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Nakagawa A, Matsuki T, Tomida M, Miyachi T, Ebara T, Kamijima M. Development of temperamental regulation of infants at 6 and 24 months: Associations with maternal soothing and distress. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e70036. [PMID: 39234187 PMCID: PMC11372086 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.70036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims In the neurobiological theory of attention, the orienting network mainly supports the temperamental regulatory function in infancy, with soothing methods such as visual attention distraction influencing its development. The attention distraction method chosen for soothing is thought to be influenced by maternal sensitivity, which has been found to decrease with poor maternal mental health. We hypothesize that the degree of maternal distress may affect the choice of attention distraction soothing method. Further, individual differences in being soothed by attention distraction will be associated with the temperamental regulation function in infancy/toddlerhood. Method Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted on longitudinal data at 6 and 24 months on a sample (N = 1892) drawn from the sub-cohort of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Temperament was examined through the short Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (Japanese version) and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (Japanese version). Distress in caregivers was measured through the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Japanese version) at prenatal and 1-year-postnatal stages. Individual differences in using visual distraction soothing methods were also measured using tailor-made items. Results Postnatal maternal distress at 12 months was negatively related to the tendency to use visual attention distraction as a soothing method (β = -0.06, p = 0.006) at 24 months. When we applied the subscale of the temperamental regulatory factor in SEM, the more the mothers chose the distraction method for soothing, i.e., the more the toddlers experienced it, the higher their attention shifting scores (β = 0.07, p = 0.002). Conclusion The findings support the view that caregivers' choice of method for distracting offspring's attention from distress may be associated with the development of self-regulation during infancy and toddlerhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Nakagawa
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences Nagoya City University Nagoya Japan
| | - Taro Matsuki
- Department of Psychology Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Hiroshima International University Higashihiroshima Japan
| | - Makiko Tomida
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences Nagoya City University Nagoya Japan
| | - Taishi Miyachi
- Nagoya Western Care Center for Disabled Children Nagoya Japan
| | - Takeshi Ebara
- Department of Ergonomics, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences University of Occupational and Environmental Health Kitakyushu Japan
| | - Michihiro Kamijima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University Nagoya Japan
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Amani B, Krzeczkowski JE, Schmidt LA, Van Lieshout RJ. Public health nurse-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for postpartum depression: Assessing the effects of maternal treatment on infant emotion regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38273706 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The effects of maternal postpartum depression (PPD) on offspring emotion regulation (ER) are particularly deleterious as difficulties with ER predict an increased risk of psychopathology. This study examined the impact of maternal participation in a public health nurse (PHN)-delivered group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on infant ER. Mothers/birthing parents were ≥ 18 years old with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 10, and infants were < 12 months. Between 2017 and 2020, 141 mother-infant dyads were randomized to experimental or control groups. Infant ER was measured at baseline (T1) and nine weeks later (T2) using two neurophysiological measures (frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV)), and informant-report of infant temperament. Mothers were a mean of 30.8 years old (SD = 4.7), 92.3% were married/ common-law, and infants were a mean of 5.4 months old (SD = 2.9) and 52.1% were male. A statistically significant group-by-time interaction was found to predict change in HF-HRV between T1 and T2 (F(1,68.3) = 4.04, p = .04), but no significant interaction predicted change in FAA or temperament. Results suggest that PHN-delivered group CBT for PPD may lead to adaptive changes in a neurophysiological marker of infant ER, highlighting the importance of early maternal intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Amani
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan J Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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White LK, Himes MM, Waller R, Njoroge WFM, Chaiyachati BH, Barzilay R, Kornfield SL, Burris HH, Seidlitz J, Parish-Morris J, Brady RG, Gerstein ED, Laney N, Gur RE, Duncan AF. The Influence of Pandemic-Related Worries During Pregnancy on Child Development at 12 Months. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01605-x. [PMID: 37805964 PMCID: PMC10999505 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased risk for perinatal anxiety and depression among parents, as well as negative consequences for child development. Less is known about how worries arising from the pandemic during pregnancy are related to later child development, nor if resilience factors buffer negative consequences. The current study addresses this question in a prospective longitudinal design. Data was collected from a sub-study (n = 184) of a longitudinal study of pregnant individuals (total n = 1173). During pregnancy (April 17-July 8, 2020) and the early postpartum period (August 11, 2020-March 2, 2021), participants completed online surveys. At 12 months postpartum (June 17, 2021-March 23, 2022), participants completed online surveys and a virtual laboratory visit, which included parent-child interaction tasks. We found more pregnancy-specific pandemic worries were prospectively related to lower levels of child socioemotional development based on parent report (B = - 1.13, SE = .43, p = .007) and observer ratings (B = - 0.13, SE = .07, p = .045), but not to parent-reported general developmental milestones. Parental emotion regulation in the early postpartum period moderated the association between pregnancy-specific pandemic worries and child socioemotional development such that pregnancy-specific pandemic worries did not relate to worse child socioemotional development among parents with high (B = - .02, SE = .10, t = - .14, p = .89) levels of emotion regulation. Findings suggest the negative consequences of parental worry and distress during pregnancy on the early socioemotional development of children in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight that parental emotion regulation may represent a target for intervention to promote parental resilience and support optimized child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K White
