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Whittle S, Zhang L, Rakesh D. Environmental and neurodevelopmental contributors to youth mental illness. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01926-y. [PMID: 39030435 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
While a myriad of factors likely contribute to the development of mental illness in young people, the social environment (including early adverse experiences) in concert with neurodevelopmental alterations is undeniably important. A number of influential theories make predictions about how and why neurodevelopmental alterations may mediate or moderate the effects of the social environment on the emergence of mental illness. Here, we discuss current evidence supporting each of these theories. Although this area of research is rapidly growing, the body of evidence is still relatively limited. However, there exist some consistent findings, including increased striatal reactivity during positive affective processing and larger hippocampal volumes being associated with increased vulnerability or susceptibility to the effects of social environments on internalizing symptoms. Limited longitudinal work has investigated neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking the social environment with mental health. Drawing from human research and insights from animal studies, we propose an integrated mediation-moderation model and outline future research directions to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Whittle
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Lu Zhang
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Divyangana Rakesh
- Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Oshri A, Reck AJ, Carter SE, Uddin LQ, Geier CF, Beach SRH, Brody GH, Kogan SM, Sweet LH. Racial Discrimination and Risk for Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms Among Black Youths. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2416491. [PMID: 38865126 PMCID: PMC11170300 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.16491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Racial discrimination is a psychosocial stressor associated with youths' risk for psychiatric symptoms. Scarce data exist on the moderating role of amygdalar activation patterns among Black youths in the US. Objective To investigate the association between racial discrimination and risk for psychopathology moderated by neuroaffective processing. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used longitudinal self-report and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from Black youth participants in the US from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Data were analyzed from January 2023 to May 2024. Exposures At time 1 of the current study (12 months after baseline), youths self-reported on their experiences of interpersonal racial discrimination and their feelings of marginalization. Amygdalar response was measured during an emotionally valenced task that included blocks of faces expressing either neutral or negative emotion. Main Outcomes and Measures At 24 and 36 months after baseline, youths reported their internalizing (anxiety and depressive symptoms) and externalizing symptoms (aggression and rule-breaking symptoms). Results A total of 1596 youths were a mean (SD) age of 10.92 (0.63) years, and 803 were female (50.3%). Families in the study had a mean annual income range of $25 000 to $34 999. Two factors were derived from factor analysis: interpersonal racial discrimination and feelings of marginalization (FoM). Using structural equation modeling in a linear regression, standardized β coefficients were obtained. Neural response to faces expressing negative emotion within the right amygdala significantly moderated the association between FoM and changes in internalizing symptoms (β = -0.20; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.07; P < .001). The response to negative facial emotion within the right amygdala significantly moderated the association between FoM and changes in externalizing symptoms (β = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.43; P = .02). Left amygdala response to negative emotion significantly moderated the association between FoM and changes in externalizing symptoms (β = -0.16; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.01; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of Black adolescents in the US, findings suggest that amygdala function in response to emotional stimuli can both protect and intensify the affective outcomes of feeling marginalized on risk for psychopathology, informing preventive interventions aimed at reducing the adverse effects of racism on internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Black youths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Ava Jane Reck
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens
| | | | - Lucina Q. Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Charles F. Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Steven R. H. Beach
- Center of Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Gene H. Brody
- Center of Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Steven M. Kogan
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens
- Center of Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens
