Sexual intercourse among adolescent daughters of mothers with depressive symptoms from minority families

This study investigated the association between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent engagement in sexual intercourse in a non-clinical sample of mothers and their adolescent daughters from minority families. The current study explores ways in which maternal depression, family factors, and adolescent sex interact. Data were from a cross-sectional study of 176 mother–daughter dyads, including a subset of mothers with HIV. Logistic regression analyses revealed that among mothers who were not current marijuana users, more maternal depressive symptoms was associated with daughters' engagement in sexual intercourse. Neither parent-child conflict nor parental involvement significantly mediated the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent sex. This study provides the first empirical evidence that non-clinical depressive symptoms in mothers are associated with adolescent engagement in sexual intercourse.     

Intergenerational relationships and the trajectory of depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults in rural migrant families

Objectives: This study examined the trajectory patterns of depressive symptoms of older rural Chinese adults in migrant families and the role of intergenerational relationships in predicting trajectory class memberships.

Method: Data were derived from the 2001, 2003, 2006, and 2009 waves of a longitudinal survey titled The Well-being of Older People in Anhui Province. The sample featured 486 respondents who had at least one migrant adult children at all four waves. Growth mixture modeling was used to investigate the trajectory classifications of depressive symptoms from 2001 to 2009 and antecedents in differentiating among class memberships.

Results: The findings suggested a two-class model to interpret depressive symptom trajectory patterns: persistently high symptoms and low but increasing symptoms. Older adults who had better intergenerational relationships at baseline were more likely to have low but increasing depressive symptoms after controlling for other covariates.

Discussion: The findings suggest that intergenerational relationships have long-term impacts on depressive symptom trajectory classes. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.     

Parental attachment,self-control,and depressive symptoms in Chinese and Italian adolescents: Test of a mediation model

The current study investigated the relationship between parental attachment and depressive symptoms as well as the mediating effect of self-control in two different cultures. Samples were 1305 Chinese and 1327 Italian adolescents. They completed the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment, the Self-Restraint Subscale of the Adolescents' Self-Consciousness Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory that assessed parental attachment, self-control, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Results showed that: (1) Few cultural differences in depressive symptom were observed. (2) Parental attachment and self-control were negatively related to depressive symptoms in both cultures. (3) Self-control mediated the relations between parental attachment and depressive symptoms in both cultures. (4) The direct and indirect effects were invariant across cultures. In conclusion, parental attachment and self-control are important for adolescents' depressive symptoms in Chinese and Italian adolescents.     

A longitudinal evaluation of the Resilient Families randomized trial to prevent early adolescent depressive symptoms

This study aimed to evaluate whether an intervention prevented the development of depressive symptoms through the early years of secondary school (Grades 7 to 9 – mean ages 12.3 to 14.5 years) in Victoria, Australia. Twelve schools were randomized to a universal preventative intervention (including a student social relationship/emotional health curriculum, and parent/caregiver parenting education); 12 were randomized as control schools. Multivariate regression analyses used student self-report to predict depressive symptoms at 26-month follow-up (13-months after intervention completion) from baseline measures and intervention status (N = 2027). There was no overall intervention effect on depressive symptoms. However, intervention students with moderate symptoms whose parents attended parent education events had a significantly reduced risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up. Future evaluations of interventions of this type should investigate: therapeutic processes; methods to increase recruitment into effective parent education events; and the potential to target assistance to students with high depressive symptoms.     

The longitudinal associations among perceived discrimination,social initiative,and depressive symptoms in Chinese rural left-behind adolescents

