Brief report: Relationships between physical activity and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls

This study examined the relationships between changes in physical activity and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls. Participants were 277 urban adolescent girls. Physical activity was measured using the 3-Day Physical Activity Recall and depressive symptoms were assessed using questionnaire. Data were collected on three occasions over a 3-year period. The results of latent growth modelling indicated that initial level and change in physical activity was inversely associated with initial status and change in depressive symptoms The associations were independent of body mass index. Our results encourage the design of interventions that reduce depressive symptoms and increase physical activity of early adolescent girls.     

Brief report: Longitudinal associations between sedentary behaviours and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls

The purpose of this study was to examine longitudinal associations between sedentary behaviours (SB) and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls. Participants (n = 341) completed the self-report ecological momentary assessments diary for the measurement of sedentary behaviours and completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) at three time points during a 4-year period. The association between SB and depressive symptoms over time was examined with latent growth models. Both depressive symptoms and SB increased over time. Baseline levels of depressive symptoms were predictive of change in SB, but initial levels of SB did not predict changes in depressive symptoms. These prospective associations remained controlling for age, home electronic equipment and socioeconomic status.     

A longitudinal investigation of depressive symptoms in undergraduate students of pharmacy in Syria

This prospective longitudinal study investigated depressive symptoms and its association with students' demographic, academic, and health factors in undergraduate students of pharmacy in Syria. Students attending any year (1st to 5th year) were assessed in the first semester (time 1) and in the second semester (time 2). An academic year comprises two semesters of 16 weeks each. Data for 450 students were analyzed at time 1, and 262 students were assessed at the two time points. Our results showed that most of the students experienced depressive symptoms, with a substantial percentage presenting moderate to severe levels of symptoms (35% or 450 students at time 1; 23% or 262 students at time 2). Across the two semesters, a significant decrease in depressive symptoms was observed for students with complete data at the two time points. Depressive symptoms at time 2 increased significantly with increasing depressive scores at time 1 and decreasing students' expectations about their academic performance. Our results support the clear need for dynamic, full-time, and accessible psychological services at the university to promote and assess mental health and to deliver psychological interventions to students at need.     

Brief report: Explaining differences in depressive symptoms between African American and European American adolescents

African American adolescents report more depressive symptoms than their European American peers, but the reasons for these differences are poorly understood. This study examines whether risk factors in individual, family, school, and community domains explain these differences. African American and European American adolescents participating in the Birmingham Youth Violence Study (N = 594; mean age 13.2 years) reported on their depressive symptoms, pubertal development, aggressive and delinquent behavior, connectedness to school, witnessing violence, and poor parenting. Primary caregivers provided information on family income and their education level, marital status, and depression, and the adolescents' academic performance. African American adolescents reported more depressive symptoms than European American participants. Family socioeconomic factors reduced this difference by 29%; all risk factors reduced it by 88%. Adolescents' exposure to violence, antisocial behavior, and low school connectedness, as well as lower parental education and parenting quality, emerged as significant mediators of the group differences in depressive symptoms.     

The link between depressive symptoms, negative cognitive bias and memory complaints in older adults

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and subjective memory problems. We hypothesized that the relationship between depressive symptoms and poor subjective memory functioning is mediated by negative cognitive bias that is associated with hopelessness, a wish to die and low self-esteem. METHODS: Complete data were available for 299 older adults with and without significant depressive symptoms who were screened in primary care offices and invited to participate, completed a baseline in-home assessment. Subjective memory functioning and psychological status was assessed with commonly used, validated standard questionnaires. RESULTS: In regression models that included terms for age, gender and cognitive measures, depressive symptoms were significantly inversely associated with the global self-assessment of memory (beta=-0.019; p=0.006). When components of negative cognitive bias were included in the model (hopelessness, low self-esteem, a wish to die), the relationship of depressive symptoms with subjective memory problems was attenuated, consistent with mediation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that assessment and successful interventions for memory complaints in non-demented older adults need to account for negative cognitive bias as well as depressive symptoms. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm our findings before a mediator relationship can be presumed.     

Psychometric evaluation of a measure of Beck's negative cognitive triad for youth: applications for African-American and Caucasian adolescents

A measure of Beck's negative cognitive triad, the Cognitive Triad for Children (CTI-C), was evaluated for its psychometric properties and utility with a community sample of 880 African-American and Caucasian adolescents. High-school students ranging from 14 to 17 years of age completed the CTI-C, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R) on two occasions 4 months apart. The CTI-C was found to be internally consistent, Cronbach's alpha=.90, to have acceptable test-retest reliability, r=.70, and concurrent validity as demonstrated by a significant correlation with the CASQ-R, r=.53. A principal factor analysis with promax rotation did not yield support for Beck's tripartite model of negative cognitions about the self, world, and future but rather yielded three factors with a combination of cognitions from all three domains. African American adolescents who reported more maladaptive cognitions on the CTI-C reported fewer depressive symptoms on the CDI 4 months later compared to their Caucasian counterparts, suggesting some limitation to using the CTI-C to predict depressive symptoms in African-American youth; however, Factor 1 derived from a factor analysis with the sample was more consistent in predicting future symptoms among both African-American and Caucasian adolescents. This factor consisted largely of positively worded items, offering some support for low positive affect as a predictor of depressive symptoms in adolescents.     

