Childhood experiences of threat and deprivation predict distinct depressive symptoms: A parallel latent growth curve model

Parental History of Major Depressive Disorder Moderates the Relation Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Reward Responsiveness in Children

In this study, we examined associations between census-derived indices of neighborhood disadvantage and children's reward outcome processing and whether these relations would be stronger among children already at risk for alterations in reward processing due to having a parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to children of never depressed parents. Participants were 224 children aged 7-11 years old and their parent. Parents were required to either have a history of MDD or no lifetime history of any depressive disorder. To measure reward outcome processing, we focused on the reward positivity (RewP) event-related potential (ERP) elicited following gain and loss outcome feedback while children completed a monetary reward task. Census-derived measures of neighborhood disadvantage based upon families' addresses included the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), neighborhood crime risk, and the Child Opportunity Index (COI). The general pattern of findings across indices was that higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage were associated with more blunted neural reactivity to both gain and loss feedback, but only among children with a parental history of MDD and not among children of never depressed parents. These results suggest that broader contextual stressors may impact how youth process reward outcome feedback, especially youth already at heightened risk for depression, which may have implications for understanding risk for disorders associated with reward dysfunction.

The characteristics of anhedonia in depression: a review from a clinically oriented perspective

Anhedonia, as one of the core symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), has been regarded as a potential endophenotype of the disease. Multiple studies have evaluated the potential mechanisms of anhedonia in MDD, and found that MDD patients with anhedonia showed different functions in clinical features. In this review, we focus on the clinical research to explore the differences between MDD patients with and without anhedonia in the clinical manifestations and biological alterations, and elaborate the treatments and prognosis of anhedonia. It is demonstrated that anhedonia is associated with adverse outcomes including more severe depressive episode and suicidality, and poor prognosis in patients with MDD. At the biological level, MDD patients with anhedonia seem to present higher levels of inflammatory factors, abnormal metabolic function and hypermetabolism of BDNF. In brain imaging studies, there are some structural and/ or functional changes in multiple brain regions of subcortical and cortical areas, as well as the limbic system in MDD patients with anhedonia. Meanwhile, preliminary research findings have also indicated that there are associations between intestinal flora imbalance and anhedonia. Moreover, evidence indicated the benefit of some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors seemed limited on anhedonia, and other treatments including psychotherapy, physical therapy and probiotic interventions has remained to be explored but has interesting potential. Therefore, increased awareness of the anhedonic symptoms and the unique clinical features would benefit improved early diagnosis and therapeutic effects in MDD.

Associations of Early-Life Deprivation and Threat with Exploratory Behavior: Moderated Mediation Models of Sensation Seeking and Executive Function

Exploratory behavior, as a crucial aspect of decision-making, plays an indispensable role in maximizing long-term benefits and is, therefore, essential in promoting adolescents' psychological well-being and social adaptation. Recent studies have shown that this adaptive behavior is influenced by previous early experiences. However, little was known about the associations between specific types of childhood maltreatment and exploratory behavior and the roles of individual motivational and cognitive factors in these relationships. The present study aimed to examine whether the subtypes of maltreatment, that is, threat and deprivation, would influence adolescents' exploratory behavior, the mediating role of sensation seeking, and the moderating role of executive function. Using a sample of 720 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.29, SDage = 0.82, 54.8% female), we found that sensation seeking fully mediated the relationship between threat and exploratory behavior. That is, adolescents who experienced threat were more likely to increase sensation seeking, which further promote exploratory activities. Moreover, executive function was a second-stage moderator of this full mediation pathway, with the mediating effect of sensation seeking between threat and exploratory behavior increasing with the enhancement of executive function. However, we did not observe the mediating effect of sensation seeking and the second-stage moderating effect of executive function on the relationship between deprivation and exploration. Considering the distinct impact mechanisms of threat and deprivation on exploratory behavior, our study provides empirical support for the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, and highlights the critical role of sensation seeking and the necessity of implementing executive function interventions for those experiencing threat experiences.

Longitudinal association between ADL disability and depression in middle-aged and elderly: national cohort study

BACKGROUND

The decline in daily living abilities (ADL) among older adults is a notable predictor of depressive symptoms and the occurrence of disease. However, the effects of changes in ADL disability on the progression of depression have not been extensively studied.

OBJECTIVE

This research aims to examine the relationship between current ADL disability and depression in individuals aged 45 and older, as well as to explore how ADL disability influences the progression of depression in later life within China.

METHODS

This study analyzed 7-year data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving 2,205 middle-aged and older adults. The ADL disability (BADL: such as eating, dressing; IADL: such as shopping, cooking) were obtained using ADL scale (scores 0-12, lower is better), and depression was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (scores 0-30, lower is better). The latent growth curve and cross-lagged models were analyzed after adjusting relevant control variables to study the effect of ADL disability on the progression of depression.

