The relationship between neuroticism, major depressive disorder and comorbid disorders in Chinese women

Evaluating the Impact of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Personality Types on Perinatal Depressive Symptoms

Perinatal depression (PPD) presents a significant public health concern, often influenced by psychological and personality factors. This study investigated the impact of personality traits, particularly neuroticism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms on the severity of PPD. The primary aim was to quantify the contributions of these factors to the risk and severity of PPD to enhance early intervention strategies. A total of 47 pregnant women with depressive symptoms per DSM-5 criteria at "Pius Brinzeu" County Emergency Hospital in Timisoara, Romania, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, as well as 49 women without depressive symptoms as controls. Personality traits were assessed using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and OCD symptoms were measured using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI). Depression severity was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). This set of questionnaires were administered antepartum and postpartum. The logistic regression analysis highlighted neuroticism as a significant predictor of PPD severity, with an increase in neuroticism associated with a higher risk of PPD (coefficient = 0.24, p < 0.001). Conversely, openness showed a protective effect (coefficient = -0.13, p = 0.009). Higher OCD symptomatology, particularly ordering and hoarding, were linked with increased depression scores. Specifically, the total OCI score significantly predicted the EPDS score (coefficient = 0.03, p = 0.003). Furthermore, significant increases in EPDS anxiety and depression scores were observed in the perinatal period, indicating worsening of symptoms (anxiety coefficient = 0.51; p < 0.001). The findings suggest that personality traits like neuroticism and OCD symptoms significantly contribute to the severity of PPD. Interventions targeting these specific traits could potentially mitigate the risk and severity of perinatal depression, underscoring the need for personalized treatment plans that consider these psychological dimensions.

Pet attachment and owner personality

Introduction

Research points to a relationship between owner personality and strength of attachment to one's pet, with implications for psychological health. So far, studies in this area, albeit sparse, have focused on the 'Big Five' traits of owner personality. The 'Dark Triad' is a cluster of traits that has also been linked to emotional deficits, but has been overlooked in relation to pet attachment. This study therefore examined the association between owner personality and pet attachment, focusing on both the 'Big Five' and 'Dark Triad' traits of personality.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was employed to collect quantitative data from dog and cat owners across the globe between May-June 2023. A purpose-designed online survey collected sociodemographic details, along with information on pet ownership, strength of the pet-owner bond and participant personality, assessed using the Big Five personality scale and the Short Dark Triad scale. The survey was fully completed by 759 dog and 179 cat owners.

Results

Analysis revealed significant correlations between many of the participants' personality traits, both within and between scales. Strength of pet attachment was positively correlated with neuroticism and conscientiousness, and, more weakly, to Machiavellianism. Regression analysis revealed that females, dog owners, people over the age of 50 and individuals who had children under 18 years to care for were more strongly attached to their pets than others. Both neuroticism and conscientiousness were found to be significant predictors of participants' pet attachment scores. None of the Dark Triad traits significantly predicted the criterion.

Discussion

This study points to a relationship between strength of attachment to one's pet and owner personality, at least as measured using the Big Five approach to personality assessment. There was little to support an association between the Dark Triad traits and strength of attachment to one's pet, although the link between these characteristics and attachment styles is still unknown. The investigation lends support for the idea that high attachment levels are associated with personality traits aligned to psychological ill-health. Further work is recommended in this area, with a greater focus on both strength and quality (e.g., attachment style) of the pet-owner bond.

Distinct associations between gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism with subjective and psychological well-being among Japanese individuals

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence suggests that the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions is influenced by a variety of factors, including cultural context. Identifying intervention targets that can effectively contribute to improving individual well-being under these boundary conditions is a crucial step when developing viable interventions. To this end, we examined how gratitude disposition, self-esteem, and optimism relate to the subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) of Japanese individuals.

METHODS

Multivariate regression analysis was employed to quantify the unique relationships between the three potential intervention targets and both SWB and PWB, while accounting for the influence of other variables. Participants (N = 71) also engaged in a 4-week experience sampling study to explore how gratitude, self-esteem and optimism shape the link between momentary affective states in everyday life and evaluations of day satisfaction.

RESULTS

Multivariate regression analysis revealed that self-esteem was predominantly more strongly associated with SWB compared to gratitude disposition, whereas gratitude disposition was more strongly associated with the PWB dimensions, particularly personal growth, positive relations with others and purpose in life. Experience sampling data indicated that while both gratitude disposition and self-esteem moderated the association between momentary positive affect and day satisfaction evaluations, they did so in opposite ways; greater gratitude disposition strengthened the association, while greater self-esteem weakened it.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the current results suggest that while gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism influence individual well-being as a whole, they likely play distinct roles in facilitating SWB and PWB in the studied cohort.

