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Bailey NA, Davis EP, Sandman CA, Glynn LM. DHEA: a neglected biological signal that may affect fetal and child development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:1145-1155. [PMID: 38426566 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The stress-sensitive maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis through the end-product cortisol, represents a primary pathway through which maternal experience shapes fetal development with long-term consequences for child neurodevelopment. However, there is another HPA axis end-product that has been widely ignored in the study of human pregnancy. The synthesis and release of dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) is similar to cortisol, so it is a plausible, but neglected, biological signal that may influence fetal neurodevelopment. DHEA also may interact with cortisol to determine developmental outcomes. Surprisingly, there is virtually nothing known about human fetal exposure to prenatal maternal DHEA and offspring neurodevelopment. The current study examined, for the first time, the joint impact of fetal exposure to prenatal maternal DHEA and cortisol on infant emotional reactivity. METHODS Participants were 124 mother-infant dyads. DHEA and cortisol were measured from maternal hair at 15 weeks (early gestation) and 35 weeks (late gestation). Observational assessments of positive and negative emotional reactivity were obtained in the laboratory when the infants were 6 months old. Pearson correlations were used to examine the associations between prenatal maternal cortisol, prenatal maternal DHEA, and infant positive and negative emotional reactivity. Moderation analyses were conducted to investigate whether DHEA might modify the association between cortisol and emotional reactivity. RESULTS Higher levels of both early and late gestation maternal DHEA were linked to greater infant positive emotional reactivity. Elevated late gestation maternal cortisol was associated with greater negative emotional reactivity. Finally, the association between fetal cortisol exposure and infant emotional reactivity was only observed when DHEA was low. CONCLUSIONS These new observations indicate that DHEA is a potential maternal biological signal involved in prenatal programming. It appears to act both independently and jointly with cortisol to determine a child's emotional reactivity. Its role as a primary end-product of the HPA axis, coupled with the newly documented associations with prenatal development shown here, strongly calls for the inclusion of DHEA in future investigations of fetal programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha A Bailey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
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Short AK, Weber R, Kamei N, Wilcox Thai C, Arora H, Mortazavi A, Stern HS, Glynn L, Baram TZ. Individual longitudinal changes in DNA-methylome identify signatures of early-life adversity and correlate with later outcome. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100652. [PMID: 38962694 PMCID: PMC11219970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse early-life experiences (ELA) affect a majority of the world's children. Whereas the enduring impact of ELA on cognitive and emotional health is established, there are no tools to predict vulnerability to ELA consequences in an individual child. Epigenetic markers including peripheral-cell DNA-methylation profiles may encode ELA and provide predictive outcome markers, yet the interindividual variance of the human genome and rapid changes in DNA methylation in childhood pose significant challenges. Hoping to mitigate these challenges we examined the relation of several ELA dimensions to DNA methylation changes and outcome using a within-subject longitudinal design and a high methylation-change threshold. DNA methylation was analyzed in buccal swab/saliva samples collected twice (neonatally and at 12 months) in 110 infants. We identified CpGs differentially methylated across time for each child and determined whether they associated with ELA indicators and executive function at age 5. We assessed sex differences and derived a sex-dependent 'impact score' based on sites that most contributed to methylation changes. Changes in methylation between two samples of an individual child reflected age-related trends and correlated with executive function years later. Among tested ELA dimensions and life factors including income to needs ratios, maternal sensitivity, body mass index and infant sex, unpredictability of parental and household signals was the strongest predictor of executive function. In girls, high early-life unpredictability interacted with methylation changes to presage executive function. Thus, longitudinal, within-subject changes in methylation profiles may provide a signature of ELA and a potential predictive marker of individual outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel K. Short
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, ersity of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ryan Weber
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Noriko Kamei
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, ersity of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christina Wilcox Thai
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Laura Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, ersity of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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Nazzari S, Pili MP, Günay Y, Provenzi L. Pandemic babies: A systematic review of the association between maternal pandemic-related stress during pregnancy and infant development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105723. [PMID: 38762129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, with its far-reaching influence on daily life, constituted a highly stressful experience for many people worldwide, jeopardizing individuals' mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. While a growing body of evidence links prenatal maternal stress to biological and developmental alterations in offspring, the specific impact of prenatal exposure to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) on infant development remains unclear. A comprehensive literature search was performed in October 2023 according to the PRISMA guidelines, which yielded a total of 28 records. The selected papers investigated a vast range of developmental and biological outcomes in the offspring with large methodological variations. The reviewed studies showed mixed results. Either direct associations between maternal PRS during pregnancy and infant temperament and socio-emotional development, or indirect links, mediated by maternal mental health, emerged in most studies. Furthermore, maternal PRS was associated with epigenetic and brain alterations in the offspring, although studies were limited in number. Collectively, the reviewed findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of early adverse exposures on infant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nazzari
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Miriam Paola Pili
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yaren Günay
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Livio Provenzi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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Hunt C, Vinograd M, Glynn LM, Davis EP, Baram TZ, Stern H, Nievergelt C, Cuccurazzu B, Napan C, Delmar D, Baker DG, Risborough VB. Childhood unpredictability is associated with increased risk for long- and short-term depression and anhedonia symptoms following combat deployment. JOURNAL OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS 2024; 6:100045. [PMID: 38911511 PMCID: PMC11192232 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
High unpredictability has emerged as a dimension of early-life adversity that may contribute to a host of deleterious consequences later in life. Early-life unpredictability affects development of limbic and reward circuits in both rodents and humans, with a potential to increase sensitivity to stressors and mood symptoms later in life. Here, we examined the extent to which unpredictability during childhood was associated with changes in mood symptoms (anhedonia and general depression) after two adult life stressors, combat deployment and civilian reintegration, which were assessed ten years apart. We also examined how perceived stress and social support mediated and /or moderated links between childhood unpredictability and mood symptoms. To test these hypotheses, we leveraged the Marine Resiliency Study, a prospective longitudinal study of the effects of combat deployment on mental health in Active-Duty Marines and Navy Corpsman. Participants (N = 273) were assessed for depression and anhedonia before (pre-deployment) and 3-6 months after (acute post-deployment) a combat deployment. Additional assessment of depression and childhood unpredictability were collected 10 years post-deployment (chronic post-deployment). Higher childhood unpredictability was associated with higher anhedonia and general depression at both acute and chronic post-deployment timepoints (βs ≥ 0.16, ps ≤.007). The relationship between childhood unpredictability and subsequent depression at acute post-deployment was partially mediated by lower social support (b = 0.07, 95% CI [0.03, 0.15]) while depression at chronic post-deployment was fully mediated by a combination of lower social support (b = 0.14, 95% CI [0.07, 0.23]) and higher perceived stress (b = 0.09, 95% CI [0.05, 0.15]). These findings implicate childhood unpredictability as a potential risk factor for depression in adulthood and suggest that increasing the structure and predictability of childhood routines and developing social support interventions after life stressors could be helpful for preventing adult depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hunt
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Meghan Vinograd
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Psychology Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Hal Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Caroline Nievergelt
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Bruna Cuccurazzu
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Cindy Napan
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Dylan Delmar
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Dewleen G Baker
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Victoria B Risborough
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
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Hiraoka D, Kawanami A, Sakurai K, Mori C. Within-individual relationships between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1749-1757. [PMID: 38173095 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the importance of the dynamic intra-individual relationship between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms has been widely recognized, the complex interplay between them is not well understood. Furthermore, the potential role of prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament in this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to examine the bidirectional influence of mother-to-infant bonding on postpartum depressive symptoms within individuals and to elucidate whether prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament would influence deviations from stable individual states. METHODS Longitudinal data were collected from 433 women in early pregnancy. Of these, 360 participants completed the main questionnaires measuring impaired mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms at least once during the postpartum period. Data were collected at early and late pregnancy and several postpartum time points: shortly after birth and at one, four, ten, and 18 months postpartum. We also assessed prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used. RESULTS Within-individual variability in mother-to-infant bonding, especially anger and rejection, significantly predicted subsequent postpartum depressive symptoms. However, the inverse relationship was not significant. Additionally, prenatal depressive symptoms and difficult infant temperament were associated with greater within-individual variability in impaired mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that the within-individual relationship between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms is likely non-bidirectional. The significance of the findings is underscored by the potential for interventions aimed at improving mother-to-infant bonding to alleviate postpartum depressive symptoms, suggesting avenues for future research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Hiraoka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akiko Kawanami
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kenichi Sakurai
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chisato Mori
