Associations between family-level adversity and society-level trauma with emotional and behavioural problems amongst children of West Papuan refugees

Few studies have examined associations between family-level parental factors, society-level violence, and the emotional and behavioral status of children of refugee populations. Our study used cross-sectional epidemiological data to test a theoretical model of these key associations amongst a community sample of children (n = 162) of West Papuan refugees living in remote town in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a setting of endemic violence and poverty. Culturally adapted instruments were used to assess three types of intra-familial factors (adverse parenting, physical and/or sexual abuse and emotional abuse) and three types of society-level violence and stressors (exposure to systematic violence, peer violence, living difficulties). Emotional and behavioural problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report Checklist. Path analysis was used to test theoretical associations. Key findings include direct associations between both family-level physical and/or sexual abuse (β = .43; p < .001) and adverse parenting (β = .40; p < .001) with emotional and behavioural problems amongst children. In the broader social domain, peer violence (β = .29; p < .001) had a direct association with children’s emotional and behavioural problems. Several indirect paths demonstrated a chain of relationships involving family- and society-level factors and emotional and behavioural problems in children. Only longitudinal data can provide further support for veridical causal pathways linking family and social factors with adverse emotional and behavioural outcomes in offspring of refugees, thereby supporting mechanisms leading to a transgenerational transmission of adverse mental health outcomes in refugee populations. Such data would give further support for a multisectoral approach to dealing with at risk families in refugee populations, in which attention should focus on supporting parents, and promoting the protection of children from abuse in the family and in the wider society.

     

Prenatal and postnatal psychological symptoms of parents and family functioning: the impact on child emotional and behavioural problems

Although relations of various parental psychological problems and family functioning with child development are well documented, it remains unclear whether specific prenatal or specific postnatal risk factors are independently associated with child emotional and behavioural problems, or whether observed associations can be explained by general parental psychopathology. Using a stepwise approach, we examined the effects of prenatal and postnatal parental depressive symptoms, prenatal and postnatal hostility of the parents, as well as prenatal family functioning on the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems. This study was embedded in Generation R: a population-based cohort from foetal life onwards. Mothers and fathers of 2,698 children provided information about depressive symptoms, symptoms of hostility and family functioning during pregnancy and 3 years after birth. Mother and father each reported on child behaviour when the child was 3 years old. Parental depressive symptoms increased the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems, but this increase was explained by postnatal parental hostile behaviour. Postnatal symptoms of hostility of mothers (OR = 1.34, p value <0.001) and postnatal symptoms of hostility of fathers (OR = 1.30, p value <0.001) each contributed independently to the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems. Postnatal parental hostility is associated with an increased risk of child emotional and behavioural problems, independent of parental depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that prevention and intervention strategies should focus on psychological symptoms of both mothers and fathers, in particular on hostile behaviour, in families with young children.     

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of adolescent depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of aggregated and individual-patient data from uncontrolled studies

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). Existing evidence on the efficacy of TMS in adolescent MDD awaits quantitative synthesis. A systematic literature search was conducted, and data from eligible studies were synthesized using random-effects models. Treatment-covariate interactions were examined in exploratory analyses of individual-patient data (IPD). Systematic search of the literature yielded 1264 hits, of which 10 individual studies (2 randomized trials) were included for quantitative synthesis of mainly uncontrolled studies. Individual patient data (IPD) were available from five trials (all uncontrolled studies). Quantitative synthesis of aggregated data revealed a statistically significant negative overall standardized mean change (pooled SMCC = 2.04, 95% CI [1.46; 2.61], SE = 0.29, p < .001), as well as a significant overall treatment response rate (Transformed Proportion = 41.30%, 95% CI [31.03; 51.57], SE = 0.05; p < 0.001), considering data from baseline to post-treatment. Exploratory IPD analyses suggests TMS might be more effective in younger individuals and individuals with more severe depression, and efficacy might be enhanced with certain treatment modality settings, including higher number of TMS sessions, longer treatment durations, and unilateral and not bilateral stimulation. Existing studies exhibit methodological shortcomings, including small-study effects and lack of control group, blinding, and randomization—compromising the credibility of the present results. To date, two randomized controlled trials on TMS in adolescent depression have been published, and the only large-scale randomized trial suggests TMS is not more effective than sham stimulation. Future large-scale, randomized, and sham-controlled trials are warranted. Future trials should ensure appropriate selection of patients for TMS treatment and guide precision medicine approaches for stimulation protocols.

