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Ohashi YGB, Rodman AM, McLaughlin KA. Fluctuations in emotion regulation as a mechanism linking stress and internalizing psychopathology among adolescents: An intensive longitudinal study. Behav Res Ther 2024; 178:104551. [PMID: 38728833 PMCID: PMC11162922 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Stressful life events (SLEs) are tightly coupled with the emergence of anxiety and depression symptoms among adolescents, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. We investigated within-person fluctuations in emotion regulation as a mechanism linking SLEs and internalizing psychopathology in an intensive longitudinal study. We examined how monthly fluctuations in SLEs were related to engagement in three emotion regulation strategies-acceptance, reappraisal, and rumination-and whether these strategies were associated with changes in internalizing symptoms in adolescents followed for one year (N = 30; n = 355 monthly observations). Bayesian hierarchical models revealed that on months when adolescents experienced more SLEs than was typical for them, they also engaged in more rumination, which, in turn, was associated with higher anxiety and depression symptoms and mediated the prospective relationship between SLEs and internalizing symptoms. In contrast, greater use of acceptance and reappraisal selectively moderated the association between stressors and internalizing symptoms, resulting in stronger links between SLEs and symptoms. These results suggest that emotion regulation strategies play different roles in the stress-psychopathology relationship. Understanding how changes in emotion regulation contribute to increases in internalizing symptoms following experiences of stress may provide novel targets for interventions aimed at reducing stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Ballmer Institute, University of Oregon, Portland, OR, USA
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2
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Haller SP, Archer C, Jeong A, Jaffe A, Jones EL, Harrewijn A, Naim R, Linke JO, Stoddard J, Brotman MA. Changes in Internalizing Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Transdiagnostic Sample of Youth: Exploring Mediators and Predictors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:206-218. [PMID: 35794298 PMCID: PMC9816351 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01382-z] [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] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a chronically stressful event, particularly for youth. Here, we examine (i) changes in mood and anxiety symtpoms, (ii) pandemic-related stress as a mediator of change in symptoms, and (ii) threat processing biases as a predictor of increased anxiety during the pandemic. A clinically well-characterized sample of 81 youth ages 8-18 years (M = 13.8 years, SD = 2.65; 40.7% female) including youth with affective and/or behavioral psychiatric diagnoses and youth without psychopathology completed pre- and during pandemic assessments of anxiety and depression and COVID-related stress. Forty-six youth also completed a threat processing fMRI task pre-pandemic. Anxiety and depression significantly increased during the pandemic (all ps < 0.05). Significant symptom change was partially mediated by pandemic stress and worries. Increased prefrontal activity in response to neutral faces pre-pandemic was associated with more intense parent-reported anxiety during the pandemic (all Fs(1.95,81.86) > 14.44, ps < 0.001). The present work extends existing knowledge on the mediating role of psychological stress on symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Haller
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA.
| | - Camille Archer
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Annie Jeong
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Allison Jaffe
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Emily L Jones
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reut Naim
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Julia O Linke
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Joel Stoddard
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Pediatric Mental Health Institute, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Melissa A Brotman
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
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Minihan S, Songco A, Fox E, Ladouceur CD, Mewton L, Moulds M, Pfeifer JH, Van Harmelen AL, Schweizer S. Affect and mental health across the lifespan during a year of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of emotion regulation strategies and mental flexibility. Emotion 2024; 24:67-80. [PMID: 37199936 PMCID: PMC11064816 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in common mental health problems compared to prepandemic levels, especially in young people. Understanding the factors that place young people at risk is critical to guide the response to increased mental health problems. Here we examine whether age-related differences in mental flexibility and frequency of use of emotion regulation strategies partially account for the poorer affect and increased mental health problems reported by younger people during the pandemic. Participants (N = 2,367; 11-100 years) from Australia, the UK, and US were surveyed thrice at 3-month intervals between May 2020 and April 2021. Participants completed measures of emotion regulation, mental flexibility, affect, and mental health. Younger age was associated with less positive (b = 0.008, p < .001) and more negative (b = -0.015, p < .001) affect across the first year of the pandemic. Maladaptive emotion regulation partially accounted for age-related variance in negative affect (β = -0.013, p = .020), whereby younger age was associated with more frequent use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, which, in turn, was associated with more negative affect at our third assessment point. More frequent use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and in turn, changes in negative affect from our first to our third assessment, partially accounted for age-related variance in mental health problems (β = 0.007, p = .023). Our findings add to the growing literature demonstrating the vulnerability of younger people during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest that emotion regulation may be a promising target for intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elaine Fox
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide
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Skov H, Glackin EB, Drury SS, Lockman J, Gray SAO. Pre-COVID respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates associations between COVID-19 stress and child externalizing behaviors: Testing neurobiological stress theories. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38273710 PMCID: PMC11272907 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to psychopathology risk, yet not all children are negatively impacted. The current study examined a parasympathetic biomarker of stress sensitivity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as a moderator of the effects of exposure to pandemic stress on child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in a sample of children experiencing economic marginalization. Three to five years pre-pandemic, when children were preschool-aged, RSA during baseline and a challenging parent-child interaction were collected. Mid-pandemic, between November 2020 and March 2021, children's exposure to pandemic stress and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were collected. Results demonstrated that children who, pre-pandemic, demonstrated blunted parasympathetic reactivity (i.e., no change in RSA relative to baseline) during the dyadic challenge exhibited elevated risk for externalizing behaviors mid-pandemic. Further, this risk was greatest for children exposed to high and moderate levels of pandemic stress. Consistent with diathesis stress and polyvagal frameworks, these conditional effects suggest that blunted parasympathetic reactivity in response to stress in early childhood may escalate the development of externalizing behaviors following stress exposure at school age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary Skov
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Erin B Glackin
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Stacy S Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Lockman
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sarah A O Gray
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
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5