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Davis EP, Glynn LM. Annual Research Review: The power of predictability - patterns of signals in early life shape neurodevelopment and mental health trajectories. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:508-534. [PMID: 38374811 PMCID: PMC11283837 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The global burden of early life adversity (ELA) is profound. The World Health Organization has estimated that ELA accounts for almost 30% of all psychiatric cases. Yet, our ability to identify which individuals exposed to ELA will develop mental illness remains poor and there is a critical need to identify underlying pathways and mechanisms. This review proposes unpredictability as an understudied aspect of ELA that is tractable and presents a conceptual model that includes biologically plausible mechanistic pathways by which unpredictability impacts the developing brain. The model is supported by a synthesis of published and new data illustrating the significant impacts of patterns of signals on child development. We begin with an overview of the existing unpredictability literature, which has focused primarily on longer patterns of unpredictability (e.g. years, months, and days). We then describe our work testing the impact of patterns of parental signals on a moment-to-moment timescale, providing evidence that patterns of these signals during sensitive windows of development influence neurocircuit formation across species and thus may be an evolutionarily conserved process that shapes the developing brain. Next, attention is drawn to emerging themes which provide a framework for future directions of research including the evaluation of functions, such as effortful control, that may be particularly vulnerable to unpredictability, sensitive periods, sex differences, cross-cultural investigations, addressing causality, and unpredictability as a pathway by which other forms of ELA impact development. Finally, we provide suggestions for prevention and intervention, including the introduction of a screening instrument for the identification of children exposed to unpredictable experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
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Doom JR, Han D, Rivera KM, Tseten T. Childhood unpredictability research within the developmental psychopathology framework: Advances, implications, and future directions. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38506038 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Greater unpredictability in childhood from the level of the caregiver-child dyad to broader family, home, or environmental instability is consistently associated with disruptions in cognitive, socioemotional, behavioral, and biological development in humans. These findings are bolstered by experimental research in non-human animal models suggesting that early life unpredictability is an important environmental signal to the developing organism that shapes neurodevelopment and behavior. Research on childhood unpredictability has surged in the past several years, guided in part by theoretical grounding from the developmental psychopathology framework (shaped largely by Dr. Dante Cicchetti's innovative work). The current review focuses on future directions for unpredictability research, including probing intergenerational effects, the role of predictability in resilience, cultural and contextual considerations, and novel developmental outcomes that should be tested in relation to childhood unpredictability. We urge the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives and collaborations into future research on unpredictability. We also provide ideas for translating this research to real-world practice and policy and encourage high-quality research testing whether incorporating predictability into interventions and policy improves developmental outcomes, which would support further dissemination of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenalee R Doom
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Deborah Han
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Kenia M Rivera
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Tenzin Tseten
- Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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Yuan Y, Yu X, Liang Z, Zhang L. The different role of adversity before and after birth in adolescent depression. J Affect Disord 2024; 349:116-124. [PMID: 38160891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early adversity is strongly linked to adolescent depression, but there is limited research on the impact of indirect exposure to adversity before birth and the distinct role of adversity before and after birth. METHODS A total of 1911 Chinese adolescents (48.8 % males; ages 11 to 19, Mean = 13.96) reported early adversities before and after birth, depression, negative self-cognition and perceived school climate. Structural equation model was used to test the association between early adversity before/after birth and adolescent depression, with negative self-cognition serving as a mediator and school climate as a moderator. RESULTS Adversity before birth was related to adolescent depression through the full mediating role of negative self-cognition. Furthermore, it was more associated with negative self-cognition in schools with a more favorable climate. Adversity after birth was related to adolescent depression through the partial mediating role of negative self-cognition, and school climate played a nonsignificant moderating role in the mediating path. LIMITATIONS Early adversity was measured through adolescent reports, possibly generating recall bias. The cross-sectional design should be taken into consideration when drawing conclusions about causality. CONCLUSIONS Adversities before and after birth are associated with adolescent depression in distinct ways. The more association between adversity before birth and negative self-cognition in a favorable school climate supports the "healthy context paradox." Interventions that target depression should focus on promoting a positive school climate and helping adolescents who have experienced early adversity bolster positive self-cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, China
| | - Xiaoxia Yu
- Mental Health Education Center, Students' Affairs Division, North China Electric Power University, China
| | - Zhoujian Liang
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, China.
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Marino JA, Davis EP, Glynn LM, Sandman CA, Hahn-Holbrook J. Temporal relation between pubertal development and peer victimization in a prospective sample of US adolescents. Aggress Behav 2024; 50:e22139. [PMID: 38348515 PMCID: PMC10983834 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Peer victimization typically peaks in early adolescence, leading researchers to hypothesize that pubertal timing is a meaningful predictor of peer victimization. However, previous methodological approaches have limited our ability to parse out which puberty cues are associated with peer victimization because gonadal and adrenal puberty, two independent processes, have either been conflated or adrenal puberty timing has been ignored. In addition, previous research has overlooked the possibility of reverse causality-that peer victimization might drive pubertal timing, as it has been shown to do in non-human primates. To fill these gaps, we followed 265 adolescents (47% female) prospectively across three-time points (Mage : T1 = 9.6, T2 = 12.0, T3 = 14.4) and measured self-report peer victimization and self- and maternal-report of gonadal and adrenal pubertal development on the Pubertal Development Scale. Multilevel modeling revealed that females who were further along in adrenal puberty at age 9 were more likely to report peer victimization at age 12 (Cohen's d = 0.25, p = .005). The relation between gonadal puberty status and peer victimization was not significant for either sex. In terms of the reverse direction, the relation between early peer victimization and later pubertal development was not significant in either sex. Overall, our findings suggest that adrenal puberty status, but not gonadal puberty status, predicted peer victimization in females, highlighting the need to separate gonadal and adrenal pubertal processes in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Marino
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Merced, California, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Merced, California, USA
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California, USA
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Aran Ö, Swales DA, Bailey NA, Korja R, Holmberg E, Eskola E, Nolvi S, Perasto L, Nordenswan E, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Sandman CA, Stern HS, Baram TZ, Glynn LM, Davis EP. Across ages and places: Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals and child internalizing behaviors. J Affect Disord 2024; 347:557-567. [PMID: 38007106 PMCID: PMC10843791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patterns of sensory inputs early in life play an integral role in shaping the maturation of neural circuits, including those implicated in emotion and cognition. In both experimental animal models and observational human research, unpredictable sensory signals have been linked to aberrant developmental outcomes, including poor memory and effortful control. These findings suggest that sensitivity to unpredictable sensory signals is conserved across species and sculpts the developing brain. The current study provides a novel investigation of unpredictable maternal sensory signals in early life and child internalizing behaviors. We tested these associations in three independent cohorts to probe the generalizability of associations across continents and cultures. METHOD The three prospective longitudinal cohorts were based in Orange, USA (n = 163, 47.2 % female, Mage = 1 year); Turku, Finland (n = 239, 44.8 % female, Mage = 5 years); and Irvine, USA (n = 129, 43.4 % female, Mage = 9.6 years). Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals was quantified during free-play interactions. Child internalizing behaviors were measured via parent report (Orange & Turku) and child self-report (Irvine). RESULTS Early life exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals was associated with greater child fearfulness/anxiety in all three cohorts, above and beyond maternal sensitivity and sociodemographic factors. The association between unpredictable maternal sensory signals and child sadness/depression was relatively weaker and did not reach traditional thresholds for statistical significance. LIMITATIONS The correlational design limits our ability to make causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS Findings across the three diverse cohorts suggest that unpredictable maternal signals early in life shape the development of internalizing behaviors, particularly fearfulness and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özlü Aran
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Danielle A Swales
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Natasha A Bailey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Riikka Korja
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn), University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Holmberg
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Eskola
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Laura Perasto
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Elisabeth Nordenswan
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn), University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Medicine, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hal S Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Farkas BC, Baptista A, Speranza M, Wyart V, Jacquet PO. Specifying the timescale of early life unpredictability helps explain the development of internalising and externalising behaviours. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3563. [PMID: 38347055 PMCID: PMC10861493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54093-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life unpredictability is associated with both physical and mental health outcomes throughout the life course. Here, we classified adverse experiences based on the timescale on which they are likely to introduce variability in children's environments: variations unfolding over short time scales (e.g., hours, days, weeks) and labelled Stochasticity vs variations unfolding over longer time scales (e.g., months, years) and labelled Volatility and explored how they contribute to the development of problem behaviours. Results indicate that externalising behaviours at age 9 and 15 and internalising behaviours at age 15 were better accounted for by models that separated Stochasticity and Volatility measured at ages 3 to 5. Both externalising and internalising behaviours were specifically associated with Volatility, with larger effects for externalising behaviours. These findings are interpreted in light of evolutionary-developmental models of psychopathology and reinforcement learning models of learning under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Csaba Farkas
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France.
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France.
