101
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Köhler-Dauner F, Buchheim A, Hildebrand K, Mayer I, Clemens V, Ziegenhain U, Fegert JM. Maternal attachment representation, the risk of increased depressive symptoms and the influence on children's mental health during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. JOURNAL OF CHILD AND FAMILY STUDIES 2021; 31:392-408. [PMID: 34803359 PMCID: PMC8595056 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-021-02162-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The social distancing measures and the related closure of education institutions have confronted young families, in particular, with various challenges. Additional risk factors such as an insecure or even unresolved maternal attachment representation may affect mental health of mothers and their children in times of increased stress such as during the ongoing pandemic. We aimed to analyze the interplay between maternal attachment representation and mother's and children's mental health before and during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. 91 mothers completed a "SARS-CoV-2 pandemic survey" examining the pandemic-related stress of their families including their own depressive symptomology and their children's mental health. Our mediation analysis demonstrates that the mothers' depressive symptomology significantly and fully mediated the relationship between maternal attachment representations and children's mental health during the pandemic. In contrast, the indirect effect of the maternal attachment representation on children's mental health before the pandemic through the depressive symptoms experienced by the mothers before the pandemic did not reach significance alongside the total and direct effect. The quality of the maternal attachment representation, promoted by childhood maltreatment, seems to be one relevant risk factor for the mothers' and children's mental health during a stressful time like a pandemic. The risk for mothers to develop depressive symptoms in times of a pandemic is significantly influenced by their current representation of previous attachment experiences. In addition, the mental well-being of mothers showed a considerable influence on the children's mental health during a pandemic. The results underline the necessity to consider unique needs of family members and to offer specific support in the current crisis focusing on attachment issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Köhler-Dauner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institut für Psychologie, Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52 f, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Katherina Hildebrand
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Inka Mayer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Vera Clemens
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegenhain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jörg M. Fegert
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm Medical University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
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102
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Harvie HMK, Jain B, Nelson BW, Knight EL, Roos LE, Giuliano RJ. Induction of acute stress through an internet-delivered Trier Social Stress Test as assessed by photoplethysmography on a smartphone. Stress 2021; 24:1023-1032. [PMID: 34726560 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1995714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of administering the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) through the internet, with major implications for promoting inclusivity in research participation. However, online TSST studies to date are limited by a lack of control groups and the need for biological measures of stress reactivity that can be fully implemented online. Here, we test smartphone-based photoplethysmography as a measure of heart rate reactivity to an online variant of the TSST. Results demonstrate significant acceleration in heart rate and heightened self-reported stress and anxiety in the TSST condition relative to a placebo version of the TSST. The placebo condition led to a significant increase in self-reported stress and anxiety relative to baseline levels, but this increase was smaller in magnitude than that observed in the TSST condition. These findings highlight the potential for smartphone-based photoplethysmography in internet-delivered studies of cardiac reactivity and demonstrate that it is critical to utilize random assignment to a control or stressor condition when administering acute stress online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M K Harvie
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Barbie Jain
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Benjamin W Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erik L Knight
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Leslie E Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Ryan J Giuliano
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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103
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Gee DG. Early Adversity and Development: Parsing Heterogeneity and Identifying Pathways of Risk and Resilience. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:998-1013. [PMID: 34734741 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21090944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Adversity early in life is common and is a major risk factor for the onset of psychopathology. Delineating the neurodevelopmental pathways by which early adversity affects mental health is critical for early risk identification and targeted treatment approaches. A rapidly growing cross-species literature has facilitated advances in identifying the mechanisms linking adversity with psychopathology, specific dimensions of adversity and timing-related factors that differentially relate to outcomes, and protective factors that buffer against the effects of adversity. Yet, vast complexity and heterogeneity in early environments and neurodevelopmental trajectories contribute to the challenges of understanding risk and resilience in the context of early adversity. In this overview, the author highlights progress in four major areas-mechanisms, heterogeneity, developmental timing, and protective factors; synthesizes key challenges; and provides recommendations for future research that can facilitate progress in the field. Translation across species and ongoing refinement of conceptual models have strong potential to inform prevention and intervention strategies that can reduce the immense burden of psychopathology associated with early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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104
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Sadoughi B, Lacroix L, Berbesque C, Meunier H, Lehmann J. Effects of social tolerance on stress: hair cortisol concentrations in the tolerant Tonkean macaques ( Macaca tonkeana) and the despotic long-tailed macaques ( Macaca fascicularis). Stress 2021; 24:1033-1041. [PMID: 34756152 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1998443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living is a source of stress and an individuals' social environment has been shown to have a significant effect on its health and well-being. However, little is known about how different social organizations affect the stress levels of their members. Is living in a hierarchical society more or less stressful than living in a more tolerant structure? Here, we assess cortisol concentrations in the hair of two macaque species with radically different dominance styles: the egalitarian Tonkean macaque (Macaca Tonkeana) and the despotic long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Hair was sampled in winter and again in late spring in two mixed-sex groups of 22 Tonkean macaques and 9 long-tailed macaques; Hair cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in the egalitarian Tonkean macaques than in the despotic long-tailed macaques, ranging from 161.13 to 938.8 pg/mg (mean ± SD 349.67 ± 126.22) and from 134.46 to 339.86 pg/mg (mean ± SD 231.2 ± 44.24), respectively. There was no difference between male and female cortisol concentrations, but hair cortisol increased with age in males. Dominance rank certainty was lower among female Tonkean macaques compared to long-tailed macaques. Our results suggest that species differences in dominance styles may translate into differences in long-term cortisol concentrations. We suggest that the higher cortisol concentrations in Tonkean macaques could be linked to the instability and lack of predictability and control around social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Sadoughi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
- Oniris - Nantes Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Nantes, France
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Primate Centre of Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology & Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Laurent Lacroix
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | | | - Hélène Meunier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Primate Centre of Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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105
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Gunnar MR, Bowen M. What was learned from studying the effects of early institutional deprivation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 210:173272. [PMID: 34509501 PMCID: PMC8501402 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The effect of experiences in infancy on human development is a central question in developmental science. Children raised in orphanage-like institutions for their first year or so of life and then adopted into well-resourced and supportive families provide a lens on the long-term effects of early deprivation and the capacity of children to recover from this type of early adversity. While it is challenging to identify cause-and-effect relations in the study of previously institutionalized individuals, finding results that are consistent with animal experimental studies and the one randomized study of removal from institutional care support the conclusion that many of the outcomes for these children were induced by early institutional deprivation. This review examines the behavioral and neural evidence for altered executive function, declarative memory, affective disorders, reward processing, reactivity to threat, risk-taking and sensation-seeking. We then provide a brief overview of the neurobiological mechanisms that may transduce early institutional experiences into effects on brain and behavior. In addition, we discuss implications for policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan R Gunnar
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Maya Bowen
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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106
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Huo M, Han SH, Kim K, Choi J. Functional Limitations, Volunteering, and Diurnal Cortisol Patterns in Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:1893-1903. [PMID: 32692814 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Older adults often experience functional limitations that affect their everyday lives, but many of them continue to make positive contributions to society and benefit from these contributions themselves. We examine (a) whether older adults' functional limitations are associated with diurnal cortisol patterns and (b) whether these associations vary on volunteering days versus nonvolunteering days. METHODS Participants were adults aged older than 60 years (N = 435) from the National Study of Daily Experiences, part of the Midlife in the United States Study. They completed an initial interview on functional limitations and background characteristics, indicated volunteering activities in daily interviews, and also provided salivary samples across 4 days. RESULTS Multilevel models showed that older adults with greater functional limitations exhibited dysregulated cortisol awakening responses and diurnal cortisol slopes throughout the rest of the day, compared to older adults with lower limitations. Yet, we also observed a significant moderating effect of volunteering on these associations. DISCUSSION This study advances our understanding of functional limitations and cortisol stress responses, revealing the benefits of volunteering to older adults who experience these limitations. Rather than treating these older adults solely as care recipients, interventions should offer them opportunities to help others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Huo
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis
| | - Sae Hwang Han
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Kyungmin Kim
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Jean Choi
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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107
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Exploring the effects of oily fish consumption on measures of acute and long-term stress in healthy 8-9-year-old children: the FiSK Junior randomised trial. Br J Nutr 2021; 126:1194-1202. [PMID: 33536096 DOI: 10.1017/s000711452000519x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Long-chain n-3 PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) are known to reduce blood pressure (BP), heart rate and vagal tone, but potential stress-mitigating effects of n-3 LCPUFA are not well investigated. We explored the effects of oily fish consumption on long-term stress and the stress response in schoolchildren. Healthy 8-9-year-old children were randomised to receive about 300 g/week of oily fish or poultry for 12 weeks (199 randomised, 197 completing). At baseline and endpoint, we measured erythrocyte n-3 LCPUFA, hair cortisol and the response to a 1-min cold pressor test (CPT) on saliva cortisol, BP and continuous electrocardiogram recordings. Post-intervention hair cortisol did not differ between the groups, but sex-specificity was indicated (Psex × group = 0·074, boys: -0·9 (95 % CI -2·9, 1·0) ng/g, girls: 0·7 (95 % CI -0·2, 1·6) ng/g). Children in the fish group tended to be less prone to terminate CPT prematurely (OR 0·20 (95 % CI 0·02, 1·04)). Mean heart beat interval during CPT was 18·2 (95 % CI 0·3, 36·6) ms longer and high frequency power increased (159 (95 % CI 29, 289) ms2) in the fish v. poultry group. The cardiac autonomic response in the 10 min following CPT was characterised by a sympathetic peak followed by a parasympathetic peak, which was most pronounced in the fish group. This exploratory study does not support a strong effect of oily fish consumption on stress but indicates that oily fish consumption may increase vagal cardiac tone during the physiological response to CPT. These results warrant further investigation.