IntroductionPerceived discrimination is a significant stressor in the lives of Chinese rural left-behind adolescents. Although some research has examined the effects of perceived discrimination on left-behind adolescents’ psychosocial functioning, the majority of existing research is cross-sectional, which limits the understanding of the underlying mechanism of these effects. The current study used a longitudinal design to explore how perceived discrimination is associated with psychosocial functioning (i.e., depressive symptoms and social initiative) over time in Chinese rural left-behind adolescents.MethodsA total of 1011 rural left-behind adolescents (54% boys) were involved in an ongoing longitudinal study. At Time 1 (M_age = 12.93, SD = 0.86), adolescents completed measures of perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, and social initiative. At Time 2 (one year later), adolescents again reported on their depressive symptoms and social initiative.ResultsPerceived discrimination was concurrently and longitudinally associated with left-behind adolescents’ depressive symptoms and social initiative. The effect of perceived discrimination on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by social initiative, while the effect of perceived discrimination on social initiative was fully mediated by depressive symptoms. The associations applied equally to adolescents with two migrant parents and adolescents with only a migrant father.ConclusionsThese findings suggest the harmful impact of perceived discrimination on rural left-behind adolescents' social initiative and depressive symptoms and underscore the importance of eliminating discrimination in the rural left-behind adolescents’ intervention program.     

Associations between child behavior problems,family management,and depressive symptoms for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

PurposeThe purpose of the current study was to examine the relationships between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms and to determine whether family management mediates this relationship.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of parents in a southeastern state. Mothers of children with ASD (n = 234) completed self-reported measures of child behavior problems, depressive symptoms, and family management using ad-hoc questions, CES-D-Boston short form, and family management measure (FaMM), respectively. We used a parallel multiple mediator model to address the study hypotheses.ResultsChildren’s behavior problems were significantly associated with mothers’ depressive symptoms and with all five subscales of the FaMM. However, only the Family Life Difficulty subscale was a significant predictor of parent depressive symptoms, suggesting that Family Life Difficulty was the only mediator of the association between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms. After accounting for the mediators, the direct effect of child behavior problems on parent depressive symptoms was non-significant.ConclusionAs the severity of child behavior problems increased, mothers of children with ASD perceived a greater impact of ASD on their family life, which in turn increased the levels of the mothers’ depressive symptoms. Family Life Difficulty assesses parent perceptions of the extent to which their child with ASD influences family relationships and routines, suggesting a need for family-centered services that assist the family in maintaining or adapting to their routines.     

Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: Longitudinal evidence of recursive associations with adolescent depression and parental rejection

IntroductionNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been acknowledged as a major public health concern among adolescents. However, the complex association between parental rejection and NSSI is not entirely understood and the existing literature does not address the underlying mechanism of adolescent depressive symptoms in explaining the process.MethodsThree waves of data (called T1, T2 and T3) were collected 6 months apart, between November 2018 and 2019, in a sample of 1987 Chinese adolescents (56.1% males; ages 10 to 14, M = 12.32, SD = 0.53). Two separate autoregressive cross-lagged models were used to examine the bidirectional association between parental rejection and NSSI as well as the role of depressive symptoms in bidirectional mediation.ResultsThere was strong evidence of bidirectional effects between parental rejection and NSSI at both 6-month intervals. Parental rejection at T1/T2 positively predicted NSSI at T2/T3, and, vice versa, NSSI at T1/T2 positively predicted parental rejection at T2/T3. Furthermore, we found that the reciprocal association between parent rejection and NSSI was mediated by adolescent depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThe present study found reciprocal associations between parental rejection and NSSI, and further demonstrated that the bidirectional process was mediated by depressive symptoms. The findings from this study are of great interest as they help to inform the development of future prevention and intervention strategies for NSSI.     

Negative parkinsonian, depressive and catatonic symptoms in schizophrenia: a conflict of paradigms revisited

Background: To study the interrelationship pattern of negative, depressive, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms over an exacerbation phase of schizophrenia. Method: Forty-five inpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were assessed at admission and discharge for negative, depressive, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms. A subsample of patients unmedicated at admission (n=23) was specifically analyzed. Results: Negative, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms correlated significantly at both assessment points, as did their mean changes over the episode. At admission, depressive symptoms did not correlate with negative, parkinsonian or catatonic symptoms, but they did at discharge. Changes of depressive symptoms over the episode did not correlate with changes of the other groups of symptoms. In the patients who were unmedicated at admission, ratings of non-akinetic parkinsonism, unlike ratings of akinetic parkinsonism, worsened significantly after neuroleptic treatment. Conclusions: While negative, parkinsonian and catatonic symptoms are highly related features, depressive symptoms seem to be a relatively independent dimension of psychopathology in schizophrenia. Non-akinetic parkinsonian symptoms may be more useful than the akinetic symptoms in distinguishing primary from drug-induced negative symptoms.     

