Life history strategies and psychopathology: the faster the life strategies, the more symptoms of psychopathology

Sex difference in the relationship between environmental unpredictability and depressive symptom in Chinese adolescents: The chain mediating role of sense of control and fast life history strategies

BACKGROUND

Adolescents are at a high risk of depressive symptom. A substantial body of literature indicates that early environmental unpredictability (EU) significantly affects the likelihood of developing depressive symptom. However, only a few studies have focused on the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on life history (LH) theory and the adaptive calibration model, this study constructed a chain-mediating model to examine whether the association between EU and depressive symptom among Chinese adolescents is mediated by sense of control and fast life history strategies.

METHODS

In total, 1838 Chinese adolescents (47.8 % women, mean age = 13.17 ± 0.99 years) participated in this study and responded to self-report measures of EU, fast LH strategies, sense of control, and depressive symptom.

RESULTS

(1) There were significant correlations between EU, sense of control, fast LH strategies, and depressive symptom. (2) After controlling for the effects of sex, age and socioeconomic status, EU still had a significant positive effect on depressive symptom. (3) Adolescent depressive symptom was partly influenced by EU through three different pathways: the mediating role of sense of control, the mediating role of fast LH strategies, and the chain-mediating role of both sense of control and fast LH strategies. (4) There are significant gender differences in the above chain mediation models.

LIMITATIONS

The analysis is cross-sectional, which limits causal inference.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of risk factors for adolescent depressive symptom. The chain-mediating effect of a sense of control and fast LH strategies plays an important role in the occurrence of depressive symptom.

The Long-Term Effect of Early-Life Uncertainty on Mental Health in Adolescence and Adulthood: A Meta-Analysis

Turbulent changes in early life are a hidden source of childhood trauma, increasing potential risks for mental illness. Many studies have identified the link between childhood uncertainty and mental health. However, research on the long-term effect of early-life uncertainty (EU) on mental health has not been systematically synthesized. This meta-analysis aims to provide a quantitative estimate of the association between EU and subsequent mental health outcomes. Eight electronic databases and gray literature were searched. Twenty-eight studies met our inclusion criteria: samples of non-clinical adolescents or adults and clear and valid assessments. Random-effect models were used to calculate the pooled effect sizes of EU on internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and well-being. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were used to explore potential moderators. Results indicated small to moderate associations involving EU and internalizing problem (r = .28; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.228, 0.326]) and externalizing problem (r = .16; 95% CI [0.102, 0.220]). EU was not significantly associated with well-being (r = -.41; 95% CI [-0.738, 0.071]). Furthermore, moderator analyses found that composite uncertain experiences in childhood had a stronger negative effect than single experiences. EU was a stronger predictor of mental health problems in adults than in adolescents. Cross-sectional studies would amplify the correlation between EU and mental illness compared to longitudinal studies. In the future, childhood uncertain and unpredictable risks should receive more attention. More research needs to focus on positive psychological indicators and samples from non-Western countries.

Adverse childhood experiences, symptoms of anxiety and depression in adulthood: Mediation role of life history strategy

Life history theory has considered the effects of childhood experiences. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of life history strategy and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between childhood experiences and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adulthood. In this study, 248 Iranians (including 162 females and 86 males) between 18 and 53 voluntarily participated and responded to all online questionnaires regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed with SPSS and macro PROCESS. The mediation analysis results demonstrated that the life history strategy mediates the relationship between childhood experiences and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The moderated mediation analysis revealed that there were no gender differences in the moderated mediation. The results have highlighted the importance of life history strategies in the association between childhood experiences and depression and anxiety symptoms and can be considered in the design of interventions based on the prevention of people's vulnerability to mental disorders.

The effect of perceived stress on binge eating behavior among Chinese university students: a moderated mediation model

Introduction

Previous studies have demonstrated a strong link between perceived stress and binge eating behavior, but the psychological mechanisms underlying such phenomenon are not fully understood. The present study further addressed this issue in a life history framework, focusing on life history strategy and distress tolerance.

Methods

Firstly, we investigated the mediation role of life history strategy on the relationship between perceived stress and binge eating behavior. Secondly, we examined the moderation role of distress tolerance on the effect of perceived stress on life history strategy, as well as on the direct effect of perceived stress on binge eating behavior. We analyzed data from 1342 Chinese university students.

Results

Results indicated that life history strategy mediates the relationship between perceived stress and binge eating behavior; distress tolerance has significant moderating effects on the direct effect of perceived stress on binge eating behavior and their indirect effect via life history strategy.

Discussion

Therefore, distress tolerance skills training and life history-based interventions might be potentially effective ways to reduce binge eating behavior triggered by perceived stress.