Shared and distinctive dysconnectivity patterns underlying pure generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and comorbid GAD and depressive symptoms

The resting-state connectivity features underlying pure generalized anxiety disorder (GAD, G1) and comorbid GAD and depressive symptoms (G2) have not been directly compared. Furthermore, it is unclear whether these features might serve as potential prognostic biomarkers and change with treatment. Degree centrality (DC) in G1 (40 subjects), G2 (58 subjects), and healthy controls (HCs, 54 subjects) was compared before treatment, and the DC of G1 or G2 at baseline was compared with that after 4 weeks of paroxetine treatment. Using support vector regression (SVR), voxel-wise DC across the entire brain and abnormal DC at baseline were employed to predict treatment response. At baseline, G1 and G2 exhibited lower DC in the left mid-cingulate cortex and vermis IV/V compared to HCs. Additionally, compared to HCs, G1 had lower DC in the left middle temporal gyrus, while G2 showed higher DC in the right inferior temporal/fusiform gyrus. However, there was no significant difference in DC between G1 and G2. The SVR based on abnormal DC at baseline could successfully predict treatment response in responders in G2 or in G1 and G2. Notably, the predictive performance based on abnormal DC at baseline surpassed that based on DC across the entire brain. After treatment, G2 responders showed lower DC in the right medial orbital frontal gyrus, while no change in DC was identified in G1 responders. The G1 and G2 showed common and distinct dysconnectivity patterns and they could potentially serve as prognostic biomarkers. Furthermore, DC in patients with GAD could change with treatment.

Which variables moderate the relationship between depressive symptoms and global neurocognition across adulthood?

The current study examined moderators of the relationship between depressive symptoms and global neurocognition in a large non-clinical community-dwelling sample spanning adulthood. Participants comprised 5,430 individuals between the ages of 18-99 years drawn from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project. Depressive symptoms were measured via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale and neurocognition was operationalized as a composite variable comprising episodic memory, spatial visualization, processing speed, and reasoning tasks. Moderator variables included physical activity, cognitive activity, education, emotional stability, and openness. Hierarchical regressions were used to examine the influence of depressive symptoms and the moderators on neurocognition. Depressive symptoms significantly predicted neurocognition. Cognitive activity, years of education, and emotional stability moderated the depression-neurocognition relationship by buffering the impact of depressive symptoms on neurocognition. Cognitive activity engagement and level of education may function as a protective influence on those with higher levels of depressive symptoms, while emotional stability may be protective for individuals with lower levels of depressive symptoms. No differences in moderation were found across three age groups representing younger, middle, and older adults. Post-hoc analyses showed years of education and openness as moderators in a subsample excluding individuals with potentially clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms.

Preliminary Evidence for Genetic Nurture in Depression and Neuroticism Through Polygenic Scores

Importance

Modeling genetic nurture (ie, the effects of parental genotypes through influences on the environment experienced by their children) is essential to accurately disentangle genetic and environmental influences on phenotypic variance. However, these influences are often ignored in both epidemiologic and genetic studies of depression.

Objective

To estimate the association of genetic nurture with depression and neuroticism.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study jointly modeled parental and offspring polygenic scores (PGSs) across 9 traits to test for the association of genetic nurture with lifetime broad depression and neuroticism using data from nuclear families in the UK Biobank, with data collected between 2006 and 2019. A broad depression phenotype was measured in 38 702 offspring from 20 905 independent nuclear families, with most of these participants also reporting neuroticism scores. Parental genotypes were imputed from sibships or parent-offspring duos and used to calculate parental PGSs. Data were analyzed between March 2021 and January 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Estimates of genetic nurture and direct genetic regression coefficients on broad depression and neuroticism.

Results

This study of 38 702 offspring with data on broad depression (mean [SD] age, 55.5 [8.2] years at study entry; 58% female) found limited preliminary evidence for a statistically significant association of genetic nurture with lifetime depression and neuroticism in adults. The estimated regression coefficient of the parental depression PGS on offspring neuroticism (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, P = 6.63 × 10-3) was estimated to be approximately two-thirds (66%) that of the offspring's depression PGS (β = 0.06, SE = 0.01, P = 6.13 × 10-11). Evidence for an association between parental cannabis use disorder PGS and offspring depression was also found (β = 0.08, SE = 0.03, P = .02), which was estimated to be 2 times greater than the association between the offspring's cannabis use disorder PGS and their own depression status (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, P = .07).

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this cross-sectional study highlight the potential for genetic nurture to bias results from epidemiologic and genetic studies on depression or neuroticism and, with further replication and larger samples, identify potential avenues for future prevention and intervention efforts.