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Devakonda V, Zhou Z, Yang B, Qu Y. Neural Reward Anticipation Moderates Longitudinal Relation between Parents' Familism Values and Latinx American Youth's School Disengagement. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:962-977. [PMID: 38307126 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Parents' familism values predict a variety of Latinx American youth's academic adjustment. However, it is unclear how cultural values such as familism interact with youth's brain development, which is sensitive to sociocultural input, to shape their academic adjustment. Using a sample of 1916 Latinx American youth (mean age = 9.90 years, SD = .63 years; 50% girls) and their primary caregivers (mean age = 38.43 years, SD = 6.81 years; 90% mothers) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, this study examined the longitudinal relation between parents' familism values and youth's school disengagement, as well as the moderating role of youth's neural sensitivity to personal reward. Parents' familism values predicted youth's decreased school disengagement 1 year later, adjusting for their baseline school disengagement and demographic covariates. Notably, this association was more salient among youth who showed lower (vs. higher) neural activation in the ventral striatum and the lateral OFC during the anticipation of a personal reward. These findings underscore the protective role of familism for Latinx American youth, highlighting the necessity of developing culturally informed interventions that take into consideration a youth's brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yang Qu
- Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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Ding Q, Xu J, Peng S, Chen J, Luo Y, Li X, Wu R, Li X, Qin S. Brain network integration underpins differential susceptibility of adolescent anxiety. Psychol Med 2024; 54:193-202. [PMID: 37781905 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parenting is a common and potent environmental factor influencing adolescent anxiety. Yet, the underlying neurobiological susceptibility signatures remain elusive. Here, we used a longitudinal twin neuroimaging study to investigate the brain network integration and its heritable relation to underpin the neural differential susceptibility of adolescent anxiety to parenting environments. METHODS 216 twins from the Beijing Twin Study completed the parenting and anxiety assessments and fMRI scanning. We first identified the brain network integration involved in the influences of parenting at age 12 on anxiety symptoms at age 15. We then estimated to what extent heritable sensitive factors are responsible for the susceptibility of brain network integration. RESULTS Consistent with the differential susceptibility theory, the results showed that hypo-connectivity within the central executive network amplified the impact of maternal hostility on anxiety symptoms. A high anti-correlation between the anterior salience and default mode networks played a similar modulatory role in the susceptibility of adolescent anxiety to paternal hostility. Genetic influences (21.18%) were observed for the connectivity pattern in the central executive network. CONCLUSIONS Brain network integration served as a promising neurobiological signature of the differential susceptibility to adolescent anxiety. Our findings deepen the understanding of the neural sensitivity in the developing brain and can inform early identification and personalized interventions for adolescents at risk of anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwen Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahua Xu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Siya Peng
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuebing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruilin Wu
- Institute of Psychology, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinying Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Ruan QN, Chen CM, Yang JS, Yan WJ, Huang ZX. Network analysis of emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents: identifying central components and implications for anxiety and depression interventions. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1230807. [PMID: 37867768 PMCID: PMC10586221 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1230807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) and emotion reactivity (ER) are important causes and consequences of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, and previous research suggests that there are many interactions between them. Understanding the structure of their relationship, and which components may play a key role, will help provide insight into emotion disorders in adolescents and provide guidance for clinical interventions. In this study, we collected data from 483 adolescents and used network analysis methods to explore the relationship between DER and ER, specifically looking for core nodes. The results showed that "limited access to emotion regulation strategies" was the most central node in the network. Furthermore, by adding nodes for depression and anxiety to this network, we found that anxiety had the strongest relationship with ER, while depression had a stronger relationship with DER. Thus, our findings suggest that for anxiety disorders, the strong association with ER highlights a potentially promising area for intervention development, whereas for depression, the association with DER points to the possibility of clarifying emotions and exploring coping strategies, acknowledging the complex interplay between depressive and anxious symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Nan Ruan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Chun-Mian Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiang-Shun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wen-Jing Yan
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhen-Xing Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Sasser J, Oshri A. In or out of sync? Concordance between parent and adolescent sleep varies by family context. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2023; 33:841-857. [PMID: 36810860 PMCID: PMC10569444 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests significant interrelations among parent and adolescent sleep (i.e., concordance). However, less is known regarding how parent-adolescent sleep concordance varies as a function of the family context. This study examined daily and average concordance between parent and adolescent sleep and explored adverse parenting and family functioning (e.g., cohesion, flexibility) as potential moderators. One hundred and twenty-four adolescents (Mage = 12.90) and their parents (93% mothers) wore actigraphy watches assessing sleep duration, efficiency, and midpoint across 1 week. Multilevel models indicated daily (within-family) concordance between parent and adolescent sleep duration and midpoint. Average (between-family) concordance was found for sleep midpoint only. Family flexibility was linked with greater daily concordance in sleep duration and midpoint, whereas adverse parenting predicted discordance in average sleep duration and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeri Sasser
