Longitudinal associations between social media use,mental well-being and structural brain development across adolescence

Youth of today grow up in a digital social world but the effects on well-being and brain development remain debated. This study tracked longitudinal associations between structural brain development, social media use and mental well-being.The study demonstrated two pathways of heterogeneity in brain development. First, adolescents who used social media more than their peers showed higher baseline cortical thickness in lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and medial PFC; and stronger decreases in the lateral PFC and temporal parietal junction. In contrast, adolescents with lower mental well-being showed lower baseline levels of surface area in the medial PFC and posterior superior temporal sulcus relative to their peers. Whereas the associations between structural brain development and well-being remained significant after correction for multiple testing, the results for social media use did not survive FDR correction.These findings demonstrate that although social media use and mental well-being were both associated with differential trajectories of brain development, the associations we report are distinct. These results show a nuanced perspective on the presumed relations between social media use and well-being and provide a starting point to further examine neural mechanisms that could explain which adolescents thrive by social media and which might be harmed.     

Short-term and long-term influences of family arguments and gender difference on developing psychological well-being in Taiwanese adolescents

Adolescent mental health is crucial for social competence and accomplishment in later life. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 20% of adolescents suffer from psychological symptoms. However, improving family risk and school environments can largely promote adolescent mental health. A longitudinal survey was conducted to investigate adolescent psychological well-being (PWB) status and associated factors in adolescents 15–20 years of age. Family and school context variables were interviewed and recorded. A total of 2896 participants were included from high, middle, and less urbanized resident areas in Northern Taiwan with completed interview data. Using multivariate regression analysis, factors associated with adolescent PWB at various stages included quarrelsome parents, quarrels with parents, severed friendships, and cigarette and alcohol use. In all three adolescent stages, females yielded higher psychological symptom scores than did males, and diverse weights of risk factors on PWB were observed between genders. Family arguments and cigarette and alcohol use were found to have more pronounced effects on outcomes among females than males. Whereas males are more sensitive to severed friendships than females, cigarette and alcohol use showed more harmful effects on mental health in earlier adolescence than in later life. Moreover, family arguments and severed friendships in earlier adolescence were found to have lasting effects on PWB in later adolescence. In this study, gender differences were observed in the temporal relationship on adolescent mental health. Variables of family arguments and severed friendships exhibited short-term and long-term effects on adolescent mental health across the early to late developmental stages. The family argument environment and regulating cigarette and alcohol use are worthy of focus to promote adolescent mental health.     

Gender differences in the association between alexithymia and emotional eating in obese individuals

OBJECTIVE: Women have been reported to use more emotion-regulation strategies than do men and to have more abilities to regulate their emotions in a different way. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences in the relationships of alexithymia, negative mood, and the combination of alexithymia and negative mood with emotional eating in obese persons. METHODS: Four hundred thirteen obese individuals [343 females and 70 males, aged 18-60 years, mean=43.6 years, body mass index (BMI)=38.4+/-6.6 kg/m2] completed self-report questionnaires, including the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) questionnaire, the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analysis showed a significant interaction between gender and alexithymia. More difficulty in identifying or describing feelings was specifically associated with more emotional eating in men. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that alexithymia is more strongly involved in emotional eating of obese men than women. This offers indications for designing gender-specific treatments for emotional eating among obese persons.     

Gender differences in PTSD symptoms: an exploration of peritraumatic mechanisms

Females are at higher risk than males for developing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) following exposure to trauma, which may stem from gender differences in initial physiological and psychological responses to trauma. The present study aimed to examine a number of peri- and initial posttraumatic reactions to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) to determine the extent to which they contributed to gender differences in PTSS. 356 adult MVA survivors (211 males and 145 females) reported on peritraumatic dissociation, perception of life threat and initial PTSS. In addition, heart rate and urinary cortisol levels were collected in-hospital. 6 weeks and 6 months later, PTSS were assessed via clinical interviews. Results suggested that initial PTSS and peritraumatic dissociation were marginally significant mediators at 6-week follow-up and significant mediators at 6-month follow-up, providing partial support for the hypothesis that initial responses to trauma may account for observed gender differences in PTSS development.     