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Orban E, Li LY, Gilbert M, Napp AK, Kaman A, Topf S, Boecker M, Devine J, Reiß F, Wendel F, Jung-Sievers C, Ernst VS, Franze M, Möhler E, Breitinger E, Bender S, Ravens-Sieberer U. Mental health and quality of life in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Front Public Health 2024; 11:1275917. [PMID: 38259801 PMCID: PMC10800626 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1275917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of children and families, i.e., due to measures like social distancing and remote schooling. While previous research has shown negative effects on mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), most studies have focused on pre-post comparisons in the early pandemic stages. This systematic review aims to examine longitudinal studies to understand the long-term impacts of the pandemic on children and adolescents. Methods This systematic review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (Record ID: CRD42022336930). We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and the WHO-COVID-19 database and included studies published up to August 30, 2022. Based on pre-defined eligibility criteria, longitudinal and prospective studies that assessed the mental health or quality of life of children or adolescents (0-19 years) in the general population over a longer time span (at two or more measurement points) during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using an adapted version of the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) checklist. Narrative data synthesis was used to summarize the findings. Results A total of 5,099 results were obtained from literature searches, with 4,935 excluded during title/abstract screening. After reviewing 163 full-text articles, 24 publications were included in the review. Sample sizes ranged between n = 86 and n = 34,038. The length of the investigated time periods and the number of assessment points, as well as outcomes, varied. The majority of studies were of moderate methodological quality. Mental health outcomes were more frequently studied compared to measures of HRQoL. The findings from these studies mostly suggest that children and adolescents experienced heightened mental health problems, specifically internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression. Further, there was a decline in their overall HRQoL over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that did not necessarily subside when lockdowns ended. Conclusion It is crucial to continue monitoring the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents following the pandemic to identify groups at risks and plan interventions. This should ideally be conducted by large systematic studies, using validated instruments, and encompassing representative samples to obtain reliable and comprehensive insights with the aim of improving youth mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Orban
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lydia Yao Li
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martha Gilbert
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Napp
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne Kaman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Topf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maren Boecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Janine Devine
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Reiß
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Flora Wendel
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Jung-Sievers
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Vanessa Sophie Ernst
- Institute for Community Medicine, Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marco Franze
- Institute for Community Medicine, Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eva Möhler
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany
| | - Eva Breitinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Akgül Ö, Uzgan BÖ, Tetik M, Aykaç C. Fear, Perceived Threat, and Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Control/Flexibility and Intolerance of Uncertainty. TURK PSIKIYATRI DERGISI = TURKISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2024; 35:24-33. [PMID: 38556934 PMCID: PMC11003365 DOI: 10.5080/u27017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between fear of COVID-19, perceived threat of COVID-19, anxiety, cognitive control/flexibility, and intolerance to uncertainty. In addition, the mediating role of cognitive control/flexibility and intolerance to uncertainty were investigated. METHOD 224 volunteers aged between 18-55 years were included in the study. Cognitive Control and Felxibility Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Perceived COVID-19 Threat Form and Beck Anxiety Scales were administered to all participants via an online environment. In this context, Pearson correlation, linear regression, and mediation analyzes were performed. RESULTS There were significant relationships among Cognitive Control and Flexibility, Intolerance of Uncertainty, Beck Anxiety, fear of COVID-19, perceived COVID-19 threat (p<0,01). Linear regression analysis showed that the Beck Anxiety Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Cognitive Control/ Flexibility Scale scores significantly predicted fear of COVID-19 and the perceived threat of COVID-19 (p<0,001). In addition, mediation analysis revealed that intolerance to uncertainty and cognitive control/flexibility are mediating factors between anxiety and the perceived threat of COVID-19 (p<0,01). CONCLUSION There is a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and perception of threat, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and cognitive control mechanisms. In accordance with these findings, psychosocial support and therapy programs can be created based on cognitive control/flexibility and intolerance of uncertainty in order to increase the mental health well-being of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge Akgül
- Assis. Prof., İzmir Democracy University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, İzmir
| | - Betül Önder Uzgan
- Psychologist, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Çanakkale
| | - Melike Tetik
- Psychologist, Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Neurosciences, İzmir
| | - Cansu Aykaç
- Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Neurosciences, İzmir, Turkey
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7
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Rappaport LM, Mactavish A, Mastronardi C, Babb KA, Menna R, Amstadter AB, Battaglia M. Monthly correlates of longitudinal child mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic according to children and caregivers. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2637-2648. [PMID: 36484855 PMCID: PMC9734395 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multiple reviews identify the broad, pervasive initial impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children, who may be particularly vulnerable to long-term psychiatric sequelae of the ongoing pandemic. However, limited longitudinal research examines persistence of, or change in, children's distress or psychiatric symptomatology. From June 2020 through December 2021, we enrolled two cohorts of families of children aged 8-13 from Southwestern Ontario into a staggered baseline, longitudinal design that leveraged multi-informant report (N = 317 families). In each family, one child and one parent/guardian completed a baseline assessment, 6 monthly follow-up assessments, and one final follow-up assessment 9 months post-baseline. At each assessment, the child and parent/guardian completed the CoRonavIruS health Impact Survey and measures of child anxiety, depressive, irritability, and posttraumatic stress syndromes. Children's mental health, indexed by the severity of multiple syndromes, fluctuated over the study period. Elevated local monthly COVID-19 prevalence, hospitalization, and death rates were associated with monthly elevations in children's reported worry about contracting COVID-19 and stress related to stay-at-home orders. In turn, both elevated monthly worry about contracting COVID-19 and stress related to stay-at-home orders were associated with monthly elevations in child- and parent-/guardian-report of children's emotional distress and psychiatric syndromes. This study illustrates the importance of, and informs the potential design of, longitudinal research to track the mental health of children, who may be particularly vulnerable to broad psychosocial sequelae of health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance M Rappaport
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada.