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Axel Baptista
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Mario Speranza
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Valentin Wyart
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Olivier Jacquet
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
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12
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Fox MM, Hahn-Holbrook J, Sandman CA, Marino JA, Glynn LM, Davis EP. Mothers' prenatal distress accelerates adrenal pubertal development in daughters. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 160:106671. [PMID: 38000239 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Human life history schedules vary, partly, because of adaptive, plastic responses to early-life conditions. Little is known about how prenatal conditions relate to puberty timing. We hypothesized that fetal exposure to adversity may induce an adaptive response in offspring maturational tempo. In a longitudinal study of 253 mother-child dyads followed for 15 years, we investigated if fetal exposure to maternal psychological distress related to children's adrenarche and gonadarche schedules, assessed by maternal and child report and by dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone, and estradiol levels. We found fetal exposure to elevated maternal prenatal psychological distress predicted earlier adrenarche and higher DHEA-S levels in girls, especially first-born girls, and that associations remained after covarying indices of postnatal adversity. No associations were observed for boys or for gonadarche in girls. Adrenarche orchestrates the social-behavioral transition from juvenility to adulthood; therefore, significant findings for adrenarche, but not gonadarche, suggest that prenatal maternal distress instigates an adaptive strategy in which daughters have earlier social-behavioral maturation. The stronger effect in first-borns suggests that, in adverse conditions, it is in the mother's adaptive interest for her daughter to hasten social maturation, but not necessarily sexual maturation, because it would prolong the duration of the daughter allomothering younger siblings. We postulate a novel evolutionary framework that human mothers may calibrate the timing of first-born daughters' maturation in a way that optimizes their own reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | | | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92868, USA
| | - Jessica A Marino
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80208, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92868, USA
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13
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Tung I, Hipwell AE, Grosse P, Battaglia L, Cannova E, English G, Quick AD, Llamas B, Taylor M, Foust JE. Prenatal stress and externalizing behaviors in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 2024; 150:107-131. [PMID: 37971856 PMCID: PMC10932904 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that psychological distress during pregnancy is linked to offspring risk for externalizing outcomes (e.g., reactive/aggressive behaviors, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Effect sizes across studies have varied widely, however, due to differences in study design and methodology, including control for the confounding continuation of distress in the postnatal period. Clarifying these inconsistencies is necessary to guide the precision of prevention efforts and inform public health policies. A meta-analysis was conducted with 55 longitudinal studies to investigate the association between prenatal psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) and offspring externalizing behaviors. Results revealed a significant but small effect (r = .160) of prenatal distress on externalizing behaviors. The magnitude of the prenatal effect size remained largely unchanged after adjusting for postnatal distress (r = .159), implicating a unique effect of psychological distress during the prenatal period in the etiology of externalizing behaviors. Moderation tests showed that prenatal effects did not vary based on type and timing of psychological distress during pregnancy. Greater instability of distress from prenatal to postnatal periods predicted larger effects. Prenatal effects were comparable across most externalizing outcomes, consistent with the common comorbidity of externalizing spectrum disorders, although effects appeared smaller for nonaggressive rule-breaking (vs. aggressive) behaviors. Significant associations persisted across all developmental periods, appearing slightly larger in early childhood. We discuss these results in the context of developmental and psychobiological theories of externalizing behavior, offer preliminary clinical and public health implications, and highlight directions for future research including the need for longitudinal studies with more racially and socioeconomically diverse families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Tung
- California State University Dominguez Hills, Department of Psychology
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry
| | - Alison E. Hipwell
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychology
| | - Philip Grosse
- University of Pittsburgh, Clinical and Translational Science Institute
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Megan Taylor
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry
| | - Jill E. Foust
- University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System
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14
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Jirsaraie RJ, Palma AM, Small SL, Sandman CA, Davis EP, Baram TZ, Stern H, Glynn LM, Yassa MA. Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Mood Entropy Is Associated With a Weakened and Inflexible Salience Network in Adolescence. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:207-216. [PMID: 37611745 PMCID: PMC10881896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal exposure to maternal mood dysregulation influences child cognitive and emotional development, which may have long-lasting implications for mental health. However, the neurobiological alterations associated with this dimension of adversity have yet to be explored. Here, we tested the hypothesis that fetal exposure to entropy, a novel index of dysregulated maternal mood, would predict the integrity of the salience network, which is involved in emotional processing. METHODS A sample of 138 child-mother pairs (70 females) participated in this prospective longitudinal study. Maternal negative mood level and entropy (an index of variable and unpredictable mood) were assessed 5 times during pregnancy. Adolescents engaged in a functional magnetic resonance imaging task that was acquired between 2 resting-state scans. Changes in network integrity were analyzed using mixed-effect and latent growth curve models. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations was analyzed to corroborate findings. RESULTS Prenatal maternal mood entropy, but not mood level, was associated with salience network integrity. Both prenatal negative mood level and entropy were associated with the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations of the salience network. Latent class analysis yielded 2 profiles based on changes in network integrity across all functional magnetic resonance imaging sequences. The profile that exhibited little variation in network connectivity (i.e., inflexibility) consisted of adolescents who were exposed to higher negative maternal mood levels and more entropy. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that fetal exposure to maternal mood dysregulation is associated with a weakened and inflexible salience network. More broadly, they identify maternal mood entropy as a novel marker of early adversity that exhibits long-lasting associations with offspring brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Jirsaraie
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Anton M Palma
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Steven L Small
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Hal Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California.
| | - Michael A Yassa
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California.
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15
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Rivera KM, D'Anna-Hernandez KL, Hankin BL, Davis EP, Doom JR. Experience of discrimination reported during pregnancy and infant's emerging effortful control. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22455. [PMID: 38388206 PMCID: PMC10928799 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Discrimination reported during pregnancy is associated with poorer offspring emotional outcomes. Links with effortful control have yet to be examined. This study investigated whether pregnant individuals' reports of lifetime racial/ethnic discrimination and everyday discrimination (including but not specific to race/ethnicity) reported during pregnancy were associated with offspring emerging effortful control at 6 months of age. Pregnant individuals (N = 174) and their offspring (93 female infants) participated. During pregnancy, participants completed two discrimination measures: (1) lifetime experience of racial/ethnic discrimination, and (2) everyday discrimination (not specific to race/ethnicity). Parents completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised when infants were 6 months old to assess orienting/regulation, a measure of emerging effortful control. Analyses were conducted in a subsample with racially/ethnically marginalized participants and then everyday discrimination analyses were repeated in the full sample. For racially/ethnically marginalized participants, greater everyday discrimination (β = -.27, p = .01) but not greater lifetime experience of racial/ethnic discrimination (β = -.21, p = .06) was associated with poorer infant emerging effortful control. In the full sample, greater everyday discrimination was associated with poorer infant emerging effortful control (β = -.24, p = .002). Greater perceived stress, but not depressive symptoms, at 2 months postnatal mediated the association between everyday discrimination and emerging effortful control. Further research should examine additional biological and behavioral mechanisms by which discrimination reported during pregnancy may affect offspring emerging effortful control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenia M Rivera
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California, USA
| | - Jenalee R Doom
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
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16
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Hennessey EMP, Swales DA, Markant J, Hoffman MC, Hankin BL, Davis EP. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy predicts infant attention to affective faces. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:104-114. [PMID: 37802320 PMCID: PMC10841611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal maternal anxiety is a known influence on offspring development. General anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety (a distinct type of anxiety encompassing fears associated with pregnancy) are associated with offspring socioemotional development, with potential consequences for later emotional and behavioral problems. This study examines whether maternal pregnancy-related and general anxiety relate to infant attention to affective faces, a process which plays an integral role in early socioemotional development. METHODS Participants included 86 mothers and their 6-month-old infants (56.3 % female). Mothers completed measures of pregnancy-related and general anxiety three times through gestation. Infants' attention to affective faces was assessed with an eye-tracking task during which a series of face pairs were presented (happy, angry, or sad face paired with a neutral face). Overall attention measures included attention-holding (total looking time) and attention-orienting (latency to faces); affect-biased attention measures included proportion of total looking time to emotional faces and latency difference score. RESULTS Higher maternal pregnancy-related anxiety across gestation predicted decreased infant attention-holding to affective faces [F(1,80) = 7.232, p = .009, partial η2 = 0.083]. No differences were found in infant attention-orienting or affect-biased attention. LIMITATIONS Reliance on a correlational study design precludes the ability to make causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS Maternal pregnancy-related anxiety is an important predictor of child outcomes. We provide novel evidence that pregnancy-related anxiety predicts infant attention to emotional faces, behaviors which have important implications for socioemotional development. Providers may consider pregnancy-related anxiety as a target for screening and treatment that may benefit both pregnant individual and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danielle A Swales
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Julie Markant
- Department of Psychology & Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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17