Death concerns and psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

PurposeUtilizing a terror management theory perspective, the present research examined whether having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with underlying cognitions and explicit worries about death, and their roles in psychological well-being.Method147 mothers of children with ASD (n = 74) and typically developing children (n = 73) completed a fear of death scale, as well as measures of death-thought accessibility, positive and negative affect, depression, and anxiety.ResultsFollowing previous research, mothers of children with ASD reported worse psychological health. Additionally, they evidenced greater death-thought accessibility compared to mothers of typically developing children, but did not differ in explicit worries about mortality. Greater death-thought accessibility, in turn, mediated the influence of ASD diagnosis on negative affect, depression, and anxiety.ConclusionThe current study offers an initial understanding of the association between mortality concerns and psychological health for mothers of children with ASD. Further, it underscores the importance of health care providers’ efforts to attend to, and educate parents about, their thoughts of mortality, even if the parent does not acknowledge such concerns.What this paper addsThe present study examined the impact of both implicit and explicit worries about death in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specifically, we were able to demonstrate that increased death-thought accessibility among mothers of children with ASD was associated with worse psychological health. While it is possible for parents of children with ASD to report conscious worries about death, there were no observed differences on this measure. As far as we know, this work is the first to empirically examine the prevalence of mortality-related concerns in this population and the subsequent effects of death-thought accessibility on psychological health. This is an important avenue of research as parents of children with ASD may experience greater worries about leaving their children upon death with no one to care for them, or to leave their children in the care of individuals who may not understand their son or daughter's unique needs. Additionally, the current findings highlight the importance of addressing mortality-related concerns, even when they may not be explicitly recognized, among parents of children with ASD. Given the effectiveness of parent education programs for children with ASD, a primary avenue for intervention may be education. Training care providers in ways to better discuss thoughts of death may help to alleviate stress and foster greater psychological well-being.     

Gender differences in use of prolonged non-operative therapies prior to index ACDF surgery

Prior to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery, patients suffering from cervical stenosis traditionally trial non-operative treatments for pain management. There is a paucity of data evaluating gender disparities in the prolonged utilization of conservative therapy prior to ACDF surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess for gender-based differences in the utilization and cost of maximal non-operative therapy (MNT) for cervical stenosis prior to ACDF surgery. Medical records from patients with symptomatic cervical stenosis undergoing 1, 2, or 3-level index ACDF procedures between 2007 and 2016 were gathered from an insurance database consisting of 20.9 million covered lives. The utilization of MNTs within 5 years prior to index ACDF surgery was assessed. A total of 2254 patients (females: 53.1%) underwent an index ACDF surgery. There were a significantly greater percentage of female patients that utilized NSAIDs (p < 0.0001), opioids (p = 0.0019), muscle relaxants (p < 0.0001), cervical epidural steroid injections (p = 0.0428), and physical therapy/occupational therapy treatments (p < 0.0001). The total direct cost associated with all MNT prior to index ACDF was $4,833,384. On average, $2028.01 was spent per male patient while $2247.29 was spent per female patient. When normalized by number of pills billed per patient utilizing therapy, female patients utilized more NSAIDs (males: 591.8 pills, females: 669.3 pills), opioids (male: 1342.0 pills, female: 1650.1 pills), and muscle relaxants (males: 823.7 pills, females: 1211.1 pills). The results suggest that there may be gender differences in the utilization of non-operative therapies for symptomatic cervical stenosis prior to ACDF surgery.     