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and predictors of treatment among U.S. adults from 2005 to 2010

Objectives

To determine nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of depressive symptoms and factors associated with treatment among those with moderate to severe symptoms.

Methods

A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of adults age ≥ 18 years in the 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data who responded to the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was conducted (n= 13,320). Depressive symptoms and severity were defined by PHQ-9 scores. Depression treatment was defined as either receiving antidepressants or seeing a mental health professional. Multivariable logistic regression analyses using population weights identified factors associated with having depressive symptoms and receipt of any treatment.

Results

The prevalence of depressive symptoms increased from 20.92% to 25.66% over 6 years. Among patients with moderate to severe depression, 38.66% received treatment. Multivariable analyses found that being female, other Hispanic, younger age, having certain chronic comorbidities or previous hospitalization, no health insurance and in poverty status were associated with having depressive symptoms (P< .05). Among patients with moderate to severe depression, being female, white, younger age, having comorbidities (arthritis and hypertension) or previous hospitalization were associated with receipt of treatment (P< .05).

Conclusions

The prevalence of depressive symptoms is high, and only a small portion of patients with moderate to severe depression received treatments. Treatment disparities exist and need improvement.     

Emotion regulation and depressive symptoms: Examining the mediation effects of school connectedness in Chinese late adolescents

This study tested Gross's process model of emotion regulation in a Chinese adolescent sample. It hypothesized that emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) would predict adolescents' perception of school connectedness and depressive symptoms. It also posited that school connectedness may be a possible mediator between emotion regulation and depressive symptoms. Participants were 504 adolescents aged 16–18 from two Chinese public upper secondary schools. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that reappraisal and suppression significantly associated with school connectedness and depressive symptoms, and school connectedness mediated the link between emotion regulation and depressive symptoms, even when the general emotion experiences were controlled. Although boys unexpectedly reported higher level depressive symptoms, the hypothesized model was invariant across gender except for the link between suppression and depressive symptoms. These findings demonstrate that it is meaningful to involve both emotion regulation processes and school connectedness in explaining adolescent depressive symptoms.     

Association of socio-demographic factors and parental education with depressive symptoms among older African Americans and Caribbean Blacks

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic variation in the relationship between individual socio-demographic factors, parental educational level, and late-life depressive symptoms in older African Americans and Caribbean Blacks.

Method: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of American Life. A subsample of older African Americans (N = 837) and Caribbean Blacks (N = 271) was analyzed using multiple regression analysis.

Results: Findings suggest differences in predictors of depressive symptoms for the two ethnic groups. Among older African Americans, lower educational attainment and lower income were predictive risk factors for higher depressive symptoms. Findings among older Caribbean Blacks suggest that nativity and income were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. This study did not find support for any association between parental education and late-life depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: This study adds new information by considering ethnic variation in an examination of depressive symptoms in older Black Americans. The results contribute to the growing awareness of the older Caribbean Black population in the United States.     

The important role of sense of coherence in relation to depressive symptoms for Taiwanese family caregivers of cancer patients at the end of life

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the strength of personal coping capability, the sense of coherence (SOC), makes a unique contribution in explaining the extent of depressive symptoms experienced by family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 253 Taiwanese family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients participated in this survey. Caregiver depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D. Potential correlates of depressive symptoms were categorized as: (1) characteristics of the caregivers; (2) demographics and disease-related characteristics of the patients; (3) objective caregiving loads; (4) confidence in end-of-life caregiving; (5) subjective caregiving burden; and (6) SOC. RESULTS: Family caregivers scored high on the CES-D [mean (S.D.)=22.24 (11.36)]. Results from the R(2) change in the hierarchical multiple regression model indicated that the incremental variance explained by each block of variables for (1) the characteristics of family caregivers, (2) the characteristics of cancer patients, (3) objective caregiving loads, (4) confidence in caregiving, and (5) subjective caregiving burden was 20.5%, 6.8%, 1.5%, 3.7%, and 11.9%, respectively. In the final step of regression, SOC of caregivers increases the explained variation in depressive symptoms by 21.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that, among the independent variables examined in this study, variations in SOC are comparatively important in explaining the variation of depressive symptoms experienced by Taiwanese family caregivers. Developments and evaluations of the effectiveness of clinical interventions aimed at augmenting caregivers' coping capability (such as SOC) to facilitate positive appraisal and finding meaning, to improve understanding of the demands and challenges of caregiving, and to mobilize resources available to manage caregiving tasks are highly recommended.     

