The Relationship Between Age at Incarceration and Lifetime Suicide Attempt Among a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Adults

Community Mental Health Journal - To examine the association between age at incarceration and lifetime suicide attempt (SA), and whether it differs by gender. Lifetime prevalence of SA was compared...     

Gender Differences in Diagnostic Remission of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Proportions and Correlates of Remission in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample

Psychiatric Quarterly - This study examines differences in a nationally representative sample, in proportions of men and women with lifetime diagnoses of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who...     

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Cognition in Older Adults

Both sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and cognitive impairment are common among older adults, yet few studies have examined their relationship within this population to determine whether the effect of SDB on cognition is of a magnitude similar to or greater than that observed in younger and middle-aged adults. Here, we review the extant literature and report that studies are largely supportive of an association between SDB and cognitive impairment in older adults, particularly in the domains of attention/vigilance, executive function, and verbal delayed recall memory. Presence of the APOE4 allele may confer increased vulnerability to SDB-associated cognitive dysfunction among elderly individuals. Although findings are mixed, there is strong evidence to suggest that SDB-related intermittent hypoxemia is the primary mechanism through which SDB exerts its adverse effects on cognition. We propose a microvascular model in which chronic intermittent hypoxemia causes vasculopathy that ultimately is expressed as cognitive impairment in the older adult. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of SDB on cognition are the same regardless of age or whether there is a synergistic interaction between age and SDB.     

The Neuropsychological Underpinnings to Psychopathic Personality Traits in a Nationally Representative and Longitudinal Sample

Although psychopathy is a major area of research in psychology and criminology, much remains unknown about its etiological underpinnings. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the current study explored the association between neuropsychological deficits and psychopathic personality traits and produced three key findings. First, four neuropsychological deficits measures were consistently related to the measure of psychopathic personality traits both longitudinally and cross-sectionally. Second, neuropsychological deficits measures predicted variation in psychopathic personality traits for both males and females and the magnitude of the association between neuropsychological deficits and psychopathic personality traits did not vary as a function of gender. Third, parental socialization measures had relatively small and inconsistent effects on psychopathic personality traits. Suggestions for future research are offered.     

Prevalence of Enuresis and Its Association With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among U.S. Children: Results From a Nationally Representative Study

ObjectiveThere are no published nationally representative prevalence estimates of enuresis among children in the United States using standardized diagnostic criteria. This study sets out to describe the prevalence, demographic correlates, comorbidities, and service patterns for enuresis in a representative sample of U.S. children.MethodThe diagnosis of enuresis was derived from parent-reported data for “enuresis, nocturnal” collected using the computerized version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (C-DISC 4.0) from a nationally representative sample of 8- to 11-year-old children (n = 1,136) who participated in the 2001–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.ResultsThe overall 12-month prevalence of enuresis was 4.45%. The prevalence in boys (6.21%) was significantly greater than that in girls (2.51%). Enuresis was more common at younger ages and among black youth. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was strongly associated with enuresis (odds ratio 2.88; 95% confidence interval 1.26–6.57). Only 36% of the enuretic children had received health services for enuresis.ConclusionsEnuresis is a common condition among children in the United States. Few families seek treatment for enuresis despite the potential for adverse effects on emotional health. Child health care professionals should routinely screen for enuresis and its effects on the emotional health of the child and the family. Assessment of ADHD should routinely include evaluation for enuresis and vice versa. Research on the explanations for the association between enuresis and ADHD is indicated.     

Prevalence,Correlates, and Psychiatric Burden of Prolonged Grief Disorder in U.S. Military Veterans: Results From a Nationally Representative Study

ObjectivesTo examine the point prevalence and correlates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in a nationally-representative sample of United States (U.S.) veterans.MethodsData were analyzed from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative study of 2,441 U.S. veterans.ResultsA total of 158 (weighted 7.3%) veterans screened positive for PGD. The strongest correlates of PGD were adverse childhood experiences, female sex, non-natural causes of death, knowing someone who died from coronavirus disease 2019, and number of close losses. After adjusting for sociodemographic, military, and trauma variables, veterans with PGD were 5-to-9 times more likely to screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. After additional adjustment for current psychiatric and substance use disorders, they were 2–3 times more likely to endorse suicidal thoughts and behaviors.ConclusionsResults underscore the importance of targeting PGD as an independent risk factor for psychiatric disorders and suicide risk.     