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Short AK, Weber R, Kamei N, Thai CW, Arora H, Mortazavi A, Stern HS, Glynn L, Baram TZ. Within-subject changes in methylome profile identify individual signatures of early-life adversity, with a potential to predict neuropsychiatric outcome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.16.571594. [PMID: 38187766 PMCID: PMC10769190 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.16.571594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Background Adverse early-life experiences (ELA), including poverty, trauma and neglect, affect a majority of the world's children. Whereas the impact of ELA on cognitive and emotional health throughout the lifespan is well-established, it is not clear how distinct types of ELA influence child development, and there are no tools to predict for an individual child their vulnerability or resilience to the consequences of ELAs. Epigenetic markers including DNA-methylation profiles of peripheral cells may encode ELA and provide a predictive outcome marker. However, the rapid dynamic changes in DNA methylation in childhood and the inter-individual variance of the human genome pose barriers to identifying profiles predicting outcomes of ELA exposure. Here, we examined the relation of several dimensions of ELA to changes of DNA methylation, using a longitudinal within-subject design and a high threshold for methylation changes in the hope of mitigating the above challenges. Methods We analyzed DNA methylation in buccal swab samples collected twice for each of 110 infants: neonatally and at 12 months. We identified CpGs differentially methylated across time, calculated methylation changes for each child, and determined whether several indicators of ELA associated with changes of DNA methylation for individual infants. We then correlated select dimensions of ELA with methylation changes as well as with measures of executive function at age 5 years. We examined for sex differences, and derived a sex-dependent 'impact score' based on sites that most contributed to the methylation changes. Findings Setting a high threshold for methylation changes, we discovered that changes in methylation between two samples of an individual child reflected age-related trends towards augmented methylation, and also correlated with executive function years later. Among the tested factors and ELA dimensions, including income to needs ratios, maternal sensitivity, body mass index and sex, unpredictability of parental and household signals was the strongest predictor of executive function. In girls, an interaction was observed between a measure of high early-life unpredictability and methylation changes, in presaging executive function. Interpretation These findings establish longitudinal, within-subject changes in methylation profiles as a signature of some types of ELA in an individual child. Notably, such changes are detectable beyond the age-associated DNA methylation dynamics. Future studies are required to determine if the methylation profile changes identified here provide a predictive marker of vulnerabilities to poorer cognitive and emotional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel K. Short
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697
- Brain Tumour Research Program, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia, 6009 (current)
- Division of Paediatrics/Centre for Child Health Research, Medical School, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia, 6009 (current)
| | - Ryan Weber
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Noriko Kamei
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Christina Wilcox Thai
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697
| | - Laura Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697
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18
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Winstone-Weide LK, Somers JA, Curci SG, Luecken LJ. A dynamic perspective on depressive symptoms during the first year postpartum. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2023; 132:949-960. [PMID: 38010771 PMCID: PMC10683862 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The current study used novel methodology to characterize intraindividual variability in the experience of dynamic, within-person changes in postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms across the first year postpartum and evaluated maternal and infant characteristics as predictors of between-person differences in intraindividual variability in PPD symptoms over time. With a sample of 322 low-income Mexican-origin mothers (Mage = 27.79; SD = 6.48), PPD symptoms were assessed at 11 time points from 3 weeks to 1 year postpartum (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale; Cox & Holden, 2003). A prenatal cumulative risk index was calculated from individual psychosocial risk factors. Infant temperamental negativity was assessed via a maternal report at the infant age of 6 weeks (Infant Behavior Questionnaire; Putnam et al., 2014). Multilevel location scale analyses in a dynamic structural equation modeling (Asparouhov et al., 2018) framework were conducted. Covariates included prenatal depressive symptoms. On average, within-mother change in depressive symptoms at one time point was found to carry over to the next time point. Nonnull within-mother volatility in PPD symptoms reflected substantial ebbs and flows in PPD symptoms over the first year postpartum. Results of the between-level model demonstrated that mothers differed in their equilibriums, carryover, and volatility of their PPD symptoms. Mothers with more negative infants and those with higher prenatal cumulative risk exhibited higher equilibriums of PPD symptoms and more volatility in symptoms but did not differ in their carryover of PPD symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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19
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Rinne GR, Somers JA, Ramos IF, Ross KM, Coussons-Read M, Schetter CD. Increases in maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and infant cortisol reactivity: Mediation by placental corticotropin-releasing hormone. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1997-2010. [PMID: 35983792 PMCID: PMC9938842 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy may affect offspring health through prenatal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The biological mechanisms that explain the associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring HPA axis regulation are not yet clear. This pre-registered investigation examines whether patterns of maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy are associated with infant cortisol reactivity and whether this association is mediated by changes in placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH). METHOD A sample of 174 pregnant women completed assessments in early, mid, and late pregnancy that included standardized measures of depressive symptoms and blood samples for pCRH. Infant cortisol reactivity was assessed at 1 and 6 months of age. RESULTS Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with higher cortisol infant cortisol reactivity at 1 and 6 months. Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with greater increases in pCRH from early to late pregnancy which in turn were associated with higher infant cortisol reactivity. CONCLUSIONS Increases in maternal depressive symptoms and pCRH over pregnancy may contribute to higher infant cortisol reactivity. These findings help to elucidate the prenatal biopsychosocial processes contributing to offspring HPA axis regulation early in development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Isabel F. Ramos
- Department of Chicano/Latino Studies. University of California, Irvine
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20
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Phua DY, Chew CSM, Tan YL, Ng BJK, Lee FKL, Tham MMY. Differential effects of prenatal psychological distress and positive mental health on offspring socioemotional development from infancy to adolescence: a meta-analysis. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1221232. [PMID: 37780045 PMCID: PMC10536167 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1221232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of prenatal maternal mental health on offspring socioemotional development is substantial and enduring. Existing literature primarily focuses on the effects of psychological distress during pregnancy, emphasizing adverse child outcomes. Recent studies, however, highlight the unique impact of positive maternal mental health on child outcomes. To elucidate the differential associations of maternal psychological distress and positive mental health during pregnancy with child outcomes, we conducted a systematic literature search and random-effects meta-analyses on studies investigating the associations of prenatal maternal mental health with child socioemotional development. Our analyses, comprising 74 studies with 321,966 mother-child dyads across 21 countries, revealed significant associations of prenatal psychological distress with both adverse and positive child socioemotional outcomes. Notably, the effect sizes for the association of psychological distress with positive child outcomes were smaller compared to adverse outcomes. Positive prenatal mental health, on the other hand, was significantly associated with positive socioemotional outcomes but not adverse outcomes. This meta-analysis highlights the independence of negative and positive prenatal mental health constructs and their distinct relationships with child socioemotional development. The findings underscore the importance of considering the positive spectrum of maternal mental health and developmental outcomes to enhance our understanding of prenatal influences on child development. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=335227, identifier CRD42022335227.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree Y. Phua
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chermaine S. M. Chew
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yang Lik Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Management and Communication, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin J. K. Ng
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Management and Communication, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Florence K. L. Lee
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Management and Communication, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Megan M. Y. Tham
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Management and Communication, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
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21
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Deer LK, Doom JR, Harrall KK, Glueck DH, Glynn LM, Sandman CA, Davis EP. Infant effortful control predicts BMI trajectories from infancy to adolescence. Pediatr Obes 2023; 18:e13059. [PMID: 37287418 PMCID: PMC10525013 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effortful control, or the regulation of thoughts and behaviour, is a potential target for preventing childhood obesity. OBJECTIVES To assess effortful control in infancy through late childhood as a predictor of repeated measures of body mass index (BMI) from infancy through adolescence, and to examine whether sex moderates the associations. METHODS Maternal report of offspring effortful control and measurements of child BMI were obtained at 7 and 8 time points respectively from 191 gestational parent/child dyads from infancy through adolescence. General linear mixed models were used. RESULTS Effortful control at 6 months predicted BMI trajectories from infancy through adolescence, F(5,338) = 2.75, p = 0.03. Further, when effortful control at other timepoints were included in the model, they added no additional explanatory value. Sex moderated the association between 6-month effortful control and BMI, F(4, 338) = 2.59, p = 0.03, with poorer infant effortful control predicting higher BMI in early childhood for girls, and more rapid increases in BMI in early adolescence for boys. CONCLUSIONS Effortful control in infancy was associated with BMI over time. Specifically, poor effortful control during infancy was associated with higher BMI in childhood and adolescence. These findings support the argument that infancy may be a sensitive window for the development of later obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kylie K. Harrall
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | | | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine
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22
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Lahtela H, Nolvi S, Flykt M, Kataja EL, Eskola E, Pelto J, Bridgett DJ, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Korja R. Mother-infant interaction and maternal postnatal psychological distress are associated with negative emotional reactivity among infants and toddlers- A FinnBrain Birth Cohort study. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 72:101843. [PMID: 37285708 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Studies have reported mixed findings regarding the effects of mother-infant interaction and maternal distress on children's negative emotional reactivity. In the current study (N = 134 and 107), we examined the effects of maternal Emotional Availability (sensitivity, structuring, non-intrusiveness and non-hostility) and maternal psychological distress on negative reactivity among children in the FinnBrain birth cohort study. In addition, the possible moderating effect of mother-infant interaction on the associations between maternal psychological distress and children's negative reactivity was examined. We used questionnaires to asses maternal psychological distress, observations of mother-infant interaction and observations as well maternal reports of child temperament to overcome the key limitations of many studies relying on single-method assessments. Our results showed that higher maternal sensitivity and structuring at 8 months of child's age were associated with lower mother-reported negative reactivity among children at 24 months. Higher maternal postnatal distress associated with higher parent-reported negative reactivity in children at 12 and 24 months of age when the effects of prenatal distress and the quality of mother-infant interaction were controlled for. Mother-infant interaction and maternal psychological distress did not associate with observations of child negative reactivity. We found no moderation effects of mother-infant interaction regarding the associations between maternal distress and children's negative emotional reactivity. Our findings reflect the importance of developing interventions to reduce the maternal distress symptoms while enhancing maternal sensitivity and structuring to prevent the possible harmful effects of these on child negative reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hetti Lahtela
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland.