     

Testing the Synergistic Effects of Depression,Anxiety, and Substance Use in Unsafe Sex: a Cross-sectional Study

Condom use is the most affordable method to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Anxiety, depression, and substance use have been used as covariates of condom use, but little is known about the possibility of synergistic effects. The objective of this study was to determine the synergist effect of depression, anxiety, and substance use in unsafe sex. Individuals receiving residential treatment for substance use were recruited in 21 centers in Mexico City. Data on substance use, depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and condom use (number of unsafe sex occasions) was collected. Four Poisson regression models were adjusted to compare the additive or interactive effect of these variables. We found that model 2 (anxiety and depression interactive model) showed a better fit when compared with its additive-only counterpart (model 1), χ²[1] = 29.538, p < .001; model 4 (anxiety, depression, and substance use interactive model) had a better fit that model 3 (anxiety, depression, and substance use additive model), χ²[1] = 23.479, p < .001. Models with interactive terms produced better predictions of condom use. Only depression symptoms displayed a synergistic effect with substance use. These findings may be the result of unique components of the symptoms, and they stress the importance of including interactive terms when testing the associations or the effects of mental health variables in health outcomes, particularly in condom use.

     

Working from home and positive/negative experiences due to social distancing as interacting factors of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Chinese general population

Purpose

This study investigated the associations between some factors related to working from home status (WFHS) and positive/negative experiences due to social distancing and their interactions effects on depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A random population-based telephone survey interviewed income-earning adults in the Hong Kong general population during April 21–28, 2020 (n = 200).

Results

Mild to severe depression (according to PHQ-9) was reported by 12% of the participants. The prevalence of WFHS categories was 14% for 3–7 days and 13% for ≥ 8 days (past 2 weeks). The multivariable regression analysis showed that, social isolation (β = 0.36; p < 0.001), relaxation feeling in daily life (β = − 0.22; p = 0.002), and WFHS ≥ 8 days (β = 0.15; p = 0.027), but not perceived huge inconvenience and improved family relationship, were associated with depressive symptoms. Statistically significant interaction effects were found. Some positive experiences buffered the potential harms of some negative experiences of social distancing on depressive symptoms; WFHS ≥ 8 days significantly moderated the risk/protective effects of social isolation, improved family relationship, and relaxation feeling on depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Social distancing is double-edged. Positive experiences should be maximized while negative experiences be minimized, as both were directly and interactively associated with depression. Intensive but not mild to moderate (< 80%) WFHS may impact depressive symptoms negatively via its direct association with depression; it also moderated the associations between positive/negative experiences due to social distancing and depression. Further research is required to discern the inter-relationships among WFHS, positive/negative experiences of social distancing, and depression to better cope with the stressful pandemic.

     

The Role of Passion in Exercise Addiction,Exercise Volume,and Exercise Intensity in Long-term Exercisers

Recent studies have shown a relationship between the risk for exercise addiction (REA) and passion. This research examined whether levels of REA, volume of exercise (in weekly hours), and self-reported exercise intensities yield differences in obsessive passion and harmonious passion among individuals with long history of exercise. Respondents (n = 360) completed the Exercise Addiction Inventory, Passion Scale, and Borg Scale (assessing their usual exercise intensity), and reported their volume of exercise (hours per week). Regression analysis demonstrated that exercise intensity, obsessive passion, and harmonious passion were significant predictors (r² = .381, p < .001) of the REA scores with obsessive passion being the strongest predictor (r² = .318). Exercisers classified as at REA reported higher obsessive passion, harmonious passion, and exercise intensity (p ≤ .001) than those classified as symptomatic, who in turn scored higher on these measures (p ≤ .006) than asymptomatic exercisers. Participants reporting greater volumes of exercise also scored higher on obsessive passion, harmonious passion (p < .001), exercise intensity (p = .032), and REA scores (p = .042) than individuals who exercised less. Finally, women exercising between low and high intensities exhibited greater obsessive passion, as well as harmonious passion (p ≤ .005) than men reporting similar exercise intensities. These findings support the recently reported relationship between passion and REA. They also expand the current knowledge by demonstrating that obsessive passion and harmonious passion are greater in the individuals who exercise at higher volumes and with higher intensities.

     

Time course of panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder onsets

Purpose

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often co-occurs with panic disorder (PD), with some etiological models positing a causal role of panic reactivity in PTSD onset; however, data addressing the temporal ordering of these conditions are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the bi-directional associations between PD and PTSD in a nationally representative, epidemiologic sample of trauma-exposed adults.

