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Bolhuis K, Espinosa Dice AL, Jansen PW, Tiemeier H, Denckla CA. Neurocognition and academic achievement among bereaved children in the Generation R Cohort. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21187. [PMID: 39261571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-72178-5] [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: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood bereavement is an adverse event, yet children demonstrate considerable variability in health outcomes. Bereaved children are at risk of lower lifelong educational attainment, though the contribution of neurocognitive performance is yet to be investigated. Using data from the population-based Generation R Study wherein nearly 10,000 pregnant mothers were recruited between 2002 and 2006, we estimated the association of bereavement by age 10 years with four subtests of cognitive function and academic achievement at 13 years. Bereavement by 10 years of age was experienced by n = 796 (37.3%) of youth and was associated with a 1.12-point (SD = 0.55; p-value = 0.04) lower full-scale IQ at 13 years, which was mainly driven by lower matrix reasoning scores (βadjusted = -0.27, SE = 0.11, p < 0.02). There were no differences in academic achievement or other subtests of neurocognitive function between bereaved and non-bereaved children. Secondary analyses adjusting for pre-bereavement nonverbal cognitive ability and mental health problems revealed an overall association between bereavement and subsequent full-scale IQ and matrix reasoning, but only among those youth whose caregivers reported that the loss had an emotional influence on the child. These novel findings leveraging prospective assessments in a population-based birth cohort highlight risk and resilience mechanisms warranting further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bolhuis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A L Espinosa Dice
- Department of Epidemiology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P W Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C A Denckla
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Rakovski C, Lalli M, Gu J, Hobson M, Wollenhaupt-Aguiar B, Minuzzi L, Kapczinski F, de Azevedo Cardoso T, Frey BN. Childhood maltreatment as a predictor of substance use/misuse among youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024:105873. [PMID: 39243876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively describe whether experiencing a variety of childhood maltreatment types predicts a variety of substance use/misuse types among youth, beyond the narrow scope covered in previous systematic reviews on similar topics. A literature search was conducted in June, 2022 using PubMed, PsycInfo, and Embase. 58 studies (total participant n=170,749) were included. These studies were primarily organized by substance type outcomes including alcohol (n=43), cannabis (n=25), unspecified substances (n=25), and other specific substances (n=10). Results were further stratified by maltreatment type. For specific maltreatment and substance type combinations, the majority of studies indicated that childhood maltreatment was a significant predictor of substance use/misuse in youth. Of the 10 meta-analyses we conducted, significant associations were found for the majority (9/10) of maltreatment and substance type combinations. For instance, unspecified childhood maltreatment increased the probability of youth alcohol use by about four times, which was the highest relative risk found. In conclusion, this study shows that childhood maltreatment is a predictor of youth substance use/misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coral Rakovski
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Mikayla Lalli
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Gu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Madison Hobson
- Honours Integrated Science Program, School of Interdisciplinary Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Bianca Wollenhaupt-Aguiar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Treatment and Research Centre and Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luciano Minuzzi
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Treatment and Research Centre and Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Flavio Kapczinski
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Taiane de Azevedo Cardoso
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Benicio N Frey
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Treatment and Research Centre and Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Patel H, Nooner KB, Reich JC, Woodley MMO, Cummins K, Brown SA. Trauma's distinctive and combined effects on subsequent substance use, mental health, and neurocognitive functioning with the NCANDA sample. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69:101427. [PMID: 39111118 PMCID: PMC11347063 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and potentially traumatic events (PTEs) contribute to increased substance use, mental health issues, and cognitive impairments. However, there's not enough research on how TBI and PTEs combined impact mental heath, substance use, and neurocognition. METHODS This study leverages a subset of The National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) multi-site dataset with 551 adolescents to assess the combined and distinctive impacts of TBI, PTEs, and TBI+PTEs (prior to age 18) on substance use, mental health, and neurocognitive outcomes at age 18. RESULTS TBI, PTEs, and TBI+PTEs predicted greater lifetime substance use and past-year alcohol and cannabis use. PTEs predicted greater internalizing symptoms, while TBI+PTEs predicted greater externalizing symptoms. Varying effects on neurocognitive outcomes included PTEs influencing attention accuracy and TBI+PTEs predicting faster speed in emotion tasks. PTEs predicted greater accuracy in abstraction-related tasks. Associations with working memory were not detected. CONCLUSION This exploratory study contributes to the growing literature on the complex interplay between TBI, PTEs, and adolescent mental health, substance use, and neurocognition. The developmental implications of trauma via TBIs and/or PTEs during adolescence are considerable and worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herry Patel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Kate Brody Nooner
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.
| | - Jessica C Reich
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.
| | - Mary Milo O Woodley
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.
| | - Kevin Cummins
- Department of Public Health, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA.
| | - Sandra A Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Remmers MCC, Reijs RP, Hoebe CJPA. Defining and distinguishing early life stress, trauma, adversity, toxic and chronic stress and allostatic load: a descriptive review. Scand J Public Health 2024:14034948241260105. [PMID: 39087715 DOI: 10.1177/14034948241260105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Various concepts are used to study the impact of stress on childhood development. These concepts are often used inconsistently or interchangeably. Our main objectives were to determine how selected stress concepts (chronic stress, toxic stress, allostatic load, early life stress, childhood adversity, childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences; ACEs) are defined, operationalized and described, and to provide a theoretical context to aid the choice for a preferred concept in public health research. METHODS For this descriptive review, we systematically searched for literature published before 4 August 2021, on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo. Two independent reviewers included studies. Exclusion criteria were: no systematic review, not peer reviewed, not published in English, selected stress concepts were no predetermined variable or a substantial topic in the discussion, full text was unobtainable or study described non-human or non-childhood populations. Data extraction forms were used. Descriptives were gathered, publication fields were identified through Journal Citation Reports categories, and verbatim descriptions were ordered in text and Venn diagrams. RESULTS Of 264 screened studies, 124 were included. ACEs, childhood adversity and childhood trauma were used most. ACEs were the main concept used most frequently (47.6%). A total of 11 of 14 public and environmental health journals used ACEs. All concepts refer to prolonged, repeated, interpersonal stress from 0 to 18 years, that can alter physiological systems. Four concepts were stressor oriented, two concepts focused on stress response and effect and one on the state of challenged homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS ACEs seem most fitting for public health setting, due to their operationalizability, large set of core experiences and widespread use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten C C Remmers
- Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Youth Health Care, Public Health Service Limburg-North, Venlo, Netherlands
| | - Rianne P Reijs
- Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Youth Health Care, Living Lab Public Health Mosa, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Christian J P A Hoebe
- Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, Living Lab Public Health Mosa, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Ames ME, Robillard CL, Turner BJ, Garcia-Barrera M, Rush J, Craig SG. Associations between physical activity, affect regulation difficulties, and mental health among Canadian adolescents at two different points of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychol Health 2024; 39:1042-1058. [PMID: 36184947 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2022.2127718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Although physical activity declined with social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth who engaged in more physical activity experienced fewer mental health problems. If and how physical activity maintained its protective role throughout the ongoing pandemic remains unclear. This study models associations between three types of physical activity (indoor, outdoor, with parents), affect regulation, and anxious and depressive symptoms in two independent adolescent samples (T1: Summer 2020; T2: Winter 2020/21). Methods and Measures. Six hundred sixty-two Canadian adolescents (T1: Mage = 15.69, SD = 1.36; 52% girls; 5% trans+) and 675 Canadian adolescents (T2: Mage = 15.80, SD = 1.46; 50% girls; 6% trans+) participated in an online survey. Data included frequency of physical activity indoors, outdoors, and with parents, affect regulation difficulties, and measures of anxious and depressive symptoms. Results. Multiple-group path analysis showed indoor physical activity had an indirect effect on anxiety and depressive symptoms through affect dysregulation, but only at T1. Physical activity with parents was protective for adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms at both T1 and T2 and had an indirect effect through affect dysregulation and suppression. Conclusion. Findings contribute to our understanding of how physical activity protects adolescent mental health, and point to strengthening family supports and recreation opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Ames
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christina L Robillard
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brianna J Turner
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan Rush
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephanie G Craig
- York University, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Migeot J, Panesso C, Duran-Aniotz C, Ávila-Rincón C, Ochoa C, Huepe D, Santamaría-García H, Miranda JJ, Escobar MJ, Pina-Escudero S, Romero-Ortuno R, Lawlor B, Ibáñez A, Lipina S. Allostasis, health, and development in Latin America. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105697. [PMID: 38710422 PMCID: PMC11162912 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105697] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The lifespan is influenced by adverse childhood experiences that create predispositions to poor health outcomes. Here we propose an allostatic framework of childhood experiences and their impact on health across the lifespan, focusing on Latin American and Caribbean countries. This region is marked by significant social and health inequalities nested in environmental and social stressors, such as exposure to pollution, violence, and nutritional deficiencies, which critically influence current and later-life health outcomes. We review several manifestations across cognition, behavior, and the body, observed at the psychological (e.g., cognitive, socioemotional, and behavioral dysfunctions), brain (e.g., alteration of the development, structure, and function of the brain), and physiological levels (e.g., dysregulation of the body systems and damage to organs). To address the complexity of the interactions between environmental and health-related factors, we present an allostatic framework regarding the cumulative burden of environmental stressors on physiological systems (e.g., cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine) related to health across the life course. Lastly, we explore the relevance of this allostatic integrative approach in informing regional interventions and public policy recommendations. We also propose a research agenda, potentially providing detailed profiling and personalized care by assessing the social and environmental conditions. This framework could facilitate the delivery of evidence-based interventions and informed childhood-centered policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Migeot
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Panesso
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Ávila-Rincón
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PhD Program in Neuroscience) Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia
| | - Carolina Ochoa
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Huepe