Risk Factors in Depression and Anxiety Disorders from the Framework of Developmental Psychopathology

Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders that negatively affect individuals’ life in many ways. Understanding how these highly comorbid emotional disorders develop and persist might guide prevention, intervention, and treatment studies. Some common vulnerability factors underlie depression and anxiety disorders. Developmental psychopathology deals with these vulnerabilities and risk factors from a lifetime perspective. The aim of this review is to present the risk factors associated with depression and anxiety from the perspective of developmental psychopathology. For this purpose, we discussed genetic and biological factors, temperament, negative childhood experiences, family and peer relationships, and some cognitive and emotional factors as risk factors. Also, we discussed how these risk factors lead to depression and anxiety disorders. This review emphasizes that some common transdiagnostic risk factors underlie emotional disorders and highlights the importance of a developmental psychopathology perspective to understand the developmental pathways of depression and anxiety disorders.

Moderating role of observing the five precepts of Buddhism on neuroticism, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms

PURPOSE

Evidence has shown that the Five precepts significantly affect the relationship between attachment and resilience; however, little is known whether observing the Five Precepts would help reduce depressive symptoms among those who experience risks. The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of the Five Precepts in the mediation model relationship among neuroticism, perceived stress, and depression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and data were collected from the end of 2019 to September 2022 in Thailand. In all, 644 general participants completed questionnaires on the Neuroticism Inventory (NI), the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Depression Subscale, and the Five-Precept Subscale of the Inner Strength-based Inventory (SBI-PP). Mediation and moderation analyses with 5000 bootstrapping methods were used.

RESULTS

Among all, 74.2% were female, and the mean age totalled 28.28 years (SD = 10.6). SBI-PP was shown to have a moderation effect on the relationship between NI, PSS and depressive symptoms. The moderating effect between SBI-PP and PSS was significant, whereas SBI-PP and NI was not. The index of moderated mediation from the Five Precepts was significant (b = -0.019 (95%CI -0.029, -0.009)). The moderated mediation model increased the percent variance explaining depressive symptoms to 47.6%, compared with 32.6% from the mediation model alone.

CONCLUSION

Observing the Five Precepts offers evidence that it buffers the effect of perceived stress on depression. People with high levels of observing the Five Precepts are less likely to develop depressive symptoms. Implications as well as possible future research are discussed.

Behavioral Patterns of Depression Patients and Control Population

Behavioral and multifactorial factors, such as psychological, nutritional, dental pathology, and physical activity habits, are factors that control depression. The objective of the present study was to analyze the differences in the behavioral, psychological, nutritional, dental pathology, and physical activity patterns of the depressed and control population. Forty-eight participants with depression (45.7 ± 12.0) and one hundred participants in a control group without any pathology or medication (48.9 ± 7.9) were interviewed using an online questionnaire. The multifactorial items of psychology, oral behavior, nutritional habits, and physical activity profile were analyzed through a set of questionnaires. The results showed how the depression group showed significantly higher psychological measures related to personality, anxiety, depression, loneliness, perceived stress, and psychological inflexibility than the control group. The control group showed significantly higher weekly vitality, vitality at the end of the week, weekly frequency of juice, wine, coffee, fresh vegetable salad, and Bristol scale than the depression group. Higher values of migraine headache, weekly soft drink frequency, and digestion after meals were found in the depression group. In addition, patients with depression also presented poor dental health, presenting higher rates of gastritis or heartburn, dry mouth, dental sensitivity, and sick days per year than the control group. Both groups presented a pattern of low physical activity. This information allows a better understanding of a multifactorial disease, as well as the creation of intervention and prevention protocols for this disease at a behavioral and lifestyle level.

Air pollution interacts with genetic risk to influence cortical networks implicated in depression

Air pollution is a reversible cause of significant global mortality and morbidity. Epidemiological evidence suggests associations between air pollution exposure and impaired cognition and increased risk for major depressive disorders. However, the neural bases of these associations have been unclear. Here, in healthy human subjects exposed to relatively high air pollution and controlling for socioeconomic, genomic, and other confounders, we examine across multiple levels of brain network function the extent to which particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure influences putative genetic risk mechanisms associated with depression. Increased ambient PM_2.5 exposure was associated with poorer reasoning and problem solving and higher-trait anxiety/depression. Working memory and stress-related information transfer (effective connectivity) across cortical and subcortical brain networks were influenced by PM_2.5 exposure to differing extents depending on the polygenic risk for depression in gene-by-environment interactions. Effective connectivity patterns from individuals with higher polygenic risk for depression and higher exposures with PM_2.5, but not from those with lower genetic risk or lower exposures, correlated spatially with the coexpression of depression-associated genes across corresponding brain regions in the Allen Brain Atlas. These converging data suggest that PM_2.5 exposure affects brain network functions implicated in the genetic mechanisms of depression.