Changes in depressive symptoms during widowhood among older Mexican Americans: the role of financial strain,social support,and church attendance

Objectives: This study examines how depressive symptoms change during the widowhood process among older adults of Mexican descent. This research also investigates whether financial strain, social support, and church attendance moderate changes in depressive symptoms in the context of widowhood.

Method: This study uses seven waves of data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly collected at approximately two-year intervals. This research applies multiphase growth models to examine changes in depressive symptomatology before, during, and after the transition to widowhood (the measurement wave at which spousal bereavement was first reported) among 385 older adults of Mexican descent who experienced the death of a spouse during the survey.

Results: This study demonstrates that older adults of Mexican descent experienced a significant increase in depressive symptoms pre-widowhood and in particular, during the transition to widowhood. The levels and rates of changes in depressive symptoms post-widowhood did not differ from the pre-widowhood ones. Greater social support was related to more depressive symptoms during the transition to widowhood. More frequent church attendance was a protective factor against increases in depressive symptoms pre-widowhood.

Conclusion: This study highlights the multiphase pattern in the effects of the widowhood process on depressive symptomatology among older adults of Mexican descent. The findings also suggest that social support and church attendance can have implications for the interplay between widowhood and depressive symptoms.     

The interactive role of chronic medical conditions and sleep disturbance in predicting depressive symptoms among Korean American older adults

Objectives: This study examined the independent and interactive effects of chronic medical conditions and sleep disturbance on depressive symptomatology. The sample (N?=?675) consisted of community-dwelling Korean American older adults, a group that has been found to be particularly high in depressive symptomatology.

Methods: A hierarchical regression model of depressive symptoms was estimated with an array of predictors: (a) demographic variables, including immigration history, (b) chronic medical conditions, (c) sleep disturbance, and (d) an interaction between chronic medical conditions and sleep disturbance.

Results: After controlling for the effects of demographic variables, both chronic medical conditions and sleep disturbance were identified as independent risk factors for depressive symptoms. Moreover, their interaction was significant, indicating that the coexistence of chronic medical conditions and sleep disturbance was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (β?=?0.15, p?

Conclusion: Our findings call attention to sleep hygiene among older individuals with chronic medical conditions and recommend that sleep quality should be closely monitored and assessed by healthcare professionals.     

Depressive symptoms and externalizing behaviors among Hispanic immigrant adolescents: Examining longitudinal effects of cultural stress

This study examined longitudinal effects of cultural stress (a latent factor comprised of bicultural stress, ethnic discrimination, and negative context of reception) on depressive symptoms and a range of externalizing behaviors among recently (≤5 years in the U.S. at baseline) immigrated Hispanic adolescents. A sample of 302 adolescents (53% boys; mean age 14.51 years) completed baseline measures of perceived ethnic discrimination, bicultural stress, and perceived negative context of reception; and outcome measures of depressive symptoms, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, aggressive behavior, and rule-breaking behavior six months post-baseline. A path analysis indicated that higher cultural stress scores predicted higher levels of all outcomes. These effects were consistent across genders, but varied by study site. Specifically, higher cultural stress scores increased depressive symptoms among participants in Miami, but not in Los Angeles. Findings suggest that cultural stress is a clinically relevant predictor of depressive symptoms and externalizing behaviors among Hispanic immigrant adolescents.     