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Hernando Santamaría-García
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PhD Program in Neuroscience) Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center of Memory and Cognition Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio Bogotá, San Ignacio, Colombia
| | - J Jaime Miranda
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - María Josefina Escobar
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Stefanie Pina-Escudero
- Global Brain Health Institute, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Roman Romero-Ortuno
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Sebastián Lipina
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Fanikos M, Kohn SA, Stamato R, Brenhouse HC, Gildawie KR. Impacts of age and environment on postnatal microglial activity: Consequences for cognitive function following early life adversity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306022. [PMID: 38917075 PMCID: PMC11198844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases the likelihood of later-life neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunction. Importantly, ELA, neuropsychiatric disorders, and cognitive deficits all involve aberrant immune signaling. Microglia are the primary neuroimmune cells and regulate brain development. Microglia are particularly sensitive to early life insults, which can program their responses to future challenges. ELA in the form of maternal separation (MS) in rats alters later-life microglial morphology and the inflammatory profile of the prefrontal cortex, a region important for cognition. However, the role of microglial responses during MS in the development of later cognition is not known. Therefore, here we aimed to determine whether the presence of microglia during MS mediates long-term impacts on adult working memory. Clodronate liposomes were used to transiently deplete microglia from the brain, while empty liposomes were used as a control. We hypothesized that if microglia mediate the long-term impacts of ELA on working memory in adulthood, then depleting microglia during MS would prevent these deficits. Importantly, microglial function shifts throughout the neonatal period, so an exploratory investigation assessed whether depletion during the early versus late neonatal period had different effects on adult working memory. Surprisingly, empty liposome treatment during the early, but not late, postnatal period induced microglial activity changes that compounded with MS to impair working memory in females. In contrast, microglial depletion later in infancy impaired later life working memory in females, suggesting that microglial function during late infancy plays an important role in the development of cognitive function. Together, these findings suggest that microglia shift their sensitivity to early life insults across development. Our findings also highlight the potential for MS to impact some developmental processes only when compounded with additional neuroimmune challenges in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Fanikos
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Skylar A. Kohn
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Stamato
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Heather C. Brenhouse
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kelsea R. Gildawie
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Stinson EA, Sullivan RM, Navarro GY, Wallace AL, Larson CL, Lisdahl KM. Childhood adversity is associated with reduced BOLD response in inhibitory control regions amongst preadolescents from the ABCD study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101378. [PMID: 38626611 PMCID: PMC11035055 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101378] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by dynamic neurodevelopment, which poses opportunities for risk and resilience. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) confer additional risk to the developing brain, where ACEs have been associated with alterations in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) BOLD signaling in brain regions underlying inhibitory control. Socioenvironmental factors like the family environment may amplify or buffer against the neurodevelopmental risks associated with ACEs. Using baseline to Year 2 follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the current study examined how ACEs relate to fMRI BOLD signaling during successful inhibition on the Stop Signal Task in regions associated with inhibitory control and examined whether family conflict levels moderated that relationship. Results showed that greater ACEs were associated with reduced BOLD response in the right opercular region of the inferior frontal gyrus and bilaterally in the pre-supplementary motor area, which are key regions underlying inhibitory control. Further, greater BOLD response was correlated with less impulsivity behaviorally, suggesting reduced activation may not be behaviorally adaptive at this age. No significant two or three-way interactions with family conflict levels or time were found. Findings highlight the continued utility of examining the relationship between ACEs and neurodevelopmental outcomes and the importance of intervention/prevention of ACES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Stinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
| | - Ryan M Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
| | - Gabriella Y Navarro
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
| | - Alexander L Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Christine L Larson
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
| | - Krista M Lisdahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States.
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Amédée LM, Cyr C, Jean-Thorn A, Hébert M. Executive functioning in child victims of sexual abuse: A multi-informant comparative study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 152:106737. [PMID: 38564916 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106737] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research examining the association between child sexual abuse and executive functions is limited. Yet, exposure to traumatic situations at a young age has been associated with changes in the prefrontal cortex, which hosts executive functions (Wesarg et al., 2020). These functions are crucial for social adaptation, as they make it possible to inhibit maladaptive behavior and respond flexibly to the demands of the environment. As middle childhood is a sensitive period for the development of self-regulatory abilities, exploring executive functioning in school-age children could provide potential intervention targets (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). OBJECTIVE Using multiple informants, this study compared executive functioning of sexually abused children to that of non-sexually victimized children and examined whether the differences were moderated by sex. METHODS The sample consisted of 225, 6-to-12 years old children with a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and 97 children without a history of CSA. Children completed two executive functioning tasks measuring cognitive flexibility and inhibition. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires evaluating children's executive functioning. RESULTS In comparison to non-abused children, children with a history of CSA displayed greater executive functioning difficulties as assessed by both informant-reported questionnaires and self-completed tasks. Significant interaction effects were found, such as CSA predicting lower inhibition and executive functions at school in boys but not in girls. CONCLUSION This study is a first step in understanding the association between CSA and executive functioning and offers a clearer picture of the differential impact of sexual trauma according to children's sex.
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Eiberg M. Cognitive Functioning of Children in Out-of-Home Care. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2024; 17:217-230. [PMID: 38938961 PMCID: PMC11199474 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00580-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Most children who enter out-of-home care (OHC) have been subjected to prolonged maltreatment. Maltreatment potentially contributes to a cumulative deficit in neurocognitive maturation and development that is likely to proceed with the child's placement into OHC and persist throughout adulthood. From the theoretical perspective of how maltreatment may affect the developing brain, this study examines the IQ and executive function of children placed in OHC on standardized, norm-referenced measures. Furthermore, the study investigates the prevalence of serious cognitive delays, defined by scores in the clinical range on the administered instruments. METHODS The study included 153 children in foster care (66% female), aged 6-15 (M = 10.5, SD = 2.1). Independent two-sample t-tests were run to test for significant differences between the sample and the norm population on the applied neuropsychological measures. RESULTS The results showed that discrepancies in cognitive development were global in scope, with the children lagging significantly behind the norm population on all applied measures with discrepancies ranging from 0.61 to 2.10 SD (p < .001). Also, serious developmental delays in all cognitive domains were vastly overrepresented in the sample ranging from 11.3% (IQ) to 66.0% (executive function). CONCLUSIONS The results document a very high prevalence of cognitive deficits and delays among the children in the sample. The implications of identifying the neurocognitive effects of maltreatment in the practices of the child welfare system are discussed in terms of developing suitable assessment and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misja Eiberg
- VIVE - The Danish Center for Social Science Research, Herluf Trolles gade 11, 1052 , Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Vasupanrajit A, Maes M, Jirakran K, Tunvirachaisakul C. Complex Intersections Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Negative Life Events Impact the Phenome of Major Depression. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2024; 17:2161-2178. [PMID: 38826678 PMCID: PMC11144407 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s458257] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background There is evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative life events (NLEs) are associated with major depression (MDD). Purpose To determine whether ACEs affect all features of mild MDD, including suicidal tendencies, brooding, neuroticism, insomnia, cognitive deficits, severity of depression and anxiety, and cognitive deficits, and whether NLEs mediate these effects. Sample of the Study and Methods This study examines a cohort of 118 academic students, namely 74 students who satisfied the DSM-5-TR criteria for MDD and 44 normal control students. We assessed brooding, neuroticism, suicidal ideation and attempts, and the severity of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and the Stroop tests. Results One validated factor could be extracted from brooding, neuroticism, current suicidal behaviors, and the severity of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, labeled the phenome of depression. A large part of the variance in the phenome of depression (55.0%) was explained by the combined effects of self-, relationships, and academic-related NLEs in conjunction with ACEs, including family dysfunction and abuse and neglect (both physical and emotional). The latter ACEs significantly interacted (moderating effect) with NLEs to impact the depression phenome. Although sexual abuse did not have direct effects on the phenome, its effects were mediated by NLEs. We discovered that increased sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse and neglect, and ACEs related to family dysfunction predicted 22.5% of the variance in NLEs. Up to 18.5% of the variance in the Stroop test scores was explained by sexual abuse and the phenome of depression. The latter mediated the effects of NLEs and abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction on the Stroop test scores. Conclusion Complex intersections between ACEs and NLEs impact the phenome of depression, which comprises neuroticism, brooding, suicidal tendencies, and the severity of insomnia, anxiety, and depression, while sexual abuse together with other ACEs and NLEs may impact cognitive interference inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asara Vasupanrajit
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Ph.D.Program in Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Ph.D.Program in Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
- Center of Excellence in Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Cognitive Fitness and Biopsychological Technology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ketsupar Jirakran
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Ph.D.Program in Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Maximizing Children’s Developmental Potential, Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chavit Tunvirachaisakul