Personality and motivation of physical activity in adolescent girls: effects of perceived parental support and social physical anxiety

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between personality and motivation for physical activity while introducing perceived parental support and social physical anxiety in adolescent girls (N = 318, Mage: 16.19 ± 0.51 years). The present study was a retrospective correlational study that was conducted to analyze of a path model. Dark triad traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, student's motivation for physical activity, social physique anxiety, and participants' perceptions of parents' behaviors were measured. The findings indicated that psychopathy and Machiavellianism were directly and indirectly associated with motivation for physical activity, but Narcissism could only directly predict the motivation for physical activity. Also, need-thwarting (the most), need-supportive and social physical anxiety could predict motivation for physical activity. This model of the result suggests that among adolescent girls, dark triad personality could, directly and indirectly, predict motivation with need-supportive and need-thwarting and also social physical anxiety. It seems that the sense of importance and more attention to oneself in adolescent girls, which exists in the narcissistic personality, can directly lead to more motivation for physical activity. Also, the duplicitous ways of Machiavellian people in pursuing their motives were confirmed in this research.

COVID-19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms: Mediating role of self-control and moderating role of life history strategy

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a significant public health crisis, posing threats to physical health and mental well-being. This study, grounded in the Risk-Resilience Model, sought to elucidate how COVID-19 risk perception impacts negative emotional symptoms. Specifically, we examined the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of life history strategies. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal survey in October 2020 (N = 334) and November 2020 (N = 249), targeting residents across 14 provinces (24 cities) in China. After controlling for sex and age, the results supported the moderated mediation model, illustrating that (1) self-control mediated the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms, (2) life history strategy moderated the first segment of the mediation process, and (3) life history strategies also moderated the mediating effect of self-control on the link between COVID-19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms. Furthermore, compared to a fast life history strategy, a slow life history strategy mitigated the effect of COVID-19 risk perception on self-control, thereby reducing negative emotional symptoms. This study sheds light on how COVID-19 risk perception affects negative emotional symptoms and identifies potential targets (i.e., self-control and life history strategy) for addressing emotional distress during pandemics.

Association of childhood threat and deprivation with depressive symptoms and the moderating role of current economic status among middle-aged and older adults in China

PURPOSE

To investigate the independent impact of threat-related and deprivation-related adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults, and to evaluate the moderating role of current economic status in these associations.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 11,048 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. We captured five threat-related ACEs and five deprivation-related ACEs by questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Current economic status was reflected by annual per capita household consumption expenditure. We performed logistic regression analyses to evaluate the independent association of childhood threat and deprivation with depressive symptoms, and conducted stratified analyses and tests for interaction to explore the moderation effect of current economic status in such associations.

RESULTS

Compared with the nonexposed group, the experience of both childhood threat and deprivation were independently associated with greater risks of depressive symptoms later in life (odds ratio [OR] 1.75, 95% CI 1.49-2.05 for ≥ 2 threat-related ACEs; OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.67-2.43 for ≥ 2 deprivation-related ACEs). High current economic status significantly ameliorated the impact of childhood deprivation, but not threat, on depressive symptoms (P value for interaction 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

Both threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs were associated with the risk of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults, while current economic status was a significant moderator in such risks only for childhood deprivation. The findings implied that prioritising targeted interventions for individuals with ACEs, especially for childhood deprivation victims who were economically disadvantaged in adulthood, may help mitigate depressive symptoms in later life.

Childhood environment and adulthood food addiction: Testing the multiple mediations of life history strategies and attitudes toward self

Food addiction is associated with both physical and mental health conditions, such as obesity and depression, and is considered a public health problem. Based on life history (LH) theory, this study aimed to test the association between unpredictable childhood environment and food addiction in adulthood and to examine LH strategies and attitudes toward self as psychological mediators of this association. A random sample of 1010 adults, aged from 18 to 88 years (44.8% male; Mage = 38.52, SDage = 14.53), voluntarily participated in an anonymous telephone survey conducted in Macao, China. The results of a path analysis showed the significant and positive direct effect of childhood unpredictability on food addiction and its negative association with slow LH strategy, which in turn was negatively correlated with food addiction. In addition, slow LH strategy and self-judgment, rather than self-kindness, acted as serial mediators in the association between childhood unpredictability and food addiction. These findings support the applicability of LH theory to understanding food addiction, as well as pointing to the potential risk effect of self-judgment for food addiction in adulthood. Self-judgment reduction may be a potential supplementary approach for future food addiction intervention.