心理压力感与大学生网络攻击:主观幸福感的中介作用和性别的调节作用

目的探讨心理压力感与大学生网络攻击的关系以及主观幸福感和性别的作用,为降低大学生网络攻击提供参考。方法随机选取在校大学生500名,采用心理压力感量表(PSFS)、主观幸福感量表(GWB)和少年网络攻击行为评定量表(AOABS)进行评定,使用相关分析和回归分析探讨心理压力感、网络攻击和幸福感之间的关系。结果 (1)男性大学生GWB评分低于女性大学生(t=-3.218,P0.01),男性大学生AOABS评分高于女性大学生(t=2.002,P=0.046);(2)大学生PSFS评分与AOABS评分呈正相关(r=0.759,P0.01),GWB评分与AOABS评分呈负相关(r=-0.312,P0.01);(3)主观幸福感在心理压力感与大学生网络攻击之间的中介效应显著(Effect=-0.005,SE=0.002,Z=-2.170,P=0.030);(4)性别在GWB与AOABS评分之间起调节作用(b=-0.086,SE=0.037,t=-2.350,P0.05,95%CI:-0.1586～-0.0143)。结论主观幸福感在心理压力感与大学生网络攻击之间起中介作用,且该中介作用受性别因素的调节。     

Social functioning and psychological well-being of 347 young adults with epilepsy only--population-based, controlled study from Finland

Summary:  Purpose: To explore social functioning and psychological well-being in a population-based cohort of epilepsy patients compared to matched controls.
Methods: A random sample of patients with epilepsy (N = 347) and a healthy control group (N = 430) matched for age, gender and domicile were identified through National Registry of Social Insurance Institution in Finland. The data were collected by postal questionnaire assessing various factors related to social and psychological well-being and were analyzed by using linear regression analysis to compare the study and control groups.
Results: The age at onset of epilepsy was significantly associated with the level of further education and the level of seizure control with the employment status. The patients with epilepsy and lower level of basic education had also significantly lower level of further education, employment, and fewer social relations. Some differences in psychological well-being were also seen in those with matriculation examination when compared to matched controls.
Conclusions: In young adults with well-controlled epilepsy and successful basic education, social functioning is comparable with healthy peers. The importance of all social and educational support during the time of basic education may be crucial to favorable intellectual, functional, and social development later in life. Both professional and informal support is needed in adjunct to conventional treament of epilepsy, which is emphasized.     

Gender differences in brain activity and the relationship between brain activity and differences in prevalence rates between male and female major depressive disorder patients: A resting-state fMRI study

ObjectiveWe examined the gender-difference effect on abnormal spontaneous neuronal activity of male and female major depressive disorder (MDD) patients using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and the further clarified the relationship between the abnormal ALFF and differences in MDD prevalence rates between male and female patients.MethodsFourteen male MDD patients, 13 female MDD patients and 15 male and 15 female well matched healthy controls (HCs) completed this study. The ALFF approach was used, and Pearson correlation was conducted to observe a possible clinical relevance.ResultsThere were widespread differences in ALFF values between female and male MDD patients, including some important parts of the frontoparietal network, auditory network, attention network and cerebellum network. In female MDD patients, there was a positive correlation between average ALFF values of the left postcentral gyrus and the severity of weight loss symptom.ConclusionsThe gender-difference effect leading to abnormal brain activity is an important underlying pathomechanism for different somatic symptoms in MDD patients of different genders and is likely suggestive of higher MDD prevalence rates in females.SignificanceThe abnormal ALFF resulting from the gender-difference effect might improve our understanding of the differences in prevalence rates between male and female MDD patients from another perspective.     

Gender differences in febrile seizure-induced proliferation and survival in the rat dentate gyrus

PURPOSE: Febrile seizures are fever-associated early-life seizures that are thought play a role in the development of epilepsy. Seizure-induced proliferation of dentate granule cells has been demonstrated in several adult animal models and is thought to be an integral part of epileptogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate proliferation and survival of dentate gyrus (DG) cells born after early-life hyperthermia (HT)-induced seizures in male and female rats. METHODS: At postnatal day (PN) 10, male and female rats were exposed to heated air to induce seizures. Littermates were used as normothermia controls. Convulsive behavior was observed by two researchers. From PN11 to PN16, rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells. The number of BrdU-immunoreactive cells in the DG was counted at PN17 and PN66. RESULTS: At PN17, male as well as female HT rats had the same amount of BrdU-positive cells compared with controls. At PN66, significantly more BrdU-positive cells were left in HT females (53%) than in controls (44%, percentage of BrdU-positive cells at PN17), whereas no difference was found between HT males and male controls. The net result of proliferation and survival at PN66 was that female HT rats had the same number of BrdU-immunoreactive cells as controls, whereas male HT rats had 25% more BrdU-immunoreactive cells than did controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early-life seizures cause a sexually dimorphic cytogenic response that results in an increased population of newborn DG cells in young adult males, while leaving that of young adult females unaltered.     