| | - Alexandra Mactavish
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada
| | - Carli Mastronardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada
| | - Kimberley A Babb
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada
| | - Rosanne Menna
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada
| | - Ananda B Amstadter
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Marco Battaglia
- Child, Youth and Emerging Adults Programme, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Yang CC, Llamas-Díaz D, Bahena YA, Cabello R, Dahl RE, Magis-Weinberg L. Emotion regulation difficulties and sleep quality in adolescence during the early stages of the COVID-19 lockdown. J Affect Disord 2023; 338:92-99. [PMID: 37230269 PMCID: PMC10204279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.036] [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] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adolescence is a period of vulnerability for emotion regulation and sleep difficulties, risks that might be compounded by intense COVID-19 lockdowns and challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate how sleep quality related to emotion regulation difficulties in adolescents during lockdown in Perú. METHODS Participants were 2563 adolescents enrolled in Innova school in Perú (11 - -17 years) in May 2020. Hypotheses were derived from exploring one half of the sample, preregistered at https://osf.io/fuetz/, and then confirmed in the second half of the sample. Participants completed subjective surveys of sleep quality (short PSQI) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form (DERS-SF). RESULTS Worse sleep quality was robustly associated with more difficulties in emotion regulation across both samples. The association was found particularly for emotion regulation subscales related to the ability to engage in goal directed behavior in the face of distress, emotional clarity and strategies to deal with feeling distressed. In contrast, there was no robust association between sleep and the ability to regulate impulses in the context of negative emotions, and no association with the ability to accept emotions. Girls and older adolescents robustly endorsed worse sleep quality and more difficulties in emotion regulation. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional nature of this study prevents us from determining the direction of the association. Data were collected using adolescent self-report which, while informative of adolescent perceptions, might diverge from objective measures of sleep or emotion regulation difficulties. CONCLUSIONS Our findings with adolescents in Perú contribute to our understanding of the association between sleep and emotion regulation at a broader global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chi Yang
- School of Education, University of California, Berkeley; Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America.
| | | | - Yailin Alvarez Bahena
- Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America.
| | - Rosario Cabello
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Malaga.
| | - Ronald E Dahl
- Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America.
| | - Lucía Magis-Weinberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America.
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9
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Boullion A, Linde-Krieger LB, Doan SN, Yates TM. Parental warmth, adolescent emotion regulation, and adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1216502. [PMID: 37727752 PMCID: PMC10505753 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1216502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The United States (U.S.) Surgeon General Advisory has characterized the COVID-19 pandemic as a youth mental health crisis. Thus, elucidating factors affecting adolescents' mental health during the pandemic is important for supporting youth through current and future challenges. Parenting influences adolescents' ability to cope with stressors, and emotion regulation strategy use may underlie these effects. Methods This longitudinal study of 206 adolescents (49% female; 46.6% Latine) from the U.S. evaluated pathways from perceived parental warmth and affection at age 12 to changes in adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems from before the pandemic (age 14) to the initial phase of the U.S COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 (age 15) through adolescents' pre-pandemic cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression emotion regulation strategy use at age 14. Results Parental warmth and affection predicted decreased internalizing, but not externalizing, problems during the initial phase of the pandemic, and this effect was explained by adolescents' reduced reliance on expressive suppression as an emotion regulation strategy. Conclusion These findings illuminate parenting and emotion regulation strategy selection as modifiable processes to support adolescents' mental health in this crisis and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- AnnaMaria Boullion
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Linnea B. Linde-Krieger
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, AZ, United States
| | - Stacey N. Doan
- Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, United States
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Tuppett M. Yates
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
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10
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Pan N, Qin K, Yu Y, Long Y, Zhang X, He M, Suo X, Zhang S, Sweeney JA, Wang S, Gong Q. Pre-COVID brain functional connectome features prospectively predict emergence of distress symptoms after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychol Med 2023; 53:5155-5166. [PMID: 36046918 PMCID: PMC9433719 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent psychological distress associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been well documented. This study aimed to identify pre-COVID brain functional connectome that predicts pandemic-related distress symptoms among young adults. METHODS Baseline neuroimaging studies and assessment of general distress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were performed with 100 healthy individuals prior to wide recognition of the health risks associated with the emergence of COVID-19. They were recontacted for the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in the period of community-level outbreaks, and for follow-up distress evaluation again 1 year later. We employed the network-based statistic approach to identify connectome that predicted the increase of distress based on 136-region-parcellation with assigned network membership. Predictive performance of connectome features and causal relations were examined by cross-validation and mediation analyses. RESULTS The connectome features that predicted emergence of distress after COVID contained 70 neural connections. Most within-network connections were located in the default mode network (DMN), and affective network-DMN and dorsal attention network-DMN links largely constituted between-network pairs. The hippocampus emerged as the most critical hub region. Predictive models of the connectome remained robust in cross-validation. Mediation analyses demonstrated that COVID-related posttraumatic stress partially explained the correlation of connectome to the development of general distress. CONCLUSIONS Brain functional connectome may fingerprint individuals with vulnerability to psychological distress associated with the COVID pandemic. Individuals with brain neuromarkers may benefit from the corresponding interventions to reduce the risk or severity of distress related to fear of COVID-related challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kun Qin
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yifan Yu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajing Long
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Min He
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shufang Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - John A. Sweeney
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, 361000, China
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11
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Machlin L, McLaughlin KA. Pre-pandemic brain structure and function and adolescent psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Opin Psychol 2023; 52:101647. [PMID: 37429074 PMCID: PMC10414753 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for youths and families, dramatically increasing exposure to stressors and stress-related psychopathology. Increasing work has leveraged pre-pandemic neuroimaging data to predict adolescent psychopathology and stress responses during the pandemic, with a particular focus on internalizing symptoms. We review this recent literature on pre-pandemic brain structure and function and adolescent internalizing psychopathology during the pandemic. At present, existing studies have not consistently identified specific alterations in brain structure and function that predict anxiety or depressive symptoms during the pandemic. In contrast, exposure to stress and adversity before and during the pandemic as well as access to peer and family support have emerged as consistent and reliable predictors of youth mental health during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Machlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, United States.