Facing the pandemic in the dark: Psychopathic personality traits and life history strategies during COVID-19 lockdown period in different areas of China

The current research aims to examine variation in psychopathic personality traits and life history strategies during COVID-19 lockdown period in different areas of China. In Study 1 (N = 564), participants completed explicit measures of psychopathic traits and of life history strategy. To attenuate common method biases, Study 2 (N = 267) employed an alternative measure of psychopathy and an indirect measure of life history strategy, namely, future-discounting. Across two studies, we found consistent and significant evidence that participants from Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the pandemic, evidenced a faster life history strategy and a markedly higher level of psychopathic traits than did participants from Chongqing, which was less affected by the virus. Furthermore, a consistent pattern of correlation between life history strategy and psychopathy was observed across different groups of participants. We also replicated some previously reported studies but found that not all sex effects were consistent with life history in Chinese populations. Taken together, these findings suggest that individuals may show a high degree of variation in life history speed and psychopathic traits in response to unpredictable and adverse environments, which provide support for extended life history plasticity.

Sex Differences in Traditional School Bullying Perpetration and Victimization among Adolescents: A Chain-Mediating Effect

The study explored sex differences in traditional school bullying perpetration and victimization among Chinese adolescents and the effects of Machiavellianism and school climate. Data were collected from 727 adolescents (M = 16.8 years, SD = 0.9) who completed the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Kiddie Machiavellian Scale, and School Climate Perception Questionnaire. Results showed: (1) boys were more likely to bully others and be bullied; (2) both Machiavellianism and school climate partially mediated sex differences in school bullying perpetration and victimization; (3) the chain-mediating effect of Machiavellianism and school climate on sex differences in bullying perpetration and victimization was significant. These results provide insight into the sex differences in Chinese traditional school bullying perpetration and victimization. The implications are interpreted and discussed.

Material hardship level and unpredictability in relation to U.S. households' family interactions and emotional well-being: Insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized to provide rare insight to advance the scientific understanding of early life adversity, such as material hardship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, material hardship (i.e., difficulty paying for basic needs) in families of young children has had detrimental effects on caregivers' and children's well-being. In addition to the degree of material hardship, the week-to-week and month-to-month unpredictability of hardship status may add to families' stress and worsen well-being. This study examined the magnitude of and mechanisms underlying the effects of material hardship level and unpredictability on the well-being of U.S. households with young children during the pandemic.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the RAPID project, a large ongoing national study that used weekly/biweekly online surveys to investigate the pandemic impact on U.S. households with young children. The current study leveraged data from 4621 families who provided at least three responses between April 2020 and October 2021.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income households experienced higher levels of material hardship and unpredictability during the pandemic, compared to their White or higher-income counterparts. Levels of pandemic-related material hardship and hardship unpredictability were both significantly associated with worsened well-being among caregivers and children. Finally, the effects of hardship level and unpredictability on well-being outcomes were partially mediated through disrupted family routines.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this study highlight that ensuring equal and adequate access to financial resources, as well as promoting financial stability for households with young children are both critical for maintaining functional family dynamics and promoting caregivers' and children's optimal well-being.

Parental migration status moderates the link between parent-child relationship and children's well-being through psychological distress

The effects of parental migration on the well-being of left-behind children (LBC) are varied. Several studies demonstrated that parental migration reduces children's psychological health but other research showed contradictory results. This study sought to clarify this issue by examining the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of parental migration status in the association between the parent-child relationship and children's psychological distress. A total of 743 LBC and 688 non-LBC self-reported their parent-child relationship, psychological distress, and well-being. Findings showed that psychological distress mediated the association between parent-child relationship and children's well-being. This denotes that greater parent-child relationship results into lowered levels of psychological distress, and in turn, increases children's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Moreover, the link between parent-child relationship and psychological distress was found to be contingent to parental migration status. Specifically, the negative association between parent-child relationship and psychological distress was especially strong among LBC in contrast to non- LBC. This implies that children with higher quality relationships with their parents tend to exhibit decreased severity of psychological distress symptoms, especially in children whose parents are working overseas. These results underscore the dynamic role of parent-child relationship in the well-being of LBC, and suggest ways to develop intervention programs that include cultivating skills in managing psychological distress and improving the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of LBC.

The effects of early life adversity on children's mental health and cognitive functioning

Emerging evidence suggests that partially distinct mechanisms may underlie the association between different dimensions of early life adversity (ELA) and psychopathology in children and adolescents. While there is minimal evidence that different types of ELA are associated with specific psychopathology outcomes, there are partially unique cognitive and socioemotional consequences of specific dimensions of ELA that increase transdiagnostic risk of mental health problems across the internalizing and externalizing spectra. The current review provides an overview of recent findings examining the cognitive (e.g., language, executive function), socioemotional (e.g., attention bias, emotion regulation), and mental health correlates of ELA along the dimensions of threat/harshness, deprivation, and unpredictability. We underscore similarities and differences in the mechanisms connecting different dimensions of ELA to particular mental health outcomes, and identify gaps and future directions that may help to clarify inconsistencies in the literature. This review focuses on childhood and adolescence, periods of exquisite neurobiological change and sensitivity to the environment. The utility of dimensional models of ELA in better understanding the mechanistic pathways towards the expression of psychopathology is discussed, with the review supporting the value of such models in better understanding the developmental sequelae associated with ELA. Integration of dimensional models of ELA with existing models focused on psychiatric classification and biobehavioral mechanisms may advance our understanding of the etiology, phenomenology, and treatment of mental health difficulties in children and youth.

