alcohol use and jealousy to prevent DDA. Future research should utilize longitudinal designs and diary studies to investigate in-the-moment processes and within-person variability.

Crowding the face-space: The attractor field hypothesis and within-person variability

ABSTRACT Face space theory suggests that faces that are similar to others (i.e., typical faces) are represented in denser regions in face space than distinctive faces. Accordingly, typical face representations can be activated by the same input, leading to mistakenly identifying a person as someone else. A modification of this theory can also accommodate the opposite error in which two images of the same person are mistaken for different people, which results from intolerance to within-person variability. In two experiments, we tested two predictions of the modified theory: (1) greater tolerance of within-person variability should be observed for distinctive faces and (2) the same conditions that increase tolerance to within-person variability should facilitate differentiation of two similar-looking identities. The results support the first of these predictions, but not the second. The findings are interpreted in the context of attention to differences vs. commonalities when learning to distinguish faces from similar-looking others.

Share the wealth: Neurophysiological and motivational mechanisms related to racial discrimination in economic decision making

Social interactions are influenced by rapid judgements about interaction partners that are assumed to contribute to various behavioral biases. While often negligible in a given instance, such biases can accumulate to contribute to persistent inequities between social groups. Here, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to determine the extent to which early attention to racial category information during simulated interpersonal interactions contributes to race bias in financial decisions. Undergraduate participants (N = 67; 36 women, 31 men; all White/Non-Hispanic) completed an economic decision-making task in which they decided how much money to invest in a series of male interaction partners (i.e., trustees) who varied in their apparent racial group memberships. Black male trustees received lower investments than White male trustees, replicating prior findings. Of greater interest, an ERP index of attention to trustees' faces predicted racial bias in investments, and was moderated by participants' internalized motivation to respond without prejudice (i.e., a difference score reflecting the extent to which participants' motivation reflected internal [e.g., personal egalitarian values] compared to external [e.g., concerns about social norms] reasons to respond without prejudice). Consistent with motivational models of prejudice control, greater early attention to a trustee's face led to more-biased lending among participants with lower internalized motivation but to less-biased lending among participants with higher internalized motivation. Findings demonstrate a crucial role for within-person variability in attention to race-related cues when interacting with others, along with between-person bias regulation motives, in determining whether attention to race will increase or decrease bias in financial lending.

A Diffusion Model Account of Cognitive Variability in Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment

ABSTRACT Within-person variation in cognitive performance is linked to pathological aging. Cognitive fluctuations have not been analyzed using cognitive process models, such as the diffusion model, to characterize which cognitive processes contribute to variability in cognition. We collected 21 daily assessments of attention and personality in younger adults, healthy older adults, and those with mild cognitive impairment. We employed mixed-effects location scale models to analyze group differences on mean diffusion parameters and daily variability. Discussion focuses on how these methods extend our understanding of how cognitive deficits might appear in aging and disease and the moderating influence of daily personality.

A longitudinal study of within-person trajectories in quality of life in patients receiving early palliative care.

To reveal the within-person trajectories in quality of life (QOL) in patients receiving early palliative care. Previous studies have mostly focused aggregated trajectories, based on all research participants combined, whereas this study focused on within-person trajectories in QOL and on whether the variability in QOL trajectories across patients is substantial enough to raise doubts about aggregated trajectories. Twenty-five older persons in early palliative care completed the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire multiple times. Reliable change analyses provided estimates of the occurrence of statistically significant within-person change. There was reliable, within-person variation in QOL scores across time, more so for physical than for psychological aspects of well-being. Changes in QOL scores occurred for most patients but the trajectories were not linear and there was no common trend in the nonlinear patterns. Reliable change across time can be identified in persons receiving early palliative care. However, the trajectories are notably variable and patient-specific. The high degrees of within-person variability across time suggests the importance of repeated QOL assessments and of dynamic tailoring of clinical treatments.