Methods

Participants were community-dwelling adults (62.6% women; M_age = 48.9, SD 16.3) with lifetime DSM-IV PTSD criterion A trauma exposure drawn from the 2001/2 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and re-interviewed in 2004/5 (N = 12,467). Cox discrete-time proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were used to investigate the bi-directional associations between lifetime PD and PTSD, accounting for demographic characteristics, trauma load, and lifetime history of major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

Results

PD was significantly associated with subsequent onset of PTSD (HR 1.210, 95%CI = 1.207–1.214, p < .001), and PTSD was significantly associated with onset of PD (HR 1.601, 95% CI 1.597–1.604, p < .001). The association between PTSD and subsequent PD was stronger in magnitude than that between PD and subsequent PTSD (Z = − 275.21, p < .01). Men evidenced stronger associations between PD and PTSD compared to women.

Conclusions

Results were consistent with a bidirectional pathway of risk, whereby PD significantly increased risk for the development of PTSD, and PTSD significantly increased risk for PD. Given the association between PTSD and subsequent PD, particularly among men, clinicians may consider supplementing PTSD treatment with panic-specific interventions, such as interoceptive exposure, to prevent or treat this disabling comorbidity.

     

Predicting Mental Health Treatment Access Among Adolescents With Elevated Depressive Symptoms: Machine Learning Approaches

A large proportion of adolescents experiencing depression never access treatment. To increase access to effective mental health care, it is critical to understand factors associated with increased versus decreased odds of adolescent treatment access. This study used individual depression symptoms and sociodemographic variables to predict whether and where adolescents with depression accessed mental health treatments. We performed a pre-registered, secondary analysis of data from the 2017 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized civilians in the United States. Using four cross-validated random forest models, we predicted whether adolescents with elevated past-year depressive symptoms (N?=?1,671; ages 12–17 years) accessed specific mental health treatments in the previous 12 months (“yes/no” for inpatient, outpatient, school, any). 53.38% of adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms accessed treatment of any kind. Even with depressive symptoms and sociodemographic factors included as predictors, pre-registered random forests explained?<?0.00% of pseudo out-of-sample deviance in adolescent access to inpatient, outpatient, school, or overall treatments. Exploratory elastic net models explained 0.80–2.50% of pseudo out-of-sample deviance in adolescent treatment access across all four treatment types. Neither individual depressive symptoms nor any socioeconomic variables meaningfully predicted specific or overall mental health treatment access in adolescents with elevated past-year symptoms. This study highlights substantial limitations in our capacity to predict whether and where adolescents access mental health treatment and underscores the broader need for more accessible, scalable adolescent depression treatments.

     

Russian adolescent mental health in 2002, 2015 and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021

Background

Adolescent mental health is a global concern, however, time trends and the COVID-19-related restrictions vary across countries. This study examined changes in adolescent mental health and substance use in Russia between 2002, 2015 and during the pandemic in 2021.

Methods

Cross-sectional school-based surveys of 12- to 18-year-olds were carried out in a Siberian city in 2002 (N = 713), 2015 (N = 840) and 2021 (N = 721) using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, data on tobacco, alcohol and drug use and socio-demographic information. We examined the effect of cohort, gender, family composition and parental occupation on mental health and substance use.

Results

There were increases in emotional symptoms and internalising problems (B = 0.93, p < .001) and decreases in substance use over 19 years (B = -.73, p < .001). Changes in adolescent mental health and substance use were substantial from 2002 to 2015 and nonsignificant from 2015 to 2021. Increases in mental health problems were evident only among girls; a decrease in alcohol use was larger among boys. Family composition and parental occupation did not account for these changes.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the mental health of Russian adolescent girls has worsened in the 21st century; the gender gap in mental health has widened; the gender gap in alcohol use was reversed in 2021. The findings highlight the need for research into gender-specific factors and for effective interventions. The lack of changes in Russian adolescent mental health and substance use from 2015 to during the pandemic in 2021 suggests successful coping; however, more research is needed.     