Differential Eating Behavior Patterns among the Dark Triad

There is little extant empirical literature examining the associations between Dark Triad (DT: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and eating behaviors. The current study (n = 361) investigated the associations between Dark Triad and restrained eating, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating in a sample drawn from the general population. The results from the study indicate that (a) despite expected sex differences in narcissism and primary psychopathy, no sex differences were found in Machiavellianism, secondary psychopathy, and eating behaviors; (b) among women, Machiavellianism was a protective factor against uncontrolled eating behaviors; (c) the sex of the participant moderated the narcissism–uncontrolled eating behaviors and narcissism–emotional eating behaviors relationships, with the negative correlation being stronger for men than that for women; (d) secondary psychopathy, rather than primary psychopathy, was associated with higher uncontrolled eating behaviors in both sexes, and associated with higher emotional eating behaviors for men only. The implication of these findings are interpreted and discussed.

Early experience unpredictability in child development as a model for understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A translational neuroscience perspective

Extensive evidence links adverse experiences during childhood to a wide range of negative consequences in biological, socioemotional, and cognitive development. Unpredictability is a core element underlying most forms of early adversity; it has been a focus of developmental research for many years and has been receiving increasing attention recently. In this article, we propose a conceptual model to describe how unpredictable and adverse early experiences affect children's neurobiological, behavioral, and psychological development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We first highlight the critical role of unpredictability in child development by reviewing existing conceptual models of early adversity as they relate to subsequent development across the lifespan. Then, we employ a translational neuroscience framework to summarize the current animal- and human-based evidence on the neurobiological alterations induced by early experience unpredictability. We further argue that the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a global "natural experiment" that provides rare insight to the investigation of the negative developmental consequences of widespread, clustered, and unpredictable adverse events among children. We discuss how the pandemic helps advance the science of unpredictable early adverse experiences. As unpredictability research continues to grow, we highlight several directions for future studies and implications for policymaking and intervention practices.

Self-control, self-regulation, and consumer wellbeing: A life history perspective

This review synthesizes recent research on consumer self-control, self-regulation, and wellbeing using a perspective rooted in evolutionary theorizing-the notion of Life History Strategies (LHSs), derived from Life History Theory. We discuss both correlational and experimental research that has informed our understanding about how individual differences in LHSs may shape the 'self-regulatory toolkit' and how this, in turn, affects downstream consequences for consumer health and wellbeing. We also offer a counterpoint to the prevailing notion that fast LHSs mostly have negative, and slow LHSs positive consequences and we highlight promising future avenues to boost fast LHS consumers' self-control.

Differential Patterns of Delayed Emotion Circuit Maturation in Abused Girls With and Without Internalizing Psychopathology

OBJECTIVE

Childhood abuse represents one of the most potent risk factors for developing psychopathology, especially in females. Evidence suggests that exposure to early-life adversity may be related to advanced maturation of emotion processing neural circuits. However, it remains unknown whether abuse is related to early circuit maturation and whether maturation patterns depend on the presence of psychopathology.

METHODS

A multisite sample of 234 girls (ages 8-18 years) completed clinical assessment, maltreatment histories, and high-resolution T1-weighted structural MRI. Girls were stratified by abuse history and internalizing disorder diagnosis into typically developing (no abuse/no diagnosis), resilient (abuse/no diagnosis), and susceptible (abuse/current diagnosis) groups. Machine learning models of normative brain development were aggregated in a stacked generalization framework trained to predict chronological age using gray matter volume in whole-brain, emotion, and language circuit parcellations. Brain age gap estimations (BrainAGEs; predicted age minus true chronological age) were calculated as indices of relative circuit maturation.

RESULTS

Childhood abuse was related to reduced BrainAGE (delayed maturation) specific to emotion circuits. Delayed emotion circuit BrainAGE was further related to increased hyperarousal symptoms. Childhood physical neglect was associated with increased whole-brain BrainAGE (advanced maturation). Neural contributors to emotion circuit BrainAGE differed in girls with and without an internalizing diagnosis, especially in the lateral prefrontal, parietal, and insular cortices and the hippocampus.

CONCLUSIONS

Abuse exposure in girls is associated with a delayed structural maturation pattern specific to emotion circuitry, a potentially adaptive mechanism enhancing threat generalization. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is associated with a broader brain-wide pattern of advanced structural maturation. The differential influence of fronto-parietal cortices and the hippocampus on emotion circuit maturity in resilient girls may represent neurodevelopmental markers of reduced psychiatric risk following abuse.