Role of Equanimity on the Mediation Model of Neuroticism, Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms

Background: Equanimity is widely and commonly practiced, but few have investigated the concept in clinical research. While the mediation model of neuroticism, perceived stress and depression have been demonstrated, it remains unclear whether equanimity mediates the relationship of these variables in parallel, serial or moderated mediation models. This study aimed to investigate the role of equanimity among those models. Methods: In all, 644 general participants (74.2% female, mean age = 28.28 (SD = 10.6)) provided data on the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Neuroticism Inventory (NI), depression subscale of the Core Symptom Index, and the equanimity subscale of the inner Strength-based Inventory. Mediation and moderation analyses with the 5000 bootstrapping method were applied. Results: Equanimity was shown to moderate the relationship between NI/PSS and depressive symptom. Statistical evaluation supported all parallel, serial and moderated mediation models. Equanimity as a moderator provided a higher amount of percent variance explained by depressive symptoms than parallel and serial mediation models. Conclusions: Results suggest that the effect of perceived stress and neuroticism on depression can be mitigated by increasing levels of equanimity. The results demonstrated one potential benefit from practicing equanimity; enabling its extension to mental health problems could constitute an interesting focus for future research.

Analysis of genetic differences between psychiatric disorders: exploring pathways and cell types/tissues involved and ability to differentiate the disorders by polygenic scores

Although displaying genetic correlations, psychiatric disorders are clinically defined as categorical entities as they each have distinguishing clinical features and may involve different treatments. Identifying differential genetic variations between these disorders may reveal how the disorders differ biologically and help to guide more personalized treatment. Here we presented a statistical framework and comprehensive analysis to identify genetic markers differentially associated with various psychiatric disorders/traits based on GWAS summary statistics, covering 18 psychiatric traits/disorders and 26 comparisons. We also conducted comprehensive analysis to unravel the genes, pathways and SNP functional categories involved, and the cell types and tissues implicated. We also assessed how well one could distinguish between psychiatric disorders by polygenic risk scores (PRS). SNP-based heritabilities (h2snp) were significantly larger than zero for most comparisons. Based on current GWAS data, PRS have mostly modest power to distinguish between psychiatric disorders. For example, we estimated that AUC for distinguishing schizophrenia from major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BPD) from MDD and schizophrenia from BPD were 0.694, 0.602 and 0.618, respectively, while the maximum AUC (based on h2snp) were 0.763, 0.749 and 0.726, respectively. We also uncovered differences in each pair of studied traits in terms of their differences in genetic correlation with comorbid traits. For example, clinically defined MDD appeared to more strongly genetically correlated with other psychiatric disorders and heart disease, when compared to non-clinically defined depression in UK Biobank. Our findings highlight genetic differences between psychiatric disorders and the mechanisms involved. PRS may help differential diagnosis of selected psychiatric disorders in the future with larger GWAS samples.

Data mining algorithm predicts a range of adverse outcomes in major depression

BACKGROUND

Course of illness in major depression (MD) is highly varied, which might lead to both under- and overtreatment if clinicians adhere to a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Novel opportunities in data mining could lead to prediction models that can assist clinicians in treatment decisions tailored to the individual patient. This study assesses the performance of a previously developed data mining algorithm to predict future episodes of MD based on clinical information in new data.

METHODS

We applied a prediction model utilizing baseline clinical characteristics in subjects who reported lifetime MD to two independent test samples (total n = 4226). We assessed the model's performance to predict future episodes of MD, anxiety disorders, and disability during follow-up (1-9 years after baseline). In addition, we compared its prediction performance with well-known risk factors for a severe course of illness.

RESULTS

Our model consistently predicted future episodes of MD in both test samples (AUC 0.68-0.73, modest prediction). Equally accurately, it predicted episodes of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and disability (AUC 0.65-0.78). Our model predicted these outcomes more accurately than risk factors for a severe course of illness such as family history of MD and lifetime traumas.

LIMITATIONS

Prediction accuracy might be different for specific subgroups, such as hospitalized patients or patients with a different cultural background.

CONCLUSIONS

Our prediction model consistently predicted a range of adverse outcomes in MD across two independent test samples derived from studies in different subpopulations, countries, using different measurement procedures. This replication study holds promise for application in clinical practice.