| | - Saara Nolvi
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland; Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Marjo Flykt
- Faculty of Medicine, department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland; University of Tampere, Department of Psychology
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Eskola
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Juho Pelto
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
| | | | - Hasse Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland; Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland
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23
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Dong V, Montgomery A, Adily P, Eastwood J. Antenatal depression risk under the NSW SAFE START Strategic Policy: Who is missing out on universal screening? J Paediatr Child Health 2023; 59:906-911. [PMID: 37096736 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.16415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
AIM To examine antenatal depression risk screening coverage under the NSW SAFE START Strategic Policy and to explore maternal and sociodemographic factors associated with under-screening. METHODS Completion rates for the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) were examined in a retrospective dataset of routinely collected antenatal care data including all women who birthed at public health facilities in Sydney Local Health District from 1 October 2019 to 6 August 2020. Potential sociodemographic/clinical factors associated with under-screening were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Free-text responses regarding reasons for EDS non-completion were examined using qualitative thematic analysis techniques. RESULTS A total of 4810 women (96.6%) in our sample (N = 4980) completed antenatal EDS screening; only 170 (3.4%) were not screened or lacked data to indicate that screening had occurred. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that women under certain models of antenatal care (public hospital care, private midwife/obstetrician or no formal care), non-English speaking women who required an interpreter, and women whose smoking status during pregnancy was unknown had a higher odds of missing screening. The reasons for EDS non-completion indicated in the electronic medical record revealed language and time/practical constraints to be the most commonly-reported barriers. CONCLUSIONS Antenatal EDS screening coverage was high in this sample. Refresher training for staff involved can emphasise the need to ensure appropriate screening for women who access shared care in external services (particularly private obstetric care). Additionally, at the service level, improved access to interpreter services and foreign language resources may help minimise EDS under-screening for culturally and linguistically diverse families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Dong
- School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW & Black Dog Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alicia Montgomery
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and Their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Community Paediatrics, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pejman Adily
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and Their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Community Paediatrics, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Eastwood
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and Their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Community Paediatrics, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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24
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Liu SR, Sandman CA, Davis EP, Glynn LM. Intergenerational risk and resilience pathways from discrimination and acculturative stress to infant mental health. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:899-911. [PMID: 35256027 PMCID: PMC9452603 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Preconception and prenatal stress impact fetal and infant development, and women of color are disproportionately exposed to sociocultural stressors like discrimination and acculturative stress. However, few studies examine links between mothers' exposure to these stressors and offspring mental health, or possible mitigating factors. Using linear regression, we tested associations between prenatally assessed maternal acculturative stress and discrimination on infant negative emotionality among 113 Latinx/Hispanic, Asian American, Black, and Multiethnic mothers and their children. Additionally, we tested interactions between stressors and potential pre- and postnatal resilience-promoting factors: community cohesion, social support, communalism, and parenting self-efficacy. Discrimination and acculturative stress were related to more infant negative emotionality at approximately 12 months old (M = 12.6, SD = .75). In contrast, maternal report of parenting self-efficacy when infants were 6 months old was related to lower levels of infant negative emotionality. Further, higher levels of parenting self-efficacy mitigated the relation between acculturative stress and negative emotionality. Preconception and prenatal exposure to sociocultural stress may be a risk factor for poor offspring mental health. Maternal and child health researchers, policymakers, and practitioners should prioritize further understanding these relations, reducing exposure to sociocultural stressors, and promoting resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina R Liu
- Conte Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Conte Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
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25
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Swales DA, Davis EP, Mahrer NE, Guardino CM, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Preconception maternal posttraumatic stress and child negative affectivity: Prospectively evaluating the intergenerational impact of trauma. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:619-629. [PMID: 35074031 PMCID: PMC9309186 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The developmental origins of psychopathology begin before birth and perhaps even prior to conception. Understanding the intergenerational transmission of psychopathological risk is critical to identify sensitive windows for prevention and early intervention. Prior research demonstrates that maternal trauma history, typically assessed retrospectively, has adverse consequences for child socioemotional development. However, very few prospective studies of preconception trauma exist, and the role of preconception symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains unknown. The current study prospectively evaluates whether maternal preconception PTSD symptoms predict early childhood negative affectivity, a key dimension of temperament and predictor of later psychopathology. One hundred and eighteen women were recruited following a birth and prior to conception of the study child and were followed until the study child was 3-5 years old. Higher maternal PTSD symptoms prior to conception predicted greater child negative affectivity, adjusting for concurrent maternal depressive symptoms and sociodemographic covariates. In exploratory analyses, we found that neither maternal prenatal nor postpartum depressive symptoms or perceived stress mediated this association. These findings add to a limited prospective literature, highlighting the importance of assessing the mental health of women prior to conception and providing interventions that can disrupt the intergenerational sequelae of trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | | | | | - Madeleine U. Shalowitz
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL
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26
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Wei Q, Zou J, Ma X, Xiao X, Zhang Y, Shi H. Prospective associations between various prenatal exposures to maternal psychological stress and neurodevelopment in children within 24 months after birth. J Affect Disord 2023; 327:101-110. [PMID: 36738998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress may be a factor influencing offspring neurodevelopment, but stress type-dependent effects of maternal psychological distress on offspring neurodevelopment in early childhood have yet to be fully elucidated. Additionally, although positive maternal mental health exerts potential effects in protecting against adverse health outcomes, few investigators have considered the effects of positive maternal mental health on offspring neurodevelopment in early childhood. AIMS To determine the associations between various prenatal exposures to maternal psychological distress and positive life-event experiences and offspring neurodevelopment within 24 months of age. METHODS A total of 4412 mother-child dyads were recruited from the Shanghai Maternal-Child Pairs Cohort (Shanghai MCPC). Maternal perceived stress, negative life-event stress, positive life-event experiences around the time of conception (i.e., three months prior to and after conception) were assessed at 12-16 gestational weeks, and maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed at 32-36 gestational weeks. We measured children's neurodevelopment using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) at two, six, 12, and 24 months postnatally. We then exploited generalized linear models to estimate the associations between prenatal maternal psychological distress and positive life-event experiences and children's neurodevelopment at the above periods, and generalized linear mixed models were applied to assess the associations between maternal psychological distress and positive life-event experiences and suspected developmental delay (SDD) in children within 24 months after birth based on a longitudinal design. RESULTS Maternal perceived stress and negative life-event stress around the time of conception, and anxiety and depressive symptoms during late pregnancy were negatively associated with scores of children's neurodevelopment at two, six, 12, and 24 months of age; while maternal life-event experiences were positively associated with scores of children's neurodevelopment. Longitudinal analysis revealed that higher levels of maternal negative life-event stress and depressive symptoms augmented the risk of SDD in personal-social (OR = 1.435, 1.681). Mothers who experienced higher levels of positive life-event experiences exhibited a reduced risk of SDD in gross motor and personal-social domains (OR = 0.373, 0.350). CONCLUSIONS Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress is negatively associated with children's neurodevelopment in early childhood depending upon the type of distress. Maternal positive life-event experiences around the time of conception appeared to present potential benefits for child neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wei
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiaojiao Zou
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xuemei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xirong Xiao
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huijing Shi
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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27
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Bailey NA, Irwin JL, Davis EP, Sandman CA, Glynn LM. Patterns of Maternal Distress from Pregnancy Through Childhood Predict Psychopathology During Early Adolescence. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:470-480. [PMID: 34626290 PMCID: PMC8993937 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01259-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Capitalizing on a longitudinal cohort followed from gestation through adolescence (201 mother-child dyads), we investigate the contributions of severity and stability of both maternal depressive and perceived stress symptoms to adolescent psychopathology. Maternal depressive and perceived stress trajectories from pregnancy through adolescence were identified with latent class growth analyses, and associations with adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms were examined. For both depression and stress, the most common trajectory group comprised mothers displaying stable and low symptom levels over time, and adolescents of these mothers had the fewest internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Maternal membership to one or more aberrant trajectory groups predicted higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, determined by both maternal and adolescent self-report. This study indicates that profiles of multiple indicators of maternal psychopathology assessed across childhood, beginning prenatally, can provide critical additional insight into child psychopathology risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha A Bailey
- Department of Psychology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA.
| | - Jessica L Irwin
- Psychology Department, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA
| | | | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
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28
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Ramos AM, Shewark EA, Reiss D, Leve LD, Natsuaki MN, Shaw DS, Ganiban JM, Neiderhiser JM. Family interactions in toddlerhood influence social competence in preschool age: Accounting for genetic and prenatal influences. Front Psychol 2022; 13:975086. [PMID: 36518964 PMCID: PMC9742492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.975086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of early promotive and risk factors for social competence is important for fostering children's successful social development; particularly given social competence is essential for children's later academic and psychological well-being. While research suggests that the early parent-child relationship, genetics, and prenatal influences are associated with social competence, there is less research considering how these factors may operate together to shape children's social competence in early childhood. Using a genetically informed sample from the Early Growth and Development Study (N = 561), we examined multiple levels of influence (i.e., genetic, prenatal, parenting, and child characteristics) on children's social competence at 4.5 years old. Results from structural equation models showed adoptive mother overreactivity at 18 months was positively associated with child dysregulation at 27 months, which, in turn, was associated with lower levels of social competence at 4.5 years. Also, child reactivity at 18 months was independently associated with higher levels of adoptive mother overreactivity at 27 months, which, in turn, was associated with lower levels of social competence at 4.5 years. Finally, we found an evocative effect on adoptive fathers' overreactivity at 18 months such that prenatal birth mother distress was negatively associated with adoptive fathers' overreactivity at 18 months. Overall, this study found evidence for genetic influences, and bidirectional associations between parent and child in toddlerhood that are related to lower levels of social competence when children were 4.5 years old. We also found that the prenatal environment was associated with parenting, but not with child behavior directly. This study's ability to simultaneously examine multiple domains of influence helps provide a more comprehensive picture of important mechanisms and developmental periods for children's early social competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Ramos
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Shewark
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - David Reiss
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Leslie D. Leve
- Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Misaki N. Natsuaki
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Daniel S. Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jody M. Ganiban
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jenae M. Neiderhiser
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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29
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Lindert NG, Maxwell MY, Liu SR, Stern HS, Baram TZ, Poggi Davis E, Risbrough VB, Baker DG, Nievergelt CM, Glynn LM. Exposure to unpredictability and mental health: Validation of the brief version of the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC-5) in English and Spanish. Front Psychol 2022; 13:971350. [PMID: 36438371 PMCID: PMC9682115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.971350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpredictability is increasingly recognized as a primary dimension of early life adversity affecting lifespan mental health trajectories; screening for these experiences is therefore vital. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) is a 38-item tool that measures unpredictability in childhood in social, emotional and physical domains. The available evidence indicates that exposure to unpredictable experiences measured with the QUIC predicts internalizing symptoms including depression and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to validate English and Spanish brief versions (QUIC-5) suitable for administration in time-limited settings (e.g., clinical care settings, large-scale epidemiological studies). Five representative items were identified from the QUIC and their psychometric properties examined. The predictive validity of the QUIC-5 was then compared to the QUIC by examining mental health in four cohorts: (1) English-speaking adult women assessed at 6-months postpartum (N = 116), (2) English-speaking male veterans (N = 95), (3) English-speaking male and female adolescents (N = 155), and (4) Spanish-speaking male and female adults (N = 285). The QUIC-5 demonstrated substantial variance in distributions in each of the cohorts and is correlated on average 0.84 (r's = 0.81-0.87) with the full 38-item version. Furthermore, the QUIC-5 predicted internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression) in all cohorts with similar effect sizes (r's = 0.16-0.39; all p's < 0.05) to the full versions (r's = 0.19-0.42; all p's < 0.05). In sum, the QUIC-5 exhibits good psychometric properties and is a valid alternative to the full QUIC. These findings support the future use of the QUIC-5 in clinical and research settings as a concise way to measure unpredictability, identify risk of psychopathology, and intervene accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Y. Maxwell