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Ph.D.Program in Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Huffhines L, Parade SH, Martin SE, Gottipaty A, Kavanaugh B, Spirito A, Boekamp JR. Early childhood trauma exposure and neurocognitive and emotional processes: Associations in young children in a partial hospital program. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38711378 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000956] [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: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Early childhood trauma has been linked to neurocognitive and emotional processing deficits in older children, yet much less is known about these associations in young children. Early childhood is an important developmental period in which to examine relations between trauma and executive functioning/emotion reactivity, given that these capacities are rapidly developing and are potential transdiagnostic factors implicated in the development of psychopathology. This cross-sectional study examined associations between cumulative trauma, interpersonal trauma, and components of executive functioning, episodic memory, and emotion reactivity, conceptualized using the RDoC framework and assessed with observational and performance-based measures, in a sample of 90 children (ages 4-7) admitted to a partial hospital program. Children who had experienced two or more categories of trauma had lower scores in episodic memory, global cognition, and inhibitory control as measured in a relational (but not computerized) task, when compared to children with less or no trauma. Interpersonal trauma was similarly associated with global cognition and relational inhibitory control. Family contextual factors did not moderate associations. Findings support examining inhibitory control in both relationally significant and decontextualized paradigms in early childhood, and underscore the importance of investigating multiple neurocognitive and emotional processes simultaneously to identify potential targets for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Huffhines
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, E. P Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Stephanie H Parade
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, E. P Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Sarah E Martin
- Department of Psychology, Simmons University, Boston, MA, USA
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Anjali Gottipaty
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Brian Kavanaugh
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Anthony Spirito
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - John R Boekamp
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
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Kisely S, Arnautovska U, Siskind D, Warren N, Najman JM. Admissions for psychosis following agency-notified child maltreatment at 40-year-follow-up: Results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) cohort. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:247-253. [PMID: 38581827 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.040] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence of an association between self-reported child maltreatment (CM) and subsequent psychosis in retrospective data. Such findings may be affected by recall bias. Prospective studies of notifications to statutory agencies address recall bias but are less common and subject to attrition bias. These studies may therefore be underpowered to detect significant associations for some CM types such as sexual abuse. This study therefore linked administrative health data to a large birth cohort that included notifications to child protection agencies. We assessed psychiatric outcomes of CM as measured by inpatient admissions for non-affective psychoses (ICD10 codes F20-F29) to both public and private hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. Follow-up was up to 40 years old. There were 6087 cohort participants whose data could be linked to the administrative health data. Of these, 10.1 % had been the subject of a CM notification. Seventy-two participants (1.2 %) had been admitted for non-affective psychosis by 40-year follow-up. On adjusted analysis, all notified and substantiated types of CM were associated with admissions for non-affective psychosis. This included neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse, as well as notifications for multiple CM types. For instance, there was a 2.72-fold increase in admissions following any agency notification (95 % CI = 1.53-4.85). All maltreatment types therefore show a significant association with subsequent admissions for psychosis up to the age of 40. Screening for CM in individuals who present with psychosis is, therefore, indicated, as well as greater awareness that survivors of CM may be at higher risk of developing psychotic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Kisely
- Princess Alexandra Hospital Southside Clinical Unit, Greater Brisbane Clinical School, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, Australia; Departments of Psychiatry, Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Canada; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Urska Arnautovska
- Princess Alexandra Hospital Southside Clinical Unit, Greater Brisbane Clinical School, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, Australia; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dan Siskind
- Princess Alexandra Hospital Southside Clinical Unit, Greater Brisbane Clinical School, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, Australia; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicola Warren
- Princess Alexandra Hospital Southside Clinical Unit, Greater Brisbane Clinical School, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, Australia; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jake Moses Najman
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston 4006, Queensland, Australia; School of Social Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
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Hsueh YZ, Huang CY, Kuo PH, Cheng YC, Huang MC, Chiu CC, Kuo CJ, Chen PY, Chen WY. Cluster analysis exploring the impact of childhood neglect on cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2024; 12:13. [PMID: 38676782 PMCID: PMC11055839 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-024-00335-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental disorder related to neurocognitive deficits. Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with worse cognitive performance. Different compositions of childhood trauma in BD and their impacts on cognition are rarely reported. METHODS We used the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Affective Disorders (BAC-A) to assess cognitive performance and the Chinese version of the Short Form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (C-CTQ-SF) to assess childhood trauma experience among 55 euthymic BD patients. Cluster analysis was applied to dissect their childhood trauma experiences, which revealed three distinct clusters: a low trauma group, neglect-focus group, and multiple-trauma-experience group. We compared the cognitive function between the three clusters and used a generalized linear model to evaluate the impact of childhood neglect on cognitive domains. RESULTS The neglect-focus cluster showed prominent exposures to physical and emotional neglect (41.8%). BD patients in this cluster performed worse in BAC-A compared with patients in the multiple trauma cluster, especially in working memory and processing speed. The neglect-focus group revealed a significant negative effect on the composite score (ß = -0.904, p = 0.025) and working memory (ß = -1.150, p = 0.002) after adjusting sex, age, education year, BMI and total psychotropic defined daily dose. CONCLUSIONS Distinct patterns of childhood trauma experience are seen in BD patients and are related with different cognitive profiles. Early exposure of neglect-focus trauma was associated with the worst cognitive performance in current study. Further studies investigating the intensity of the neglect, as well as individual resilience and coping mechanisms in BD, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Zhi Hsueh
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cho-Yin Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsiu Kuo
- Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chih Cheng
- Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, China Medical University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chyi Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih Chiang Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chian-Jue Kuo
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yin Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Songde branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan.
- Psychiatric Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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15
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Yang A, Jing Lu H, Chang L. The impacts of early environmental adversity on cognitive functioning, body mass, and life-history behavioral profiles. Brain Cogn 2024; 177:106159. [PMID: 38593638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Early adverse experiences or exposures have a profound impact on neurophysiological, cognitive, and somatic development. Evidence across disciplines uncovers adversity-induced alternations in cortical structures, cognitive functions, and related behavioral manifestations, as well as an energetic trade-off between the brain and body. Based on the life history (LH) framework, the present research aims to explore the adversity-adapted cognitive-behavioral mechanism and investigate the relation between cognitive functioning and somatic energy reserve (i.e., body mass index; BMI). A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was performed with longitudinal self-reported, anthropometric, and task-based data drawn from a cohort of 2,607 8- to 11-year-old youths and their primary caregivers recruited by the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCDSM) study. The results showed that early environmental adversity was positively associated with fast LH behavioral profiles and negatively with cognitive functioning. Moreover, cognitive functioning mediated the relationship between adversity and fast LH behavioral profiles. Additionally, we found that early environmental adversity positively predicted BMI, which was inversely correlated with cognitive functioning. These results revealed an adversity-adapted cognitive-behavioral mechanism and energy-allocation pathways, and add to the existing knowledge of LH trade-off and developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anting Yang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences Building E21-G003, University of Macau, Macau.
| | - Hui Jing Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences GH413, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hum Hong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences Building E21-G003, University of Macau, Macau; Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences GH413, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hum Hong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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16
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Rahman MM, Alam MI, Mansur M. Functional difficulty among young children in Bangladesh: An analysis of nationally representative data. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300403. [PMID: 38512905 PMCID: PMC10956765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional difficulty in children is a crucial public health problem still undervalued in developing countries. This study explored the socio-demographic factors and anthropometry associated with children's functional difficulty in Bangladesh. Data for 2-4-year-old children, obtained from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019, were used in this study. The mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to analyse the data. Children whose mothers had functional difficulty were found to be 2.75 times more likely to have functional difficulty than children whose mothers had no functional difficulty (95% CI 1.63-4.63). Male children were more likely to experience functional difficulty than female children (OR = 1.48). Furthermore, stunting was found to be significantly associated with functional difficulty (OR = 1.50). The study also revealed that division and mother's education, specifically, children with mothers having higher secondary + education, had significant association with the outcome variable. The findings provided a vital overview of child disability in a developing country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maisha Maliha Rahman
- Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M Iftakhar Alam
- Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohaimen Mansur
- Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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17
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Liu Q, Wang X, Razza RA, Vasilenko SA. Early adverse childhood experiences and preschoolers' attentional regulation: A latent class analysis. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 149:106703. [PMID: 38395020 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106703] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) profoundly disrupt preschoolers' attentional regulation development. Different patterns of ACEs may be associated with different attentional regulation outcomes. OBJECTIVE Drawing from developmental systems theory and attachment theory, this study aimed to identify distinct patterns of early ACEs at age three and examined the associations of these patterns with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING This study used the two waves of longitudinal data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4457). METHODS First, this study applied latent class analysis (LCA) across nine indicators of ACEs at age three. Second, class membership was examined for associations with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five. RESULTS LCA identified four latent classes of ACEs: separation (41.2 %), parental incarceration (33 %), family dysfunction (20.8 %), and child abuse (5 %). Children in the child abuse class exhibited lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the family dysfunction class (0.33 standard deviation difference, p < .01) or separation class (0.48 standard deviation difference, p < .001). Children in the parental incarceration class demonstrated lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the separation class (0.63 standard deviation difference, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Findings provide implications for the need to prevent early child abuse and incorporate trauma-informed intervention programs to support preschoolers' attentional regulation during school-entry age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyang Liu
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Syracuse University, United States of America.