Behavioral problem trajectories and self-esteem changes in relation with adolescent depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study

Purpose

Prospectively childhood behavioral problems and low self-esteem are associated with depression. However, these mental health changes over time have never been examined. This study assessed the association of childhood behavioral trajectories and self-esteem changes over time with adolescent depressive symptoms.

Methods

Parent-reported Rutter behavioral assessments and self-reported Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories (SEI) were obtained via record linkage from the Student Health Service, Department of Health (Hong Kong), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depressive symptom scores were obtained via active follow-up of the Hong Kong’s Children of 1997” Chinese birth cohort. Partitional clustering was used to generate homogenous trajectories between ~?7 and ~?11 years for Rutter scores. Changes in low self-esteem between ~?10 and ~?12 years were obtained from the SEI. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate their associations with depressive symptom scores at ~?13 years.

Results

Four trajectories/groups (stable low, declining, rising, and stable high) of Rutter score and self-esteem groups were created. The stable low behavioral trajectory was associated with the fewest depressive symptoms while the stable high trajectory had 1.23 more depressive symptoms [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84 to 1.61] than the stable low trajectory. Consistently low self-esteem (stable low) was associated with 2.96 more depressive symptoms (95% CI 2.35–3.57) compared to consistently high self-esteem (stable high).

Conclusions

Sustained or worsening childhood behavioral problems and low self-esteem were precursors of adolescent depressive symptoms, and as such could be an early indicator of the need for intervention.

     

The association between depressive and cognitive symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are frequently observed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, little is known regarding the cognitive characteristics of this important subgroup. METHODS: We examined executive functions (controlled inhibition) and verbal episodic memory in 33 healthy older adults (control group), 18 older adults with amnestic MCI plus subclinical depressive symptoms (a-MCI/D+ group), and 26 older adults with amnestic MCI but no depressive symptoms (a-MCI group). RESULTS: Compared to the a-MCI and control groups, patients with a-MCI/D+ showed poor controlled inhibition. Moreover, in verbal episodic memory these patients recalled fewer words than control participants on immediate free, delayed free, and delayed total (free plus cued) recall. Performance on immediate recall suggested a self-retrieval deficit, but delayed performance also revealed the existence of an encoding impairment. In the a-MCI group, participants exhibited normal performance on the executive task, but pervasive memory impairment; the memory deficit concerned free and total recall on both immediate and delayed tasks, suggesting the existence of encoding and self-retrieval disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals differences between the pattern of cognitive impairment for a-MCI/D+ and a-MCI subgroups particularly at the level of executive capacities. In terms of memory functioning, the differences between the subgroups were more subtle; more studies are needed in order to better characterize the memory impairment of a-MCI/D+ and a-MCI patients.     

Cognitive coping and depressive symptoms in the elderly: a longitudinal study

The objective of the present longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between cognitive coping strategies and depressive symptoms at old age. At the two and a half year follow-up study, a community sample of 99 people aged 67 years and older filled out a self-report questionnaire comprising the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and a negative life events checklist. Cognitive coping strategies seemed to play an important role in relation to depressive symptoms in late life. Elderly persons with more depressive symptoms reported to use acceptance, rumination and catastrophizing to a significantly higher extent and positive reappraisal to a significantly lower extent than those with lower depression scores. After controlling for negative life events and prior depressive symptoms, acceptance and positive reappraisal retained their significant relationship with current depressive symptoms. It is suggested that intervention programs should pay attention to these aspects by challenging the 'maladaptive' strategies, and by supplying the more 'adaptive' strategies. This could be linked to the well-established cognitive therapies.     

Relationship between global cognitive decline and depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis

Cognitive impairment and depressed mood are common symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), which significantly impact patients' role functioning and quality of life. Cross-sectional studies indicate a modest association between cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms in MS. Longitudinal studies show inconsistent results but provide some data indicating a relationship between increasing global cognitive decline and increasing depressive symptoms over time. Establishing whether such a relationship exists represents an important first step in understanding the temporal nature of that relationship along with any treatment implications. The current study investigated this relationship by using the adjusted difference between a demographic estimate of premorbid intellectual functioning (Barona) and a performance measure of current intellectual functioning (Shipley Institute of Living) to capture long-term global cognitive decline in MS patients. Degree of global cognitive decline was then related to a self-report measure of mood, evaluative, and vegetative depression symptoms (Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory). Global cognitive decline accounted for 5% of the variance in mood-evaluative symptoms but none of the variance in vegetative symptoms. When groups experiencing moderate, mild, and no global cognitive decline were compared on depression symptom subscales, MS patients experiencing moderate cognitive decline reported significantly higher mood and evaluative, but not vegetative, depressive symptoms than MS patients with stable cognitive functioning.     