Gender differences in the neural correlates of humor processing: implications for different processing modes

Humor is a complex phenomenon of human social cognition with large inter-individual variability. Gender differences in emotion processing are a common finding in functional neuroimaging studies, and have been documented in behavioral studies of humor, but have received limited attention in functional neuroimaging studies on humor. Using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrasts with high-field (3T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMR) we investigated 29 healthy subjects (14 female, 15 male) during the processing of humorous cartoons. In women, the ventral system implicated ín detection and appraisal of emotion was activated, including amygdala, insula, and Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). Men showed activation in both the ventral and dorsal processing systems. The results indicate that women process humor though limbic reactivity, involving appraisal of its emotional features, while men apply more evaluative, executive resources to humor processing.     

Young people's online communication and its association with mental well-being: results from the 2019 student health and well-being survey

Background

Online communication has become an integral aspect of daily life for young people internationally. Very little research has examined whether the association between social media use and well-being depends on who young people engage with (i.e. real, or virtual friendships).

Methods

Data were drawn from a subsample of students (N = 38,736) who took part in the School Health Research Network (SHRN) 2019 Student Health and Well-being (SHW) survey. A series of multivariable regression models were used to assess the association between who adolescents were communicating with online and well-being, controlling for confounders: passive social media use; friendship quality; and cyberbullying. We also tested whether these associations were modified based on gender.

Results

Students are highly engaged on social networking sites, and these sites are used to communicate with existing friendship groups and develop virtual friendships. Frequent online communication with best friends (b = .340, p < .001) and bigger friendship groups (b = .397; p < .001) was associated with higher levels of well-being. However, the frequency of online contact with virtual friends made online was negatively and significantly associated with well-being (b = −.760; p < .001), with a larger negative association for girls than boys.

Conclusions

Online communication with virtual friendship networks were associated with lower mental well-being, with stronger associations for girls than boys; however, frequent online communication with ‘real’ friends was associated with better well-being. Our results indicate the importance of considering the nature of adolescent online communication, rather than just its quantity, in developing interventions to improve adolescent well-being.     

Improvement in speech-reading ability by auditory training: Evidence from gender differences in normally hearing, deaf and cochlear implanted subjects

Several neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies on gender differences in speech processing lead to the suggestion that women use the neural network of predictive and integrative analysis of speech to a larger extent than men. During speech-reading there is indeed a lack of reliable clues for word recognition which should emphasize predictive and integrative strategies of the brain. Our study aimed to explore gender differences in deaf and cochlear implanted (CI) patients at different levels during speech-reading, for words or phonemes, that we consider, correspond to increased involvement of predictive and integrative analysis. We collected speech-reading scores in a control group of normally hearing subjects (n = 42) and in a group of deaf patients - who are good speech-readers - tested before, early after and late after cochlear implantation (n = 97). Patient groups were almost equally distributed between follow-up and new patients. In normally hearing controls, women speech-read words better than men. This difference was also observed in all patients but not in experienced cochlear implant users. We did not observe a gender difference during speech-reading of isolated phonemes neither for controls nor for patients. We conclude that the better speech-reading ability of women for words but not for phonemes is in line with their greater use of predictive and integrative strategies for speech processing. Furthermore, we observed a progressive cross-modal compensation in male CI users after cochlear implantation which suggests a synergetic perceptual facilitation involving the visual and the recovering auditory modalities. This could lead to an improved performance in both auditory and visual modalities, the latter being constantly recruited to complement the crude information provided by the implant. Altogether, our data provide insights into cross-modal compensation in the adult brain following sensory privation.     