Race/ethnicity moderates the relationship between depressive symptom severity and C-reactive protein: 2005–2010 NHANES data

Because few studies have examined depression facets or potential moderators of the depression–inflammation relationship, our aims were to determine whether particular depressive symptom clusters are more strongly associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and whether race/ethnicity moderates these relationships. We examined data from 10,149 adults representative of the U.S. population (4858 non-Hispanic White, 1978 non-Hispanic Black, 2260 Mexican American, 1053 Other Hispanic) who participated in the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2010. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and high-sensitivity serum CRP was quantified by latex-enhanced nephelometry. Total (p < .001), somatic (p < .001), and nonsomatic (p = .001) depressive symptoms were each positively related to serum CRP in individual models. However, in the simultaneous model that included both symptom clusters, somatic symptoms (p < .001), but not nonsomatic symptoms (p = .98), remained associated with serum CRP. Evidence of moderation by race/ethnicity was also observed, as six of the nine depressive symptoms × race/ethnicity interactions were significant (ps < .05). Among non-Hispanic Whites, the pattern of results was identical to the full sample; only somatic symptoms (p < .001) remained related to serum CRP in the simultaneous model. No relationships between total, somatic, or nonsomatic symptoms and serum CRP were observed among the non-Hispanic Black, Mexican American, or Other Hispanic groups. Our findings indicate that the link between depressive symptoms and systemic inflammation may be due to the somatic symptoms of sleep disturbance, fatigue, appetite changes, and psychomotor retardation/agitation and may be strongest among non-Hispanic Whites.     

The prevalence of and factors associated with depressive symptoms in the Korean adults: the 2014 and 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose

This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with depressive symptoms in the Korean adult population.

Methods

10,710 participants in the 2014 and 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were analyzed in this study. Assessment of depressive symptoms was performed using the self-administered nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9).

Results

The weighted prevalence of clinically relevant depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) in the Korean adult population was 6.1% [5.5–6.8%]. Female sex, adults aged 19–29 years, elementary school graduation, living alone were significantly associated with clinically relevant depression. Having a household income ≤ 24th percentile was associated with a 2.26 (CI 1.49–3.45, p < 0.001)-fold higher prevalence of clinically relevant depression compared to having a household income ≥ 75th percentile. Regarding occupation, treating managers and professionals as controls, we found that unemployed individuals (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.52–3.65, p < 0.001) had an increased risk of clinically relevant depression. Alcohol consumption < 30 g/day was reversely associated with clinically relevant depression (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.93, p = 0.007), when abstain from alcohol was treated as control. Current smokers (OR 3.42, 95% CI 2.54–4.60, p < 0.001) and ex-smokers (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.24–2.42, p = 0.001) had a higher risk of clinically relevant depression than never-smokers.

Conclusions

The estimated prevalence of depressive symptoms in a representative sample of the Korean adult population was 6.1%. This study suggests that younger age, female sex, elementary school graduation, living alone, low household income, current smoking, and being unemployed are associated with depressive symptoms.

     

Neuropsychological functioning in adolescent marijuana users: subtle deficits detectable after a month of abstinence.

In adults, studies examining the long-lasting cognitive effects of marijuana use demonstrate subtle deficits in attention, executive function, and memory. Because neuromaturation continues through adolescence, these results cannot necessarily generalize to adolescent marijuana users. The goal of this study was to examine neuropsychological functioning in abstinent marijuana using and demographically similar control adolescents. Data were collected from 65 adolescent marijuana users (n=31, 26% females) and controls (n=34, 26% females) 16-18 years of age. Extensive exclusionary criteria included independent psychiatric, medical, and neurologic disorders. Neuropsychological assessments were conducted after>23 days of monitored abstinence. After controlling for lifetime alcohol use and depressive symptoms, adolescent marijuana users demonstrated slower psychomotor speed (p<.05), and poorer complex attention (p<.04), story memory (p<.04), and planning and sequencing ability (p<.001) compared with controls. Post hoc analysis revealed that the number of lifetime marijuana use episodes was associated with poorer cognitive function, even after controlling for lifetime alcohol use. The general pattern of results suggested that, even after a month of monitored abstinence, adolescent marijuana users demonstrate subtle neuropsychological deficits compared with nonusers. It is possible that frequent marijuana use during adolescence may negatively influence neuromaturation and cognitive development.     