| | - Xiafei Wang
- School of Social Work, Syracuse University, United States of America
| | - Rachel A Razza
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Syracuse University, United States of America
| | - Sara A Vasilenko
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Syracuse University, United States of America
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18
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Barboza-Salerno GE, Meshelemiah JCA. Associations between early child adversity and lifetime suicide attempts among gender diverse individuals: A moderated mediation. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 149:106705. [PMID: 38422580 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106705] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examines the effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on lifetime suicide attempts (LSA) across five gender subgroups (i.e., transgender men, transgender women, transgender non-binary, cisgender men and cisgender women). OBJECTIVE To examine (1) the prevalence of LSA across gender identity subgroups; (2) whether the association between ACEs and LSA is moderated by gender identity subgroup; (3) depressive symptoms, alcohol use disorder, social support, and social well-being as mechanisms linking ACEs with LSA; and (4) the moderating role of gender identity on the four putative mediators. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS We used nationally representative data from a population-based survey of N = 1368 transgender and cisgender individuals collected between 2016 and 2019. METHODS Structural equation modeling was used to explore the indirect effect of depressive symptoms on the relation between ACEs and LSA, and the moderating impact of gender identity. RESULTS LSA was significantly more prevalent among transgender respondents (cisgender man = 5 %; cisgender woman = 9 %; transgender man = 42 %; transgender woman = 33 %; transgender non-binary = 37 %; p < 0.001). Individuals with more ACEs had a greater risk of engaging in LSA regardless of gender identity; however, moderation results showed that the impact of each additional ACE on LSA was stronger for individuals with transgender identities: the likelihood of engaging in LSA was statistically similar for transgender men with no ACEs and cisgender men with all 8 ACEs. Indirect effects of ACEs on LSA via depressive symptoms were also observed, and the mediating effect was moderated by gender identity. CONCLUSIONS By examining the mechanisms linking childhood adversity to LSA, this study demonstrates that not all ACEs impact gender minority subgroups equally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gia E Barboza-Salerno
- The Ohio State University, College of Public Health & College of Social Work, 352 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
| | - Jacquelyn C A Meshelemiah
- The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, 325D Stillman Hall, 1947 North College Road, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
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Surani Z, Turesky TK, Sullivan E, Shama T, Haque R, Islam N, Kakon SH, Yu X, Petri WA, Nelson C, Gaab N. Examining the relationship between psychosocial adversity and inhibitory control: an fMRI study of children growing up in extreme poverty. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.578942. [PMID: 38370839 PMCID: PMC10871278 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.578942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to psychosocial adversity (PA) is associated with poor behavioral, physical, and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Growing evidence suggests that deficits in executive functions may in part moderate these outcomes, with inhibitory control as an example of such a putative moderator. However, much of the literature examining the development of inhibitory control has been based on children in higher resource environments, and little is known how growing up in a low resource setting might exacerbate the link between inhibitory control and health outcomes. In this context we collected fMRI data during a Go/No-Go inhibitory control task and PA variables for 68 children 5 to 7 years of age living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an area with a high prevalence of PA. The children's mothers completed behavioral questionnaires to assess the child's PA and their own PA. Whole-brain activation underlying inhibitory control was examined using the No-Go versus Go contrast, and associations with PA variables were assessed using whole-brain regressions. Childhood neglect was associated with weaker activation in the right posterior cingulate, whereas greater family conflict, economic stress, and maternal PA factors were associated with greater activation in the left medial frontal gyrus, right superior and middle frontal gyrus, and left cingulate gyrus. These data suggest that neural networks supporting inhibitory control processes may vary as a function of exposure to different types of PA, particularly between those related to threat and deprivation. Furthermore, increased activation in children with greater PA may serve as a compensatory mechanism, allowing them to maintain similar behavioral task performance.
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Ma Y, Xing X, Zhang M. Parental Rejection and School-aged Children's Externalizing Behavior Problems in China: The Roles of Executive Function and Callous-unemotional Traits. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:152-163. [PMID: 35789449 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01397-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the mediating role of children's executive function (EF) in the relation between parental rejection and children's externalizing behavior problems and whether this mediation varies depending on their callous-unemotional (CU) trait levels. Two hundred and eighty-four Chinese school-aged children and their fathers and mothers participated. Both fathers and mothers reported on parental rejection, children's externalizing behavior problems, EF, and CU traits. The results showed that EF mediated the association between parental rejection and externalizing behavior problems. Moreover, the negative link between EF and externalizing behavior problems was moderated by CU traits; in particular, the combination of higher-level CU traits and lower-level EF predicted more externalizing behavior problems. Our findings point to the importance of considering family context and multiple personal factors simultaneously to decrease children's behavior problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqing Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Research Center for Child Development, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, No.105 Xisan Huan Beilu, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiaopei Xing
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Research Center for Child Development, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, No.105 Xisan Huan Beilu, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Min Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Research Center for Child Development, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, No.105 Xisan Huan Beilu, Beijing, 100048, China
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21
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Sacu S, Aggensteiner PM, Monninger M, Kaiser A, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Holz NE. Lifespan adversities affect neural correlates of behavioral inhibition in adults. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1298695. [PMID: 38317765 PMCID: PMC10840329 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1298695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Growing evidence suggests that adverse experiences have long-term effects on executive functioning and underlying neural circuits. Previous work has identified functional abnormalities during inhibitory control in frontal brain regions in individuals exposed to adversities. However, these findings were mostly limited to specific adversity types such as maltreatment and prenatal substance abuse. Methods We used data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 121, 70 females) to investigate the association between adversities and brain responses during inhibitory control. At the age of 33 years, all participants completed a stop-signal task during fMRI and an Adult Self-Report scale. We collected seven prenatal and postnatal adversity measures across development and performed a principal component analysis to capture common variations across those adversities, which resulted in a three-factor solution. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify links between adversities and brain responses during inhibitory control using the identified adversity factors to show the common effect and single adversity measures to show the specific contribution of each adversity. To find neural correlates of current psychopathology during inhibitory control, we performed additional regression analyses using Adult Self-Report subscales. Results The first adversity factor reflecting prenatal maternal smoking and postnatal psychosocial adversities was related to higher activation during inhibitory control in bilateral inferior frontal gyri, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and middle temporal gyri. Similar results were found for the specific contribution of the adversities linked to the first adversity factor. In contrast, we did not identify any significant association between brain responses during inhibitory control and the second adversity factor reflecting prenatal maternal stress and obstetric risk or the third adversity factor reflecting lower maternal sensitivity. Higher current depressive symptoms were associated with higher activation in the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex during inhibitory control. Conclusion Our findings extended previous work and showed that early adverse experiences have a long-term effect on the neural circuitry of inhibitory control in adulthood. Furthermore, the overlap between neural correlates of adversity and depressive symptomatology suggests that adverse experiences might increase vulnerability via neural alterations, which needs to be investigated by future longitudinal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Sacu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Pascal-M. Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maximilian Monninger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anna Kaiser
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nathalie E. Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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22
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Gilgoff R, Mengelkoch S, Elbers J, Kotz K, Radin A, Pasumarthi I, Murthy R, Sindher S, Harris NB, Slavich GM. The Stress Phenotyping Framework: A multidisciplinary biobehavioral approach for assessing and therapeutically targeting maladaptive stress physiology. Stress 2024; 27:2327333. [PMID: 38711299 PMCID: PMC11219250 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2327333] [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] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Although dysregulated stress biology is becoming increasingly recognized as a key driver of lifelong disparities in chronic disease, we presently have no validated biomarkers of toxic stress physiology; no biological, behavioral, or cognitive treatments specifically focused on normalizing toxic stress processes; and no agreed-upon guidelines for treating stress in the clinic or evaluating the efficacy of interventions that seek to reduce toxic stress and improve human functioning. We address these critical issues by (a) systematically describing key systems and mechanisms that are dysregulated by stress; (b) summarizing indicators, biomarkers, and instruments for assessing stress response systems; and (c) highlighting therapeutic approaches that can be used to normalize stress-related biopsychosocial functioning. We also present a novel multidisciplinary Stress Phenotyping Framework that can bring stress researchers and clinicians one step closer to realizing the goal of using precision medicine-based approaches to prevent and treat stress-associated health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gilgoff
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Summer Mengelkoch
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jorina Elbers
- Trauma recovery Program, HeartMath Institute, Boulder Creek, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Isha Pasumarthi
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Reanna Murthy
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Sayantani Sindher
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | | | - George M. Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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23
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Kang J, Rodriguez CM. Spanking and executive functioning in US children: A longitudinal analysis on a matched sample. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2023; 146:106474. [PMID: 37742555 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106474] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spanking has been linked to multiple maladaptive child outcomes. However, previous research linking spanking with children's executive function skills (EFs; inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory) is limited by research designs that do not adequately address selection bias concerns, wherein the participant characteristics potentially differ between those who are spanked versus not spanked. OBJECTIVE Using a representative sample of US children aged 5 to 6, this study strengthened the evidence for causal estimates on the link between spanking and subsequent EFs with a matched-group design. Low-frequency spanking and potential moderators (child gender, parent race/ethnicity, parental warmth) were tested to determine if they moderated the link between spanking and EFs. PARTICIPANTS Data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (Ns = 12,750-12,830). To mitigate selection bias, entropy-balanced matching was utilized to match spanked versus not-spanked groups, and lagged dependent variable regression analyses were conducted on the matched sample to predict EFs by spanking group status. RESULTS After matching, spanking at age 5 was associated with lower inhibitory control and lower cognitive flexibility at age 6, but was not significantly predictive of later working memory. The association with inhibitory control was observed even for low frequency spanking. However, no evidence of moderation by child gender, parent race/ethnicity, and parental warmth was identified. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that spanking is associated with lower executive functioning in children, although the associations varied by different EF domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeehye Kang
- Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University, United States of America.