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108
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Mullins JL, Zhou E, Glenn DE, Moroney E, Lee SS, Michalska KJ. Paternal expressed emotion influences psychobiological indicators of threat and safety learning in daughters: A preliminary study. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22205. [PMID: 34674231 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This preliminary study examined the association of children's anxiety, paternal expressed emotion (EE), and their interaction with psychophysiological indices of children's threat and safety learning. Participants included 24 father-daughter dyads. Daughters (ages 8-13 years, 100% Latina) self-reported their anxiety levels and completed a differential threat conditioning and extinction paradigm, during which psychophysiological responding was collected. Fathers completed a Five-Minute Speech Sample, from which paternal EE (i.e., criticism, emotional overinvolvement) was assessed. Anxiety-dependent associations emerged between paternal EE and individual differences in daughters' psychophysiological responding to safety signals during threat conditioning. Paternal EE was positively associated with psychophysiological responding to safety in daughters with high and mean, but not low, levels of anxiety. Although previous work suggests that chronic harsh maternal parenting is a potential risk factor for children's general threat and safety learning, these preliminary findings implicate milder forms of negative parenting behavior in fathers, particularly for highly anxious children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Mullins
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Elayne Zhou
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Dana E Glenn
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Moroney
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steve S Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kalina J Michalska
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
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109
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Opendak M, Raineki C, Perry RE, Rincón-Cortés M, Song SC, Zanca RM, Wood E, Packard K, Hu S, Woo J, Martinez K, Vinod KY, Brown RW, Deehan GA, Froemke RC, Serrano PA, Wilson DA, Sullivan RM. Bidirectional control of infant rat social behavior via dopaminergic innervation of the basolateral amygdala. Neuron 2021; 109:4018-4035.e7. [PMID: 34706218 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction deficits seen in psychiatric disorders emerge in early-life and are most closely linked to aberrant neural circuit function. Due to technical limitations, we have limited understanding of how typical versus pathological social behavior circuits develop. Using a suite of invasive procedures in awake, behaving infant rats, including optogenetics, microdialysis, and microinfusions, we dissected the circuits controlling the gradual increase in social behavior deficits following two complementary procedures-naturalistic harsh maternal care and repeated shock alone or with an anesthetized mother. Whether the mother was the source of the adversity (naturalistic Scarcity-Adversity) or merely present during the adversity (repeated shock with mom), both conditions elevated basolateral amygdala (BLA) dopamine, which was necessary and sufficient in initiating social behavior pathology. This did not occur when pups experienced adversity alone. These data highlight the unique impact of social adversity as causal in producing mesolimbic dopamine circuit dysfunction and aberrant social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Opendak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Rosemarie E Perry
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA
| | - Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15260, USA
| | - Soomin C Song
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Roseanna M Zanca
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, 10016, USA; The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Emma Wood
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Katherine Packard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Shannon Hu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Joyce Woo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Krissian Martinez
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - K Yaragudri Vinod
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Gerald A Deehan
- Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Peter A Serrano
- Department of Psychology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, 10016, USA; The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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110
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why? Aging Dis 2021; 12:1624-1643. [PMID: 34631211 PMCID: PMC8460299 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceived social support represents an important predictor of healthy aging. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the face of social relationships and revealed elderly to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of social isolation. Social distancing may represent a double-edged sword for older adults, protecting them against COVID-19 infection while also sacrificing personal interaction and attention at a critical time. Here, we consider the moderating role of social relationships as a potential influence on stress resilience, allostatic load, and vulnerability to infection and adverse health outcomes in the elderly population. Understanding the mechanisms how social support enhances resilience to stress and promotes mental and physical health into old age will enable new preventive strategies. Targeted social interventions may provide effective relief from the impact of COVID-19-related isolation and loneliness. In this regard, a pandemic may also offer a window of opportunity for raising awareness and mobilizing resources for new strategies that help build resilience in our aging population and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.,2Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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111
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Microbiota-brain interactions: Moving toward mechanisms in model organisms. Neuron 2021; 109:3930-3953. [PMID: 34653349 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the microbiota are associated with alterations in nervous system structure-function and behavior and have been implicated in the etiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Most of these studies have centered on mammalian models due to their phylogenetic proximity to humans. Indeed, the germ-free mouse has been a particularly useful model organism for investigating microbiota-brain interactions. However, microbiota-brain axis research on simpler genetic model organisms with a vast and diverse scientific toolkit (zebrafish, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans) is now also coming of age. In this review, we summarize the current state of microbiota-brain axis research in rodents and humans, and then we elaborate and discuss recent research on the neurobiological and behavioral effects of the microbiota in the model systems of fish, flies, and worms. We propose that a cross-species, holistic and mechanistic approach to unravel the microbiota-brain communication is an essential step toward rational microbiota-based therapeutics to combat brain disorders.