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12
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Lee SH, Lee KT. The impact of pandemic-related stress on attentional bias and anxiety in alexithymia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6327. [PMID: 37072486 PMCID: PMC10112327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33326-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had negative consequences for mental health, yet it is unknown how and to what extent the psychological outcomes of this stressful event are moderated by individual traits. Alexithymia is a risk factor for psychopathology, and thus likely predicted individual differences in resilience or vulnerability to stressful events during the pandemic. This study explored the moderating role of alexithymia in the relationships of pandemic-related stress with anxiety levels and attentional bias. The participants were 103 Taiwanese individuals who completed a survey during the outbreak of the Omicron wave. Additionally, an emotional Stroop task including pandemic-related or neutral stimuli was used to measure attentional bias. Our results demonstrate that pandemic-related stress had a lesser impact on anxiety in individuals with a higher level of alexithymia. Moreover, we found that in individuals with higher exposure to pandemic-related stressors, a higher level of alexithymia indicated less attentional bias toward COVID-19-related information. Thus, it is plausible that individuals with alexithymia tended to avoid pandemic-related information, which could temporarily relieve stressors during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hui Lee
- Center for General Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
| | - Kuan-Te Lee
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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13
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Scheiner C, Seis C, Kleindienst N, Buerger A. Psychopathology, Protective Factors, and COVID-19 among Adolescents: A Structural Equation Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2493. [PMID: 36767859 PMCID: PMC9915090 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 and the associated restrictions, mental health in children and adolescents has been increasingly discussed in the media. Negative impacts of the pandemic, including a sharp increase in psychopathology and, consequently, reduced quality of life, appear to have particularly affected children and young people, who may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of isolation. Nevertheless, many children and adolescents have managed to cope well with the restrictions, without deterioration of their mental health. The present study therefore explored the links between COVID-19 infection (in oneself or a family member, as well as the death of a family member due to the virus), protective factors such as self-efficacy, resilience, self-esteem, and health-related quality of life, and measures of psychopathology such as depression scores, internalizing/externalizing problems, emotion dysregulation, and victimization. For this purpose, we examined data from 2129 adolescents (mean age = 12.31, SD = 0.67; 51% male; 6% born outside of Germany) using a structural equation model. We found medium to high loadings of the manifest variables with the latent variables (COVID-19, protective factors, and psychopathology). Protective factors showed a significant negative correlation with psychopathology. However, COVID-19 had a weak connection with psychopathology in our sample. External pandemic-related factors (e.g., restrictions) and their interaction with existing psychopathology or individual protective factors appear to have a greater influence on young people's mental health than the impact of the virus per se. Sociopolitical efforts should be undertaken to foster prevention and promote individual resilience, especially in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Scheiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- German Center of Prevention Research in Mental Health, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Seis
- Department of Psychology I, Wuerzburg University, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Kleindienst
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arne Buerger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- German Center of Prevention Research in Mental Health, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany
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14
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Skeens MA, Hill K, Olsavsky A, Ralph JE, Udaipuria S, Akard TF, Gerhardt CA. Family functioning buffers the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children's quality of life and loneliness. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1079848. [PMID: 36710839 PMCID: PMC9880325 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1079848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 resulted in mass quarantine measures early in the pandemic. This disruption of daily life widened inequities and made children one of the most vulnerable populations during the crisis. This national, cross-sectional "COVID-Kids" study collected data from almost 500 parent-child dyads using standardized measures to better understand the effects of COVID exposure and impact on children's quality of life and loneliness. Data were collected via social media from May to July 2020. According to parent proxy and child self-report, United States children experienced worse quality of life (p < 0.0001; d = 0.45 and 0.53) and greater child-reported loneliness (p < 0.0001) when compared to normative, healthy samples (i.e., children who do not have a chronic medical condition). Older children (r = 0.16, p = 0.001) and female children (r = 0.11, p = 0.02) reported greater loneliness. Higher child-reported family functioning scores were associated with better quality of life (r = 0.36, p < 0.0001) and less loneliness (r = -0.49, p < 0.0001). Moderated mediation analyses indicated the indirect effect of parent COVID impact on the association between COVID exposure and child quality of life was weaker in the context of better family functioning. Results of this study raise concern for the short-and long-term sequelae of the pandemic on the physical and mental health of children. Healthcare providers and researchers must find new and innovative ways to protect the well-being of children. Strengthening family functioning may buffer the effects of the pandemic and improve overall quality of life in our "COVID Kids."