Self-Perceived Facial Attractiveness, Fluctuating Asymmetry, and Minor Ailments Predict Mental Health Outcomes

Objective

Phenotypic markers associated with developmental stability such as fluctuating asymmetry, facial attractiveness, and reports of minor ailments can also act as indicators of overall physical health. However, few studies have assessed whether these markers might also be cues of mental health. We tested whether self- and other-perceived facial attractiveness, fluctuating asymmetry, and minor ailments are associated with psychopathological symptoms in a mixed sample of 358 college students, controlling for the effects of body mass index, age, and sex.

Methods

We applied the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaire to assess psychopathological symptoms, a battery of questionnaires about self-perceptions of facial attractiveness, and gathered information about the number of previous minor ailments as well as demographic data. Other-perceived attractiveness was assessed by an independent mixed sample of 109 subjects. Subjects’ facial fluctuating asymmetry was determined by geometric morphometrics.

Results

The results revealed that in both men and women, higher self-perceived attractiveness and fewer minor ailments predicted lower scores of Somatization, Obsessive–Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Phobic Anxiety, Paranoid Ideation, Psychoticism, and a General Psychopathology Index. Higher facial fluctuating asymmetry was associated with higher Interpersonal Sensitivity, but did not contribute to its prediction when controlling for the other studied variables.

Conclusions

The observed strong associations between self-perceived attractiveness, minor ailments, and psychopathology indicate common developmental pathways between physiological and psychological symptomatology which may reflect broader life history (co)variation between genetics, developmental environment, and psychophysiological functioning.

Borderline Personality Disorder in a "Life History Theory" Perspective: Evidence for a Fast "Pace-of-Life-Syndrome"

"Borderline Personality Disorder" (BPD) is associated with heightened risk for cardiovascular disease and other stress-associated somatic consequences, which is poorly understood in terms of causal mechanisms, such as childhood trauma. Here, we tested the hypothesis suggesting that BPD reflects a fast "Pace-of-Life-Syndrome" (PoLS). Ninety-five women (44 diagnosed with BPD) were recruited to examine psychological correlates of PoLS, including life history features, personality dimensions, aggressiveness, chronic stress, borderline symptom severity, childhood trauma, and allostatic load (AL). In line with expectations, BPD patients had significantly higher scores suggestive of a fast PoLS than controls, they were more aggressive, more burdened with chronic stress and were exposed to more severe childhood adversity. Childhood trauma predicted PoLS, which in turn predicted AL. The present study thus provides direct evidence of psychological and somatic traits associated with the fast end of the PoLS spectrum in females with BPD. Findings are discussed with regard to clinical implications.

Occupational Stress and Anger: Mediating Effects of Resiliency in First Responders

First responders experience substantial stress due to the nature of their work (Carleton et al. 2017). Occupational stress (OS) results from a myriad of employment conditions (e.g., ambiguous work expectations, unreasonable workload; Osipow 1998). OS can lead to maladaptive anger, which negatively impacts personal well-being and work performance (Velichkovsky 2009). In contrast, resilience to demanding working conditions is associated with lower state and trait anger (Wilson et al. 2001); thus, resilience may serve a protective 'buffer' role against anger in the face of stress. Thus, we hypothesized that resiliency would mediate relations between dimensions of OS and anger. The current study included 201 first responders (male = 77.6%; M _age = 43.73 years (SD = 10.97); police officers = 64.2%) who completed measures of OS (OSI-R; Osipow 1998), Anger (DSM-5 CC Anger; APA 2013), and Resiliency (CD-RISC; Connor and Davidson 2003). Results indicated that resiliency mediated relations between five components of OS and anger: Role Overload (p < .001); Insufficiency (p < .001); Role Boundary (p < .001); Role Ambiguity (p < .001); and Role Responsibility (p < .001). Results support the importance of resiliency-enhancing interventions to offset the experience of anger when confronted with occupational stress in first responders.

The Relationship between the Family Functioning of Individuals with Drug Addiction and Relapse Tendency: A Moderated Mediation Model

To explore the relationship between family functioning, psychological capital, life history strategy, and relapse tendency of individuals with drug addiction, 842 individuals with drug addiction completed a questionnaire. The results showed that (1) there was a significant negative correlation between the family functioning of individuals with drug addiction and their relapse tendency; (2) psychological capital played an intermediary role between family functioning and relapse tendency; and (3) life history strategy regulated the mediating effect of psychological capital. The results of this study suggest that family members should collaborate with drug addiction treatment centers and participate in the education and treatment process to help reduce drug relapse tendency. Increasing the psychological capital and self-efficacy of individuals with drug addiction through group psychological counseling and psychological education courses could also reduce drug relapse tendency.

