Depression and the perception of social skill in dyadic interaction

Increasing attention is being given to the elucidation of interpersonal processes in depression. The present study was designed to examine the accuracy of depressives' self-perceptions of their social competence. In addition, depressed subjects' perceptions of others with whom they interacted, and these others' perceptions of their depressed partners, were also assessed. Finally, the self-perceptions of nondepressed individuals following interactions with depressed subjects were examined. Depressed and nondepressed subjects were observed and rated in dyadic interactions with other nondepressed subjects, and postinteraction competence ratings of all participants were obtained from the subjects, their partners, and external observers. Analyses indicated that although the depressed subjects rated themselves as less socially competent than did nondepressed subjects, neither the ratings made by the subjects' partners nor those made by the observers discriminated between the depressed and nondepressed subjects. In addition, the depressed subjects rated their partners as lower in social competence than did the nondepressed subjects, and interestingly, the partners of the depressed subjects rated themselves as lower in social skill following the interaction than did the partners of the nondepressed subjects. Finally, the observer ratings of all participants were significantly lower than the participants' ratings of themselves. The results are discussed with respect to previous investigations in this area, and directions for future research are suggested.This research was supported by an Ontario Mental Health Foundation Research Grant to the first author.     

Elevated Self-Standards and Emotional Distress During Adolescence: Emotional Specificity and Gender Differences

This study examined the relation between self-standards and particular forms of emotional distress during adolescence. One hundred fifteen high school subjects completed the Selves Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Actual-ideal discrepancies and self-oriented perfectionism were found to be associated specifically with depressive symptoms after controlling for anxious symptoms, whereas actual-ought discrepancies were associated specifically with anxious symptoms after controlling for depressive symptoms. In contrast, socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with general emotional distress. Compared with boys, girls reported more depressive, but not anxious, symptoms. Importantly, actual-ideal discrepancies partially mediated gender differences in depressive symptoms.     

Increased incidence of indeterminate pancreatic cysts and changes of management pattern: Evidence from nationwide data

Background: Pancreatic cysts are common. However, most studies are based on data collected from individual centers. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes of management patterns for pancreatic cystic lesions(PCLs) by analyzing large epidemiologic data. Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2018, information regarding pancreatic cystic lesions was acquired from the nationwide Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database in Korea. Results: The final number of patients with...     

Life stress and first onset of psychiatric disorders in daughters of depressed mothers

This study used a comprehensive, interview-based measure of life stress to assess the role of different types of stress in predicting first onset of psychiatric disorders among daughters of depressed (n = 22) mothers and healthy (n = 22) mothers. Several types of stress were assessed: Chronic interpersonal stress, chronic non-interpersonal stress, episodic dependent (i.e., self-generated) interpersonal stress, episodic dependent non-interpersonal stress, episodic independent interpersonal stress, and episodic independent non-interpersonal stress. Daughters (ages 9-14) were recruited to have no clinically significant symptoms upon entry (T1). By a 30-month follow-up assessment (T2), 45% of the daughters of depressed mothers, but none of the daughters of healthy mothers, had developed a psychiatric disorder. Overall, daughters of depressed mothers were exposed to more severe chronic interpersonal and non-interpersonal stress than were daughters of healthy mothers. Further, daughters of depressed mothers who developed a psychiatric disorder by T2 were exposed to more severe chronic non-interpersonal stress and episodic dependent stress than were daughters of depressed mothers who remained healthy. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of a stress-generation model for the intergenerational transmission of psychiatric risk among children of depressed mothers.     

Anomalous functional brain activation following negative mood induction in children with pre-school onset major depression

While major depressive disorder has been shown to be a significant mental health issue for school-age children, recent research indicates that depression can be observed in children as early as the preschool period. Yet, little work has been done to explore the neurobiological factors associated with this early form of depression. Given research suggesting a relation between adult depression and anomalies in emotion-related neural circuitry, the goal of the current study was to elucidate changes in functional activation during negative mood induction and emotion regulation in school-age children with a history of preschool-onset depression. The results suggest that a history of depression during the preschool period is associated with decreased activity in prefrontal cortex during mood induction and regulation. Moreover, the severity of current depressed mood was associated with increased activity in limbic regions, such as the amygdala, particularly in children with a history of depression. Similar to results observed in adult depression, the current findings indicate disruptions in emotion-related neural circuitry associated with preschool-onset depression.     

Attitudes of European physiotherapy students towards their chosen career in the context of different educational systems and legal regulations pertaining to the practice of physiotherapy: implications for university curricula

ObjectivesDifferences in the organisation of educational systems and regulations pertaining to the practice of a profession can influence the attitudes of students towards their chosen career and their perceptions of employment possibilities. The aim of this paper was to discuss the different educational systems and legal regulations pertaining to the practice of physiotherapy in selected countries of the European Union (EU), and to present some conclusions regarding the influence of these differences on the perceptions of first-year physiotherapy students on their chosen career.DesignQuantitative questionnaire-based study.SettingTwenty-one university-level schools in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Spain and the UK.ParticipantsSix hundred and sixty-seven first-year physiotherapy students.ResultsThe mean response rate was 74%. Most students (79%) reported that a personal interest was the main reason why they had decided to study physiotherapy (79%). Most students from Spain and the Czech Republic reported that, on completion of their studies, they would like to work as physiotherapists (61/120, 51% Czech Republic; 140/250, 56% Spain), compared with only 4% of Polish students (P < 0.001). Most students from Poland and Spain were not familiar with employment opportunities in their respective countries (202/250, 81% Spain; 212/250, 85% Poland), and claimed that it is difficult to find employment as a physiotherapist in their country. Most students from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Spain and the UK claimed that it is easy to find a job in other EU countries.ConclusionMost physiotherapy students chose their course because of an interest in physiotherapy. They were not familiar with employment possibilities for graduates, and believed that it is easier to find work in other EU countries. Both factors may further aggravate the problem of unemployment among physiotherapists.