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah A. Skeens
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States,*Correspondence: Micah A. Skeens, ✉
| | - Kylie Hill
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Anna Olsavsky
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jessica E. Ralph
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Shivika Udaipuria
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Terrah Foster Akard
- Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Cynthia A. Gerhardt
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
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15
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Kuhlman KR, Antici E, Tan E, Tran ML, Rodgers-Romero EL, Restrepo N. Predictors of Adolescent Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Community Sample of Hispanic and Latinx Youth: Expressive Suppression and Social Support. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:639-651. [PMID: 36607474 PMCID: PMC9817442 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-01019-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in the daily lives and mental health of adolescents. Less attention has been given to the psychosocial resources that may mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, particularly among minoritized populations. In the present study, 259 youth (aged 11-18) were recruited from a community center for integrated prevention and intervention services in a predominantly Latinx and Hispanic community. Youth completed questionnaires about the impact COVID-19 has had on their lives, psychosocial resources (humor, optimism, emotion regulation, social support), and psychiatric symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, sleep disturbances, aggression). After accounting for age, sex, and exposure to early life adversity, higher reported COVID-19 impact was associated with more depressive symptoms, b = 6.37 (SE = 1.67), 95% CI [3.08, 9.66], p < 0.001, more anxiety symptoms, b = 9.97 (SE = 1.63), 95% CI [6.75, 13.18], p < 0.001, and more sleep disturbances, b = 1.24 (SE = 0.34), 95% CI [0.57, 1.91], p < 0.001. Youth that reported infrequent expressive suppression and the lowest scores on giving social support were at the greatest risk for aggressive behavior in the context of high COVID-19 impact, ps < 0.007. Increasing emotion regulation skills, such as expressive suppression, and opportunities to give social support may promote resilience among high risk youth in the context of this ongoing community stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R. Kuhlman
- University of California, Irvine, USA ,Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, 4546 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Elizabeth Antici
- University of California, Irvine, USA ,Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, 4546 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Ece Tan
- University of California, Irvine, USA ,Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, 4546 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Mai-Lan Tran
- University of California, Irvine, USA ,Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, 4546 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Emma L. Rodgers-Romero
- University of California, Irvine, USA ,Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, 4546 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
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16
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Aizza A, Porter BM, Church JA. Youth pre-pandemic executive function relates to year one COVID-19 difficulties. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1033282. [PMID: 37151319 PMCID: PMC10156991 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1033282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a series of stressors that could relate to psychological difficulties in children and adolescents. Executive functioning (EF) supports goal achievement and is associated with life success, and better outcomes following early life adversity. EF is also strongly related to processing speed, another predictor of life outcomes. Methods This longitudinal study examined 149 youths' pre-pandemic EF and processing speed abilities as predictors of self-reported emotional, cognitive, and social experiences during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. EF and processing speed were measured with a total of 11 behavioral tasks. The COVID-era data was collected during two timepoints, during early (May-July 2020) and mid- (January-March of 2021) pandemic. Results Better pre-pandemic EF skills and processing speed abilities predicted more mid-COVID-19 pandemic emotional and cognitive difficulties. On the other hand, better switching (a subcomponent of EF) and processing speed abilities predicted more mid-pandemic social interactions. EF and processing speed abilities did not relate to the well-being reports from the initial months of the pandemic. Our EF - but not processing speed - results were largely maintained when controlling for pre-pandemic mental health burden, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender. Discussion Better cognitive abilities may have contributed to worse mid-pandemic functioning by supporting the meta-cognition needed for attending to the chaotic and ever-changing pandemic news and advice, leading to higher stress-induced worry and rumination. Our study highlights a potential downside of higher EF - often largely viewed as a protective factor - in youth.
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17
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Smith MR, Parrish KH, Shimomaeda L, Zalewski M, Rosen ML, Rodman A, Kasparek S, Mayes M, Meltzoff AN, McLaughlin KA, Lengua LJ. Early-childhood temperament moderates the prospective associations of coping with adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1011095. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1011095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
While appraisal and coping are known to impact adolescent psychopathology, more vulnerable or resilient responses to stress may depend on individual temperament. This study examined early life temperament as a moderator of the prospective relations of pre-adolescent appraisal and coping with adolescent psychopathology. The sample included 226 (62% female, 14–15 years) adolescents with assessments starting at 3 years of age. Adolescents were predominately White (12% Black 9% Asian, 11% Latinx, 4% Multiracial, and 65% White). Observed early-childhood temperament (fear, frustration, executive control, and delay ability) were tested as moderators of pre-adolescent coping (active and avoidant) and appraisal (threat, positive) on internalizing and externalizing symptoms during the pandemic. Interaction effects were tested using regression in R. Sex and family context of stress were covariates. Early-childhood temperament was correlated with pre-adolescent symptoms, however, pre-adolescent appraisal and coping but not temperament predicted adolescent psychopathology. Frustration moderated the relations of active and avoidant coping and positive appraisal to symptoms such that coping and appraisal related to lower symptoms only for those low in frustration. Executive control moderated the associations of avoidant coping with symptoms such that avoidance reduced the likelihood of symptoms for youth low in executive control. Findings underscore the role of emotionality and self-regulation in youth adjustment, with the impact of coping differing with temperament. These findings suggest that equipping youth with a flexible assortment of coping skills may serve to reduce negative mental health outcomes.