Longitudinal associations between perceived age discrimination and subjective well-being: variations by age and subjective life expectancy

Objectives: Perceived age discrimination can have negative effects on one's subjective well-being (SWB). The response to age discrimination might differ based on age, and based on perceived longevity, or subjective life expectancy (SLE). These differential effects have not yet been prospectively examined within adult life span samples.

Method: We examined the association between perceived age discrimination at baseline (T1) and SWB at follow-up (T2), and the moderation effect of SLE. We compared differences in these effects between middle-aged and older adults. Analyses were based on participants who took part in the 2008 (T1) and 2011 (T2) assessments of the German Ageing Survey (DEAS; listwise N = 1534), a population-based representative sample of the German adult population. Participants were categorized as middle-aged (ages 40–64; n = 919) or older adults (ages 65–93; n = 615).

Results: Regression analyses indicated that T1 perceived age discrimination significantly predicts lower T2 SWB among middle-aged, but not among older adults, after adjusting for covariates and T1 SWB. There is a significant interaction between age discrimination and SLE for predicting SWB, only among middle-aged participants, suggesting that age discrimination predicts decreases in SWB for those reporting higher, but not lower levels of SLE.

Conclusion: People in the transition from midlife to old age, who hold higher SLE, appear to be more vulnerable to age discrimination. This may be due to the experience of age discrimination as an ‘off-time’, or unexpected event for those in midlife who have a higher expectation to live longer.     

Gender-related differences in the associations between sexual impulsivity and psychiatric disorders

ObjectiveSexual impulsivity (SI) has been associated with conditions that have substantial public health costs, such as sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. However, SI has not been examined systematically with respect to its relationships to psychopathology. We aimed to investigate associations between SI and psychopathology, including gender-related differences.MethodWe performed a secondary data analysis of Wave-2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a national sample of 34,653 adults in the United States. DSM-IV-based diagnoses of mood, anxiety, drug and personality disorders were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Scheduled DSM-IV Version.ResultsThe prevalence of SI was considerable (14.7%), with greater acknowledgment by men than women (18.9% versus 10.9%; p < 0.0001). For both women and men, SI was positively associated with most Axis-I and Axis-II psychiatric disorders (OR range: Women, Axis-I:1.89–6.14, Axis-II:2.10–10.02; Men, Axis-I:1.92–6.21, Axis-II:1.63–6.05). Significant gender-related differences were observed. Among women as compared to men, SI was more strongly associated with social phobia, alcohol abuse/dependence, and paranoid, schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.ConclusionThe robust associations between SI and psychopathology across genders suggest the need for screening and interventions related to SI for individuals with psychiatric concerns. The stronger associations between SI and psychopathology among women as compared to men emphasize the importance of a gender-oriented perspective in targeting SI. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the extent to SI predates, postdates or co-occurs with specific psychiatric conditions.     

Gender matters: Experiences and consequences of digital dating abuse victimization in adolescent dating relationships

Digital dating abuse (DDA) behaviors include the use of digital media to monitor, control, threaten, harass, pressure, or coerce a dating partner. In this study, 703 high school students reported on the frequency of DDA victimization, whether they were upset by these incidents, and how they responded. Results suggest that although both girls and boys experienced DDA at similar rates of frequency (with the exception of sexual coercion), girls reported that they were more upset by these behaviors. Girls also expressed more negative emotional responses to DDA victimization than boys. Although DDA is potentially harmful for all youth, gender matters. These findings suggest that the experience and consequences of DDA may be particularly detrimental for girls.     