Molecular mechanisms of psychiatric diseases

For most psychiatric diseases, pathogenetic concepts as well as paradigms underlying neuropsychopharmacologic approaches currently revolve around neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. However, despite the fact that several generations of neurotransmitter-based psychotropics including atypical antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are available, the effectiveness of these medications is limited, and relapse rates in psychiatric diseases are relatively high, indicating potential involvement of other pathogenetic pathways. Indeed, recent high-throughput studies in genetics and molecular biology have shown that pathogenesis of major psychiatric illnesses involves hundreds of genes and numerous pathways via such fundamental processes as DNA methylation, transcription, and splicing. Current review summarizes these and other molecular mechanisms of such psychiatric illnesses as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder and suggests a conceptual framework for future studies.

Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait version (STAI-T) was developed to measure an individual's tendency to experience anxiety, but it may lack discriminant evidence of validity based on strong observed relationships with measures of depression. The present series of meta-analyses compares STAI-T scores among individuals with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and nonclinical comparison groups, as well as correlations with measures of anxiety and depressive symptom severity, in order to further examine discriminant and convergent validity. A total of 388 published studies (N = 31,021) were included in the analyses. Individuals with an anxiety disorder and those with a depressive disorder displayed significantly elevated scores on the STAI-T compared to nonclinical comparison groups. Furthermore, anxiety and depressive symptom severity were similarly strongly correlated with the STAI-T (mean r = .59 - .61). However, individuals with a depressive disorder had significantly higher STAI-T scores than individuals with an anxiety disorder (Hedges's g = 0.27). Given these findings, along with previous factor analyses that have observed a depression factor on the STAI-T, describing the scale as a measure of 'trait anxiety' may be a misnomer. It is proposed that the STAI-T be considered a non-specific measure of negative affectivity rather than trait anxiety per se.

Preclinical Considerations about Affective Disorders and Pain: A Broadly Intertwined, yet Often Under-Explored, Relationship Having Major Clinical Implications

Background: Pain, a distinctive undesirable experience, encompasses several different and fluctuating presentations across varying mood disorders. Therefore, the present narrative review aimed to shed further light on the matter, accounting for both experimental animal models and clinical observations about major depressive disorder (MDD) pathology. Method: Major databases were inquired from inception until April 2016 for records about MDD and pain. Results: Pain and MDD are tightly associated with each other in a bi-directional fashion. Several cross-sectional and retrospective studies indicated a high presence of pain in the context of mood disorders, including MDD (up to 65%), but also increased prevalence rates in the case of mood disorders documented among people with a primary diagnosis of either psychological or somatic pain (prevalence rates exceeding 45%). The clinical implications of these observations suggest the need to account for mood and pain manifestations as a whole rather than distinct entities in order to deliver more effective interventions. Limitations: Narrative review, lack of systematic control groups (e.g., people with the primary diagnosis at review, but not the associated comorbidity as a study) to allow reliable comparisons. Prevalence rates and clinical features associated with pain varied across different studies as corresponding operational definitions did. Conclusions: Pain may have a detrimental effect on the course of mood disorders-the opposite holds. Promoting a timely recognition and management of such an often neglected comorbidity would therefore represent a primary goal toward the delivery of effective, multi-disciplinary care.

Genetic analysis of endometriosis and depression identifies shared loci and implicates causal links with gastric mucosa abnormality

Evidence from observational studies indicates that endometriosis and depression often co-occur. However, conflicting evidence exists, and the etiology as well as biological mechanisms underlying their comorbidity remain unknown. Utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we comprehensively assessed the relationship between endometriosis and depression. Single nucleotide polymorphism effect concordance analysis (SECA) found a significant genetic overlap between endometriosis and depression (P_{Fsig-permuted} = 9.99 × 10^-4). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) analysis estimated a positive and highly significant genetic correlation between the two traits (r_G = 0.27, P = 8.85 × 10^-27). A meta-analysis of endometriosis and depression GWAS (sample size = 709,111), identified 20 independent genome-wide significant loci (P < 5 × 10^-8), of which eight are novel. Mendelian randomization analysis (MR) suggests a causal effect of depression on endometriosis. Combining gene-based association results across endometriosis and depression GWAS, we identified 22 genes with a genome-wide significant Fisher's combined P value (FCP_gene < 2.75 × 10^-6). Genes with a nominal gene-based association (P_gene < 0.05) were significantly enriched across endometriosis and depression (P_{binomial-test} = 2.90 × 10^-4). Also, genes overlapping the two traits at P_gene < 0.1 (P_{binomial-test} = 1.31 × 10^-5) were significantly enriched for the biological pathways 'cell-cell adhesion', 'inositol phosphate metabolism', 'Hippo-Merlin signaling dysregulation' and 'gastric mucosa abnormality'. These results reveal a shared genetic etiology for endometriosis and depression. Indeed, additional analyses found evidence of a causal association between each of endometriosis and depression and at least one abnormal condition of gastric mucosa. Our study confirms the comorbidity of endometriosis and depression, implicates links with gastric mucosa abnormalities in their causal pathways and reveals potential therapeutic targets for further investigation.