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18
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Foster JC, Cohodes EM, Brieant AE, McCauley S, Odriozola P, Zacharek SJ, Pierre JC, Hodges H, Kribakaran S, Haberman JT, Holt-Gosselin B, Gee DG. Associations between early-life stress exposure and internalizing symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the role of neurobehavioral mediators. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 3:S2667-1743(22)00090-8. [PMID: 35959474 PMCID: PMC9356644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a major stressor that has been associated with increased risk for psychiatric illness in the general population. Recent work has highlighted that experiences of early-life stress (ELS) may impact individuals' psychological functioning and vulnerability for developing internalizing psychopathology in response to pandemic-related stress. However, little is known about the neurobehavioral factors that may mediate the association between ELS exposure and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology. The current study sought to examine the mediating roles of pre-pandemic resting-state frontoamygdala connectivity and concurrent emotion regulation (ER) in the association between ELS and pandemic-related internalizing symptomatology. Methods Retrospective life-stress histories, concurrent self-reported ER strategies (i.e., reappraisal and suppression), concurrent self-reported internalizing symptomatology (i.e., depression- and anxiety-related symptomatology), and resting-state functional connectivity data from a sample of adults (N = 64, M age = 22.12, female = 68.75%) were utilized. Results There were no significant direct associations between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology. Neither frontoamygdala functional connectivity nor ER strategy use mediated an association between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology (ps > 0.05). Exploratory analyses identified a significant moderating effect of reappraisal use on the association between ELS and internalizing symptomatology (β = -0.818, p = 0.047), such that increased reappraisal use buffered the impact of ELS on psychopathology. Conclusions While frontoamygdala connectivity and ER do not appear to mediate the association between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology, our findings suggest that the use of reappraisal may buffer against the effect of ELS on mental health during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan C. Foster
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emily M. Cohodes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Sarah McCauley
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sadie J. Zacharek
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - H.R. Hodges
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | | | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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19
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McLaughlin KA, Rosen ML, Kasparek SW, Rodman AM. Stress-related psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Behav Res Ther 2022; 154:104121. [PMID: 35642991 PMCID: PMC9110305 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced widespread societal changes that have required ongoing adaptation. Unsurprisingly, stress-related psychopathology has increased during the pandemic, in both children and adults. We review these patterns through the lens of several leading conceptual models of the link between stress and psychopathology. Some of these models focus on characteristics of environmental stressors-including cumulative risk, specific stressor types, and stress sensitization approaches. Understanding the specific aspects of environmental stressors that are most likely to lead to psychopathology can shed light on who may be in most need of clinical intervention. Other models center on factors that can buffer against the onset of psychopathology following stress and the mechanisms through which stressors contribute to emergent psychopathology. These models highlight specific psychosocial processes that may be most usefully targeted by interventions to reduce stress-related psychopathology. We review evidence for each of these stress models in the context of other widescale community-level disruptions, like natural disasters and terrorist attacks, alongside emerging evidence for these stress pathways from the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss clinical implications for developing interventions to reduce stress-related psychopathology during the pandemic, with a focus on brief, digital interventions that may be more accessible than traditional clinical services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maya L Rosen
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, USA
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20
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Alcántara-López M, Castro M, Martínez-Pérez A, Fernández V, Negrón-Medina K, López-Soler C. Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence During Confinement: Characteristics by Age and Sex. Front Psychol 2022; 13:889697. [PMID: 35795449 PMCID: PMC9251406 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to stop its advance have affected the entire population. Children living with difficulties or in vulnerable situations prior to the pandemic might have suffered an even greater impact. This present study examines the psychological impact of quarantine on children and adolescents exposed to intimate partner violence against their mothers. Participants were 185 mothers who reported 269 children, as well as 108 children who self-reported. An emotional and behavioral checklist was administered to both mothers and children throughout confinement. Results show mothers observed changes in their children's psychological state. Children, in turn, reported an increase in different variables. Mothers reported a higher percentage of overall increase for both general and severe symptoms than their children. Differences were found by sex and age. Future research with similar population groups is necessary to establish the support and intervention children require in similar contexts, as well as to clarify possible causes of differences found by age and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mavi Alcántara-López
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Spanish Association for the Development of Mental Health in Childhood and Youth, “I Want to Grow”, Murcia, Spain
| | - Maravillas Castro
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Spanish Association for the Development of Mental Health in Childhood and Youth, “I Want to Grow”, Murcia, Spain
| | - Antonia Martínez-Pérez
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Spanish Association for the Development of Mental Health in Childhood and Youth, “I Want to Grow”, Murcia, Spain
| | - Visitación Fernández
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Spanish Association for the Development of Mental Health in Childhood and Youth, “I Want to Grow”, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Concepción López-Soler
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Spanish Association for the Development of Mental Health in Childhood and Youth, “I Want to Grow”, Murcia, Spain
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21
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Funkhouser CJ, Klemballa DM, Shankman SA. Using what we know about threat reactivity models to understand mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Behav Res Ther 2022; 153:104082. [PMID: 35378405 PMCID: PMC8949844 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by unprecedented levels of stress and threats in a variety of domains (e.g., health, livelihood). Individual differences in threat reactivity may explain why some individuals are at elevated risk for the development or maintenance of psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes several prominent models, mechanisms, and components of threat reactivity (e.g., appraisals, intolerance of uncertainty, avoidance) and discusses how they might help improve understanding of changes in psychopathology during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter J. Funkhouser