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24
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Esterov D, Hines E, Neumann AA, Mara KC, Weaver AL. The Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Long-term Mood and Anxiety Disorders After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: A Population-based Case-Control Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2023; 104:2075-2083. [PMID: 37467935 PMCID: PMC10792097 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.07.002] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the association between ACEs and the development of psychiatric disorders by age 25 among individuals who sustained TBI prior to age 10. DESIGN Population-based case-control study. SETTING Olmsted County, Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS 566 individuals (N=566) who sustained a TBI prior to age 10 were identified and classified using a validated TBI classification system. Among these individuals, cases with a subsequent mood or anxiety disorder prior to age 25 were identified through clinical diagnostic codes and manual record review. For each case, a 1:1 matched control was randomly selected from individuals with a pediatric TBI who did not have a mood/anxiety disorder prior to the matched case's mood/anxiety disorder. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of a mood/anxiety disorder. RESULTS Among the 114 matched pairs of individuals with a TBI prior to age 10, a subsequent mood/anxiety diagnosis was significantly associated with a history of 10 of 14 ACE categories and with having an ACE score ≥1 (odds ratio 5.17; 95% confidence interval 2.78-9.59). CONCLUSIONS This is the first population-based study to the authors' knowledge showing that among children who sustained a TBI prior to age 10, those who experienced ACEs are at increased risk of developing a mood or anxiety disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Esterov
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN.
| | - Emily Hines
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
| | - Alyssa A Neumann
- Division of Neurocognitive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Kristin C Mara
- Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amy L Weaver
- Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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25
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Marshall C, Fernet M, Brassard A, Langevin R. "I Was Trying to Be the Mother to Her That I Didn't Have": Mothers' Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse and Intergenerational Maltreatment. Violence Against Women 2023:10778012231216712. [PMID: 38031353 DOI: 10.1177/10778012231216712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Child sexual abuse (CSA) can have lasting negative impacts on one's sense of safety and trust, ultimately affecting the quality of relationships, and increasing the likelihood of future victimization experiences. The present study provides a qualitative description of the themes that were generated through interviews conducted with 23 mothers who experienced CSA (dis)continuity (12 continuity, 11 discontinuity). The mothers described a variety of experiences related to parent-child and romantic relationships and parenting behaviors, which could be further researched and targeted by interventions to reduce the risk of intergenerational cycles of maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley Marshall
- Resilience, Adversity, and Childhood Trauma (ReACT) Research Lab, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mylène Fernet
- Laboratory for Studies on Violence and Sexuality, Department of Sexology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey Brassard
- Department of Psychology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Rachel Langevin
- Resilience, Adversity, and Childhood Trauma (ReACT) Research Lab, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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26
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Lor Y, George KM, Gilsanz P, Meunier CC, Peterson RL, Hayes-Larson E, Barnes LL, Mungas D, Whitmer RA. What is the association between adverse childhood experiences and late-life cognitive decline? Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR) cohort study. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e072961. [PMID: 37918928 PMCID: PMC10626853 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072961] [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] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher risk of chronic disease, but little is known about the association with late life cognitive decline. We examined the longitudinal association between ACEs and late-life cognitive decline in the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR). DESIGN Linear mixed models with random intercepts and slope examined the association of individual and composite ACEs with cognitive change adjusting for years from baseline (timescale), baseline age, sex, parental education, childhood socioeconomic status and childhood social support. Participants reported whether they had experienced nine types of ACEs. Executive function and verbal episodic memory were measured up to three times over a 3-year period using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales. SETTINGS Kaiser Permanente Northern California members living in the Bay Area. PARTICIPANTS STAR is a cohort study of cognitive ageing launched in 2018 that has enrolled 764 black Americans ages ≥50 years (mean age=67.5; SD=8.5). RESULTS Twenty-one per cent of participants reported no ACEs, 24% one ACE, 20% two ACEs, 17% three ACEs and 17% four or more ACEs. Compared with no ACEs, two ACEs (β=0.117; 95% CI 0.052 to 0.182), three ACEs (β=0.075; 95% CI 0.007 to 0.143) and four or more ACEs (β=0.089; 95% CI 0.002 to 0.158) were associated with less decline in executive function. There were no significant associations between number of ACEs and baseline or longitudinal verbal episodic memory or between individual ACEs and executive function or verbal episodic memory. CONCLUSION In this cohort of older black Americans, there was no association between ACEs and baseline cognition or cognitive change in verbal episodic memory; however, experiencing ≥ 2 ACEs was associated with less decline in executive function. These results may indicate that participants who survived to age 50+ and experienced ACEs may have cognitive resilience that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lor
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kristen M George
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Paola Gilsanz
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Claire C Meunier
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Rachel L Peterson
- School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Eleanor Hayes-Larson
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lisa L Barnes
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dan Mungas
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Rachel A Whitmer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
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27
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Hammud G, Avital-Magen A, Schusheim G, Barzuza I, Engel-Yeger B. How Self-Regulation and Executive Functions Deficits Affect Quality of Life of Children/Adolescents with Emotional Regulation Disorders. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1622. [PMID: 37892283 PMCID: PMC10605933 DOI: 10.3390/children10101622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in self-regulation and executive functions (EFs) frequently characterize children/adolescents with emotional regulation disorders and restrict their daily function and quality of life (QOL). These deficits are mainly manifested by neuropsychological measures in laboratory settings. This study aimed to compare self-regulation and EFs by ecological measures to reflect the implications in daily life between children with emotional regulation disorders and healthy controls and examine the relations between self-regulation, EFs and QOL in the study group. METHODS the participants were 49 children aged 8-18: 25 children/adolescents with emotional regulation disorders and 24 healthy children. The parents completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (Peds-QL). RESULTS The study group had greater self-regulation difficulties (internalization and externalization problems), executive dysfunctions (EFdys) (including metacognition difficulties) and a lower QOL. Their internalization and externalization problems correlated with reduced EFs and QOL. Internalization predicted the physical and emotional QOLs, while metacognition predicted social and school-related QOLs. CONCLUSIONS Deficits in self-regulation and EFs are prevalent in children/adolescents with emotional disorders and restrict their daily function and QOL. Therefore, they should be routinely evaluated by ecological instruments to reflect daily restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginan Hammud
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
| | - Ayelet Avital-Magen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, Haemeq Medical Center, Afula 1834111, Israel
| | - Guy Schusheim
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, Haemeq Medical Center, Afula 1834111, Israel
| | - Inbar Barzuza
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, Haemeq Medical Center, Afula 1834111, Israel
| | - Batya Engel-Yeger
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
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28
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Laifer LM, Tomaso CC, Chang OD, Phillips EM, James TD, Nelson JM, Espy KA, Alex Mason W, Nelson TD. Early executive control buffers risk for adolescent psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Adolesc 2023; 95:1205-1219. [PMID: 37211897 PMCID: PMC10526894 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12195] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a global impact on youth mental health, and there is a critical need for research examining individual factors that contribute to increased psychopathology during the pandemic. The current study explored whether executive control (EC) abilities in early childhood interact with COVID-related stress to attenuate risk for adolescent psychopathology during the first 6 months of the pandemic. METHODS Participants were 337 youth (49% female) living in a small midwestern city in the United States. Participants completed EC tasks when they were approximately 4.5 years old as part of a longitudinal study investigating cognitive development. At annual laboratory visits during adolescence and before the pandemic, participants (Mage = 14.57) reported on mental health symptoms. In July and August of 2020, participants (Mage = 16.57) reported on COVID-related stress and depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms. RESULTS COVID-related stress was associated with increased internalizing problems after controlling for prepandemic symptom levels. Further, the impact of COVID-related stress on adolescent internalizing problems was moderated by preschool EC, with higher levels of EC buffering the effects of COVID-related stress on adolescent internalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the importance of promoting EC early in development, as well as screening for EC deficits and implementing targeted intervention strategies across the lifespan to help reduce the impact of stress on adolescent internalizing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Laifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Cara C Tomaso
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Olivia D Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eric M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Department of Child, Youth, & Family Studies, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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29
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Tepper D, Shnookal J, Howell T, Bennett P. Can Interacting with Animals Improve Executive Functions? A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2080. [PMID: 37443878 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been growing interest in the potential benefits of using human-animal interactions to improve executive functions: cognitive processes that allow individuals to plan, solve problems, and self-regulate behaviour. To date, no comprehensive review has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate existing literature, adopting broad inclusion criteria. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 16 papers were identified from peer-reviewed literature. Additional papers were identified from grey literature, including 6 dissertations and 1 thesis. A review of these 23 studies found that human-animal interactions and executive functions are investigated in three main ways: (1) exploring the potential benefits of the human-pet relationship, (2) exploring the impact of an animal's presence during administration of executive function tests, and (3) evaluating the efficacy of animal-assisted services (e.g., animal-assisted therapy) on executive functions. Five of the included studies reported a significant improvement across all measured domains of executive functions, but effect sizes were underreported. Comparatively, 9 studies reported mixed findings, d = 0.32-0.55, while 8 studies reported no significant results. The overall rigour of the research was limited, with great heterogeneity between the study methodologies and outcome measures used. It is recommended that future studies utilise high-quality research methodologies through the use of randomisation, pre- and postmeasures, and appropriate control conditions, where possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Tepper
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Joanna Shnookal
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Tiffani Howell
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Pauleen Bennett
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
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30