The relationship between early personality and midlife psychological well-being: evidence from a UK birth cohort study

BACKGROUND: Individual differences in personality influence the occurrence, reporting and outcome of mental health problems across the life course, but little is known about the effects on adult psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to examine long range associations between Eysenck's personality dimensions and psychological well-being in midlife. METHODS: The study sample comprised 1,134 women from the 1946 British birth cohort. Extraversion and neuroticism were assessed using the Maudsley Personality Inventory in adolescence (age 16 years) and early adulthood (age 26). Psychological well-being was assessed at age 52 with a 42-item version of Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale. Analyses were undertaken within a structural equation modelling framework that allowed for an ordinal treatment of well-being and personality items, and latent variable modelling of longitudinal data on emotional adjustment. The contribution of mental health problems in linking personality variations to later well-being was assessed using a summary measure of mental health (emotional adjustment) created from multiple time-point assessments. RESULTS: Women who were more socially outgoing (extravert) reported higher well-being on all dimensions. Neuroticism was associated with lower well-being on all dimensions. The effect of early neuroticism on midlife well-being was almost entirely mediated through emotional adjustment defined in terms of continuities in psychological/ psychiatric distress. The effect of extraversion was not mediated by emotional adjustment, nor attenuated after adjustment for neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: Individual differences in extraversion and neuroticism in early adult life influence levels of well-being reported in midlife.     

Gender differences in 12-week antidepressant treatment outcomes for a naturalistic secondary care cohort: the CRESCEND study

This study aimed to determine whether men and women with depression differ in socio-demographic, treatment-related characteristics, and in their responses to treatment with antidepressants, as well as to explore differences in treatment outcomes by menopausal status. From a nationwide sample of 18 hospitals in South Korea, 723 depressive patients were recruited. After baseline evaluation, they received naturalistic clinician-determined antidepressant interventions. Assessment scales for evaluating depression (HAMD), anxiety (HAMA), global severity (CGI-s), and functioning (SOFAS) were administered at baseline and re-evaluated at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks later. At baseline, women were older, less educated, less likely to be employed, had lower income, were more likely to be married, and had longer illness duration than men. There were no gender differences in the treatment-regime received. After adjustment for baseline status, women were more likely to achieve HAMD remission (OR = 1.51), HAMD response (OR = 1.64), and HAMA response (OR = 1.61). Women also experienced shorter times to HAMD response, HAMA response, and CGI-s remission. Postmenopausal women showed higher HAMA response with newer dual action antidepressants than premenopausal women. Women were found to have better outcomes following antidepressant treatment than men, and postmenopausal women had a better response on anxiety symptoms with newer dual action antidepressants.     

Consistent associations between measures of psychological stress and CMV antibody levels in a large occupational sample

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpes virus that has been implicated in biological aging and impaired health. Evidence, largely accrued from small-scale studies involving select populations, suggests that stress may promote non-clinical reactivation of this virus. However, absent is evidence from larger studies, which allow better statistical adjustment for confounding and mediating factors, in more representative samples.The present study involved a large occupational cohort (N = 887, mean age = 44, 88% male). Questionnaires assessed psychological (i.e., depression, anxiety, vital exhaustion, SF-12 mental health), demographic, socioeconomic (SES), and lifestyle variables. Plasma samples were analyzed for both the presence and level of CMV-specific IgG antibodies (CMV-IgG), used as markers for infection status and viral reactivation, respectively. Also assessed were potential biological mediators of stress-induced reactivation, such as inflammation (C-reactive protein) and HPA function (awakening and diurnal cortisol). Predictors of CMV infection and CMV-IgG among the infected individuals were analyzed using logistic and linear regression analyses, respectively.Confirming prior reports, lower SES (education and job status) was positively associated with infection status. Among those infected (N = 329), higher CMV-IgG were associated with increased anxiety (β = .14, p < .05), depression (β = .11, p = .06), vital exhaustion (β = .14, p < .05), and decreased SF-12 mental health (β = −.14, p < .05), adjusting for a range of potential confounders. Exploratory analyses showed that these associations were generally stronger in low SES individuals. We found no evidence that elevated inflammation or HPA-function mediated any of the associations.In the largest study to date, we established associations between CMV-IgG levels and multiple indicators of psychological stress. These results demonstrate the robustness of prior findings, and extend these to a general working population. We propose that stress-induced CMV replication warrants further research as a psychobiological mechanism linking stress, aging and health.