Ashamed and Alone—Risk Factors for Alcohol Craving Among Depressed Emerging Adults

Aims

Comorbid alcohol use and depression have the highest prevalence among emerging adults and are associated with a number of consequences. Self-medication theory posits individuals with depression use alcohol to cope with their negative emotions. Preliminary work has investigated the social context of depression-related drinking and found that solitary drinking is a risky, atypical behaviour in emerging adulthood that is associated with alcohol misuse. However, it is unknown about what is unfolding in the moment that is driving depression-related drinking in solitary contexts. Accordingly, we used an experimental study to examine if shame mediated the association between depression and in-lab alcohol craving.

Methods

Emerging adults (N = 80) completed a shame induction followed by an alcohol cue exposure in either a solitary or social condition. We used moderated mediation to test hypotheses.

Results

Consistent with hypotheses, conditional indirect effects supported the mediation of depression and alcohol craving through shame among those in the solitary condition, but not in the social condition. There was no support for guilt as a mediator.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that shame is a specific emotional experience that contributes to solitary drinking among depressed emerging adults. It is important to use these results to inform interventions that directly target solitary contexts and shame.

A genome-wide multiphenotypic association analysis identified common candidate genes for subjective well-being, depressive symptoms and neuroticism

Subjective well-being (SWB), depressive symptoms, and neuroticism are common and vital traits of mental disorders. Genetic mechanisms of SWB, depressive symptoms and neuroticism remain elusive now. The large-scale GWAS summary datasets of SWB (n = 229,883), depressive symptoms (n = 180,866), and neuroticism (n = 170,911) were obtained from published studies. MASH tool was applied to the GWAS datasets for identifying candidate SNPs shared by SWB, depressive symptoms and neuroticism. SNPs detected by MASH, were then mapped to target genes considering regulatory SNP (rSNP), methylated quantitative trait locus (MeQTL) and the SNPs near to known genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted by the FUMA platform. A total of 122 candidate SNPs were detected by MASH analysis, mapping to 29 target genes, such as CLDN23, MSRA and XKR6. GO enrichment analysis identified multiple immune related gene sets for SWB, depressive symptoms and neuroticism, such as GSE2770_UNTREATED_VS_IL4_TREATED_ACT_CD4_TCELL_48H_DN (P = 7.32 × 10^-3), GSE6259_FLT3L_INDUCED_DEC205_POS_DC_VS_CD4_TCELL_DN (P = 2.52 × 10^-2). We also found some mental disorders related gene sets were associated with three phenotypes, such as mood instability (P = 1.15 × 10^-6) and neuroticism (P = 1.72 × 10^-6). We identified multiple candidate genes and GO terms shared by SWB, depressive symptoms and neuroticism. Our results support the overlapping genetic mechanisms, and suggest a functional correlation between immunity and SWB, depressive symptoms and neuroticism.

Victim Sensitivity and Its Neural Correlates Among Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

BACKGROUND

Dysfunctional beliefs about the self are common in the development of depressive symptoms, but it remains unclear how depressed patients respond to unfair treatment, both dispositionally and neurally. The present research is an attempt to explore the differences in sensitivity to injustice as a victim and its neural correlates in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) versus healthy controls.

METHODS

First episodic, drug-naïve patients with MDD (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30) were recruited to compare their differences in victim sensitivity. A second group of patients with MDD (n = 23) and their controls (n = 28) were recruited to replicate the findings and completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Spontaneous brain activity measured by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was used to characterize the neural correlates of victim sensitivity both in patients and in healthy controls.

RESULTS

Higher victim sensitivity was consistently found in patients with MDD than healthy controls in both datasets. Multiple regression analysis on the fALFF showed a significant interaction effect between diagnosis and victim sensitivity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with MDD show higher sensitivity to injustice as a victim, which may be independent of their disease course. The MDD patients differ from healthy controls in the neural correlates of victim sensitivity. These findings shed light on the linkage between cognitive control subserved by the DLPFC and negative bias towards the self implicated by higher victim sensitivity among the depressed patients.