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Sabrina R. Liu
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Victoria B. Risbrough
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dewleen G. Baker
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Caroline M. Nievergelt
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
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30
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Knorr DA, Fox M. An evolutionary perspective on the association between grandmother-mother relationships and maternal mental health among a cohort of pregnant Latina women. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022; 44:30-38. [PMID: 37065817 PMCID: PMC10100916 DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Grandmothers are often critical helpers during a mother's reproductive career. Studies on the developmental origins of health and disease demonstrate how maternal psychological distress can negatively influence fetal development and birth outcomes, highlighting an area in which soon-to-be grandmothers (henceforth "grandmothers") can invest to improve both mother and offspring well-being. Here, we examine if and how a pregnant woman's mental health- specifically, depression, state-anxiety, and pregnancy-related anxiety- is influenced by her relationship with her fetus' maternal and paternal grandmother, controlling for relationship characteristics with her fetus' father. In a cohort of pregnant Latina women in Southern California (N = 216), we assessed social support, geographic proximity, and communication between the fetus' grandmothers and pregnant mother. We assessed maternal mental health with validated questionnaire-based instruments. We find that both social support from and communication with the maternal grandmother were statistically associated with less depression, while no paternal grandmother relationship characteristics were statistically significant in association with any mental health variable. These results align with the idea that maternal grandmothers are more adaptively incentivized to invest in their daughters' well-being during pregnancy than paternal grandmothers are for their daughters-in-law. Results suggest that the positive association of maternal grandmothers with mothers' mental health may not hinge on geographic proximity, but rather, potentially function through emotional support. This work represents a novel perspective describing a psychological and prenatal grandmaternal effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaney A. Knorr
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
- Corresponding author at: 375 Portola Plaza, 341 Haines Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America. (D.A. Knorr)
| | - Molly Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
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31
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Davis EP, McCormack K, Arora H, Sharpe D, Short AK, Bachevalier J, Glynn LM, Sandman CA, Stern HS, Sanchez M, Baram TZ. Early life exposure to unpredictable parental sensory signals shapes cognitive development across three species. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:960262. [PMID: 36338881 PMCID: PMC9630745 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.960262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to early life adversity has long term consequences on cognitive function. Most research has focused on understanding components of early life adversities that contribute to later risk, including poverty, trauma, maltreatment, and neglect. Whereas these factors, in the aggregate, explain a significant proportion of emotional and cognitive problems, there are serious gaps in our ability to identify potential mechanisms by which early life adversities might promote vulnerability or resilience. Here we discuss early life exposure to unpredictable signals from the caretaker as an understudied type of adversity that is amenable to prevention and intervention. We employ a translational approach to discover underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which early life exposure to unpredictable signals sculpts the developing brain. First, we review evidence that exposure to unpredictable signals from the parent during sensitive periods impacts development of neural circuits. Second, we describe a method for characterizing early life patterns of sensory signals across species. Third, we present published and original data illustrating that patterns of maternal care predict memory function in humans, non-human primates, and rodents. Finally, implications are discussed for identifying individuals at risk so that early preventive-intervention can be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kai McCormack
- Department of Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Desiree Sharpe
- Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFECOE) Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Annabel K. Short
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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32
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Spadoni AD, Vinograd M, Cuccurazzu B, Torres K, Glynn LM, Davis EP, Baram TZ, Baker DG, Nievergelt CM, Risbrough VB. Contribution of early-life unpredictability to neuropsychiatric symptom patterns in adulthood. Depress Anxiety 2022; 39:706-717. [PMID: 35833573 PMCID: PMC9881456 DOI: 10.1002/da.23277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies in both human and experimental animals have identified fragmented and unpredictable parental and environmental signals as a novel source of early-life adversity. Early-life unpredictability may be a fundamental developmental factor that impacts brain development, including reward and emotional memory circuits, affecting the risk for psychopathology later in life. Here, we tested the hypothesis that self-reported early-life unpredictability is associated with psychiatric symptoms in adult clinical populations. METHODS Using the newly validated Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood, we assessed early-life unpredictability in 156 trauma-exposed adults, of which 65% sought treatment for mood, anxiety, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. All participants completed symptom measures of PTSD, depression and anhedonia, anxiety, alcohol use, and chronic pain. Relative contributions of early-life unpredictability versus childhood trauma and associations with longitudinal outcomes over a 6-month period were determined. RESULTS Early-life unpredictability, independent of childhood trauma, was significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety symptoms, and anhedonia, and was related to higher overall symptom ratings across time. Early-life unpredictability was also associated with suicidal ideation, but not alcohol use or pain symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Early-life unpredictability is an independent and consistent predictor of specific adult psychiatric symptoms, providing impetus for studying mechanisms of its effects on the developing brain that promote risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea D. Spadoni
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Meghan Vinograd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Bruna Cuccurazzu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Katy Torres
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Elysia P. Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Dewleen G. Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Caroline M. Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Victoria B. Risbrough
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
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33
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MacNeill LA, Krogh‐Jespersen S, Zhang Y, Giase G, Edwards R, Petitclerc A, Mithal LB, Mestan K, Grobman WA, Norton ES, Alshurafa N, Moskowitz JT, Tandon SD, Wakschlag LS. Lability of prenatal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic links to negative affect in infancy. INFANCY 2022; 28:136-157. [PMID: 36070207 PMCID: PMC9538880 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The association between prenatal stress and children's socioemotional development is well established. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a particularly stressful period, which may impact the gestational environment. However, most studies to-date have examined prenatal stress at a single time point, potentially masking the natural variation in stress that occurs over time, especially during a time as uncertain as the pandemic. This study leveraged dense ecological momentary assessments from a prenatal randomized control trial to examine patterns of prenatal stress over a 14-week period (up to four assessments/day) in a U.S. sample of 72 mothers and infants. We first examined whether varied features of stress exposure (lability, mean, and baseline stress) differed depending on whether mothers reported on their stress before or during the pandemic. We next examined which features of stress were associated with 3-month-old infants' negative affect. We did not find differences in stress patterns before and during the pandemic. However, greater stress lability, accounting for baseline and mean stress, was associated with higher infant negative affect. These findings suggest that pathways from prenatal stress exposure to infant socioemotional development are complex, and close attention to stress patterns over time will be important for explicating these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigha A. MacNeill
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Sheila Krogh‐Jespersen
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Yudong Zhang
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Gina Giase
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Renee Edwards
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | | | - Leena B. Mithal
- Department of PediatricsNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Karen Mestan
- Department of PediatricsNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - William A. Grobman
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Elizabeth S. Norton
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA,Department of Communication Sciences and DisordersNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Nabil Alshurafa
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA,Department of Preventive MedicineNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Judith T. Moskowitz
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - S. Darius Tandon
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Lauren S. Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
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34
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Zielke J. It's about time: on the need of a temporal language for ecologically dimensioned medical humanities and public health scholarship. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2022; 48:265-268. [PMID: 35121619 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2021-012257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted multiple system dependencies that urge us to rethink our relationship with other humans, non-humans and their various environments. Whereas a growing body of literature highlights the need for ecologically dimensioned medical humanities, focusing on where and how our healths unfold relationally through their ecologies, this paper argues that little attention has been paid to the when of health. In reply, this paper sets out to expand this understanding, first by grounding the ecological argument for medical humanities in a wider net of relational ontologies, and second by highlighting the need to think temporally, specifically multitemporally, about the relationalities of health. The paper advances the sociological concepts of 'time' and 'temporalities' to help us think about various tempi, rhythms, urgencies and legacies of how health unfolds unevenly into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Zielke
- School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld 33615, Germany
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35
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Rudd KL, Cheng SS, Cordeiro A, Coccia M, Karr CJ, LeWinn KZ, Mason WA, Trasande L, Nguyen RHN, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Barrett ES, Bush NR. Associations Between Maternal Stressful Life Events and Perceived Distress during Pregnancy and Child Mental Health at Age 4. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:977-986. [PMID: 35258749 PMCID: PMC9395496 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00911-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that maternal exposure to objectively stressful events and subjective distress during pregnancy may have intergenerational impacts on children's mental health, yet evidence is limited. In a multisite longitudinal cohort (N = 454), we used multi-variable linear regression models to evaluate the predictive value of exposure to stressful events and perceived distress in pregnancy for children's internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and adaptive skills at age 4. We also explored two- and three-way interactions between stressful events, distress, and child sex. Both objective and subjective maternal stress independently predicted children's behavior, with more stressful events and higher distress predicting more internalizing and externalizing problems and worse adaptability; stress types did not significantly interact. There was some evidence that more stressful events predicted higher externalizing behaviors only for girls. Three-way interactions were not significant. The current findings highlight the importance of considering the type of stress measurement being used (e.g., counts of objective event exposure or subjective perceptions), suggest prenatal stress effects may be transdiagnostic, and meet calls for rigor and reproducibility by confirming these independent main effects in a relatively large group of families across multiple U.S. regions. Results point to adversity prevention having a two-generation impact and that pre- and postnatal family-focused intervention targets may help curb the rising rates of children's mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L. Rudd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Sylvia S. Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Alana Cordeiro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | | | - Kaja Z. LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - W. Alex Mason
- Department of Preventative Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University Langone Medical Center, New Yok, NY USA
- Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University, New York, NY USA
| | - Ruby H. N. Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | | | - Shanna H. Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ USA
| | - Nicole R. Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, CA San Francisco, USA
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36
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Rithipukdee N, Kusol K. Factors Associated with the Suspected Delay in the Language Development of Early Childhood in Southern Thailand. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9050662. [PMID: 35626839 PMCID: PMC9139734 DOI: 10.3390/children9050662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Many children have a suspected delay in language development and need extensive support from parents and the health care team. This study aimed to investigate the suspected delay in language development and the factors associated with the suspected delay in language development among early childhood in Southern Thailand. Children aged 24 to 60 months were recruited as study samples using stratified random sampling conducted in 23 districts and simple random sampling in 7 sections (425 children). The research instruments comprised demographic data on the children and families, the preschool temperament questionnaire, and the Language Development Screening questionnaire using the Developmental Surveillance and Promotion Manual and data collected from July 2020 to January 2021. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The results showed that the suspected delay in development was 40.9 percent. Daily screen time exceeding 2 h per day (AOR = 17.30, 95% CI: 7.35–40.72), and regarding a child’s temperament, moderate-to-difficult temperament (AOR = 9.56, 95% CI: 5.12–17.85) was significantly associated with the suspected delay in language development. Genders, gestational age of early childhood, and the age of the caregivers were not associated with the suspected delay in language development. The study suggested that a decrease in daily screen time and appropriate responses will help develop language in children.