Illness, Social Disadvantage, and Sexual Risk Behavior in Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood

This study investigated the influence of illness on sexual risk behavior in adolescence and the transition to adulthood, both directly and through moderation of the impact of social disadvantage. We hypothesized positive effects for social disadvantages and illness on sexual risk behavior, consistent with the development of faster life history strategies among young people facing greater life adversity. Using the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we developed a mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model predicting sexual risk behavior in three comparisons: risky nonmonogamous sex versus safer nonmonogamous sex, versus monogamous sex, and versus being sexually inactive, by social characteristics, illness, interactions thereof, and control covariates. Multiple imputation was used to address a modest amount of missing data. Subjects reporting higher levels of illness had lower odds of having safer nonmonogamous sex (OR = 0.84, p < .001), monogamous sex (OR = 0.82, p < .001), and being sexually inactive (OR = 0.74, p < .001) versus risky nonmonogamous sex, relative to subjects in better health. Illness significantly moderated the sex (OR = 0.88, p < .01), race/ethnicity (e.g., OR = 1.21, p < .001), and childhood SES (OR = 0.94; p < .01) effects for the sexually inactive versus risky nonmonogamous sex comparison. Substantive findings were generally robust across waves and in sensitivity analyses. These findings offer general support for the predictions of life history theory. Illness and various social disadvantages are associated with increased sexual risk behavior in adolescence and the transition to adulthood. Further, analyses indicate that the buffering effects of several protective social statuses against sexual risk-taking are substantially eroded by illness.

Prospective Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Predictors of Initiation and Cessation of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents

(1) Purpose: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) possibly emerges as well as remits in adolescence. To explore the development and transition of NSSI, this study examined the association between a wide range of interpersonal and intrapersonal predictors of NSSI initiation and cessation. (2) Methods: Chinese adolescents (N = 913) completed self-reported surveys at baseline and at a six-month follow-up. The sample included 625 adolescents who reported no NSSI and 288 adolescents who reported engagement in NSSI at baseline. (3) Results: Among the adolescents without NSSI at baseline, 24.3% engaged in NSSI at follow-up (NSSI initiation group). Among the adolescents with NSSI at baseline, 33.3% reported no NSSI at follow-up (NSSI cessation group). Loneliness, beliefs about adversity, problem behavior, and prosocial behavior were the significant factors in predicting subsequent NSSI initiation. None of the potential predicting factors were associated with subsequent NSSI cessation. (4) Conclusions: These results indicate the importance of intrapersonal factors in Chinese culture, which could be used to identify at-risk adolescents and to design interventions.

An evolutionary life history approach to understanding mental health

In recent years, evolutionary life history theory has been used as a heuristic framework to understand mental health. This article reviews the life history theory and its integration with mental disorders and then introduces representative research methods and related empirical studies in the field of evolutionary psychopathology. In the end, this article concludes with future directions for further research examining and developing the evolutionary psychopathological framework.

Do Criminals Live Faster Than Soldiers and Firefighters? : A Comparison of Biodemographic and Psychosocial Dimensions of Life History Theory

A high risk of morbidity-mortality caused by a harsh and unpredictable environment is considered to be associated with a fast life history (LH) strategy, commonly linked with criminal behavior. However, offenders are not the only group with a high exposure to extrinsic morbidity-mortality. In the present study, we investigated the LH strategies employed by two groups of Polish men: incarcerated offenders (N = 84) as well as soldiers and firefighters (N = 117), whose professions involve an elevated risk of injury and premature death. The subjects were asked to complete the Mini-K (used as a psychosocial LH indicator) and a questionnaire which included a number of biodemographic LH variables. Although biodemographic and psychosocial LH indicators should be closely linked with each other, the actual connection between them is unclear. Thus, this study was driven by two aims: comparing LH strategies in two groups of men with a high risk of premature morbidity-mortality and investigating the relationship between the biodemographic and psychosocial LH dimensions. The study showed that incarcerated men employed faster LH strategies than soldiers and firefighters, but only in relation to biodemographic variables (e.g., number of siblings, age of sexual initiation, life expectancy). No intergroup differences emerged regarding psychosocial LH indicators. Moreover, the correlation analysis showed a weak association between biodemographic and psychosocial LH indicators. The results strengthen the legitimacy of incorporating biodemographic LH traits into research models and indicate the need for further research on the accuracy of the Mini-K. The possible explanations for the intergroup differences in LH strategies are discussed.

Loneliness, non-suicidal self-injury, and friendship quality among Chinese left-behind adolescents: The role of parent-child cohesion

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is common among left-behind adolescents and can affect their friendship quality both negatively and positively. Most studies have focused on the negative effect of loneliness on friendship. However, loneliness may also motivate adolescents to seek close connections with peers through certain ways, that is, loneliness may indirectly positively influence friendship quality, which has not been explored. To address this gap, based on the life history theory and the interpersonal function model of non-suicidal injury (NSSI), this study aimed to examine the positive impact of loneliness on friendship quality via NSSI among left-behind adolescents. Moreover, given that NSSI is a severe health concern that should be prevented, the protective role of parent-child cohesion was also examined.