Major depressive disorder and attenuated negative symptoms in a child and adolescent sample with psychosis risk syndrome: the CAPRIS study

Some 70–80% of subjects with psychotic risk syndrome (PRS) have lifetime comorbidity, with depressive disorders being the most common. A high proportion of patients with PRS present nonspecific symptoms which can be confounding factors for diagnosis. Depressive and negative symptoms may be difficult to distinguish and it is important to differentiate them. The aim of this study is to assess the presence of depressive disorder in a child and adolescent sample of PRS and to examine the presence of negative symptoms and detect possible confounding characteristics between them and depressive symptoms. This is a naturalistic multi-site study with subjects who met PRS criteria. A sample of 89 PRS adolescent patients was included. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent comorbid disorder (34.83%). The sample was divided into patients who met criteria for MDD (PRS-MDD, n = 31) and those who did not have this disorder (PRS-ND, n = 44). We obtained significant differences in the attenuated negative symptoms (ANS) between PRS-MDD and PRS-ND (68.18 vs. 90.32%, respectively, p = 0.021). Subjects with MDD presented a higher score in ANS and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Moreover, we obtained a correlation between negative symptomatology and HDRS score with a higher score on HDRS in subjects with higher negative symptom scores (r = 0.533, p < 0.001). More research is needed to fine tune differentiation between depressive and negative symptoms and learn more about the possible impact of MDD on PRS children and adolescents.

     

Neural correlates of reduced depressive symptoms following cognitive training for chronic traumatic brain injury

Depression is the most frequent comorbid psychiatric condition among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Yet, little is known about changes in the brain associated with reduced depressive symptoms following rehabilitation for TBI. We identified whether cognitive training alleviates comorbid depressive symptoms in chronic TBI (>6 months post‐injury) as a secondary effect. Further, we elucidated neural correlates of alleviated depressive symptoms following cognitive training. A total of seventy‐nine individuals with chronic TBI (53 depressed and 26 non‐depressed individuals, measured using the Beck Depressive Inventory [BDI]), underwent either strategy‐ or information‐based cognitive training in a small group for 8 weeks. We measured psychological functioning scores, cortical thickness, and resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) for these individuals before training, immediately post‐training, and 3 months post‐training. After confirming that changes in BDI scores were independent of training group affiliation, we identified that the depressive‐symptoms group showed reductions in BDI scores over time relative to the non‐depressed TBI controls (p < .01). Within the depressive‐symptoms group, reduced BDI scores was associated with improvements in scores for post‐traumatic stress disorder, TBI symptom awareness, and functional status (p < .00625), increases in cortical thickness in four regions within the right prefrontal cortex (p_vertex < .01, p_cluster<.05), and decreases in rsFC with each of these four prefrontal regions (p_vertex < .01, p_cluster < .0125). Overall, these findings suggest that cognitive training can reduce depressive symptoms in TBI even when the training does not directly target psychiatric symptoms. Importantly, cortical thickness and brain connectivity may offer promising neuroimaging markers of training‐induced improvement in mental health status in TBI.     

Long-term social skills group training for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial

Social skills group training (SSGT) is widely used for intellectually able children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies indicate small to moderate effects on social communication capacities. The duration of most available programs is relatively short, and extended training might lead to further improvement. This randomized controlled trial compared an extended 24-week version of the SSGT program KONTAKT with standard care. The weekly sessions gradually shifted in content from acquisition of new skills to real-world application of the acquired skills. A total of 50 participants with ASD (15 females; 35 males) aged 8–17 years were included. The study was conducted at two child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient units in Sweden. The primary outcome was the Social Responsiveness Scale–Second Edition (SRS-2) rated by parents and blinded teachers. Secondary outcomes included parent- and teacher-rated adaptive behaviors, trainer-rated global functioning and clinical severity, and self-reported child and caregiver stress. Assessments were made at baseline, posttreatment, and at 3-months follow-up. Parent-rated SRS-2 scores indicated large effects posttreatment [− 19.2; 95% CI − 29.9 to − 8.5; p < .001, effect size (ES) = 0.76], which were maintained at follow-up (− 20.7; 95% CI − 31.7 to − 9.7; p < .0001, ES = 0.82). These estimates indicate substantially larger improvement than previously reported for shorter SSGT. However, the effects on teacher-rated SRS-2 and most secondary outcomes did not reach statistical significance. Our results suggest added benefits of extended SSGT training, implying that service providers might reach better results by optimizing the delivery of SSGT.

     

Effects of marital closeness on the transition from caregiving to widowhood

Objective: To examine the effects of marital closeness on indicators of well-being (depressive symptoms, grief, and relief) as spouses transition from the role of caregiver to that of widowed person.

Methods: 118 spouses of persons with end stage renal disease were interviewed prior to and after the death of the patient. Spouses reported on marital closeness, multiple indicators of pre-death strain as reflected by subjective health, depressive symptoms, caregiving burden, and caregiving satisfaction, as well as post-loss feelings of grief, depression, and relief.