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 680 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA,Corresponding author. University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - David M. Klemballa
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 680 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Stewart A. Shankman
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 680 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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22
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Hanno EC, Cuartas J, Miratrix LW, Jones SM, Lesaux NK. Changes in Children's Behavioral Health and Family Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2022; 43:168-175. [PMID: 34596101 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and associated public health measures have influenced all aspects of life for children and families. In this study, we examine changes in children's behavioral health and families' well-being at the start of the pandemic. METHOD We used longitudinal data on 2880 children from 1 US state collected over 3 waves to compare family and child well-being before and after a state-wide stay-at-home advisory set in March 2020. We descriptively examined levels and changes in 4 child behavioral health outcomes (externalizing, internalizing, adaptive, and dysregulated behaviors) and 4 family well-being outcomes (parental mental health, parental stress, parent-child relationship conflict, and household chaos) across the preshutdown and postshutdown periods. Fixed effects regression models were used to predict within-child and within-family differences in preshutdown and postshutdown outcomes. RESULTS Fixed effects analyses showed children's externalizing (0.09 points; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05-0.13), internalizing (0.04 points; 95% CI, 0.01-0.08), and dysregulated (0.11 points; 95% CI, 0.06-0.16) behaviors increased after the shutdown, whereas children's adaptive behaviors declined (-0.10 points; 95% CI, -0.15 to -0.05). Parental mental health issues (0.22 points; 95% CI, 0.17-0.27), parental stress (0.08 points; 95% CI, 0.03-0.12), parent-child relationship conflict (0.10 points; 95% CI, 0.04-0.16), and household chaos (0.10 points; 95% CI, 0.05-0.14) all increased relative to preshutdown levels. CONCLUSION Many children experienced declines in behavioral health and many families experienced declines in well-being in the early months of the public health crisis, suggesting the need for family-focused and child-focused policies to mitigate these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Hanno
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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23
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Yang Q, Shi M, Tang D, Zhu H, Xiong K. Multiple Roles of Grit in the Relationship Between Interpersonal Stress and Psychological Security of College Freshmen. Front Psychol 2022; 13:824214. [PMID: 35310215 PMCID: PMC8929422 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Grit, as an important positive psychological quality, has rarely been studied for its role involved in the mechanism between stress and psychological security. This article explores the moderating and mediating role of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security of freshmen through two studies. In study 1, freshmen from several Chinese universities (N = 1,224) were recruited to complete a battery of questionnaire, including assessments about interpersonal stress, grit, and psychological security. The moderating effect analysis showed that grit moderated the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security. Specifically, grit buffered the negative effects of interpersonal stress on freshmen’s psychological security, but this effect was obvious only when the level of interpersonal stress was relatively low, and decreased when the level of interpersonal stress was high. In study 2, college freshmen from another university apart from above ones (N = 604) were recruited, and we verified the results of study 1 and further explored the mediating role of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and security. The moderating effect analysis of study 2 also verified that of study 1. The mediating effect analysis showed that interpersonal stress not only negatively predicted psychological security, but also affected psychological security through the mediation of grit. In general, grit played a mediating and moderating role in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security. This study provides first-hand evidence to explain the multiple roles of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingsong Yang
- School of Teacher Education, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi, China
| | - Mengxi Shi
- School of Teacher Education, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi, China
| | - Dandan Tang
- School of Teacher Education, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi, China
| | - Hai Zhu
- School of Teacher Education, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi, China
| | - Ke Xiong
- Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China
- *Correspondence: Ke Xiong,
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24
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Monninger M, Pollok TM, Aggensteiner PM, Kaiser A, Reinhard I, Hermann A, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Holz NE. Coping under stress: Prefrontal control predicts stress burden during the COVID-19 crisis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 56:13-23. [PMID: 34894621 PMCID: PMC8606266 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has confronted millions of people around the world with an unprecedented stressor, affecting physical and mental health. Accumulating evidence suggests that emotional and cognitive self-regulation is particularly needed to effectively cope with stress. Therefore, we investigated the predictive value of affective and inhibitory prefrontal control for stress burden during the COVID-19 crisis. Physical and mental health burden were assessed using an online survey, which was administered to 104 participants of an ongoing at-risk birth cohort during the first wave in April 2020. Two follow-ups were carried out during the pandemic, one capturing the relaxation during summer and the other the beginning of the second wave of the crisis. Prefrontal activity during emotion regulation and inhibitory control were assessed prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Increased inferior frontal gyrus activity during emotion regulation predicted lower stress burden at the beginning of the first and the second wave of the crisis. In contrast, inferior and middle frontal gyrus activity during inhibitory control predicted effective coping only during the summer, when infection rates decreased but stress burden remained unchanged. These findings remained significant when controlling for sociodemographic and clinical confounders such as stressful life events prior to the crisis or current psychopathology. We demonstrate that differential stress-buffering effects are predicted by the neural underpinnings of emotion regulation and cognitive regulation at different stages during the pandemic. These findings may inform future prevention strategies to foster stress coping in unforeseen situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Monninger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Tania M Pollok
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Pascal-M Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Anna Kaiser
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Andrea Hermann
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Phillips University Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Neumünsterallee 9, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany.