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112
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Smith MV, Callinan LS, Posner CS, Holmes SC, Ebling R. Improving Maternal Mental Health as a Pathway to Economic Mobility in the TANF System. Psychiatr Serv 2021; 72:1139-1144. [PMID: 33993713 PMCID: PMC10408707 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The authors sought to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and initial outcomes of the delivery of a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) mental health intervention for mothers in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. METHODS An 8-week group CBT program was made available to parenting women (N=40) in a large, urban TANF system from April to August 2019. Participants completed baseline and endpoint measures to assess depressive symptoms, perceived stress, social support, employment, and program acceptability. TANF administrative data were examined to assess TANF engagement. RESULTS TANF staff were successfully trained to deliver CBT. The participants reported significantly reduced depressive symptoms and perceived stress; perceived social support significantly increased from the beginning to the end of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS A model that fully embedded CBT delivery in a TANF system was acceptable to low-income parenting women and TANF staff and reduced depressive symptoms among the women. The scalability of interventions to address maternal depression among low-income women has presented a challenge. Delivering mental health interventions in the U.S. TANF system may offer a scalable method to reduce depression and increase employment in a population bearing a high mental health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan V Smith
- Department of Psychiatry (Smith, Callinan, Holmes) and Child Study Center (Smith, Posner, Ebling), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (Smith); Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island (Holmes)
| | - Laura S Callinan
- Department of Psychiatry (Smith, Callinan, Holmes) and Child Study Center (Smith, Posner, Ebling), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (Smith); Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island (Holmes)
| | - Caroline S Posner
- Department of Psychiatry (Smith, Callinan, Holmes) and Child Study Center (Smith, Posner, Ebling), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (Smith); Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island (Holmes)
| | - Samantha C Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry (Smith, Callinan, Holmes) and Child Study Center (Smith, Posner, Ebling), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (Smith); Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island (Holmes)
| | - Rachel Ebling
- Department of Psychiatry (Smith, Callinan, Holmes) and Child Study Center (Smith, Posner, Ebling), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (Smith); Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island (Holmes)
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Ross LP, Andreescu C, Inagaki TK. Relationships Between Early Maternal Warmth and Social Connection: A Randomized Clinical Trial With Naltrexone. Psychosom Med 2021; 83:924-931. [PMID: 34292204 PMCID: PMC8687105 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early experiences of having received maternal warmth predict responses to opportunities to connect with others later in life. However, the understanding of neurochemical mechanisms by which such relationships emerge remains incomplete. Endogenous opioids, involved in social connection in both animals and humans, may contribute to this link. Therefore, the current study examined a) relationships between early maternal warmth and brain and self-report responses to novel social targets (i.e., outcomes that may promote social connection) and b) the effect of the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, on such relationships. METHODS Eighty-two adult participants completed a retrospective report of early maternal warmth. On a second visit, participants were randomized to 50 mg of oral naltrexone (n = 42) or placebo (n = 40), followed by a magnetic resonance imaging scan where functional brain activity in response to images of novel social targets (strangers) was assessed. Approximately 24 hours later, participants reported on their feelings of social connection since leaving the scanner. RESULTS In the placebo condition, greater early maternal warmth was associated with less dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, ventral striatum, and amygdala activity in response to images of novel social targets (r values ≥ -0.360, p values ≤ .031), and greater feelings of social connection (r = 0.524, p < .001) outside of the laboratory. The same relationships, however, were not present in the naltrexone condition. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight relationships between early maternal warmth and responses to the social world at large and suggest that opioids might contribute to social connection by supporting the buffering effects of warm early life experiences on social connection later in life.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT02818036.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P. Ross
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carmen Andreescu
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tristen K. Inagaki
- San Diego State University, Department of Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
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114
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Gee DG, Cohodes EM. Caregiving Influences on Development: A Sensitive Period for Biological Embedding of Predictability and Safety Cues. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 30:376-383. [PMID: 34675455 DOI: 10.1177/09637214211015673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Across species, caregivers exert a powerful influence on the neural and behavioral development of offspring. Increasingly, both animal and human research has highlighted specific patterns in caregivers' behavior that may be especially important early in life, as well as neurobiological mechanisms linking early caregiving experiences with long-term affective behavior. Here we delineate evidence for an early sensitive period during infancy and toddlerhood when caregiver inputs that are predictable and associated with safety may become biologically embedded via influences on corticolimbic circuitry involved in emotion regulation. We propose that these caregiver signals prime corticolimbic circuitry to be receptive to later stage-specific caregiver influences, such as caregivers' external regulation of children's emotional reactivity. Following caregiving adversity that disrupts predictability and safety associated with caregivers during this sensitive period, accelerated maturation of corticolimbic circuitry may foreshorten the protracted period of plasticity and caregiver influence that is characteristic of humans. This work has implications for both prevention and intervention efforts for children exposed to early life adversity.
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115
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Tedeschi E, Armand S, Buyalskaya A, Silston B, Mobbs D. Fear in groups: Increasing group size reduces perceptions of danger. Emotion 2021; 21:1499-1510. [PMID: 34928692 PMCID: PMC8697704 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
When we face danger or stress, the presence of others can provide a powerful signal of safety and support. However, despite a large literature on group living benefits in animals, few studies have been conducted on how group size alters subjective emotional responses and threat perception in humans. We conducted 5 experiments (N = 3,652) to investigate whether the presence of others decreases fear in response to threat under a variety of conditions. In Studies 1, 2 and 3, we experimentally manipulated group size in hypothetical and real-world situations and found that fear responses decreased as group size increased. In Studies 4 and 5 we again used a combination of hypothetical and real-world decisions to test whether increased anxiety in response to a potential threat would lead participants to choose larger groups for themselves. Participants consistently chose larger groups when threat and anxiety were high. Overall, our findings show that group size provides a salient signal of protection and safety in humans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Tedeschi
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY
| | - Sophia Armand
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY
| | - Anastasia Buyalskaya
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
| | - Brian Silston
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
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116
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van Goozen SHM, Langley K, Hobson CW. Childhood Antisocial Behavior: A Neurodevelopmental Problem. Annu Rev Psychol 2021; 73:353-377. [PMID: 34587779 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-052621-045243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Early-onset disruptive, aggressive, and antisocial behavior is persistent, can become increasingly serious as children grow older, and is difficult to change. In 2007, our group proposed a theoretical model highlighting the interplay between neurobiological deficits and cognitive and emotional functioning as mediators of the link between genetic influences and early social adversity, on the one hand, and antisocial behavioral problems in childhood, on the other. In this article, we review the post-2007 evidence relevant to this model. We discuss research on genetics/epigenetics, stress/arousal regulation, and emotion and executive functioning in support of the argument that antisocial children, especially those who persist in engaging in antisocial behavior as they grow older, have a range of neuropsychological characteristics that are important in explaining individual differences in the severity and persistence of antisocial behavior. Current clinical practice tends not to acknowledge these individual neuropsychological risks factors or to target them for intervention. We argue that aggressive and disruptive behavior in childhood should be regarded as a neurodevelopmental problem and that intervening at the level of mediating neuropsychological processes represents a promising way forward in tackling these serious behavioral problems. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology, Volume 73 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H M van Goozen
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom; .,Department of Clinical Neurodevelopmental Studies, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kate Langley
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom;
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Vila J. Social Support and Longevity: Meta-Analysis-Based Evidence and Psychobiological Mechanisms. Front Psychol 2021; 12:717164. [PMID: 34589025 PMCID: PMC8473615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 60 years, evidence has accumulated on the fundamental role of supportive social relationships in individual health and longevity. This paper first summarizes the results of 23 meta-analyses published between 1994 and 2021, which include 1,187 longitudinal and cross-sectional studies with more than 1,458 million participants. The effect sizes reported in these meta-analyses are highly consistent with regard to the predicted link between social support and reduced disease and mortality; the meta-analyses also highlight various theoretical and methodological issues concerning the multi-dimensionality of the social support concept and its measurements, and the need to control potential confounding and moderator variables. This is followed by an analysis of the experimental evidence from laboratory studies on psychobiological mechanisms that may explain the effect of social support on health and longevity. The stress-buffering hypothesis is examined and extended to incorporate recent findings on the inhibitory effect of social support figures (e.g., the face of loved ones) on fear learning and defensive reactions alongside evidence on the effect of social support on brain networks that down-regulate the autonomic nervous system, HPA axis, and immune system. Finally, the paper discusses the findings in the context of three emerging research areas that are helping to advance and consolidate the relevance of social factors for human health and longevity: (a) convergent evidence on the effects of social support and adversity in other social mammals, (b) longitudinal studies on the impact of social support and adversity across each stage of the human lifespan, and (c) studies that extend the social support framework from individual to community and societal levels, drawing implications for large-scale intervention policies to promote the culture of social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Vila
- Human Psychophysiology and Health Laboratory, Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Cohodes EM, Kribakaran S, Odriozola P, Bakirci S, McCauley S, Hodges HR, Sisk LM, Zacharek SJ, Gee DG. Migration-related trauma and mental health among migrant children emigrating from Mexico and Central America to the United States: Effects on developmental neurobiology and implications for policy. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22158. [PMID: 34292596 PMCID: PMC8410670 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Children make up over half of the world's migrants and refugees and face a multitude of traumatic experiences prior to, during, and following migration. Here, we focus on migrant children emigrating from Mexico and Central America to the United States and review trauma related to migration, as well as its implications for the mental health of migrant and refugee children. We then draw upon the early adversity literature to highlight potential behavioral and neurobiological sequalae of migration-related trauma exposure, focusing on attachment, emotion regulation, and fear learning and extinction as transdiagnostic mechanisms underlying the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology following early-life adversity. This review underscores the need for interdisciplinary efforts to both mitigate the effects of trauma faced by migrant and refugee youth emigrating from Mexico and Central America and, of primary importance, to prevent child exposure to trauma in the context of migration. Thus, we conclude by outlining policy recommendations aimed at improving the mental health of migrant and refugee youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Cohodes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sahana Kribakaran
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sarah Bakirci
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sarah McCauley
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - H R Hodges
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sadie J Zacharek
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Longitudinal effects of maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and Reminiscing and Emotion Training on children's diurnal cortisol regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:868-884. [PMID: 32665044 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942000019x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation in children's physiological stress systems is a key process linking early adversity to poor health and psychopathology. Thus, interventions that improve children's stress physiology may help prevent deleterious health outcomes. Reminiscing and Emotion Training (RET) is a brief relational intervention designed to improve maternal caregiving support by enhancing maltreating mothers' capacity to reminisce with their young children. This study evaluated associations between maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and the RET intervention with changes in children's diurnal cortisol regulation across the 1 year following the intervention, and the extent to which improvements in maternal elaborative reminiscing differed between intervention groups and mediated change in children's physiological functioning. Participants were 237 children (aged 36 to 86 months) and their mothers. Results indicated that the RET intervention was associated with significant positive change in elaborative reminiscing, which was sustained over time. Mothers' elaboration immediately after the intervention served as a mediator of RET's effects on improvements in children's diurnal cortisol regulation (steeper diurnal slopes) from baseline to 1 year following intervention. This suggests RET is effective in facilitating physiological regulation among maltreated children.