The UKB envirome of depression: from interactions to synergistic effects

Major depressive disorder is a result of the complex interplay between a large number of environmental and genetic factors but the comprehensive analysis of contributing environmental factors is still an open challenge. The primary aim of this work was to create a Bayesian dependency map of environmental factors of depression, including life stress, social and lifestyle factors, using the UK Biobank data to determine direct dependencies and to characterize mediating or interacting effects of other mental health, metabolic or pain conditions. As a complementary approach, we also investigated the non-linear, synergistic multi-factorial risk of the UKB envirome on depression using deep neural network architectures. Our results showed that a surprisingly small number of core factors mediate the effects of the envirome on lifetime depression: neuroticism, current depressive symptoms, parental depression, body fat, while life stress and household income have weak direct effects. Current depressive symptom showed strong or moderate direct relationships with life stress, pain conditions, falls, age, insomnia, weight change, satisfaction, confiding in someone, exercise, sports and Townsend index. In conclusion, the majority of envirome exerts their effects in a dynamic network via transitive, interactive and synergistic relationships explaining why environmental effects may be obscured in studies which consider them individually.

Neuroticism and Frontal EEG Asymmetry Correlated With Dynamic Facial Emotional Processing in Adolescents

The aim of this research was to investigate the link between resting frontal EEG asymmetry, neuroticism and the valence of emotional face processing in adolescents. Fifty right-handed adolescents (50% male; mean age = 14.20, SD = 1.97) were selected from schools in Mashhad. In order to investigate variables, we used BFQ-C, ADFES-BIV, and EEG. All data were analyzed using SPSS 22. The results showed that neuroticism correlates with the valences of fear, disgust, sadness, and surprise, but not with happiness, anger, and neutral faces. Furthermore, it was found that N was significantly positively correlated with mid-frontal asymmetry (F3-F4), and the lateral-frontal (F7-F8), whereas no correlation was found between N and frontal pole (Fp1-Fp2). We found significant negative correlations between the valence of fear, Fp1-Fp2, F3-F4, and F7-F8. The interaction findings revealed that neuroticism∗mid-frontal asymmetry can significantly affect the valence of fear. Therefore, neuroticism and mid-frontal EEG asymmetry may serve as a risk indicator for psychopathology.

The Predictive Value of Personality Traits for Psychological Problems (Stress, Anxiety and Depression): Results from a Large Population Based Study

The current study aimed to determine the prognostic values of personality traits for common psychological problems in a large sample of Iranian adult. In a large sample of healthy people (n = 4763) who lived in Isfahan province; the NEO-FFI was used to assess the personality traits; depression and anxiety were assessed using the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)" also stress was measured through Persian validated version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC) analysis was used as main statistical method for data analysis. ROC analysis showed neuroticism was the best predictor for all psychological problems with highest area under the curve (AUC) (95% confidence interval) for stress, 0.837 (0.837-0.851), anxiety 0.861 (0.847-0.876) and depression 0.833 (0.820-0.846) (p < .001) and the corresponding cut-off points (sensitivity, specificity), were 21.5 (77%, 66%), 22.5 (81%, 77%) and 20.5 (77%, 74%), respectively. Other personality traits were significant protective factors for being affected with psychological problems (p < .001). Similar findings were observed separately in women and men. The present study showed that the neuroticism is significant risk factor for being affected with three psychological problems while other traits are significant protective factors. Personality traits are useful indices for screening psychological problems and an effective pathway toward prevention in general population.

The similarity of the structure of DSM-IV criteria for major depression in depressed women from China, the United States and Europe

BACKGROUND

Do DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depression (MD) in Chinese and Western women perform in a similar manner?

METHOD

The CONVERGE study included interview-based assessments of women of Han Chinese descent with treated recurrent MD. Using Mplus software, we investigated the overall degree of between-sample measurement invariance (MI) for DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for MD in the CONVERGE sample and samples selected from four major Western studies from the USA and Europe matched to the inclusion criteria of CONVERGE. These analyses were performed one pair at a time. We then compared the results from CONVERGE paired with Western samples to those obtained when examining levels of MI between pairs of the Western samples.

RESULTS

Assuming a single factor model for the nine diagnostic criteria for MD, the level of MI based on global fit indexes observed between the CONVERGE and the four Western samples was very similar to that seen between the Western samples. Comparable results were obtained when using a two-factor structure for MI testing when applied to the 14 diagnostic criteria for MD disaggregated for weight, appetite, sleep, and psychomotor changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite differences in language, ethnicity and culture, DSM criteria for MD perform similarly in Chinese women with recurrent MD and comparable subjects from the USA and Europe. The DSM criteria for MD may assess depressive symptoms that are relatively insensitive to cultural and ethnic differences. These results support efforts to compare findings from depressed patients in China and Western countries.

Meta-analysis of Genome-wide Association Studies for Neuroticism, and the Polygenic Association With Major Depressive Disorder

IMPORTANCE

Neuroticism is a pervasive risk factor for psychiatric conditions. It genetically overlaps with major depressive disorder (MDD) and is therefore an important phenotype for psychiatric genetics. The Genetics of Personality Consortium has created a resource for genome-wide association analyses of personality traits in more than 63,000 participants (including MDD cases).