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd, Athens, GA 30606, USA
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Huffman LG, Oshri A. Continuity versus change in latent profiles of emotion regulation and working memory during adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101177. [PMID: 36436429 PMCID: PMC9706540 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant structural and functional brain development occurs during early adolescence. These changes underlie developments in central neurocognitive processes such as working memory (WM) and emotion regulation (ER). The preponderance of studies modeling trajectories of adolescent brain development use variable-centered approaches, omitting attention to individual differences that may undergird neurobiological embedding of early life stress and attendant psychopathology. This preregistered, data-driven study used latent transition analysis (LTA) to identify (1) latent profiles of neural function during a WM and implicit ER task, (2) transitions in profiles across 24 months, and 3) associations between transitions, parental support, and subsequent psychopathology. Using two waves of data from the ABCD Study (Mage T1 = 10; Mage T2 = 12), we found three unique profiles of neural function at both T1 and T2. The Typical, Emotion Hypo-response, and Emotion-Hyper response profiles were characterized by, respectively: moderate amygdala activation and fusiform deactivation; high ACC, fusiform, and insula deactivation; and high amygdala, ACC, and insula response to ER. While 69.5 % remained in the Typical profile from T1 to T2, 27.8 % of the sample moved from one profile at T1 to another at T2. However, neither latent profiles nor transitions exhibited associations between parental support or psychopathology symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landry Goodgame Huffman
- Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Human Development & Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Human Development & Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Yang M, Meng Z, Qi H, Duan X, Zhang L. The reciprocal relationships between Chinese children’s perception of interparental conflict, negative thinking, and depression symptoms: A cross-lagged study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:857878. [PMID: 36248573 PMCID: PMC9561413 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.857878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present longitudinal study used the traditional cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and autoregressive latent trajectory model with structured residuals (ALT-SR) to examine the relationships between perceived interparental conflict (IPC), negative thinking (NT), and depression symptoms in Chinese children. Changes in these three variables over time were also examined, as well as the trait and state aspects of the relationships between them. A sample of 516 third-grade primary students completed questionnaires about IPC, NT, and depression three times over a period of 1 year, at 6-month intervals. The CLPM findings indicated that, assuming that stability of each variable across time was controlled, Chinese children’s perception of IPC significantly affected their level of depression through the mediating path of NT. After taking trait factors into account, among all the significant autoregressive and cross-lagged paths originally found in the CLPM, only one third remained significant in the ALT-SR model. More specifically, the ALT-SR model, revealed a driving effect of children’s NT on perceived IPC and depression symptoms. The CLPM model although elucidated the interplay among three variables, the ALT-SR model showed little evidence of their interrelated growth across time. Taken together, these results indicate that children’s perceived IPC in the long term are a stable trait, with few state-level fluctuations, and is not a significant within-person predictor of subsequent children’s internalization problems. These perceptions appear to contribute more to children’s general psychological tendency than do changes over time. The research is the first to test the reciprocal relationships between Chinese children’s perceived IPC, NT, and depression symptoms. The findings demonstrate that previously proposed theories about the bidirectional relation between IPC and children’s social adjustment, to some extent, may reflect a correlation at a trait level. Put another way, it is IPC’s central tendency to be sensitive in the long term as a stable trait that is associated with their children’s general tendency to show well adjustment. The study contributes to our understanding of that extend previous results and have implications for complementary theoretical and practical interventions. The complementary techniques of CLPM and ALT-SR models offer different insights into children’s internalization problems, and hold promise for supporting the building of more comprehensive children’s developmental theories that acknowledge the interconnectedness of different domains of mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Yang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| | - Zhaoyan Meng
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| | - Huan Qi
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| | - Xiangfei Duan
- School of Educational Science, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Libin Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Libin Zhang,
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