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Megan M Himes
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wanjikũ F M Njoroge
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Policy Lab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barbara H Chaiyachati
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Policy Lab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sara L Kornfield
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heather H Burris
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca G Brady
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Emily D Gerstein
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 325 Stadler Hall, 1 University Blvd., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nina Laney
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Lifespan Brain Institute, 3400 Spruce St. 10th floor, Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrea F Duncan
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Kahya Y, Uluç S, Lee SH, Beebe B. Associations of maternal postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms with 4-month infant and mother self- and interactive contingency of gaze, affect, and touch. Dev Psychopathol 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37791539 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Maternal depression and anxiety are associated with infant and mother self- and interactive difficulties. Although maternal depression and anxiety usually co-occur, studies taking this comorbidity into account are few. Despite some literature, we lack a detailed understanding of how maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms may be associated with patterns of mother-infant interaction. We examined associations of maternal postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms with infant and mother self- and interactive patterns by conducting multi-level time-series models in a sample of 56 Turkish mothers and their 4-month infants. Time-series models assessed the temporal dynamics of interaction via infant and mother self- and interactive contingency. Videotaped face-to-face interaction was coded on a 1s time base for infant and mother gaze and facial affect, infant vocal affect, and mother touch. Results indicated that mothers with high depressive symptoms were vulnerable to infants looking away, reacting with negative touch; their infants remained affectively midrange, metaphorically distancing themselves from mothers' affect. Mothers with high anxiety symptoms were vulnerable to infants becoming facially dampened and mothers reacted with negative facial affect. Altered infant and mother self-contingency patterns were largely opposite for maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms. These patterns describe foundational processes by which maternal postpartum mood is transmitted to the infant and which may affect infant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasemin Kahya
- Department of Psychology, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sait Uluç
- Department of Psychology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sang Han Lee
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, The Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Beatrice Beebe
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Van Lieshout RJ, Layton H, Savoy CD, Xie F, Brown JSL, Huh K, Bieling PJ, Streiner DL, Ferro MA, Haber-Evans E. In-person 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy-based workshops for postpartum depression: a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1-11. [PMID: 36878891 PMCID: PMC10600825 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723000454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to one in five mothers and birthing parents, yet as few as 10% access evidence-based treatment. One-day cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based workshops for PPD have the potential to reach large numbers of sufferers and be integrated into stepped models of care. METHODS This randomized controlled trial of 461 mothers and birthing parents in Ontario, Canada with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores ⩾10, age ⩾18 years, and an infant <12 months of age compared the effects of a 1-day CBT-based workshop plus treatment as usual (TAU; i.e. care from any provider(s) they wished) to TAU alone at 12-weeks post-intervention on PPD, anxiety, the mother-infant relationship, offspring behavior, health-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Data were collected via REDCap. RESULTS Workshops led to meaningful reductions in EPDS scores (m = 15.77 to 11.22; b = -4.6, p < 0.01) and were associated with three times higher odds of a clinically significant decrease in PPD [odds ratio (OR) 3.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.93-4.67]. Anxiety also decreased and participants had three times the odds of clinically significant improvement (OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.03-5.04). Participants reported improvements in mother-infant bonding, infant-focused rejection and anger, and effortful control in their toddlers. The workshop plus TAU achieved similar quality-adjusted life-years at lower costs than TAU alone. CONCLUSIONS One-day CBT-based workshops for PPD can lead to improvements in depression, anxiety, and the mother-infant relationship and are cost-saving. This intervention could represent a perinatal-specific option that can treat larger numbers of individuals and be integrated into stepped care approaches at reasonable cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Haley Layton
- Health Research Methodology Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Calan D. Savoy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Feng Xie
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - June S. L. Brown
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Huh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter J. Bieling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - David L. Streiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark A. Ferro
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erika Haber-Evans