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Dierickx S, Malisse L, Bisagno E, Cadamuro A, Van Haeken S, Wuyts D, Linde-Ozola Z, Kandãte A, Morva D, Rozsa M, Gruber A, Blom JMC, De Fazio LG, Mosleh DB, Varga-Sabján D, Groenen A. Care When It Counts: Establishing Trauma-Sensitive Care as a Preventative Approach for 0-3-Year-Old Children Suffering from Trauma and Chronic Stress. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1035. [PMID: 37371266 DOI: 10.3390/children10061035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences are an important societal concern. Children aged 0-3 are particularly vulnerable to unpredictable chronic stress due to the critical period for brain development and attachment. Trauma-sensitive care is a preventative approach to reduce the burden of stressful experiences by committing to positive relationships. Professional caregivers are ideally placed to offer trauma-sensitive care; however, earlier research reveals that the tools they need to consciously apply trauma-sensitive care principles are missing. The current study organized living labs (co-creative research method) to present trauma-sensitive care as a preventative approach aimed at children aged 0-3. Two living labs were organized in Belgium and Hungary, where professional caregivers collaborated to create a protocol that offers guidelines on how to implement trauma-sensitive care. The resulting protocol included a theoretical foundation on trauma as well as a translation of these guidelines into practical recommendations. The protocol was evaluated by incorporating it into a training intervention delivered to 100 professional caregivers from childcare organizations across four European countries. The protocol received positive feedback from participants, with results indicating a self-reported increase in knowledge, attitude and practice of trauma-sensitive care principles. We conclude that this trauma-sensitive care protocol is a promising answer to the needs of professional caregivers working with children aged 0-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serafine Dierickx
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Malisse
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisa Bisagno
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Alessia Cadamuro
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Sarah Van Haeken
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- REALIFE Research Group, Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Women and Child KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dorien Wuyts
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zane Linde-Ozola
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
| | | | - Dorottya Morva
- Pressley Ridge Hungary Foundation, 1142 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Monika Rozsa
- Pressley Ridge Hungary Foundation, 1142 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea Gruber
- Pressley Ridge Hungary Foundation, 1142 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Johanna M C Blom
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
- Department of Law, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Laura Giovanna De Fazio
- Centre for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Dima Bou Mosleh
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Anne Groenen
- Expertise Centre Resilient People, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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31
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Massera A, Bonaiuto JJ, Gautier-Martins M, Costa S, Rayson H, Ferrari PF. Longitudinal effects of early psychosocial deprivation on macaque executive function: Evidence from computational modelling. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221993. [PMID: 37040804 PMCID: PMC10089718 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1993] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) describes a group of cognitive processes underlying the organization and control of goal-directed behaviour. Environmental experience appears to play a crucial role in EF development, with early psychosocial deprivation often linked to EF impairment. However, many questions remain concerning the developmental trajectories of EF after exposure to deprivation, especially concerning specific mechanisms. Accordingly, using an 'A-not-B' paradigm and a macaque model of early psychosocial deprivation, we investigated how early deprivation influences EF development longitudinally from adolescence into early adulthood. The contribution of working memory and inhibitory control mechanisms were examined specifically via the fitting of a computational model of decision making to the choice behaviour of each individual. As predicted, peer-reared animals (i.e. those exposed to early psychosocial deprivation) performed worse than mother-reared animals across time, with the fitted model parameters yielding novel insights into the functional decomposition of group-level EF differences underlying task performance. Results indicated differential trajectories of inhibitory control and working memory development in the two groups. Such findings not only extend our knowledge of how early deprivation influences EF longitudinally, but also provide support for the utility of computational modelling to elucidate specific mechanisms linking early psychosocial deprivation to long-term poor outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Massera
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives – Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR5229, Bron 69500, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69100, France
| | - James J. Bonaiuto
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives – Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR5229, Bron 69500, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69100, France
| | - Marine Gautier-Martins
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives – Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR5229, Bron 69500, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69100, France
| | - Sara Costa
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma 43125, Italy
| | - Holly Rayson
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives – Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR5229, Bron 69500, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69100, France
| | - Pier Francesco Ferrari
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives – Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR5229, Bron 69500, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69100, France
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma 43125, Italy
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32
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Wiss DA, Prelip ML, Upchurch DM, von Ehrenstein OS, Tomiyama AJ, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw SJ. Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles. J Urban Health 2023; 100:327-340. [PMID: 36826734 PMCID: PMC9951846 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-023-00719-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment is related to both depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our objective was to investigate these associations among low-income, mostly Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), as these may be a particularly vulnerable population group. Data come from a longitudinal study of MSM with varied substance use behaviors (n = 321) collected between August 2014 and April 2022. Cumulative, childhood maltreatment ACEs, and the single ACE of childhood sexual abuse were investigated as potential predictors of self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms in mixed-effects logistic and ordinal regression models. There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and the predicted probability of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Compared to MSM reporting fewer than five ACEs, those with five or more ACEs had approximately double the odds ratio of reporting depressive (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.04-3.60) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.05-4.68). The dimension of childhood maltreatment had a more robust prediction of depressive symptoms than the dimension of household dysfunction across all models. The association between childhood sexual abuse history and depressive symptoms remained after adjustment for the other nine ACEs (OR = 2.27; 95% CI: 1.11-4.68). The ordinal logistic model suggested that cumulative ACEs more than triple the odds of being in a higher anxiety category (OR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.58-6.14), with associations reported for childhood maltreatment ACEs (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.06-1.66) and childhood sexual abuse (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 0.89-4.21). Childhood maltreatment ACEs, particularly childhood sexual abuse, are salient predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among adult urban MSM. Mitigating the impact of childhood maltreatment requires understanding the additional burden of social distress often faced by MSM throughout the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wiss
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Michael L Prelip
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Dawn M Upchurch
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ondine S von Ehrenstein
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - A Janet Tomiyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Pamina M Gorbach
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Steven J Shoptaw
- Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 10880 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
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The Relationship Between Spirituality and Resilience and Well-being: a Study of 529 Care Leavers from 11 Nations. ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE SCIENCE 2023; 4:177-190. [PMID: 36816809 PMCID: PMC9918825 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-023-00088-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Research has found that individuals who were separated from parental care and experienced alternative care settings during childhood are more likely to have poor outcomes as adults. This highlights the importance of understanding factors that are related to resilience and well-being for care leavers. A growing body of research has supported the importance of spirituality in our understanding of resilience and well-being. However, little work to date has examined the relationship of spirituality to outcomes in care leavers. The current study investigated the relationships between spirituality, resilience, well-being, and health in a sample of 529 care leavers from 11 nations. It also examined how different themes of spirituality were related to specific outcome variables. Data revealed that spirituality was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, better mental and physical health, and more resilience even when accounting for current age, gender, age at separation, Human Development Index scores, and childhood adversity. Furthermore, findings indicate that different themes of spirituality are related to specific outcome variables, even when accounting for demographic information. Findings indicate that spirituality may play an important role in resilience and well-being for care leavers. Implications and limitations are discussed.
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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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Emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and problematic gaming. Addict Behav 2023; 136:107473. [PMID: 36099715 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Gaming disorder (i.e., gaming addiction) is a relatively common mental health disorder with a worldwide prevalence rate of 3.05%. In the present research, we examined whether emotion dysregulation mediates the relation between adverse childhood experiences and problematic gaming in two samples of current video game players. The first sample consisted of 1,262 students recruited from five universities across Canada. The second sample comprised 417 community adults residing in Canada. Both samples of participants completed an online survey which included measures of adverse childhood experiences, problematic gaming, and emotion dysregulation. A total of 45.64% (n = 576) in the university sample and 49.76% (n = 205) in the community sample met the threshold for problematic gaming. In the student sample, adverse childhood experiences were positively associated with problematic gaming. In contrast, there was no significant association between adverse childhood experiences and problematic gaming in the community sample. In both samples, adverse childhood experiences were positively associated with emotion dysregulation, and emotion dysregulation was positively associated with problematic gaming. Importantly for the present research, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and problematic gaming in both the university and community sample. Although adverse childhood experiences are distal and static risk factors for problematic gaming, emotion dysregulation is a more proximal and modifiable risk factor. The results suggest that increasing adaptive emotion regulation skills may decrease the risk of problematic gaming among individuals who have experienced an adverse childhood experience.
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Age-related no-go P300 amplitudes are moderated by exposure to early-life stress. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 180:1-9. [PMID: 35820509 PMCID: PMC9815473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in inhibitory control are common with advancing age and may underlie declines in other complex cognitive functions. The inhibitory P300 event-related potential (ERP) generally decreases in amplitude with age, reflecting deficits in inhibitory performance evaluation and adaptation, with possible generators including precentral and inferior frontal gyri and midcingulate and parietal cortex. Exposure to early-life stress (ELS) is also associated with deficits in inhibitory control, smaller P300 amplitudes, and dysfunction in regions associated with P300 generation. Although biopsychosocial effects of ELS are evident in older adulthood, the influence of ELS on neural processes in later life is unknown. In the current study, 13 young adults and 21 healthy older adults completed a high-accuracy go/no-go task and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), an indicator of ELS. Regression analyses revealed significant central-parietal models, with smaller P300 amplitudes predicted by both older age and greater exposure to ELS. Age group*ELS interactions moderated P300 prediction at central and centro-parietal electrodes, such that older age predicted smaller P300 amplitudes only in those with lower to moderate ELS. Amplitudes did not significantly differ by age in those with higher ELS. Post-hoc within-age group correlations showed that greater ELS was associated with smaller P300 amplitudes in young adults. However, greater ELS was modestly associated with larger central amplitudes in older adults, potentially suggestive of anterior age-related compensatory recruitment to maintain high task performance. These findings suggest long-lasting neural implications of ELS that interact with normative neuro-cognitive aging processes, such that ELS may be an important risk factor for age-related cognitive decline.