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Packard K, Opendak M, Soper CD, Sardar H, Sullivan RM. Infant Attachment and Social Modification of Stress Neurobiology. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:718198. [PMID: 34483852 PMCID: PMC8415781 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.718198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have informed our understanding of how stress impacts the brain to perturb behavior. However, stress during development has received specific attention as this occurs during a sensitive period for scaffolding lifelong socio-emotional behavior. In this review, we focus the developmental neurobiology of stress-related pathology during infancy and focus on one of the many important variables that can switch outcomes from adaptive to maladaptive outcome: caregiver presence during infants' exposure to chronic stress. While this review relies heavily on rodent neuroscience research, we frequently connect this work with the human behavioral and brain literature to facilitate translation. Bowlby's Attachment Theory is used as a guiding framework in order to understand how early care quality impacts caregiver regulation of the infant to produce lasting outcomes on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Packard
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Caroline Davis Soper
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Haniyyah Sardar
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Edes AN, Al-Kandari Y, Znidarsic KA, Crews DE. Individual measures of social support may have limited impact on physiological parameters among elderly Kuwaitis. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23655. [PMID: 34339552 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social support can buffer physiological stress responses, reducing morbidity and mortality risk, but research has occurred primarily in western populations. We examined whether social support was associated with physiological biomarkers in a non-western sample. METHODS We predicted evidence of increased physiological dysregulation in those with less social support among elderly Kuwaitis (≥60 years, n = 253). Measures of social support included marital status (married/unmarried), religiosity (low/high), whether adult children lived at home (yes/no), and perceived social support (low/medium/high). Using linear regression, we tested relationships between each social support measure and 17 biomarkers: cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), epinephrine, norepinephrine, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist-hip ratio (WHR), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), TC/HDL, LDL/HDL, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and resting heart rate (RHR). We analyzed two models for each, one with the independent variable only and a second including age, smoking, and education as covariates. RESULTS Married participants had lower norepinephrine, but higher TC/HDL and LDL/HDL. Higher religiosity was negatively associated with TC (men only) but higher LDL, TC/HDL, and LDL/HDL. Participants with low self-reported social support had higher DBP and HbA1c than those reporting medium or high levels. CONCLUSIONS Relatively few biomarkers associated significantly with individual social support measures in a way that suggests improved health for those with more support. As such, some measures of social support may not be universally beneficial across cultures. Additionally, the high degree of respect for and integration of elders in Kuwait society may collectively buffer against negative effects. Cross-cultural comparisons are critical to better understand how social support influences morbidity and mortality across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Edes
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Yagoub Al-Kandari
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology, Kuwait University, Kifan, Kuwait
| | | | - Douglas E Crews
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Bevan K, Kumari M. Maternal separation in childhood and hair cortisol concentrations in late adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 130:105253. [PMID: 34051654 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parent-child separation has been shown to increase the risk of a range of mental and physical health conditions later in life. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation may help to explain this association. However, few studies have examined the effect of maternal separation on cortisol in late adulthood. METHODS We examined the relationship between maternal separation in childhood and hair cortisol concentrations in late adulthood, using data from the Whitehall II study (n = 3969, mean age: 70 y, range: 60-83 y). Additionally, the role of childhood (adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), material disadvantage, and parenting), adult (marital status and social position), and health (health behaviors, cardiovascular health and medication, and depression) measures in this association were examined. Finally, we examined age of separation and reason for separation. Analysis was carried out using linear regression. RESULTS Hair cortisol concentrations (pg/mg) among participants who reported maternal separation during childhood were higher (B=0.179, 95% CI 0.041-0.317, p = 0.01) compared to their non-separated counterparts. This effect was robust to adjustment by childhood, adult, and health measures. Among participants who reported separation, age at onset and reason for separation were not significantly associated with hair cortisol concentrations. CONCLUSION In older age individuals, hair cortisol concentrations were higher in those who reported maternal separation during childhood. This effect was independent of a wide variety of factors suggesting that there are lifelong pathways between early life separation and HPA functioning in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher Bevan
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Meena Kumari
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
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Cox A, Frederico M, Mosse H, Radford L, Ambry D, Ryan C. Australian Maltreated Infants and Young Children Can Achieve Positive Relational Health With Neurodevelopmentally- and Trauma-Informed Interventions Provided Within Relationally-Positive and Stable Environments. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:680343. [PMID: 34393846 PMCID: PMC8355362 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.680343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Childhood maltreatment such as abuse, neglect and family violence has a profound impact on children's psychological and relational functioning and their lifelong trajectory, with associated adverse physical and mental health outcomes, higher mortality rates and reduced socioeconomic opportunities. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of neurodevelopmentally- and trauma-informed interventions on the relational health of children who have experienced maltreatment. Context: The study was conducted at Berry Street Take Two, an Australian therapeutic service. Take Two provides services to Victorian children aged 0-18 years, to address the impact of the trauma they have experienced from maltreatment. Take Two clinicians use relational and ecological frameworks, neurodevelopmental research and evidence-informed approaches to repair family relationships and develop networks of caring adults that focus on meeting the child's needs. Take Two uses the NMT approach as a framework for clinical intervention-planning and is site-certified in the use of the NMT Clinical Practice tools. Method: The mixed methods study had two components. A cross sectional study of baseline and repeat clinical measure data (HoNOSCA and SDQ) with a cohort of children aged 2-11 years (n = 91), who were clients of Berry Street Take Two between 2014 and 2019, was conducted utilizing SPSS. The quantitative data analysis was supplemented by three case studies of Berry Street Take Two clients, which explored the process of intervention, including intervention type, timing and dosage. The case studies drew on the full case record for each child to illustrate the impact of NMT-informed interventions on the relational health, psychological and behavioral functioning of children. Results: The study found that Take Two intervention was associated with improved relational health, measured by the NMT metric and supported by significant positive changes on the SDQ and HoNOSCA with medium effect sizes (cohen's d). The case study analysis highlighted the importance of intervention addressing individual, family and systems elements to bring about positive change. Conclusions: This study illustrates the value of neurodevelopmental trauma-informed interventions in positively impacting on the relational health and current functioning of maltreated children and the potential to reduce the lifelong impact of maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Cox
- Berry Street Take Two Program, Eaglemont, VIC, Australia
| | - Margarita Frederico
- Department of Occupational Therapy and Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, College of Science, Health and Engineering LaTrobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Holly Mosse
- Berry Street Take Two Program, Eaglemont, VIC, Australia
| | - Lyn Radford
- Berry Street Take Two Program, Eaglemont, VIC, Australia
| | - Dallas Ambry
- Berry Street Take Two Program, Eaglemont, VIC, Australia
| | - Clare Ryan
- Berry Street Take Two Program, Eaglemont, VIC, Australia
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Turliuc MN, Milek A, Trillingsgaard T. Editorial: Individual versus Dyadic Processes: Health and Relationship Outcomes. Front Psychol 2021; 12:714548. [PMID: 34367035 PMCID: PMC8337046 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.714548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Milek
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Within-person changes in basal cortisol and caregiving modulate executive attention across infancy. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 34:1386-1399. [PMID: 34210373 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
One pathway by which environments of socioeconomic risk are thought to affect cognitive development is through stress physiology. The biological systems underpinning stress and attention undergo a sensitive period of development during infancy. Psychobiological theory emphasizes a dynamic pattern of context-dependent development, however, research has yet to examine how basal cortisol and attention dynamically covary across infancy in ecologically valid contexts. Thus, to address these gaps, we leveraged longitudinal, multilevel analytic methods to disentangle between- from within-person associations of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and executive attention behaviors across infancy. We use data from a large longitudinal sample (N = 1,292) of infants in predominantly low-income, nonurban communities at 7-, 15-, and 24-months of age. Using multilevel models, we investigated longitudinal associations of infant attention and basal cortisol levels and examined caregiving behaviors as moderators of this relationship. Results indicated a negative between- and within-person association between attention and cortisol across infancy and a within-person moderation by caregiver responsiveness. In other words, on the within-person level, higher levels of cortisol were concomitantly associated with lower infant attention across the first 2 years of life. However, variation in the caregiver's level of responsiveness either buffered or sensitized the executive attention system to the negative effects of physiological stress.