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37
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Negative emotionality as a candidate mediating mechanism linking prenatal maternal mood problems and offspring internalizing behaviour. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 35:604-618. [PMID: 35440354 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Negative emotionality (NE) was evaluated as a candidate mechanism linking prenatal maternal affective symptoms and offspring internalizing problems during the preschool/early school age period. The participants were 335 mother-infant dyads from the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment project. A Confirmatory Bifactor Analysis (CFA) based on self-report measures of prenatal depression and pregnancy-specific anxiety generated a general factor representing overlapping symptoms of prenatal maternal psychopathology and four distinct symptom factors representing pregnancy-specific anxiety, negative affect, anhedonia and somatization. NE was rated by the mother at 18 and 36 months. CFA based on measures of father, mother, child-rated measures and a semistructured interview generated a general internalizing factor representing overlapping symptoms of child internalizing psychopathology accounting for the unique contribution of each informant. Path analyses revealed significant relationships among the general maternal affective psychopathology, the pregnancy- specific anxiety, and the child internalizing factors. Child NE mediated only the relationship between pregnancy-specific anxiety and the child internalizing factors. We highlighted the conditions in which prenatal maternal affective symptoms predicts child internalizing problems emerging early in development, including consideration of different mechanistic pathways for different maternal prenatal symptom presentations and child temperament.
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Fleischman EK, Connelly CD, Calero P. Depression and Anxiety, Stigma, and Social Support Among Women in the Postpartum Period. Nurs Womens Health 2022; 26:95-106. [PMID: 35231418 DOI: 10.1016/j.nwh.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationships among depression and anxiety symptomatology, stigma of mental illness, levels of social support, and select demographics among hospitalized women in the postpartum period. DESIGN Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational. SETTING A convenience sample of 105 English-speaking and Spanish-speaking women was recruited and enrolled from a 208-bed free-standing Southern California women's community hospital postpartum unit serving a diverse community. MEASUREMENTS Data were collected on potential covariates including participants' characteristics, depression and anxiety symptomatology, social support, and stigma. RESULTS Sixteen participants were classified as high risk for depression or anxiety based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. Anxiety was significantly associated with all stigma subscales; the strongest association was with Internal Stigma (r = .46, p < .001, moderate effect), followed by Disclosure Stigma (r = .36, p < .001, moderate effect) and External Stigma (r = .30, p = .002, moderate effect). All social support subscales were negatively associated with depression and anxiety; the Friends subscale had the strongest correlations with depression (r = -.27, p = .006, small effect) and anxiety (r = .34, p = .001, moderate effect). Firth (penalized likelihood) logistic regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the effects of study covariates on the likelihood of participants being at risk for postnatal depression or anxiety. The significant factor that increased the odds of participants being in the high-risk group was decreased social support (adjusted OR = 0.46, 95% CI [0.24, 0.76], p = .003). CONCLUSION These results show the enduring prevalence of postnatal depression and anxiety and the relevance of stigma and social support in aggravating or mitigating symptomatology. There is a need for comprehensive standardized screening to ensure the identification of and referral to treatment for women at risk.
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Filippi CA, Valadez EA, Fox NA, Pine DS. Temperamental risk for anxiety: emerging work on the infant brain and later neurocognitive development. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022; 44:101105. [PMID: 35342779 PMCID: PMC8955382 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral inhibition (BI), an infant temperament characterized by distress to novelty, is amongst the strongest early risk markers for future anxiety. In this review, we highlight three ways that recent research elucidates key details about the pathophysiology of anxiety in individuals with BI. First, atypical amygdala connectivity during infancy may be related to BI. Second, developmental shifts in cognitive control may portend risk for anxiety for children with BI. Lastly, distinct cognitive control processes moderate the BI-anxiety relation in different ways. Studying the intersection of these three streams of work may inform prevention or intervention work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A Filippi
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
- Indicates shared first authorship
- Present address: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Emilio A Valadez
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
- Indicates shared first authorship
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States
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40
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Liu S, Fisher PA. Early experience unpredictability in child development as a model for understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A translational neuroscience perspective. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101091. [PMID: 35217299 PMCID: PMC8860470 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihong Liu
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States.
| | - Philip A Fisher
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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41
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Galbally M, Watson SJ, van Rossum EFC, Chen W, de Kloet ER, Lewis AJ. The perinatal origins of childhood anxiety disorders and the role of early-life maternal predictors. Psychol Med 2022; 52:506-514. [PMID: 32597740 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720002147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of childhood anxiety disorders (CADs) is likely to depend on pathways that can be programmed by early-life risk factors. We test the hypothesis that early-life maternal factors can predict this programming effect on CAD. METHODS Data were obtained from 198 women and children from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS), a cohort study with data collected across pregnancy, postpartum and until 4 years of age. Maternal antenatal depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), together with antenatal hair cortisol concentrations, maternal childhood trauma and parenting stress at 6 months postpartum. CAD was assessed with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment and the Child Behaviour Checklist. RESULTS Antenatal depression, a history of maternal childhood trauma and lower gestational age at birth were each associated with anxiety disorders at 4 years of age in their children. A multivariate binary logistic model with these early predictors explained approximately 9% of variance in CAD outcome at 4 years of age; however, only maternal trauma and gestational age were significant predictors in the model. The effect of early parenting stress on CAD was found to vary by the concentration of maternal antenatal hair cortisol, whereby postpartum parenting stress was associated with CAD only when there were higher maternal antenatal cortisol levels. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests the importance of maternal factors pre-conception, pregnancy and in the postnatal period, which predict CADs and this is consistent with a developmental programming hypothesis for CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Galbally
- 1. The College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
- King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Australia
| | - Stuart J Watson
- 1. The College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
| | - Elisabeth F C van Rossum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wai Chen
- School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
- Graduate School of Education, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Edo Ronald de Kloet
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew J Lewis
- 1. The College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
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Shipkin R, Blackledge K, Jacob J, Bosoy F, Schertz K, Bachmann G. Evaluating the Impact of a Novel Peer-to-Peer Educational Modality on Knowledge and Attitudes About Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Matern Child Health J 2022; 26:1005-1014. [PMID: 34978640 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-021-03323-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed whether the use of a peer-to-peer educational book, written and illustrated by women who experienced common mental disorders (CMDs) in the perinatal period, can positively impact women's knowledge and attitudes about these conditions. METHODS This one-group pretest/posttest survey assessed participants' knowledge and attitudes regarding CMDs immediately before and after reading INSPIRE: Stories of Motherhood. The book is composed of women's stories and artwork about their own experiences with parenthood, with an emphasis on the challenges of parenthood and depictions of CMDs, depression and anxiety, during the peripartum period. Study participants were recruited at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Obstetrics and Gynecology ambulatory care office in New Brunswick, NJ and participated while waiting for their appointments. Our voluntary study population included English-speaking females over age 18. RESULTS Primary outcomes measured were knowledge and attitudes about CMDs. Measures included individual Likert scale items and composite "stigma scores." 325 adult women were approached and 251 agreed to participate (response rate 77%). 181 of the participants completed all of the items in the pre- and posttest surveys. Results suggested increased knowledge and more positive attitudes after the intervention, corresponding to a decrease in stigma between the pre- and posttest surveys. The mean difference in stigma score on the 5pt Likert scale was 1.5 (95%CI .9 to 2.1, p < .0001), and on the 3pt Likert scale was 0.9 (95%CI .3 to 1.5, p = .0028). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE The study suggests that resources that highlight lived experiences with peripartum CMDs as told by women themselves may be a useful educational tool. In this study, the book INSPIRE: Stories of Motherhood, told and illustrated by women who have experienced CMDs, increased participants' knowledge and resulted in more positive attitudes about these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Shipkin
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kristin Blackledge
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Jane Jacob
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Frederick Bosoy
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Katherine Schertz
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Gloria Bachmann
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Women's Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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43
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Chen Y, Lin D. Maternal depression and preeclampsia: Effects on the maternal and offspring's mental and physical health. HEART AND MIND 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/hm.hm_41_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Swales DA, Snyder HR, Hankin BL, Sandman CA, Glynn LM, Davis EP. Maternal Depressive Symptoms Predict General Liability in Child Psychopathology. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2022; 51:85-96. [PMID: 32216604 PMCID: PMC7529641 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1723598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective: The current study examines how maternal depressive symptoms relate to child psychopathology when structured via the latent bifactor model of psychopathology, a new organizational structure of psychopathological symptoms consisting of a general common psychopathology factor (p-factor) and internalizing- and externalizing-specific risk.Method: Maternal report of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory - II) and child psychopathological symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist and Children's Behavior Questionnaire) were provided by 554 mother-child pairs. Children in the sample were 7.7 years old on average (SD = 1.35, range = 5-11 years), and were 49.8% female, 46% Latinx, and 67% White, 6% Black, 5% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 21% multiracial.Results: Maternal depressive symptoms were positively associated with the child p-factor but not with the internalizing- or externalizing-specific factors. We did not find evidence of sex/gender or race/ethnicity moderation when using latent factors of psychopathology. Consistent with past research, maternal depressive symptoms were positively associated with internalizing and externalizing composite scores on the Child Behavior Checklist.Conclusions: Findings suggest that maternal depressive symptoms are associated with transdiagnostic risk for broad child psychopathology (p-factor). Whereas the traditional Achenbach-style approach of psychopathological assessment suggests that maternal depressive symptoms are associated with both child internalizing and externalizing problems, the latent bifactor model suggests that these associations may be accounted for by risk pathways related to the p-factor rather than internalizing or externalizing specific risk. We discuss clinical and research implications of using a latent bifactor structure of psychopathology to understand how maternal depression may impact children's mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Benjamin L. Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
| | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA
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Stout-Oswald SA, Glynn LM, Bisoffi M, Demers CH, Davis EP. Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and telomere length in childhood. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22238. [PMID: 35050506 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biological marker of cellular aging, and shorter TL in adulthood is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk. It is likely that these differences in TL are established long before adulthood, and there is growing evidence that TL can reflect prenatal experiences. Although maternal prenatal distress predicts newborn TL, it is unknown whether the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress and child TL persists through childhood. The purpose of the current longitudinal, prospective study is to examine the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress (perceived stress, depressive symptoms, pregnancy-related anxiety) and TL in childhood. Participants included 102 children (54 girls) and their mothers. Mothers' distress was assessed five times during pregnancy, at 12 weeks postpartum, and at the time of child telomere measurement between 6 and 16 years of age. Maternal distress during pregnancy predicted shorter offspring TL in childhood, even after accounting for postnatal exposure to maternal distress and other covariates. These findings indicate that maternal mental health predicts offspring TL biology later in childhood than previously observed. This study bolsters claims that telomere biology is subject to fetal programming and highlights the importance of supporting maternal mental health during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Marco Bisoffi
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
- School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Catherine H Demers
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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Effects of maternal psychological stress during pregnancy on offspring brain development: Considering the role of inflammation and potential for preventive intervention. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:461-470. [PMID: 34718150 PMCID: PMC9043032 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Heightened psychological stress during pregnancy has repeatedly been associated with increased risk for offspring development of behavior problems and psychiatric disorders. This review covers a rapidly growing body of research with the potential to advance a mechanistic understanding of these associations grounded in knowledge about maternal-placental-fetal stress biology and fetal brain development. Specifically, we highlight research employing magnetic resonance imaging to examine the infant brain soon after birth in relation to maternal psychological stress during pregnancy to increase capacity to identify specific alterations in brain structure and function and to differentiate between effects of pre- versus postnatal exposures. We then focus on heightened maternal inflammation during pregnancy as a mechanism through which maternal stress influences the developing fetal brain based on extensive preclinical literature and emerging research in humans. We place these findings in the context of recent work identifying psychotherapeutic interventions found to be effective for reducing psychological stress among pregnant individuals, which also show promise for reducing inflammation. We argue that a focus on inflammation, among other mechanistic pathways, has the potential to lead to a productive and necessary integration of research focused on the effects of maternal psychological stress on offspring brain development and prevention and intervention studies aimed at reducing maternal psychological stress during pregnancy. In addition to increasing capacity for common measurements and understanding potential mechanisms of action relevant to maternal mental health and fetal neurodevelopment, this focus can inform and broaden thinking about prevention and intervention strategies.
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Maternal caregiving ameliorates the consequences of prenatal maternal psychological distress on child development. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 34:1376-1385. [PMID: 34311804 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Children exposed to prenatal maternal psychological distress are at elevated risk for a range of adverse outcomes; however, it remains poorly understood whether postnatal influences can ameliorate impairments related to prenatal distress. The current study evaluated if sensitivematernal care during the first postnatal year could mitigate child cognitive and emotional impairments associated with prenatal psychological distress. Prenatal maternal psychological distress was assessed via self-reports of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress for 136 mothers at five prenatal and four postpartum time points. Quality of maternal care (sensitivity to nondistress, positive regard, and intrusiveness reverse-scored) were assessed during a mother-child play interaction at 6 and 12 months. Child cognitive function and negative emotionality were assessed at 2 years, using The Bayley Scales and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Elevated prenatal distress was associated with poorer child cognitive function and elevated negative emotionality. Children exposed to elevated prenatal maternal distress did not, however, display these outcomes if they received high-quality caregiving. Specifically, maternal care moderated the relation between prenatal psychological distress and child cognitive function and negative emotionality. This association remained after consideration of postnatal maternal psychological distress and relevant covariates. Sensitive maternal care was associated with altered offspring developmental trajectories, supporting child resilience following prenatal distress exposure.
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Shupe EA, Clinton SM. Neonatal resource scarcity alters maternal care and impacts offspring core temperature and growth in rats. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22144. [PMID: 34053070 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stressful experiences during childhood, including poverty and inconsistent parental care, can enhance vulnerability for worsened physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Using Sprague Dawley rats, the present study explored the impact of limited resource availability on maternal behavior and physiological and emotional behavior outcomes in the offspring. Early life adversity was induced by incorporating aspects of the limited bedding and nesting and scarcity models, wherein limited resource availability has previously been shown to provoke unpredictable or adverse maternal care respectively. In our hands, neonatal limited bedding (NLB) stress during postnatal days (P)2-9 altered maternal care, augmenting pup-directed behaviors and reducing self-directed behaviors, and modestly increased the frequency of transitions between discrete behaviors across consecutive timed observations. NLB-exposed pups had lower core body temperatures immediately following the stressful manipulation and exhibited decreased body weight gain across development. However, NLB exposure did not impact adult offspring's social or emotional behavior outcomes in the three-chamber social interaction, novelty-suppressed feeding, splash, or forced swim tests. These findings add to the literature demonstrating that early life adversity impacts maternal care in rodents and can disrupt certain metabolic and thermoregulatory outcomes in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Shupe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah M Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Epigenetics: A Missing Link Between Early Life Stress and Depression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33834398 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-33-6044-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress (ELS) represents a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, including depression. The susceptibility associated with ELS may result from persistent changes in gene transcription, which can occur through epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA expression. Animal models and reports in humans described that negative stimuli can alter the neurodevelopment of an individual, affecting their behavior and cognitive development. It is currently hypothesized that levels of environmental adversity in this early developmental period are able to shape the experience-dependent maturation of stress-regulating pathways leading to long-lasting alterations in stress responsivity during adulthood. Here, we review key findings from animal and clinical studies examining the effects of prenatal and postnatal environment in shaping development of the neuroendocrine regulation of stress and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the predisposition of depression.
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Javed F, Gilani SO, Latif S, Waris A, Jamil M, Waqas A. Predicting Risk of Antenatal Depression and Anxiety Using Multi-Layer Perceptrons and Support Vector Machines. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11030199. [PMID: 33809177 PMCID: PMC8000443 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Perinatal depression and anxiety are defined to be the mental health problems a woman faces during pregnancy, around childbirth, and after child delivery. While this often occurs in women and affects all family members including the infant, it can easily go undetected and underdiagnosed. The prevalence rates of antenatal depression and anxiety worldwide, especially in low-income countries, are extremely high. The wide majority suffers from mild to moderate depression with the risk of leading to impaired child–mother relationship and infant health, few women end up taking their own lives. Owing to high costs and non-availability of resources, it is almost impossible to diagnose every pregnant woman for depression/anxiety whereas under-detection can have a lasting impact on mother and child’s health. This work proposes a multi-layer perceptron based neural network (MLP-NN) classifier to predict the risk of depression and anxiety in pregnant women. We trained and evaluated our proposed system on a Pakistani dataset of 500 women in their antenatal period. ReliefF was used for feature selection before classifier training. Evaluation metrics such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1 score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to evaluate the performance of the trained model. Multilayer perceptron and support vector classifier achieved an area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of 88% and 80% for antenatal depression and 85% and 77% for antenatal anxiety, respectively. The system can be used as a facilitator for screening women during their routine visits in the hospital’s gynecology and obstetrics departments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fajar Javed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, SMME, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (F.J.); (S.O.G.); (A.W.); (M.J.)
| | - Syed Omer Gilani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, SMME, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (F.J.); (S.O.G.); (A.W.); (M.J.)
| | - Seemab Latif
- Department of Computing, SEECS, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Asim Waris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, SMME, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (F.J.); (S.O.G.); (A.W.); (M.J.)
| | - Mohsin Jamil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, SMME, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (F.J.); (S.O.G.); (A.W.); (M.J.)
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St Johns, NL A1B 3X5, Canada
| | - Ahmed Waqas
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-07947673943
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