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Benzies KM, Perry R, Cope Williams J. Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on executive skills in Canadians experiencing social vulnerability: A descriptive study. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2022; 30:e1853-e1861. [PMID: 34708472 PMCID: PMC8652764 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe executive skills in clients experiencing social vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 from the perspective of social service agency staff. COVID-19 has required transformational changes to livelihood and day-to-day living. Socially vulnerable individuals are likely to be disproportionally impacted because many have experienced serious early childhood adversity, which may compromise their executive skills in adulthood. Using a cross-sectional survey, we collected data between 05 May 2020 and 03 July 2020, for this mixed methods study of 53 staff in two agencies in western Canada serving clients experiencing social vulnerability. The first case of COVID-19 in this jurisdiction was identified 05 March 2020. Using investigator-designed survey items, we captured executive skills in five areas: (a) planning tasks of daily living, (b) managing time, (c) keeping track of information and appointments, (d) managing emotions, and (e) managing self-control. Staff reported their clients struggled with executive skills and these struggles increased during COVID-19, particularly in the areas of managing daily tasks and emotional regulation. COVID-19 restrictions overwhelmed clients with the decisions required to maintain health, employment, and childcare. With the loss of structure and routine, clients lost track of time and delayed completion of tasks, which further increased stress. Disrupted goals and uncertainty about the future contributed to hopelessness for clients who were trying to regain control over their lives, which made it difficult to manage emotions. Some clients acted more impulsively because of the added stressors, lack of routine and access to friends and extended family. A better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on socially vulnerable clients will inform social service agencies about areas to focus programming to support their socially vulnerable clients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Perry
- CUPS (formerly Calgary Urban Project Society)CalgaryAlbertaCanada
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Sullivan EF, Xie W, Conte S, Richards JE, Shama T, Haque R, Petri WA, Nelson CA. Neural correlates of inhibitory control and associations with cognitive outcomes in Bangladeshi children exposed to early adversities. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13245. [PMID: 35192240 PMCID: PMC9393202 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
There is strong support for the view that children growing up in low-income homes typically evince poorer performance on tests of inhibitory control compared to those growing up in higher income homes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the work documenting this association has been conducted in high-income countries. It is not yet known whether the mechanisms found to mediate this association would generalize to children in low- and middle-income countries, where the risks of exposure to extreme poverty and a wide range of both biological and psychosocial hazards may be greater. We examined relations among early adversity, neural correlates of inhibitory control, and cognitive outcomes in 154 5-year-old children living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an area with a high prevalence of poverty. Participants completed a go/no-go task assessing inhibitory control and their behavioral and event-related potential responses were assessed. Cortical source analysis was performed. We collected measures of poverty, malnutrition, maternal mental health, psychosocial adversity, and cognitive skills. Supporting studies in high-income countries, children in this sample exhibited a longer N2 latency and higher P3 amplitude to the no-go versus go condition. Unexpectedly, children had a more pronounced N2 amplitude during go trials than no-go trials. The N2 latency was related to their behavioral accuracy on the go/no-go task. The P3 mean amplitude, behavioral accuracy, and reaction time during the task were all associated with intelligence-quotient (IQ) scores. Children who experienced higher levels of psychosocial adversity had lower accuracy on the task and lower IQ scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen F Sullivan
- Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA
| | - Wanze Xie
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Stefania Conte
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA
| | - John E Richards
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA
| | | | | | - William A Petri
- Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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Early life adversity shapes neural circuit function during sensitive postnatal developmental periods. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:306. [PMID: 35915071 PMCID: PMC9343623 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02092-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) is a major risk factor for mental illness, but the neurobiological mechanisms by which ELA increases the risk for future psychopathology are still poorly understood. Brain development is particularly malleable during prenatal and early postnatal life, when complex neural circuits are being formed and refined through an interplay of excitatory and inhibitory neural input, synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, myelination, and neurogenesis. Adversity that influences these processes during sensitive periods of development can thus have long-lasting and pervasive effects on neural circuit maturation. In this review, we will discuss clinical and preclinical evidence for the impact of ELA on neural circuit formation with a focus on the early postnatal period, and how long-lasting impairments in these circuits can affect future behavior. We provide converging evidence from human and animal studies on how ELA alters the functional development of brain regions, neural circuits, and neurotransmitter systems that are crucial for cognition and affective behavior, including the hippocampus, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neural networks of fear responses and cognition, and the serotonin (5-HT) system. We also discuss how gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions can determine individual differences in susceptibility and resilience to ELA, as well as molecular pathways by which ELA regulates neural circuit development, for which we emphasize epigenetic mechanisms. Understanding the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying ELA effects on brain function and psychopathology during early postnatal sensitive periods may have great potential to advance strategies to better treat or prevent psychiatric disorders that have their origin early in life.
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Gleichmann DC, Pinner JFL, Garcia C, Hakeem JH, Kodituwakku P, Stephen JM. A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of Music Training on Attention in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:5642. [PMID: 35957202 PMCID: PMC9370928 DOI: 10.3390/s22155642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Prior studies indicate differences in brain volume and neurophysiological responses of musicians relative to non-musicians. These differences are observed in the sensory, motor, parietal, and frontal cortex. Children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience deficits in auditory, motor, and executive function domains. Therefore, we hypothesized that short-term music training in children with an FASD due to prenatal alcohol exposure may improve brain function. Children (N = 20) with an FASD were randomized to participate in either five weeks of piano training or to a control group. Selective attention was evaluated approximately seven weeks apart (pre-/post-music training or control intervention), examining longitudinal effects using the Attention Networks Test (ANT), a well-established paradigm designed to evaluate attention and inhibitory control, while recording EEG. There was a significant group by pre-/post-intervention interaction for the P250 ms peak of the event-related potential and for theta (4-7 Hz) power in the 100-300 ms time window in response to the congruent condition when the flanking stimuli were oriented congruently with the central target stimulus in fronto-central midline channels from Cz to Fz. A trend for improved reaction time at the second assessment was observed for the music trained group only. These results support the hypothesis that music training changes the neural indices of attention as assessed by the ANT in children with an FASD. This study should be extended to evaluate the effects of music training relative to a more closely matched active control and determine whether additional improvements emerge with longer term music training.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John F. L. Pinner
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 2300 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA; (J.F.L.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Christopher Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 2300 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA; (J.F.L.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Jaynie H. Hakeem
- Music Therapy—A Sound Approach, 1212 Daskalos Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87123, USA;
| | - Piyadasa Kodituwakku
- Center for Development and Disability, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, 2300 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA;
| | - Julia M. Stephen
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA;
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Patterson JG, Macisco JM, Glasser AM, Wermert A, Nemeth JM. Psychosocial factors influencing smoking relapse among youth experiencing homelessness: A qualitative study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270665. [PMID: 35881608 PMCID: PMC9321375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the United States, up to 70% of youth experiencing homelessness smoke cigarettes. Many are interested in quitting; however, little is known about psychosocial factors influencing smoking relapse in this population. This study, part of a larger project to develop an optimized smoking cessation intervention for youth experiencing homelessness, aimed to describe how psychosocial factors influence smoking relapse in this group. METHODS This study describes the smoking relapse experiences of 26 youth tobacco users, aged 14-24 years, who were recruited from a homeless drop-in center in Ohio. We conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how stress, opportunity, and coping contribute to smoking relapse. RESULTS Five themes emerged from the data: (1) smoking as a lapse in emotional self-regulation in response to stress; (2) smoking as active emotional self-regulation in response to stress; (3) social opportunities facilitate smoking in the context of emotion-focused stress coping; (4) problem-focused stress coping; and (5) opportunity facilitates smoking relapse. CONCLUSIONS Stress was a primary driver of smoking relapse among youth experiencing homelessness, yet social and environmental opportunities to smoke also precipitated relapse. Interventions to improve abstinence among this population should target foundational stressors, coping skills, social supports, and nicotine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne G. Patterson
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Joseph M. Macisco
- Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Allison M. Glasser
- Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Amy Wermert
- Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Julianna M. Nemeth
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
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Cruz D, Lichten M, Berg K, George P. Developmental trauma: Conceptual framework, associated risks and comorbidities, and evaluation and treatment. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:800687. [PMID: 35935425 PMCID: PMC9352895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.800687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Children exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pervasive interpersonal traumas may go on to develop PTSD and, in most cases, will further undergo a significant shift in their developmental trajectory. This paper examines contemporary research on Developmental Trauma (DT), which is inextricably linked to disruptions in social cognition, physiological and behavioral regulation, and parent-child attachments. Developmental trauma associated with early experiences of abuse or neglect leads to multi-faceted and longstanding consequences and underscores critical periods of development, complex stress-mediated adaptations, and multilevel, trans-theoretical influences in the diagnostic formulation and treatment of traumatized children, adolescents, and adults. Psychological and medical correlates of Developmental Trauma Disorder are considered, and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cruz
- Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | | | - Kevin Berg
- Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Preethi George
- Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center, Montclair, NJ, United States
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Luft HS, Mersky JP, Choi C, Canario Guzmán JA, Quezada Ortiz MV, Sehi GT, Temple JR. Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and association with dating violence and symptoms of mental illness among adolescents in the Dominican Republic. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 129:105668. [PMID: 35617753 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent dating violence (ADV) and mental illness are highly prevalent, interrelated public health priorities. Increasingly, scholars are looking to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to explain risk for these health concerns. OBJECTIVES Determine prevalence of ACEs, ADV perpetration and victimization, and anxiety and depression symptoms among adolescents in the Dominican Republic (DR). Evaluate the association of ACEs with these ADV and mental health outcomes. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 142 adolescents at middle and high schools in the DR. METHODS We assessed ACEs using the Childhood Experiences Survey, ADV using the Conflict in Dating Relationships Inventory, and depression/anxiety symptoms using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scales. Linear and logistic regressions were performed to test dose-response relationships between a cumulative ACE score and ADV and mental health outcomes while adjusting for age, gender, and rural/urban residence. RESULTS 80.6% of students reported at least one ACE. The most prevalent ACEs reported were physical abuse (49%) and witnessing domestic violence (48%). After adjusting for covariates, cumulative ACE scores were significantly associated with depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical and emotional ADV perpetration, and physical and emotional ADV victimization. CONCLUSIONS Structural and community-based interventions to prevent ADV and promote mental health for adolescents in the DR should address ACEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi S Luft
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1921 E Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America; University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States of America.
| | - Joshua P Mersky
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1921 E Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America.
| | - Changyong Choi
- Virginia Commonwealth University, 907 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23284, United States of America; Gachon University, 1342, Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Julio Arturo Canario Guzmán
- Instituto de Salud Mental y Telepsicología, Plaza Amer, Rómulo Betancourt 1212, Apto 404 A, Dominican Republic.
| | - María Violeta Quezada Ortiz
- Programa SUPERATE de la Presidencia de la República Dominicana, Ave. Leopoldo Navarro #61, Edif. San Rafael, 6to. Nivel. Ensanche San Juan Bosco, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
| | - Gaelle T Sehi
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1921 E Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America.
| | - Jeff R Temple
- University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States of America.