Results: Hierarchical regressions indicated that post-loss grief was predicted by gender (b = 0.32, p < 0.001), self-reported health (b = ?0.28, p < 0.01), marital closeness (0.22, p < 0.05), and pre-loss depressive symptoms (b = 0.19, p < 0.10). Caregiver burden (b = 0.28, p < 0.05) and marital closeness (b = ?0.41, p < 0.001) before the death, predicted relief from the caregiver role post-loss. Subjective health (b = ?0.21, p < 0.05) and pre-loss depressive symptoms (b = 0.47, p < 0.001) predicted change in depressive symptoms over time.

Conclusion: These data highlight differences in the experiences of grief, relief, and depressive symptoms and suggest that marital closeness plays a central role. Results are interpreted in terms of theory regarding marital quality. Implications for interventions to improve the lives of caregivers and newly widowed spouses are discussed.     

Early childhood adversity and late-life depressive symptoms: unpacking mediation and interaction by adult socioeconomic status

Purpose

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to diminished health achievement across the life course. However, few studies have rigorously investigated the role of adult socioeconomic status (SES) as a mediator and an effect modifier of the association between ACEs and late-life depression. We used a four-way decomposition analysis to examine the relative contributions of mediation and interaction by low adult SES to the association between ACEs and late-life depression.

Methods

Data came from two waves (2013 and 2016) of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a nationwide cohort of older people (n = 7271). ACEs were determined as ≥ 2 experiences of the following: parental loss, parental divorce, parental mental illness, domestic violence, physical abuse, psychological neglect, psychological abuse, and economic disadvantage. Low adult SES was defined as earning < 2 million yen of income and < 10 years of schooling. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results

Controlled direct effect (coefficient 0.28; 95% CI 0.08–0.46) accounted for 69.1% of the total effect, which was greater than the other three estimates for the decomposed effects (reference interaction 20.8%, mediated interaction 5.7%, and pure indirect effect 4.4%). Adult SES accounted for 10.1% (via mediation) and 26.5% (via exposure–mediator interaction) of the total association between ACEs and depressive symptoms, respectively.

Conclusion

ACEs appeared to be a strong and independent determinant of depressive symptoms in later life. Nonetheless, the interaction between ACEs and adult SES indicates that achieving high adult SES could mitigate the adverse effect of ACEs on late-life depression.

     

Parental monitoring,adolescent dishonesty and underage drinking: A nationally representative study

Little research has connected underage drinking with adolescent information management strategies. The present study uses longitudinal analyses to theoretically link adolescent lying with parental “monitoring knowledge,” and, in turn, with prospective adolescent drinking, in a large nationally representative sample of U.S. seventh- and eighth-graders (N = 4020). Structural equation modeling evaluated and supported, two key hypotheses: (1) dishonesty promotes future alcohol use by decreasing parental monitoring knowledge, and (2) dishonesty directly predicts alcohol consumption independent of its effects on parental monitoring. Maternal warmth and adolescent satisfaction with maternal relationships, but not parental control, were associated with lessened lying, and predicted parental monitoring and underage drinking. Our data implicate the role of adolescent agency for parental monitoring and highlight advantages of cohesive as opposed to over-restrictive parenting.     

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.     

Identifying sensitive periods when changes in parenting and peer factors are associated with changes in adolescent alcohol and marijuana use

Purpose

There are well-established associations between parental/peer relationships and adolescent substance use, but few longitudinal studies have examined whether adolescents change their substance use in response to changes in their parents’ behavior or peer networks. We employ a within-person change approach to address two key questions: Are changes in parenting and peer factors associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use? Are there sensitive periods when changes in parenting and peer factors are more strongly associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use?

Methods

We analyzed longitudinal data collected annually on 503 boys, ages 13–19, recruited from Pittsburgh public schools. Questionnaires regarding parental supervision, negative parenting practices, parental stress, physical punishment, peer delinquency, and peer drug use were administered to adolescents and their caretakers. Alcohol and marijuana use were assessed by a substance use scale adapted from the National Youth Survey.

Results

Reductions in parental supervision and increases in peer drug use and peer delinquency were associated with increases in marijuana frequency, alcohol frequency, and alcohol quantity. Increases in parental stress were associated with increases in marijuana and alcohol frequency. The magnitudes of these relationships were strongest at ages 14–15 and systematically decreased across adolescence. These associations were not due to unmeasured stable confounders or measured time-varying confounders.

Conclusions

Reducing or mitigating changes in parenting and peer risk factors in early adolescence may be particularly important for preventing substance use problems as adolescents transition into young adulthood.