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Simen S, Kuscher K, Schröder L, Yilmaz-Terzioglu N, Schröder T, Jung R, Köhler W, Dammer U, Kastner B, Hillemacher T, Berg NVD, Rauber S. Routine Screening for Peripartum Depression in the Gynecologic and Pediatric Setting - Evaluation of an Adapted EPDS Version. Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 2023. [PMID: 36796423 DOI: 10.1055/a-2016-9737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a routine screening for peripartum depression (PD) by gynecologists and pediatricians. In addition, it was investigated whether two separate Plus Questions (PQ) of the "EPDS-Plus" are valid for screening experiences of violence or a traumatic birth and whether they can be associated with symptoms of PD. METHODS Using the EPDS-Plus the prevalence of PD was investigated in 5235 women. The convergent validity of the PQ with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Salmon's Item List (SIL) was assessed using correlation analysis. The association between the experience of violence and/or traumatic birth experience and PD was subjected to the chi-square test. Furthermore, a qualitative analysis for acceptance and satisfaction by the practitioners was performed. RESULTS The prevalence was 9.94%/10.18% for antepartum/postpartum depression. The convergent validity of the PQ showed strong correlation with CTQ (p<0.001) and SIL (p<0.001). For violence and PD, a significant association was found. There was no significant association for traumatic birth experience and PD. There was a high level of satisfaction and acceptance of the EPDS-Plus questionnaire. CONCLUSION Screening for peripartum depression is feasible in regular care and can help to identify depressed as well as potentially traumatized mothers, especially in preparing trauma-sensitive birth care and treatment. Therefore, specialized peripartum "psych" treatment for all affected mothers in all regions has to be implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Simen
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität - Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Kuscher
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität - Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Lea Schröder
- Pränatalmedizin, PRÄNATAL Pränatalmedizin Gynäkologie und Genetik, Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Neslisah Yilmaz-Terzioglu
- Schwerpunkt Spezielle Geburtshilfe und Perinatalmedizin, Frauenarztpraxis Dr. med. Yilmaz-Terzioglu, Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Torsten Schröder
- Pränatalmedizin, PRÄNATAL Pränatalmedizin Gynäkologie und Genetik, Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Ronny Jung
- Facharzt für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Kinderarztpraxis Dr. med. Jung, Roth, Germany
| | | | - Ulf Dammer
- Frauenklinik, St Theresien-Krankenhaus Nürnberg Gemeinnützige GmbH, Germany
| | - Brigitte Kastner
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität - Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Hillemacher
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität - Nürnberg, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Rauber
- Geburtshilfe und Pränatalmedizin, Klinik Hallerwiese, Nürnberg, Germany
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Holmgren HG, Stockdale L, Gale M, Coyne SM. Parent and child problematic media use: The role of maternal postpartum depression and dysfunctional parent-child interactions in young children. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Wang F, Zhu H, Yang X, Liao F. Effects of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy on postpartum depression: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e28964. [PMID: 35244060 PMCID: PMC8896531 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000028964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postpartum depression is one of the most common complications during the postpartum period. In recent years, internet-based psychological interventions have made significant progress and provided a new psychotherapy model. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) for postpartum depression has achieved good results. However, the effectiveness of ICBT for postpartum depression reported by different studies still remains inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis was used to further evaluate the efficacy of ICBT for postpartum depression, aiming to provide evidence to support nonpharmacological intervention strategies in the clinic. METHODS The databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Scientific Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Data will be searched. The randomized controlled trials of ICBT will be included for postpartum depression published before February 2022. Two independent researchers will independently complete literature selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. The disagreements will be discussed with a third party for the final decision. Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool will be used for literature quality assessment. Data processing will be conducted by RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSIONS For the question whether ICBT for postpartum depression is efficacy, this study can provide more comprehensive and strong evidence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The ethical approval was not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/EQJDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The National Hospital Of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
| | - Hongcheng Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The National Hospital Of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiaoju Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The National Hospital Of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fang Liao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The National Hospital Of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
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Hassan R, Schmidt LA. Longitudinal investigation of shyness and physiological vulnerability: Moderating influences of attention biases to threat and safety. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22180. [PMID: 34423433 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Shyness has long been identified as a vulnerability factor to developing psychosocial problems, but there is heterogeneity in these observed outcomes. One potential factor underlying these relations is individual differences in threat sensitivity. Using a longitudinal design, we examined whether attentional biases toward social threat and safety measured during adulthood moderated the association between shyness measured in emerging adulthood (N = 83, nfemale = 48; Mage = 23.56 years, SDage = 1.09 years) and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry at rest, a physiological index of vulnerability to psychopathology, measured nearly a decade later in adulthood (Mage = 31.68 years, SDage = 2.27 years). We found that only biases to threat moderated the association between shyness and resting frontal EEG asymmetry longitudinally. In individuals who displayed relative vigilance to social threat, shyness was associated with greater relative right frontal EEG activity at rest (i.e., increased physiological vulnerability). These findings suggest that attentional biases to threat may play a role in understanding the relation between shyness and some known physiological vulnerabilities to psychopathology in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raha Hassan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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