OBJECTIVES

To identify genetic variants associated with neuroticism by performing a meta-analysis of genome-wide association results based on 1000 Genomes imputation; to evaluate whether common genetic variants as assessed by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) explain variation in neuroticism by estimating SNP-based heritability; and to examine whether SNPs that predict neuroticism also predict MDD.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of 30 cohorts with genome-wide genotype, personality, and MDD data from the Genetics of Personality Consortium. The study included 63,661 participants from 29 discovery cohorts and 9786 participants from a replication cohort. Participants came from Europe, the United States, or Australia. Analyses were conducted between 2012 and 2014.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Neuroticism scores harmonized across all 29 discovery cohorts by item response theory analysis, and clinical MDD case-control status in 2 of the cohorts.

RESULTS

A genome-wide significant SNP was found on 3p14 in MAGI1 (rs35855737; P = 9.26 × 10-9 in the discovery meta-analysis). This association was not replicated (P = .32), but the SNP was still genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis of all 30 cohorts (P = 2.38 × 10-8). Common genetic variants explain 15% of the variance in neuroticism. Polygenic scores based on the meta-analysis of neuroticism in 27 cohorts significantly predicted neuroticism (1.09 × 10-12 < P < .05) and MDD (4.02 × 10-9 < P < .05) in the 2 other cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study identifies a novel locus for neuroticism. The variant is located in a known gene that has been associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in previous studies. In addition, the study shows that neuroticism is influenced by many genetic variants of small effect that are either common or tagged by common variants. These genetic variants also influence MDD. Future studies should confirm the role of the MAGI1 locus for neuroticism and further investigate the association of MAGI1 and the polygenic association to a range of other psychiatric disorders that are phenotypically correlated with neuroticism.

The structure of the symptoms of major depression: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in depressed Han Chinese women

BACKGROUND

The symptoms of major depression (MD) are clinically diverse. Do they form coherent factors that might clarify the underlying nature of this important psychiatric syndrome?

METHOD

Symptoms at lifetime worst depressive episode were assessed at structured psychiatric interview in 6008 women of Han Chinese descent, age ⩾30 years with recurrent DSM-IV MD. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatoryfactor analysis (CFA) were performed in Mplus in random split-half samples.

RESULTS

The preliminary EFA results were consistently supported by the findings from CFA. Analyses of the nine DSM-IV MD symptomatic A criteria revealed two factors loading on: (i) general depressive symptoms; and (ii) guilt/suicidal ideation. Examining 14 disaggregated DSM-IV criteria revealed three factors reflecting: (i) weight/appetite disturbance; (ii) general depressive symptoms; and (iii) sleep disturbance. Using all symptoms (n = 27), we identified five factors that reflected: (i) weight/appetite symptoms; (ii) general retarded depressive symptoms; (iii) atypical vegetative symptoms; (iv) suicidality/hopelessness; and (v) symptoms of agitation and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

MD is a clinically complex syndrome with several underlying correlated symptom dimensions. In addition to a general depressive symptom factor, a complete picture must include factors reflecting typical/atypical vegetative symptoms, cognitive symptoms (hopelessness/suicidal ideation), and an agitated symptom factor characterized by anxiety, guilt, helplessness and irritability. Prior cross-cultural studies, factor analyses of MD in Western populations and empirical findings in this sample showing risk factor profiles similar to those seen in Western populations suggest that our results are likely to be broadly representative of the human depressive syndrome.

Comorbidity between personality disorders and depressive symptomatology in women: A cross-sectional study of three different transitional life stages

This study assessed the prevalence of personality disorders (PDs), according to DSM-IV criteria, in relation to depressive symptomatology at three different periods of life in female subjects. Depressive symptoms and personality disorders were assessed in a sample of 568 women from three different transitional stages: 134 students, 314 primiparous women after childbirth and 120 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale in the first and third groups and by the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale in the second group, whereas PDs were assessed by the French version of the Vragenlijst voor Kenmerken van de Persoonlijkheid. Depressive symptomatology and rates of PD (20.4% and 6.3%) were equivalent in the three groups. The prevalence of PD was higher in the depressed group compared with the non-depressed group, with more paranoid, borderline, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, schizotypal, antisocial, dependent and histrionic PD. Our findings support the hypothesis that PDs are more frequently associated with depressive symptoms. Borderline and avoidant PDs were more prevalent among young women. All cluster C PD (dependent, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive) co-occurred significantly with depressive symptoms.