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Covariation of psychobiological stress regulation with valence and quantity of social interactions in everyday life: disentangling intra- and interindividual sources of variation. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1381-1395. [PMID: 34181094 PMCID: PMC8423684 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02359-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
While the overall effects of social relationships on stress and health have extensively been described, it remains unclear how the experience of social interactions covaries with the activity of psychobiological stress in everyday life. We hypothesized that the valence as well as quantitative characteristics of social interactions in everyday life would attenuate psychobiological stress. Sixty healthy participants provided data for the analyses. Using an ecological momentary assessment design, participants received 6 prompts on their smartphone for 4 days. At each prompt, they reported on social interactions since the last prompt (any occurrence, frequency, duration, quality, and perceived social support), current subjective stress, and provided one saliva sample for the analyses of cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA). Experiencing any contact within days as well as higher daily levels of contact quality and perceived social support were associated with reduced levels of sCort. Furthermore, on a daily level, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often as well as having more contacts on average attenuated the sAA output. Perceived social support and contact quality as well as higher daily contact durations were associated with lower subjective stress. For sCort, daily levels of stress moderated the effects of experiencing any contact within days while daily perceived social support moderated the effects of subjective stress. For sAA, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often on a daily level moderated the effects of subjective stress. There were no between-person effects throughout all analyses. The results show ecologically valid evidence for direct attenuating effects of social interactions on psychobiological stress as well as for the stress-buffering hypothesis in everyday life. Increasing the quantity and improving the valence of social interactions on an intrapersonal level can possibly reduce psychobiological stress and prevent its consequences.
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Gettler LT, Lew-Levy S, Sarma MS, Miegakanda V, Doxsey M, Meyer JS, Boyette AH. Children's fingernail cortisol among BaYaka foragers of the Congo Basin: associations with fathers' roles. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200031. [PMID: 33938276 PMCID: PMC8090812 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Children and mothers' cortisol production in response to family psychosocial conditions, including parenting demands, family resource availability and parental conflict, has been extensively studied in the United States and Europe. Less is known about how such family dynamics relate to family members' cortisol in societies with a strong cultural emphasis on cooperative caregiving. We studied a cumulative indicator of cortisol production, measured from fingernails, among BaYaka forager children (77 samples, n = 48 individuals) and their parents (78 samples, n = 49) in the Congo Basin. Men ranked one another according to locally valued roles for fathers, including providing resources for the family, sharing resources in the community and engaging in less marital conflict. Children had higher cortisol if their parents were ranked as having greater parental conflict, and their fathers were seen as less effective providers and less generous sharers of resources in the community. Children with lower triceps skinfold thickness (an indicator of energetic condition) also had higher cortisol. Parental cortisol was not significantly correlated to men's fathering rankings, including parental conflict. Our results indicate that even in a society in which caregiving is highly cooperative, children's cortisol production was nonetheless correlated to parental conflict as well as variation in locally defined fathering quality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and maternal-child health'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T. Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark
| | | | - Valchy Miegakanda
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Jerrold S. Meyer
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Adam H. Boyette
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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129
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Studying caregiver-infant co-regulation in dynamic, diverse cultural contexts: A call to action. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 64:101586. [PMID: 34118652 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Caregivers and infants co-regulate their physiology, emotions, and behavior in a way that is dynamically responsive to each other and the contexts in which they live. This paper is an introduction and call to action for researchers interested in understanding how to study caregiver-infant interactions in the home and diverse cultural contexts, including marginalized communities. We argue that research will be more valid, culturally relevant, and tapped-in to the daily lives of caregivers and infants if there is partnership and collaboration with the caregivers in the design of the questions, data collection and analysis, and distribution of the findings. We recommend dynamically assessing emotions, behaviors, and physiology using repeated sampling methods including ecological momentary assessments (EMA), salivary bioscience, and actigraphy. We aim to extend current practices of studying caregiver-infant co-regulation by measuring fluctuations of daily life and considering sociocultural factors that shape naturalistic caregiver-infant interactions. Using methodological advancements and community-based participatory research approaches can enable developmental scientists to measure life as it is actually lived.
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130
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Kislinger L, Kotrschal K. Hunters and Gatherers of Pictures: Why Photography Has Become a Human Universal. Front Psychol 2021; 12:654474. [PMID: 34168589 PMCID: PMC8217823 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Photography is ubiquitous worldwide. We analyzed why people take, share, and use personal photographs, independent of their specific cultural background. These behaviors are still poorly understood. Experimental research on them is scarce. Smartphone technology and social media have pushed the success of photography, but cannot explain it, as not all smartphone features are widely used just because they are available. We analyzed properties of human nature that have made taking and using photographs functional behaviors. We did this based on the four levels, which Nikolaas Tinbergen suggested for analyzing why animals behave in a particular way. Including findings from multiple disciplines, we developed a novel conceptual framework-the "Mental Utilization Hypothesis of Photography." It suggests that people adopt photography because it matches with core human mental mechanisms mainly from the social domain, and people use photography as a cognitive, primarily social coping strategy. Our framework comprises a range of testable predictions, provides a new theoretical basis for future empirical investigations into photography, and has practical implications. We conclude that photography has become a human universal, which is based on context-sensitive mental predispositions and differentiates itself in the social and societal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Department of Behavioral Biology and Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Domestication Lab at the Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Wolf Science Center, University of Veterinary Medicine, Ernstbrunn, Austria
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131
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Tammilehto J, Punamäki RL, Flykt M, Vänskä M, Heikkilä LM, Lipsanen J, Poikkeus P, Tiitinen A, Lindblom J. Developmental Stage-Specific Effects of Parenting on Adolescents' Emotion Regulation: A Longitudinal Study From Infancy to Late Adolescence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:582770. [PMID: 34149494 PMCID: PMC8211896 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.582770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The quality of parenting shapes the development of children's emotion regulation. However, the relative importance of parenting in different developmental stages, indicative of sensitive periods, has rarely been studied. Therefore, we formulated four hypothetical developmental timing models to test the stage-specific effects of mothering and fathering in terms of parental autonomy and intimacy in infancy, middle childhood, and late adolescence on adolescents' emotion regulation. The emotion regulation included reappraisal, suppression, and rumination. We hypothesized that both mothering and fathering in each developmental stage contribute unique effects to adolescents' emotion regulation patterns. The participants were 885 families followed from pregnancy to late adolescence. This preregistered study used data at the children's ages of 1 year, 7 to 8 years, and 18 years. At each measurement point, maternal and paternal autonomy and intimacy were assessed with self- and partner reports using the Subjective Family Picture Test. At the age of 18 years, adolescents' reappraisal and suppression were assessed using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and rumination using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Stage-specific effects were tested comparing structural equation models. Against our hypotheses, the results showed no effects of mothering or fathering in infancy, middle childhood, or late adolescence on adolescents' emotion regulation patterns. The results were consistent irrespective of both the reporter (i.e., self or partner) and the parental dimension (i.e., autonomy or intimacy). In addition to our main results, there were relatively low agreement between the parents in each other's parenting and descriptive discontinuity of parenting across time (i.e., configural measurement invariance). Overall, we found no support for the stage-specific effects of parent-reported parenting in infancy, middle childhood, or late adolescence on adolescents' emotion regulation. Instead, our findings might reflect the high developmental plasticity of emotion regulation from infancy to late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko Tammilehto
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Marjo Flykt
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mervi Vänskä
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Lotta M. Heikkilä
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jari Lipsanen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Piia Poikkeus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aila Tiitinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jallu Lindblom
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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132
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My Cat and Me-A Study of Cat Owner Perceptions of Their Bond and Relationship. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061601. [PMID: 34072294 PMCID: PMC8228645 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite the cat’s popularity as a companion animal, little is known about its bond and relationship with owners. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the different types of relationship that cats might establish with their owners, using human attachment and social support theories as a framework for the underpinning bond. A questionnaire was developed to gather information regarding different emotional elements that could underpin the relationship; the cat’s potential perception of the owner as a secure base; the owner’s level of engagement with the cat, their sensitivity to the cat’s needs and the consistency of their interactions with the cat. Five distinct forms of cat–owner relationship were identified. These seemed to constitute what we describe as an: “open relationship”, “remote association”, “casual relationship”, “co-dependence” and “friendship”. The extent to which these relationships involved a bond towards the owner as a source of social support or secure attachment varied. Accordingly, we conclude that the cat–owner bond should not be profiled simply or solely in terms of attachment in its classic psychological sense. Abstract Cats form close emotional relationships with humans, yet little is known about this. This study characterized different types of relationship that cats might establish with their owners. Data were analyzed from 3994 responses to a questionnaire developed using expressions of social support and attachment in relation to everyday cat–owner interactions. Principal component analysis reduced the items to four factors: the “owner’s emotional investment in the cat”, “cat’s acceptance of others”, “cat’s need for owner proximity” and “cat’s aloofness”. Cluster identified three groups of owners with two of these each sub-divided into two. The “open relationship bond” was characterized by a lightly emotionally invested owner and an avoidant cat. The “remote association” and “casual relationship” were characterized by an emotionally remote owner but differed in the cat’s acceptance of others. The “co-dependent” and “friendship” relationship were characterized by an emotionally invested owner but differed in the cat’s acceptance of others and need to maintain owner proximity. In conclusion, as with any complex social relationship, the type of cat–owner bond that develops is the product of the dynamic that exists between both the individuals involved, along with certain personality features, of which, the wider sociability of the cat and owner expectations may be particularly important.