METHODS

A two-wave dataset was used. Participants comprised 1,013 adolescents (539 left-behind and 474 non-left-behind adolescents) completed self-report surveys that addressed loneliness, NSSI, friendship quality, and parent-child cohesion.

RESULTS

For left-behind adolescents, loneliness could affect friendship quality not only negatively but also positively through NSSI; increased loneliness predicted more NSSI which, in turn, was associated with high friendship quality. Moreover, the moderating effect of parent-child cohesion was significant. For non-left-behind adolescents, neither the direct nor the indirect positive effect through NSSI between loneliness and friendship quality was found.

LIMITATIONS

All measures were based on self-reports. Cohesions with caregivers were not included.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings advance our understanding of the relationships between loneliness, NSSI, and friendship quality among left-behind adolescents. They provide important implications for future interventions by addressing the role of high parent-child cohesion.

A Life History Approach to the Female Sexual Orientation Spectrum: Evolution, Development, Causal Mechanisms, and Health

Women's capacity for sexual fluidity is at least as interesting a phenomenon from the point of view of evolutionary biology and behavioral endocrinology as exclusively homosexual orientation. Evolutionary hypotheses for female nonheterosexuality have failed to fully account for the existence of these different categories of nonheterosexual women, while also overlooking broader data on the causal mechanisms, physiology, ontogeny, and phylogeny of female nonheterosexuality. We review the evolutionary-developmental origins of various phenotypes in the female sexual orientation spectrum using the synergistic approach of Tinbergen's four questions. We also present femme-specific and butch-specific hypotheses at proximate and ultimate levels of analysis. This review article indicates that various nonheterosexual female phenotypes emerge from and contribute to hormonally mediated fast life history strategies. Life history theory provides a biobehavioral explanatory framework for nonheterosexual women's masculinized body morphology, psychological dispositions, and their elevated likelihood of experiencing violence, substance use, obesity, teenage pregnancy, and lower general health. This pattern of life outcomes can create a feedback loop of environmental unpredictability and harshness which destabilizes intrauterine hormonal conditions in mothers, leading to a greater likelihood of fast life history strategies, global health problems, and nonheterosexual preferences in female offspring. We further explore the potential of female nonheterosexuality to function as an alloparental buffer that enables masculinizing alleles to execute their characteristic fast life history strategies as they appear in the female and the male phenotype. Synthesizing life history theory with the female sexual orientation spectrum enriches existing scientific knowledge on the evolutionary-developmental mechanisms of human sex differences.

Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Willingness to Participate in a Mindfulness Treatment: An Examination among Veterans Injured in Combat

Numerous studies have demonstrated that combat-exposed military veterans are at risk for numerous psychiatric disorders and rates of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders are high. Veterans wounded in combat are a particularly high-risk group of military veterans, however treatment services are often underutilized among this group and it is unclear whether an online treatment program that targets emotional and physical distress (including mental health symptoms and substance use disorders) would be appealing to Veterans wounded in combat. The goal of the current study was to conduct formative research on whether veterans wounded in combat would be interested in an online mindfulness-based treatment to help them cope with emotional and physical discomfort. We recruited Veterans from Combat Wounded Coalition (n = 163; 74.2% non-Hispanic White; 95.7% male) to complete an online survey of mental health and substance use disorder symptoms and willingness to participate in mindfulness treatment. The majority of participants reported significant mental health symptoms and indicated that they would be willing to participate in mindfulness treatment, either at the VA (54.0%) or online (59.5%). Those with problems in multiple health domains and lower self-compassion were significantly more likely to express interest in treatment and likely to represent a very high need group of veterans. The development of a mindfulness-based treatment for this group of individuals could be very helpful in reducing mental health symptoms and improving quality of life among wounded warriors.

Love, Sex, and Personality Pathology: A Life History View of Personality Pathologies and Sociosexuality

Love and sex are fundamental needs of most people, yet little research has examined such aspects of life in relation to personality pathologies. We examined the associations between pathological personality traits (i.e., negative affectivity, disinhibition, antagonism, psychoticism, and detachment) and sociosexuality (i.e., short-term mating orientation, long-term mating orientation, and sexual behavior) among 702 university students. In addition, we examined the mediating role of life history speed and tested whether sex moderated the associations that these pathological personality traits had with sociosexuality. Detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism had positive associations with short-term mating interests and negative associations with long-term mating interests. Life history speed mediated the associations that detachment and disinhibition had with short-term mating orientation and long-term mating orientation. Although sex did moderate the association that negative affectivity had with previous sexual behavior, we found no evidence that these mediational processes differed between men and women. Results are discussed in terms of the way personality traits shape the sociosexuality of men and women using a life history paradigm.