Physical activity buffers the effects of family conflict on depressed mood: a study on adolescent girls and boys

This paper investigates the relationship between physical activity and depressed mood, under conditions of family conflict. We analyze data from a representative sample of 7232 Icelandic adolescents. Analysis of variance was carried out to test for main and interaction effects. The study shows that while family conflict increases the likelihood of depressed mood, among adolescents, physical activity decreases the likelihood of depressed mood. Furthermore, physical activity plays a more important role among those adolescents living in aversive circumstances, than other adolescents, as family conflict and physical activity interact in the effect on depressed mood for adolescents living in such circumstances. The findings highlight the role of physical activity in decreasing mental distress among adolescents, especially those living in aversive circumstances at home.     

Hostile,aggressive family conflict trajectories during the transition to adulthood: Associations with adolescent Big Five and emerging adulthood adjustment problems

The goal of this longitudinal study was to investigate the relation of adolescents' Big Five factor (BFF) personality to the development of different patterns of mother–adolescent hostile, aggressive conflict (MHAC) from late adolescence to young adulthood. Furthermore, we examined the prediction of Antisocial Problems (AP) and Depressive Problems (DP) in emerging adulthood from BFF and MHAC trajectories. 385 adolescents participated in this study (age 15–16 at Time 1 and 21–22 at Time 4). Using latent growth curve analysis, Low stable (69.1%), Medium Increasing, (23.3%), and High decreasing (7.6%) trajectories were distinguished. Low adolescents' emotional stability was directly related to AP and indirectly related to DP, throughout the mediation of both Medium Increasing and High Decreasing trajectories. Agreeableness was directly negatively related to DP and indirectly throughout the mediation of High Decreasing trajectory. Low Conscientiousness was indirectly related to DP, throughout the mediation of Medium Increasing trajectory.     

Brief report: “I can’t talk about it:” Sexuality and self-silencing as interactive predictors of depressive symptoms in adolescent dating couples

This longitudinal study examined sexual intercourse within adolescent romantic relationships as a couple-level moderator of the association between adolescent individual characteristics and depressive symptoms. Two hundred nine middle- and older-adolescent dating couples (aged 14-17 and 17-21, respectively) reported on their own self-silencing, depressive symptoms, and sexual behaviors. At Time 1, frequency of sexual intercourse significantly moderated the relationship between self-silencing and depressive symptoms, such that adolescents higher in self-silencing engaging in more frequent sex were at risk for clinically significant levels of depression. Adolescents who were low in self-silencing were not at increased risk for depression, regardless of frequency of sex. Self-silencing also significantly predicted increases in depressive symptoms from Time 1 to Time 2. Implications include the possibility that frequent sex in highly self-silencing adolescents exacerbates psychological depletion believed to link self-silencing to depressive symptoms, and that this depletion compounds over time.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: construct validity and prediction of depressive symptoms in a sample of Chinese undergraduates

Background: The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) was developed to measure two dimensions of depression‐prone personality, Dependency and Self‐criticism. We investigated the construct validity and prediction of DEQ in a Chinese sample, and explored whether Blatt's conceptualizations of depression‐prone personality variables are appropriate for the Chinese context. Methods: The original version of the DEQ was translated into Chinese (DEQ‐C). During the initial assessment, 640 Chinese university students completed the DEQ‐C and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D). Six months later, the CES‐D was re‐administered. Results: A principal components analysis yielded a three‐factor model that was consistent with Blatt's theory. However, these three factors emerged in a different order in comparison to the original sample. Factorial validity was also acceptable with low correlations between each DEQ‐C factor in males (r=.01～?0.14), and females (r=0.19～0.28). Convergent validity was supported by significant positive correlations between the CES‐D and both Dependency and Self‐criticism. Predictive validity was demonstrated by hierarchical multiple regression analyses showing that Self‐criticism predicted increased depressive symptoms both in males (β=0.27, p<0.01) and in females (β=0.16, p<0.05); Dependency predicted levels of depressive symptoms only in females (β=0.11, p<0.05). Conclusions: The Chinese version of the DEQ demonstrated satisfactory validity, including construct validity and predictive validity, the DEQ‐C can be considered as an appropriate tool for assessing personality vulnerability to depression in Chinese college students. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.