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Normann MC, Cox M, Akinbo OI, Watanasriyakul WT, Kovalev D, Ciosek S, Miller T, Grippo AJ. Differential paraventricular nucleus activation and behavioral responses to social isolation in prairie voles following environmental enrichment with and without physical exercise. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:375-390. [PMID: 33947321 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1926320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Female prairie voles remained paired with a sibling (control) or were isolated from a sibling for 4 weeks. The isolated groups were assigned to isolated sedentary, isolated with environmental enrichment, or isolated with both enrichment and exercise conditions. Behaviors related to depression, anxiety, and sociality were investigated using the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and a social crowding stressor (SCS), respectively. cFos expression was evaluated in stress-related circuitry following the SCS. Both enrichment and enrichment with exercise protected against depression-relevant behaviors in the FST and social behavioral disruptions in the SCS, but only enrichment with exercise protected against anxiety-related behaviors in the EPM and altered cFos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in isolated prairie voles. Enrichment may improve emotion-related and social behaviors, however physical exercise may be an important component of environmental strategies for protecting against anxiety-related behaviors and reducing neural activation as a function of social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Miranda Cox
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | | | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Thomas Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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134
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Roos LE, Salisbury M, Penner-Goeke L, Cameron EE, Protudjer JLP, Giuliano R, Afifi TO, Reynolds K. Supporting families to protect child health: Parenting quality and household needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251720. [PMID: 34029311 DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3685933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Supportive parenting is critical for promoting healthy child development in the face of stressors, such as those occurring during COVID-19. Here, we address a knowledge gap regarding specific household risk factors associated with parenting quality during the pandemic and incorporate first-person accounts of family challenges and needs. METHODS Mixed methods were applied to data collected between April 14th - 28th, 2020 from the "Parenting During the Pandemic" survey. Participants included 656 primary caregivers (e.g., mothers, fathers, foster parents) of least one child age 1.5-8 years of which 555 (84.6%) responded to at least one parenting questionnaire. Parenting quality was assessed across stressful, negative, and positive parenting dimensions. Household risk was examined across pandemic- linked (e.g., caregiver depression, unmet childcare needs) and stable factors (i.e., annual income, mental illness history). Significant correlates were examined with regressions in Mplus. Thematic analysis identified caregiver challenges and unmet needs from open-ended questions. FINDINGS Caregiver depression, higher child parity, unmet childcare needs, and relationship distress predicted lower-quality parenting. Caregiver depression was the most significant predictor across every parenting dimension, with analyses indicating medium effect sizes, ds = .39 - .73. Qualitative findings highlighted severe strains on parent capacities including managing psychological distress, limited social supports, and too much unstructured time. INTERPRETATIONS Lower quality parenting during COVID-19 is associated with multiple household and pandemic risk factors, with caregiver depression consistently linked to parent- child relationship disruptions. Focused efforts are needed to address caregiver mental health to protect child health as part of the pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie E Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Marlee Salisbury
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Lara Penner-Goeke
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Emily E Cameron
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jennifer L P Protudjer
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Ryan Giuliano
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Tracie O Afifi
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Kristin Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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135
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Roos LE, Salisbury M, Penner-Goeke L, Cameron EE, Protudjer JLP, Giuliano R, Afifi TO, Reynolds K. Supporting families to protect child health: Parenting quality and household needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251720. [PMID: 34029311 PMCID: PMC8143383 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Supportive parenting is critical for promoting healthy child development in the face of stressors, such as those occurring during COVID-19. Here, we address a knowledge gap regarding specific household risk factors associated with parenting quality during the pandemic and incorporate first-person accounts of family challenges and needs. Methods Mixed methods were applied to data collected between April 14th - 28th, 2020 from the “Parenting During the Pandemic” survey. Participants included 656 primary caregivers (e.g., mothers, fathers, foster parents) of least one child age 1.5–8 years of which 555 (84.6%) responded to at least one parenting questionnaire. Parenting quality was assessed across stressful, negative, and positive parenting dimensions. Household risk was examined across pandemic- linked (e.g., caregiver depression, unmet childcare needs) and stable factors (i.e., annual income, mental illness history). Significant correlates were examined with regressions in Mplus. Thematic analysis identified caregiver challenges and unmet needs from open-ended questions. Findings Caregiver depression, higher child parity, unmet childcare needs, and relationship distress predicted lower-quality parenting. Caregiver depression was the most significant predictor across every parenting dimension, with analyses indicating medium effect sizes, ds = .39 - .73. Qualitative findings highlighted severe strains on parent capacities including managing psychological distress, limited social supports, and too much unstructured time. Interpretations Lower quality parenting during COVID-19 is associated with multiple household and pandemic risk factors, with caregiver depression consistently linked to parent- child relationship disruptions. Focused efforts are needed to address caregiver mental health to protect child health as part of the pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie E. Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Marlee Salisbury
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Lara Penner-Goeke
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Emily E. Cameron
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jennifer L. P. Protudjer
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Ryan Giuliano
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Tracie O. Afifi
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Kristin Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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136
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Masten AS, Lucke CM, Nelson KM, Stallworthy IC. Resilience in Development and Psychopathology: Multisystem Perspectives. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2021; 17:521-549. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-120307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Resilience science in psychology and related fields emerged from clinical research on risk for psychopathology in the 1970s and matured over the ensuing decades with advances in theory, methods, and knowledge. Definitions and models of resilience shifted to reflect the expanding influence of developmental systems theory and the growing need to integrate knowledge about resilience across levels and disciplines to address multisystem threats. Resilience is defined for scalability and integrative purposes as the capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully through multisystem processes to challenges that threaten system function, survival, or development. Striking alignment of resilience factors observed in human systems, ranging from individuals to communities, suggests the possibility of networked, multisystem protective factors that work in concert. Evidence suggests that there may be resilience factors that provide transdiagnostic protection against the effects of adverse childhood experiences on risk for psychopathology. Multisystem studies of resilience offer promising directions for future research and its applications to promote mental health and positive development in children and youth at risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann S. Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0345, USA:
| | - Cara M. Lucke
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0345, USA:
| | - Kayla M. Nelson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0345, USA:
| | - Isabella C. Stallworthy
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0345, USA:
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137
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Robles TF. Annual Research Review: Social relationships and the immune system during development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:539-559. [PMID: 33164229 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A child's social relationships serve critical functions during development. The interface between a child's social world and their immune system, particularly innate immunity, which helped children survive in the face of infections, nutritional scarcity, and violence throughout human history, is the focus of this Annual Research Review. This article reviews the state of research on social relationships and innate immune inflammation during childhood. Warmth and rejection in childhood social relationships, as well as physical trauma and unpredictable social environments, were not consistently related to circulating inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein during childhood. Instead, links between social environments and inflammation were observed in studies that focus on children with greater background risk factors, such as low family socioeconomic status, family history of mood disorders, or presence of chronic interpersonal stressors combined with acute episodic stressors. In addition, studies on worse childhood social environments and greater inflammation in adulthood were more consistent. Warmth and rejection in the social environment may be related to sensitivity of immune cells to the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids, though this is primarily observed in adolescent women at risk for depression. Additional mechanistic evidence suggests that greater warmth and less rejection are related to processes that regulate inflammation, including greater expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene and lower expression of genes that are responsive to the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-kappa B. The article concludes by discussing implications of the interface between a child's social relationships and inflammation for mental health and other recent (on evolutionary timescales) health threats, as well as recommendations for future research, and recommendations for researchers interested in integrating inflammatory measures in developmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore F Robles
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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138
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Gallo LMH, Giampietro V, Zunszain PA, Tan KS. Covid-19 and Mental Health: Could Visual Art Exposure Help? Front Psychol 2021; 12:650314. [PMID: 33995207 PMCID: PMC8119628 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.650314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A worldwidemental health crisis is expected, as millions worldwide fear death and disease while being forced into repeated isolation. Thus, there is a need for new proactive approaches to improve mental resilience and prevent mental health conditions. Since the 1990s, art has emerged as an alternative mental health therapy in the United States and Europe, becoming part of the social care agenda. This article focuses on how visual esthetic experiences can create similar patterns of neuronal activity as those observed when the reward system is activated. The activation of the reward structures could have a stress buffering effect, given the interdependence observed between the reward and stress systems. Therefore, could visual esthetic experiences stimulate mental resilience? And if this were the case, could art-based interventions be offered for mental health in the context of COVID-19 and beyond?