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Insights from Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening in a Hospital-Based Outpatient Psychiatry Service. Psychiatr Q 2022; 93:677-687. [PMID: 35380332 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-022-09982-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor mental health in adulthood. Comprehensive prevalence data encompassing all 10 ACE questionnaire items has not previously been described in a hospital-based outpatient psychiatric clinic. This study assessed the prevalence of 10 ACEs in such a clinic and correlated ACEs with indicators of case severity. For 252 patients newly evaluated in an urban clinic, a retrospective chart review was completed and data was collected on ACE questionnaire responses, psychiatric, substance-related, and medical diagnoses, psychiatric hospitalizations, suicide attempts, and suicide and violence risk. Patients in the clinic had an average of 3.4 ACEs, higher than national community sample averages of 1.6. The percentages of patients with at least one, two, and four ACEs were 82% (n = 207), 68% (n = 172), and 42% (n = 106) respectively (compared with 61%, 38%, and 15% nationally). ACEs had statistically significant correlations with an increased number of psychiatric diagnoses, substance use disorders, medical illnesses, suicide attempts, and suicide risk level. This study demonstrated that patients seeking psychiatric care from a hospital-based outpatient clinic are likely to be traumatized to a degree far exceeding what is typical in the general population. While a high prevalence of ACEs in a psychiatric population is an expected finding given the literature to date, this is the first study presenting data on the prevalence of ACEs in such a hospital-based community clinic. Additionally this study reinforces prior research correlating childhood adversity and case severity.
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Wiss DA, Brewerton TD, Tomiyama AJ. Limitations of the protective measure theory in explaining the role of childhood sexual abuse in eating disorders, addictions, and obesity: an updated model with emphasis on biological embedding. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:1249-1267. [PMID: 34476763 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01293-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to its immediate negative consequences, childhood sexual abuse is associated with lifelong deleterious mental and physical health outcomes. This review employs a biopsychosocial perspective to better understand pathways from childhood sexual abuse to eating disorders, food and drug addictions, and obesity across the life course. Guided by an updated conceptual model, this review delineates how the biological embedding of childhood sexual abuse triggers a cascade of interrelated conditions that often result in failed attempts at weight suppression and eventually obesity. Such biological embedding involves pathways such as inflammation, allostatic load, reward sensitivity, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, epigenetics, and structural and functional changes in the brain. These pathways are in turn theorized to lead to food addiction, substance use disorder, and eating disorders-each with potential pathways toward obesity over time. Predisposing factors to childhood sexual abuse including gender, culture, and age are discussed. This model calls into question the longstanding "protective measure" theory that purports individuals exposed to sexual abuse will deliberately or subconsciously gain weight in attempt to prevent future victimization. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which childhood sexual abuse becomes biologically embedded may help clinicians and survivors normalize and/or address disordered eating and weight-related outcomes, as well as identify intervention strategies.Level of evidence: Level V: opinions of respected authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wiss
- Community Health Sciences Department, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Timothy D Brewerton
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - A Janet Tomiyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Szepsenwol O. Identifying developmental adaptations to
early‐life
stress. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Szepsenwol
- Department of Education and Educational Counseling The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College Yezreel Valley Israel
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Ray DC, Burgin E, Gutierrez D, Ceballos P, Lindo N. Child‐centered play therapy and adverse childhood experiences: A randomized controlled trial. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jcad.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dee C. Ray
- Department of Counseling and Higher Education University of North Texas Denton Texas USA
| | - Elizabeth Burgin
- School Psychology and Counselor Education William & Mary Williamsburg VA US
| | - Daniel Gutierrez
- School Psychology and Counselor Education William & Mary Williamsburg VA US
| | - Peggy Ceballos
- Department of Counseling and Higher Education University of North Texas Denton Texas USA
| | - Natalya Lindo
- Department of Counseling and Higher Education University of North Texas Denton Texas USA
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Winkler O, Dhaliwal R, Greenshaw A, O'Shea K, Abba-Aji A, Chima C, Purdon SE, Burback L. Web-Based Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Adults With Suicidal Ideation: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e30711. [PMID: 34734835 PMCID: PMC8603176 DOI: 10.2196/30711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adversity and traumatic experiences increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy that desensitizes painful memories, so that reminders in the present no longer provoke overwhelming emotional responses. Preliminary evidence suggests that EMDR can be used as an acute intervention in suicidal patients, including those with major depressive disorder. In addition, because of social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians have been using EMDR on the web and, in the absence of formal evaluations of web-based EMDR, informal reports indicate good results. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether remotely delivered EMDR (targeting experiences associated with suicidal thinking) reduces suicidal thoughts. Secondary aims include examining the impact of remotely delivered EMDR on symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, emotional dysregulation, and dissociation. We will also report on adverse events in the EMDR group to explore whether targeting suicidal ideation with EMDR is safe. Finally, we will compare dropout rates between the treatment groups. METHODS In this randomized controlled trial, 80 adults who express suicidal ideation and meet the study criteria will receive either 12 sessions of twice weekly EMDR plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual alone. EMDR sessions will focus on the most distressing and intrusive memories associated with suicidal ideation. Data for primary and secondary objectives will be collected at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months after enrollment. A subsequent longer-term analysis, beyond the scope of this protocol, will examine differences between the groups with respect to the number of posttreatment emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and overall health care use in the year before and after therapy. RESULTS The protocol was approved by the University of Alberta Research Health Ethics Board (protocol ID Pro00090989). Funding for this study was provided by the Mental Health Foundation (grant RES0048906). Recruitment started in May 2021, with a projected completion date of March 2023. CONCLUSIONS The results of this trial will contribute to knowledge on whether web-based delivery of EMDR is a safe and effective treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and potentially reducing the incidence of suicide attempts in this patient population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04181047; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04181047. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/30711.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Raman Dhaliwal
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew Greenshaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Katie O'Shea
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Adam Abba-Aji
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Chidi Chima
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Scot E Purdon
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Neuropsychology, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lisa Burback
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Johnson D, Policelli J, Li M, Dharamsi A, Hu Q, Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA, Wade M. Associations of Early-Life Threat and Deprivation With Executive Functioning in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr 2021; 175:e212511. [PMID: 34309651 PMCID: PMC8314173 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Many studies have demonstrated an association between early-life adversity (ELA) and executive functioning in children and adolescents. However, the aggregate magnitude of this association is unknown in the context of threat and deprivation types of adversity and various executive functioning domains. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that experiences of deprivation are more strongly associated with reduced executive functioning compared with experiences of threat during childhood and adolescence. DATA SOURCES Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo databases were searched from inception to December 31, 2020. Both forward and reverse snowball citation searches were performed to identify additional articles. STUDY SELECTION Articles were selected for inclusion if they (1) had a child and/or adolescent sample, (2) included measures of ELA, (3) measured executive functioning, (4) evaluated the association between adversity and executive functioning, (5) were published in a peer-reviewed journal, and (6) were published in the English language. No temporal or geographic limits were set. A 2-reviewer, blinded screening process was conducted. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS PRISMA guidelines were used to guide data extraction and article diagnostics (for heterogeneity, small study bias, and p-hacking). Article quality was assessed, and data extraction was performed by multiple independent observers. A 3-level meta-analytic model with a restricted maximum likelihood method was used. Moderator analyses were conducted to explore heterogeneity. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Primary outcomes included measures of the 3 domains of executive functioning: cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory. RESULTS A total of 91 articles were included, representing 82 unique cohorts and 31 188 unique individuals. Deprivation, compared with threat, was associated with significantly lower inhibitory control (F1,90 = 5.69; P = .02) and working memory (F1,54 = 5.78; P = .02). No significant difference was observed for cognitive flexibility (F1,36 = 2.38; P = .12). The pooled effect size of the association of inhibitory control with deprivation was stronger (Hedges g = -0.43; 95% CI, -0.57 to -0.29) compared with threat (Hedges g = -0.27; 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.08). The pooled effect size of the association of working memory with deprivation was stronger (Hedges g = -0.54; 95% CI, -0.75 to -0.33) compared with threat (Hedges g = -0.28; 95% CI, -0.51 to -0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Experiences of both threat and deprivation in childhood and adolescence were associated with reduced executive functioning, but the association was stronger for exposure to deprivation. Efforts to address the consequences of ELA for development should consider the associations between specific dimensions of adversity and specific developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Johnson
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julia Policelli
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Min Li
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alyna Dharamsi
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qiaochu Hu
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret A. Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | | | - Mark Wade
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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