The Relationship Between Sleep and Anxiety in Older Adults

Anxiety and sleep problems are major barriers to healthy aging and are frequently comorbid conditions in older adults. In the current review, we present recent advances in understanding the extensive overlap among older adults between anxiety and one specific related sleep problem, insomnia. These proposals suggest that anxiety and insomnia may share a common vulnerability to negative emotionality and at times may act as risk factors for each other in older adults. We also highlight developmental shifts in motivation that are likely to impact cognitive-behavioral mechanisms of anxiety and insomnia. Finally, we characterize the current state of treatment for comorbid anxiety and insomnia among older adults and identify future directions for research and clinical practice.     

Psychopathic Personality Traits and Their Influence on Parenting Quality: Results from a Nationally Representative Sample of Americans

Psychopathic personality traits have consistently been found to predict a range of negative and dysfunctional outcomes. As a result, it is somewhat surprising that the research to date has failed to empirically examine the potential association between psychopathic personality traits and parenting quality. The current study addressed this omission in the literature by analyzing a community sample of adults. The results revealed that respondents scoring higher on psychopathic personality traits tended to report more negative parenting quality. These results were detected for both males and females and remained significant even after controlling for the effects of parental transmission and child-effects. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show a statistically significant association between psychopathic personality traits and parenting quality. We conclude with a discussion of what these findings mean for psychopathy research and the parenting the literature.     

Subjective Sleep Quality and Trajectories of Interleukin-6 in Older Adults

BackgroundWe aimed to identify trajectories of inflammation in older adults at elevated risk for syndromal depression and anxiety and to determine whether baseline physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors could distinguish 15-month longitudinal trajectories.MethodsOlder adults (N = 195, mean age (±SD) = 74.4 years (9.0) participating in three depression and anxiety prevention protocols completed a comprehensive battery of psychosocial assessments and provided blood samples for analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) every 3 months over a maximum of 15 months. Group-based trajectory modeling identified trajectories. Adjusted logistic regression examined associations between baseline factors and trajectory groups.ResultsTwo 15-month trajectories were identified: stable lower IL-6 levels (84%; mean (±SD) = 3.2 (2.1) pg/mL); and consistently higher IL-6 levels (16%; mean = 9.5 (7.4) pg/mL). Poor sleep quality predicted consistently higher levels of IL-6 (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.03–3.55).ConclusionPoor sleep quality may represent a therapeutic target to reduce inflammation.     

A Multimodal Intervention to Improve Cognition in Community-dwelling Older Adults

ObjectiveTo examine the effects of a multimodal intervention composed of cognitive training, physical exercise, and group counseling on cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.DesignA four-armed, quasi-experimental intervention study.Setting and ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older (n = 153).InterventionParticipants were allocated into multimodal intervention, cognitive training plus Taichi exercise, cognitive training, or control group. The multimodal intervention included 18 sessions of cognitive training, 18 sessions of Taichi, and 6 sessions of group reminiscence over six weeks.MeasurementsCognitive function, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being were assessed at the baseline, postintervention, and three-month follow-up. The primary outcome was the change in overall cognition measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and a composite cognitive score derived from a battery of neuropsychological tests.ResultsFor MoCA, there was no significant difference between any of the three intervention groups and controls. For composite cognition, all three intervention groups showed improvements at the three-month follow-up, with a large effect size in the cognitive training plus Taichi group (change difference 0.37, 95% CI 0.18–0.56, Hedge's g = 0.92), and medium effect sizes in the multimodal intervention group (change difference 0.23, 95% CI 0.0 –0.42, g = 0.58) and cognitive training group (change difference 0.22, 95% CI 0.03–0.42, g = 0.55).ConclusionsMultimodal intervention, cognitive training plus Taichi, and cognitive training could foster cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. The combination of cognitive training and Taichi showed greater efficacy than the other two interventions.     

Habitual Sleep Duration,Unmet Sleep Need,and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Korean Adults

MethodsThe participants comprised 2,769 Korean adults aged 19 years or older. They completed questionnaires about their sleep habits over the previous month. The question regarding sleep need was "How much sleep do you need to be at your best during the day?" Unmet sleep need was calculated as sleep need minus habitual sleep duration. Participants with a score of >10 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were considered to have EDS.ResultsThe overall prevalence of EDS was 11.9%. Approximately one-third of the participants (31.9%) reported not getting at least 7 hours of sleep. An unmet sleep need of >0 hours was present in 30.2% of the participants. An adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant excess risk of EDS in the groups with unmet sleep needs of ≥2 hours [odds ratio (OR), 1.80; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27–2.54] and 0.01–2 hours (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02–1.98). However, habitual sleep duration was not significantly related to EDS.ConclusionsEDS was found to be associated with unmet sleep need but not with habitual sleep duration when both factors were examined together. We suggest that individual unmet sleep need is more important than habitual sleep duration in terms of the relation to EDS.