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. H. Gallo
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia A. Zunszain
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kai Syng Tan
- Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
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139
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Multiple dimensions of social motivation in adult female degus. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250219. [PMID: 33882104 PMCID: PMC8059823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals become more motivated to interact after a period of isolation. This phenomenon may involve general drives, e.g. for social touch or companionship, as well as drives that are specific to particular peers, and which ultimately serve to reestablish relationships between the individuals. Female degus are known to be affiliative with multiple other individuals, including unrelated and unfamiliar conspecifics, offering an opportunity to study social motivation independent from exclusive pair-bonds or overt, same-sex competition. We attempted to disentangle factors driving peer interaction by examining reunion behavior across several social isolation and separation manipulations. High levels of interaction were observed between adult females who had been separated even without isolation, revealing a drive to re-establish relationships with specific peers. The content of separation-only reunions differed from isolation, with the latter involving more early-session interaction, higher levels of allogrooming before rear-sniffing, and a higher ratio of chitter vocalizations. To assess whether post-isolation behavior was related to stress, we examined reunions following a non-social (footshock) stressor. Like isolation, footshock increased early-session interactions, but did not increase allogrooming before rear-sniffing or chittering, as compared with controls. To test whether separation-only reunion behavior shared qualities with relationship formation, we also examined reunions of new (stranger) dyads. Strangers exhibited higher levels of interaction than cagemates, with particularly high levels of late-session rear-sniffing. Like separation-only reunions, strangers showed more non-chitter vocalizations and lower levels of allogrooming before rear-sniffing. Across experiments, an exploratory clustering method was used to identify vocalizations that differed between conditions. This yielded promising leads for future investigation, including a chaff-type syllable that may have been more common during relationship renewal. Overall, results are consistent with the hypothesis that female degu reunions are supported by both general and peer-stimulus specific drives, expressed through the structure of physical and vocal interactions over time.
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140
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Korom M, Dozier M. The importance of responsive parenting for vulnerable infants. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 61:43-71. [PMID: 34266571 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The quality of the early caregiving context sets the stage for the developing child's long term developmental trajectory. Infants are born highly dependent on parents and other caregivers for critical input for developing brain and behavioral systems. When infants experience early adversity, they are at risk for difficulties regulating behavior, emotions, and physiology. Parenting interventions have been developed to enhance parental responsiveness, thereby enhancing child outcomes. One such program, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), is a home visiting intervention designed to enhance parenting nurturance and sensitivity. In this paper, we will consider the importance of parental sensitivity and developmental consequences of sensitive and insensitive care. We will then describe interventions that target parental responsiveness and intervention effectiveness, focusing primarily on ABC. Public policy recommendations related to the importance of parental responsiveness will then be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Mary Dozier
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
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141
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Sullivan RM, Opendak M. Neurobiology of Infant Fear and Anxiety: Impacts of Delayed Amygdala Development and Attachment Figure Quality. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:641-650. [PMID: 33109337 PMCID: PMC7914291 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness and are more likely to emerge during childhood compared with most other psychiatric disorders. While research on children is the gold standard for understanding the behavioral expression of anxiety and its neural circuitry, the ethical and technical limitations in exploring neural underpinnings limit our understanding of the child's developing brain. Instead, we must rely on animal models to build strong methodological bridges for bidirectional translation to child development research. Using the caregiver-infant context, we review the rodent literature on early-life fear development to characterize developmental transitions in amygdala function underlying age-specific behavioral transitions. We then describe how this system can be perturbed by early-life adversity, including reduced efficacy of the caregiver as a safe haven. We suggest that greater integration of clinically informed animal research enhances bidirectional translation to permit new approaches to therapeutics for children with early onset anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY USA,Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY USA,Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY USA
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142
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Doan SN. Allostatic load: Developmental and conceptual considerations in a multi-system physiological indicator of chronic stress exposure. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:825-836. [PMID: 33650132 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Developmental researchers studying how stress affects health have often focused on specific, individual, physiological parameters such as cortisol. Yet, recent theories of stress biology emphasize that the stress response is multi-faceted and engages distinct yet interconnected physiological systems, including metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular systems that respond to one another. Moreover, advocates of a systems approach also argue that the confluence of changes across several physiological systems presents a health risk, even when one indicator alone is not predictive of health outcomes. Allostatic load is one potential multi-system indicator of stress, capturing the cumulative, physiological burden of chronic stress exposure on the body. At the same time, studying allostatic load during early development raises several issues, including how allostatic load is operationalized, the clinical importance of commonly used biomarkers during distinct periods of development, and the fundamental role of timing. In this review paper, we discuss the potential of allostatic load in the context of studies of stress in developmental science, review developmental studies that have assessed allostatic load, and articulate critical conceptual questions regarding the study of allostatic load during the childhood years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey N Doan
- Claremont McKenna College & City of Hope National Medical Center, Claremont, CA, USA
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143
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In Touch with the Heartbeat: Newborns' Cardiac Sensitivity to Affective and Non-Affective Touch. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052212. [PMID: 33668108 PMCID: PMC7956468 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The sense of touch is the first manner of contact with the external world, providing a foundation for the development of sensorimotor skills and socio-affective behaviors. In particular, affective touch is at the core of early interpersonal interactions and the developing bodily self, promoting the balance between internal physiological state and responsiveness to external environment. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether newborns are able to discriminate between affective touch and non-affective somatosensory stimulations and whether affective touch promotes a positive physiological state. We recorded full-term newborns' (N = 30) heart rate variability (HRV)-which reflects oscillations of heart rate associated with autonomic cardio-respiratory regulation-while newborns were presented with two minutes of affective (stroking) and non-affective (tapping) touch alternated with two minutes of resting in a within-subject design. The results revealed that non-affective touch elicits a decrease in HRV, whereas affective touch does not result in a change of HRV possibly indicating maintenance of calm physiological state. Thus, newborns showed cardiac sensitivity to different types of touch, suggesting that early somatosensory stimulation represents scaffolding for development of autonomic self-regulation with important implications on infant's ability to adaptively respond to the surrounding social and physical environment.