Subsyndromes and symptom clusters: Multilevel factor analysis of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia with intensive longitudinal data.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are dynamic phenomena with a high amount of intraindividual variability. We applied a multilevel framework to identify subsyndromes (between-person factors) that represent clinically relevant profiles of BPSD and identify symptom clusters (within-person factors) that represent contextually driven daily symptom experiences. This study used an intensive longitudinal design in which 68 co-residing family caregivers to persons living with dementia were recruited to proxy report on their care recipient's daily symptom experiences of 23 different BPSD for eight consecutive days (n=443 diaries). A multilevel exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis was used to account for nested data and separate within-person variances from between-level factor estimates. Exploratory factor analysis identified a 4-between 3-within factor structure based on fit statistics and clinical interpretability. This study offers major methodological and conceptual advancements for management of BPSD within Alzheimer's disease and related dementias by introducing two related but distinct concepts of subsyndromes and symptom clusters. Because behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are dynamic temporal phenomenon, this introduces measurement error into aggregate group-level estimates when trying to create subsyndromes. We propose a multilevel analysis to provide a more valid and reliable estimation by separating out variance due to within-person daily fluctuations. Using a multilevel exploratory factor analysis with intensive longitudinal data, we identified distinct and meaningful groups of BPSD. The four factors at the between-person level represented subsyndromes that are based on how BPSD co-occurred among persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These subsyndromes are clinically relevant because they share features of established clinical phenomena and may have similar neurobiological etiologies. We also found three within-person factors representing distinct symptom clusters. They are based on how BPSD clustered together on a given day for an individual with AD and related dementias. These clusters may have shared environmental triggers.

Motives for alcohol use across the 24 hours prior to a suicide attempt.

Acute alcohol use is a risk factor for suicidal behavior. This study examined sources of variance (between-person, within-person) in hour-to-hour self-reported alcohol consumption and drinking motives and assessed the interrelations of different motives for alcohol use across the 24 hr preceding a suicide attempt. This multisite study utilized interview data obtained retrospectively from adult patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt. The current analysis examined participants (n = 110) who reported using alcohol within 24 hr of the attempt (Mage = 39.59; 48.2% female, 72.7% White; 4.5% Hispanic/Latinx). Participants reported suicide-facilitative drinking motives using three items from the Suicide Facilitative Drinking Motives Scale and reported typical, nonfacilitative motives using three items from the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Most variance in reported drinking motives occurred between participants, though there was substantial within-person variability. Within-person increases in alcohol use were associated with suicide-facilitative motives for alcohol use, but not nonfacilitative motives. Social and enhancement motives were consistently negatively associated with facilitative motives, while coping motives were positively associated with reported drinking to reduce fear regarding suicide. Results suggest the assessment of motives for alcohol use in at-risk patients may provide key clinical targets (i.e., the function of drinking) for preventing suicidal behavior. When alcohol is consumed for coping motives or used to facilitate suicidal behavior, it is particularly concerning and warrants clinical intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Variable and dynamic associations between hot weather, thermal comfort, and individuals’ emotional states during summertime

The effects of heat exposure on negative affect are thought to be central to the observed relationships between hot summer days and deleterious outcomes, such as violent crime or mental health crises. As these relationships are likely to be magnified by the effects of climate change, a better understanding of how consistent or variable the effects of hot weather on affective states is required. The current work combines data gathered from an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study on individuals’ thermal perceptions, comfort, and affective states in outdoor environments during their daily lives with high spatiotemporal resolution climate-modeled weather variables. Using these data, associations between objective weather variables (temperature, humidity, etc.), perceived heat (thermal perception and comfort), and affective states are examined. Overall, objective weather data reasonably predicted perception and comfort, but only comfort predicted negative affective states. The variance explained across individuals was generally very low in predicting negative affect or comfort, but within-person variance explained was high. In other words, while there may be a relatively consistent relationship between temperature and psychological experience for any given person, there are significant individual differences across people. Age and gender were examined as moderators of these relationships, and while gender had no impact, participant age showed several significant interactions. Specifically, while older adults tended to experience more thermal discomfort and perceived higher temperatures as hotter, the relationship between discomfort and negative affect was lower in older adults. Taken together, these results emphasize the importance of thermal discomfort specifically in predicting negative affect, as well as the high inter-individual variability in thermal perceptions and comfort for the same ambient temperatures.