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25
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Perica MI, Ravindranath O, Calabro FJ, Foran W, Luna B. Hippocampal-Prefrontal Connectivity Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic Predicts Stress Reactivity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 1:283-290. [PMID: 34849503 PMCID: PMC8612769 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND By adolescence, foundational cognitive and affective neurobehavioral processes specialize based on environmental demands, such as stress, to determine the basis of adult trajectories. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress for everyone, particularly adolescents who face unique stressors such as restrictions in socialization and education. However, variability in brain processes supporting stress reactivity is not well understood. Here, we leverage pre-pandemic brain development studies to identify how maturity of prefrontal connectivity with the amygdala and hippocampus (HPC) is associated with response to COVID-19. We hypothesized that age-related changes in connectivity of affective and cognitive brain systems may underlie the emotional response of adolescents during the pandemic. METHODS In this study, 10- to 31-year-old participants (n = 111) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans prior to the pandemic and then completed a questionnaire 9 months into the pandemic measuring worry, COVID-related stress, sadness, perceived stress, and positive affect. Associations between pairwise functional connectivity of HPC/amygdala subregions with prefrontal cortex subdivisions and affective reactivity during the pandemic were examined. RESULTS Regression analyses indicated that both worry and COVID-19-related stress increased with age (false discovery rate-corrected p < .05). Furthermore, greater connectivity between the anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior HPC was associated with greater worry and COVID-19-related stress (p < .05 corrected), which was primarily driven by individuals younger than 18 years. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results indicate that increases in stress reactivity to the COVID-19 pandemic across the transition to adulthood are driven by maturation of posterior HPC-ventromedial prefrontal cortex coupling, which integrates stress response and emotional memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I. Perica
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Orma Ravindranath
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - William Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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26
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Asscheman JS, Zanolie K, Bexkens A, Bos MGN. Mood Variability Among Early Adolescents in Times of Social Constraints: A Daily Diary Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2021; 12:722494. [PMID: 34504466 PMCID: PMC8421763 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated governmental regulations have drastically changed the daily social lives of children, adolescents, and adults. Changes in the social context may particularly affect children who are in the transition to adolescents (henceforth referred to as early adolescents) as adolescence is a crucial period for peer interactions and development of independence and autonomy. Yet, the impact of the pandemic and associated governmental regulations on early adolescents' emotional well-being has yet to be clarified. In the current study, we explored daily fluctuations in mood in 54 early adolescents (M age = 11.07) during the first few months (April 2020-June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the role of parents and peers on adolescents' mood variability was investigated. Adolescents rated their mood (i.e., happiness, anger, sadness, anxiety) and peer interactions once a day during four separate weeks across different weeks of containment measures in the Netherlands. Moreover, adolescents reported on their experienced attachment to parents and peers and internalizing problems during baseline and the final measurement, respectively. Results showed relatively stable levels of mood during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, individual differences in mood variability during the first assessment week were negatively associated with the experienced level of attachment to both parents and peers. Moreover, heightened levels of mood variability did not mediate the link between attachment and internalizing problems. Lastly, the quality of offline contact, but not online contact, was negatively related to adolescents' mood variability. Overall, this study suggests that mood of early adolescents did not heavily fluctuated across the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings add to the growing body of literature aiming to understand how adolescent's life are affected by the COVID-19 crisis and illustrates that social connectedness to parents or peers may facilitate resilience to distress and daily mood fluctuation in early adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Susanne Asscheman
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kiki Zanolie
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anika Bexkens
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- GGZ Delfland, Department of Psychiatry in Individuals With Intellectual Disability, Center for Psychiatry, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Marieke G. N. Bos
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
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27
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Asscheman JS, Zanolie K, Bexkens A, Bos MGN. Mood Variability Among Early Adolescents in Times of Social Constraints: A Daily Diary Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2021; 12:722494. [PMID: 34504466 DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/375tj] [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: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated governmental regulations have drastically changed the daily social lives of children, adolescents, and adults. Changes in the social context may particularly affect children who are in the transition to adolescents (henceforth referred to as early adolescents) as adolescence is a crucial period for peer interactions and development of independence and autonomy. Yet, the impact of the pandemic and associated governmental regulations on early adolescents' emotional well-being has yet to be clarified. In the current study, we explored daily fluctuations in mood in 54 early adolescents (M age = 11.07) during the first few months (April 2020-June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the role of parents and peers on adolescents' mood variability was investigated. Adolescents rated their mood (i.e., happiness, anger, sadness, anxiety) and peer interactions once a day during four separate weeks across different weeks of containment measures in the Netherlands. Moreover, adolescents reported on their experienced attachment to parents and peers and internalizing problems during baseline and the final measurement, respectively. Results showed relatively stable levels of mood during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, individual differences in mood variability during the first assessment week were negatively associated with the experienced level of attachment to both parents and peers. Moreover, heightened levels of mood variability did not mediate the link between attachment and internalizing problems. Lastly, the quality of offline contact, but not online contact, was negatively related to adolescents' mood variability. Overall, this study suggests that mood of early adolescents did not heavily fluctuated across the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings add to the growing body of literature aiming to understand how adolescent's life are affected by the COVID-19 crisis and illustrates that social connectedness to parents or peers may facilitate resilience to distress and daily mood fluctuation in early adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Susanne Asscheman
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kiki Zanolie
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anika Bexkens
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- GGZ Delfland, Department of Psychiatry in Individuals With Intellectual Disability, Center for Psychiatry, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Marieke G N Bos
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
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