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144
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Costa-Cordella S, Arevalo-Romero C, Parada FJ, Rossi A. Social Support and Cognition: A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2021; 12:637060. [PMID: 33708164 PMCID: PMC7941073 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.637060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the influence of social support in health is a widely acknowledged factor, there is a significant gap in the understanding of its role on cognition. The purpose of this systematic review was, therefore, to determine the state-of-the-art on the literature testing the association between social support and cognition. Using six databases (WoS, PubMed, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scopus and EBSCOhost), we identified 22 articles published between 1999 and 2019 involving an empirical quantitative focus which meet the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was performed following PRISMA recommendations. To summarize the extracted data, we used a narrative synthesis approach. Despite limitations, there is overall preliminary evidence of a relevant positive association between social support and cognition. Our results demonstrate there is enough information for an outbreak of experimental research in the area and an expansion of this body of knowledge. We argue that the present evidence lays the foundations for a more comprehensive theoretical model, one that corresponds with the complexity of the topic and possibly considers models derived from social interaction and active inference theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanella Costa-Cordella
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Estudios en Psicología Clínica y Psicoterapia, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camilo Arevalo-Romero
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Programa de Magíster en Neurociencia Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco J. Parada
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra Rossi
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
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145
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Hapunda G. The association between emotional symptoms and daily life stressors is not moderated by intergroup behaviours among school-going adolescents in Zambia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE AND YOUTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2021.1886128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Given Hapunda
- Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
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146
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Callaghan B, Pini N, Silvers JA, Van Tieghem M, Choy T, O'Sullivan K, Fifer WP, Tottenham N. Child-parent cardiac transference is decreased following disrupted/absent early care. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1279-1294. [PMID: 33590482 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Parental input shapes youth self-regulation development, and a lack of sensitive caregiving is a risk factor for youth mental health problems. Parents may shape youth regulation through their influence over biological (including neural) and behavioral development during childhood at both micro (moment-to-moment) and macro (global) levels. Prior studies have shown that micro-level parent-child interactions shape youth's biology contributing to youth mental health. However, it remains unclear whether prior disrupted/absent care affects those moment-to-moment parent-youth interactions in ways that increase risk for youth psychopathology. In the current study, we calculated transfer entropy on cardiac data from parent-youth dyads where the youth had either been exposed to disrupted care prior to adoption or not. Transfer Entropy (TE) tracks information flow between two signals, enhancing quantification of directional coupling, allowing for the examination of parent-child and child-parent influences. Using this novel approach, we identified lower cardiac information transfer from youth-to-parents in dyads where the youth had been exposed to disrupted/absent early care. Moreover we showed that the degree to which the parent's physiology changed in response to youth's physiology was negatively related to the youth's mental health, representing a potential pathway for elevated mental health risk in populations exposed to disrupted/absent early care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolò Pini
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Tricia Choy
- University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | - William P Fifer
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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147
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Alen NV, Deer LK, Karimi M, Feyzieva E, Hastings PD, Hostinar CE. Children's altruism following acute stress: The role of autonomic nervous system activity and social support. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13099. [PMID: 33550679 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Altruistic behavior after stress exposure may have important health and psychological benefits, in addition to broader societal consequences. However, so far experimental research on altruism following acute stress has been limited to adult populations. The current study utilized an experimental design to investigate how altruistic donation behavior among children may be influenced by (a) exposure to an acute social stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test modified for use with children (TSST-M), (b) individual differences in stress physiology, and (c) social support from a parent. The sample consisted of 180 children (54.9% male, 45.1% female; mean age = 9.92 years, SD = 0.56 years) randomly assigned to one of three conditions involving the TSST-M: (a) prepare for the TSST-M alone, (b) prepare for the TSST-M with a parent, and (c) no-stress control group. Results revealed that children made larger donations post-stressor if they were alone before the acute stressor, if they had moderate cardiac autonomic balance, reflecting both parasympathetic and sympathetic influence, and if they were older. Children who prepared for the TSST-M with social support from a parent made comparable donations as children in the no-stress control group, in accord with stress buffering models. Increased altruism following acute stress among children suggests that a comprehensive understanding of the human stress response needs to incorporate "tend-and-befriend" behavior-the tendency for humans to show increased altruistic behavior during times of distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V Alen
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - LillyBelle K Deer
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mona Karimi
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elis Feyzieva
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Hastings
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Camelia E Hostinar
- Psychology Department and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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148
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Odriozola P, Gee DG. Learning About Safety: Conditioned Inhibition as a Novel Approach to Fear Reduction Targeting the Developing Brain. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:136-155. [PMID: 33167673 PMCID: PMC7951569 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of psychiatric disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common and affecting as many as 30% of youths. A core feature of anxiety disorders is difficulty regulating fear, with evidence suggesting deficits in extinction learning and corresponding alterations in frontolimbic circuitry. Despite marked changes in this neural circuitry and extinction learning throughout development, interventions for anxious youths are largely based on principles of extinction learning studied in adulthood. Safety signal learning, based on conditioned inhibition of fear in the presence of a cue that indicates safety, has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety-like behavior in animal models and attenuate fear responses in healthy adults. Cross-species evidence suggests that safety signal learning involves connections between the ventral hippocampus and the prelimbic cortex in rodents or the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Particularly because this pathway follows a different developmental trajectory than fronto-amygdala circuitry involved in traditional extinction learning, safety cues may provide a novel approach to reducing fear in youths. In this review, the authors leverage a translational framework to bring together findings from studies in animal models and humans and to bridge the gap between research on basic neuroscience and clinical treatment. The authors consider the potential application of safety signal learning for optimizing interventions for anxious youths by targeting the biological state of the developing brain. Based on the existing cross-species literature on safety signal learning, they propose that the judicious use of safety cues may be an effective and neurodevelopmentally optimized approach to enhancing treatment outcomes for youths with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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149
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Elevated infant cortisol is necessary but not sufficient for transmission of environmental risk to infant social development: Cross-species evidence of mother-infant physiological social transmission. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1696-1714. [PMID: 33427190 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Environmental adversity increases child susceptibility to disrupted developmental outcomes, but the mechanisms by which adversity can shape development remain unclear. A translational cross-species approach was used to examine stress-mediated pathways by which poverty-related adversity can influence infant social development. Findings from a longitudinal sample of low-income mother-infant dyads indicated that infant cortisol (CORT) on its own did not mediate relations between early-life scarcity-adversity exposure and later infant behavior in a mother-child interaction task. However, maternal CORT through infant CORT served as a mediating pathway, even when controlling for parenting behavior. Findings using a rodent "scarcity-adversity" model indicated that pharmacologically blocking pup corticosterone (CORT, rodent equivalent to cortisol) in the presence of a stressed mother causally prevented social transmission of scarcity-adversity effects on pup social behavior. Furthermore, pharmacologically increasing pup CORT without the mother present was not sufficient to disrupt pup social behavior. Integration of our cross-species results suggests that elevated infant CORT may be necessary, but without elevated caregiver CORT, may not be sufficient in mediating the effects of environmental adversity on development. These findings underscore the importance of considering infant stress physiology in relation to the broader social context, including caregiver stress physiology, in research and interventional efforts.
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150
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Environmental determinants of physiological reactivity to stress: The interacting effects of early life deprivation, caregiving quality, and stressful life events. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1732-1742. [PMID: 33427173 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Children who spend their early lives in institutions experience profound psychosocial deprivation that is associated with altered stress response system development. Here, we used data from a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of foster care for institutionally reared children to examine whether caregiving quality and stressful life events (SLEs) in early adolescence (age 12) influence patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) reactivity. Controlling for the effect of institutional care, higher caregiving quality at age 12 was associated with heightened cortisol and SNS reactivity. However, moderation analysis revealed that the latter effect was only observed among never-institutionalized children, whereas ever-institutionalized children demonstrated a persistently blunted SNS response regardless of recent caregiving quality. Among institutionally reared children, SLEs interacted with prior random assignment to foster care, such that those placed in foster care early in development had a SNS response that approximated never-institutionalized children when SLEs at age 12 were low. In contrast, SNS reactivity was persistently blunted among those with prolonged deprivation, regardless of recent SLEs. Early-life deprivation is associated with persistent blunting of stress response systems, but normalization may be achievable if SLEs are limited following placement into enriched family-based care.
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