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between psychotic and depressive symptoms in depressed adolescents

Adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) with psychotic features (delusions and/or hallucinations) have more severe symptoms and a worse prognosis. Subclinical psychotic symptoms are more common in adolescents than adults. However, the effects of psychotic symptoms on outcome of depressive symptoms have not been well studied in adolescents. Depressed adolescents aged 11–17 with and without psychotic symptoms were compared on depression severity scores at baseline and at 28- or 42-week follow-up in two large UK cohorts. Psychotic symptoms were weakly associated with more severe depression at baseline in both cohorts. At follow-up, baseline psychotic symptoms were only associated with depressive symptoms in one sample; in the other, the effect size was close to zero. This supports the DSM5 system of psychotic symptoms being a separate code to severity rather than the ICD10 system which only allows the diagnosis of psychotic depression with severe depression. There was no clear support for psychotic symptoms being a baseline marker of treatment response.

     

Self-efficacy for seizure management and youth depressive symptoms: caregiver and youth perspectives

The aims of this study were to (1) compare caregiver and youth measures of self-efficacy for seizure management (SESM), as well as report of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in youth with epilepsy (YWE) and (2) examine the potential relationship between caregiver SESM and caregiver report of depressive symptoms in YWE. Seventy-seven YWE ages 9-17 completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children with Epilepsy (SSES-C). Sixty-five caregivers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-II) and the Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES). Results showed no agreement between youth and caregiver self-efficacy scores. However, there was low to modest agreement in published classifications of depressive symptoms between youth and caregiver ratings of depressive symptoms in youth, with caregivers reporting higher levels of symptoms than the youth reported. Twenty-seven percent of YWE endorsed suicidal ideation. When caregiver report of their own self-efficacy towards their child's seizures and their assessment of their child's depressive symptoms were compared, there was a significant inverse relationship. These findings suggest a multi-informant approach to assessment of depressive symptoms in YWE, the importance of including self-efficacy for seizure management in assessment and treatment of YWE, and provide support for transactional patterns of psychosocial adjustment.     

The relationship of coping behaviors to depressive symptoms in youth with epilepsy: an examination of caregiver and youth proxy report

Study aims were to explore evaluation and comparison of measures of coping and the relationship of epilepsy-specific coping responses to depressive symptoms in youth with epilepsy (YWE). Seventy-six YWE ages 9-17 completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Kidcope. Sixty-six caregivers reported on youth coping (CHIC) and seizure activity. Epilepsy variables were abstracted from electronic medical records. There were no significant correlations between the CHIC coping factors and individual Kidcope scores. Only one CHIC factor, "competence/optimism," was significantly negatively correlated with CDI. Regression analyses revealed a significant association between CDI and negative coping (Kidcope) after adjusting for sex, number of AEDs, and seizure severity. On the CDI, 27% of YWE endorsed suicidal ideation. Findings provide preliminary support for use of the Kidcope as a measure of negative epilepsy-specific coping. These results imply that youth coping and suicidal ideation are important to assess in relation to depressive symptoms and that youth report of these symptoms is particularly salient to the evaluation of youth functioning.     

The association between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly persons

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether depressive symptoms predict specific types of cognitive decline in order to elucidate the association between late life depression and cognitive decline. BACKGROUND: Mechanisms underlying the association between late life depression and cognitive decline are still unclear. METHOD: Six hundred and forty-one elderly persons of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) aged 70-85 were examined by means of two measurement occasions over a period of 3 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed by means of the CES-D. Various cognitive functions were examined using neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were associated with decline in speed of information processing over a 3-year period, whereas there was no association between depression and increasing memory impairment or global mental deterioration. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with subcortical pathology, most probable white matter lesions.     

Distinguishing depressive and negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia

In rating negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms showed less overlap with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression than the withdrawal-retardation subscale of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. The distinction between depression and negative symptoms is best made by a careful evaluation of the patients' mood and thoughts.     

Treatment of negative and cognitive symptoms

Persistent negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction are a major cause of chronic disability in schizophrenia. Atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine, risperidone, and olanzapine induce significantly greater improvement in negative symptoms than that which is obtained with conventional agents. However, it remains unclear whether these agents treat core negative symptoms of schizophrenia, or simply induce less secondary psychopathology. A second approach for treatment of persistent negative symptoms is the use of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-stimulating agents, such as glycine, D-serine or D-cycloserine. These agents, when added to conventional or atypical antipsychotics, may induce significant additional reduction in both negative and cognitive symptoms.     

The cognitive mediation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a longitudinal study

Contemporary cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that OC symptoms arise from negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts, which are derived from trait-like dysfunctional assumptions ("obsessive beliefs;" e.g., concerning overestimates of responsibility). Although correlational studies suggest that obsessive beliefs, negative interpretations of intrusions, and OC symptoms are interrelated, prospective studies evaluating the directional hypotheses implied in the cognitive model are lacking. In the present longitudinal study, 76 first time expecting parents were followed through the postpartum. Results indicated that the tendency to negatively interpret the presence and meaning of unwanted intrusive infant-related thoughts early in the postpartum period (3-4 weeks) mediated the relationship between pre-childbirth obsessive-beliefs and late postpartum (12 weeks) OC symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and treatment implications.