The Mediating Role of the Dark Triad Between Life History Strategy and Perceived Stress Factors

Life History Theory posits early-life adversities affect personality development partway through sensitizing individuals to certain environmental cues, thus influencing the person’s responses to different stressors. We therefore hypothesized that life history strategy affects perceived distress and self-efficiency in coping through certain personality traits. The concept of the Dark Triad describes specific forms of personalities found to be associated with faster life strategies and perceived stress. Hence, the aim of our study was to examine the possible mediator role of the Dark Triad traits on the relationship between life strategies and perceived stress. A sample of 432 (133 males) under- and postgraduate students (aged between 18 and 34 years, M= 23.4, SD = 3.9) answered the Short-Form of the Arizona Life History Battery, the Mini-K, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Short Dark Triad. Multiple linear regression and subsequent mediation analyses showed significant mediation effects of Dark Triad traits on both perceived distress and perceived coping. Our results indicate that these personality traits are part of the process in which faster life strategies predict higher level of perceived stress and lower levels of coping ability.

Articulation and testing of a personality-centred model of psychopathology: evidence from a longitudinal community study over 30 years

Advances in psychopathological research advocate a personality-centred model of common mental disorders (CMD). We tested four hypotheses to test such a model. First, personality relates to critical life events; second, both personality and critical life events relate to CMD; third, interaction effects between personality and critical life events relate to CMD; fourth, neuroticism explains the majority of variance in psychopathology. We analysed data (n = 453) based on seven semi-structured interviews from a longitudinal epidemiologic cohort study over 30 years spanning years 1979 (age 20) to 2008 (age 50). CMD and critical life events were assessed seven times between 1979 and 2008 and personality domains of neuroticism, extraversion and aggressiveness in 1988 and 1993. Aggressiveness and neuroticism related to partnership rupture and job loss. Neuroticism related significantly to major depression, anxiety disorders, substance-use disorders (SUD) and severity of psychopathology. Both partnership rupture and job loss related to major depression and severity of psychopathology, but not to anxiety disorder or SUD. An interaction effect between neuroticism and partnership rupture pointed towards significantly increased SUD prevalence. All associations held when additionally adjusted for childhood adversity and familial socio-economic status. According to a pseudo-R ², neuroticism explained 51% of total variance in severity of psychopathology over time, while all three personality domains along with both partnership rupture and job loss explained 59% of total variance. In conclusion, personality, especially neuroticism, relates consistently to repeated measures of psychopathology. These associations are independent of and more pervasive than the effects of partnership rupture and job loss. Partnership rupture in interaction with neuroticism may further increase the risk for SUD. We conclude that neuroticism is a fundamental aetiological factor for severe psychopathology, but further testing of this model in other longitudinal studies is required.

The Associations Between Social Rank Uncertainty, Machiavellianism, and Dominance: From a Life History Perspective

This study used the life history (LH) theory to investigate how environmental cues are associated with Machiavellianism. A total of 252 undergraduate students completed self-report measures of social rank uncertainty, Machiavellianism, fast LH strategy, and dominance. The results indicated that Machiavellianism was related to a fast LH strategy. Furthermore, a fast LH strategy mediated an association between social rank uncertainty and Machiavellianism. Finally, Machiavellianism was positively associated with dominance. These findings may enhance our understanding of the evolutionary origin of Machiavellianism.

Early-Life Stressors, Personality Development, and Fast Life Strategies: An Evolutionary Perspective on Malevolent Personality Features

Life history theory posits that behavioral adaptation to various environmental (ecological and/or social) conditions encountered during childhood is regulated by a wide variety of different traits resulting in various behavioral strategies. Unpredictable and harsh conditions tend to produce fast life history strategies, characterized by early maturation, a higher number of sexual partners to whom one is less attached, and less parenting of offspring. Unpredictability and harshness not only affects dispositional social and emotional functioning, but may also promote the development of personality traits linked to higher rates of instability in social relationships or more self-interested behavior. Similarly, detrimental childhood experiences, such as poor parental care or high parent-child conflict, affect personality development and may create a more distrustful, malicious interpersonal style. The aim of this brief review is to survey and summarize findings on the impact of negative early-life experiences on the development of personality and fast life history strategies. By demonstrating that there are parallels in adaptations to adversity in these two domains, we hope to lend weight to current and future attempts to provide a comprehensive insight of personality traits and functions at the ultimate and proximate levels.

Are Expectations the Missing Link between Life History Strategies and Psychopathology?

Despite advances in knowledge and thinking about using life history theory to explain psychopathology there is still a missing link. That is, we all have a life history strategy, but not all of us develop mental health problems. We propose that the missing link is expectations - a mismatch between expected environmental conditions (including social) set by variations in life history strategies and the current environmental conditions. The mismatch hypothesis has been applied at the biological level in terms of health and disease and we believe that it can also be applied more broadly at the psychological level in terms of perceived expectations in the social environment and the resulting distress-psychopathology-that manifests when our expectations are not met.