RESULTS

The mean values for depression, basic activities of daily living (BADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) varied from 9.44 to 11.08, 6.45 to 6.81, and 6.86 to 7.29, respectively. The analysis indicated a potential association between depression and ADL. Specifically, the trajectory of BADL was a significant predictor of both initial depression (β = 0.138, 95%CI = 0.039-0.237) and its trajectory (β = 0.579, 95%CI = 0.403-0.754). Although IADL did not significantly predict the trajectory of depression, it was a significant predictor of initial depression (β = 0.471, 95%CI = 0.404-0.538). Additionally, cross-lag regression analysis provided further support for the relationship between depression and BADL disability.

CONCLUSIONS

This research highlights how ADL disability can forecast future depression in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. The findings indicate a significant connection between ADL disability and both changes in and future instances of depression in this group. Therefore, it is crucial for the Chinese government to prioritize interventions that enhance physical functioning in the elderly, as such measures can effectively mitigate the worsening of depression and promote positive aging.

Neural correlates of anhedonia in young adults with subthreshold depression: A graph theory approach for cortical-subcortical structural covariance

BACKGROUND

Anhedonia is an enduring symptom of subthreshold depression (StD) and predict later onset of major depressive disorder (MDD). Brain structural covariance describes the inter-regional distribution of morphological changes compared to healthy controls (HC) and reflects brain maturation and disease progression. We investigated neural correlates of anhedonia from the structural covariance.

METHODS

T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images were acquired from 79 young adults (26 StD, 30 MDD, and 23 HC). Intra-individual structural covariance networks of 68 cortical surface area (CSAs), 68 cortical thicknesses (CTs), and 14 subcortical volumes were constructed. Group-level hubs and principal edges were defined using the global and regional graph metrics, compared between groups, and examined for the association with anhedonia severity.

RESULTS

Global network metrics were comparable among the StD, MDD, and HC. StD exhibited lower centralities of left pallidal volume than HC. StD showed higher centralities than HC in the CSAs of right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and pars triangularis, and in the CT of left pars orbitalis. Less anhedonia was associated with higher centralities of left pallidum and right amygdala, higher edge betweenness centralities in the structural covariance (EBSC) of left postcentral gyrus-parahippocampal gyrus and LIPL-right amygdala. More anhedonia was associated with higher centralities of left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL), left postcentral gyrus, left caudal ACC, and higher EBSC of LIPL-left postcentral gyrus, LIPL-right lateral occipital gyrus, and left caudal ACC-parahippocampal gyrus.

LIMITATIONS

This study has a cross-sectional design.

CONCLUSIONS

Structural covariance of brain morphologies within the salience and limbic networks, and among the salience-limbic-default mode-somatomotor-visual networks, are possible neural correlates of anhedonia in depression.

Altruistic kidney donation following the death of a loved one-a coincidence or a post-traumatic growth?

The aim of this study was to examine the case of altruistic kidney donation (AKD) following loss, in light of PTG theory. Loss may facilitate trauma alongside post-traumatic growth (PTG). Although much is known about the motivation for AKD in general, less is known about the motives of bereaved individuals who chose to altruistically donate their kidney post-loss. Employing a narrative approach, 10 bereaved individuals who altruistically donated a kidney were interviewed about their perceptions of the connection between the loss and their decision to donate a kidney post-loss. Content analysis revealed three types of bereaved AKD's perceived connection between the loss and the donation: explicitly direct, indirect, and implicit. Donation post-loss was characterized by aspects of PTG in three domains: self, other and worldviews. The findings are discussed in light of PTG theory and highlight the possible role of AKD in processes of coping and growth following grief.

Childhood Maltreatment, Executive Function, and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents

Evidence suggests that child maltreatment is a risk factor for adolescent suicidal behavior. However, the differential influence of distinct forms of child maltreatment on adolescent suicide attempts is understudied and the factors that might exacerbate or ameliorate these associations warrant attention. We examined the associations between two distinct forms of child maltreatment (threat and deprivation) and suicide attempt history, and investigated whether executive function domains moderated these associations. Participants were 119 adolescents (M = 15.24, SD = 1.46, 72.3% female) recruited from an inpatient psychiatric hospital during hospitalization for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Results indicated that the executive function domains of initiation, shifting, and planning/organization moderated the associations between threat and suicide attempt history. Associations between threat and suicide attempt history were significant only when initiation and shifting T-scores were lower (OR = 1.22, p = .03 and OR = 1.32, p = .01, respectively). The association between threat and suicide attempt history trended toward significance when planning/organization T-scores were lower (OR = 1.15, p = .10). None of the executive function domains moderated the link between deprivation and suicide attempt history. Findings highlight the need for research investigating whether initiation, shifting, and planning/organization might be amendable to intervention in the context of threat-related child maltreatment.

Prediction of depressive symptoms in young adults by polygenic score and childhood maltreatment: Results from a population-based birth cohort

Childhood maltreatment is linked with later depressive symptoms, but not every maltreated child will experience symptoms later in life. Therefore, we investigate whether genetic predisposition for depression (i.e., polygenic score for depression, PGSDEP) modifies the association between maltreatment and depressive symptoms, while accounting for different types of maltreatment and whether it was evaluated through prospective and retrospective reports. The sample included 541-617 participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with information on maltreatment, including threat, deprivation, assessed prospectively (5 months-17 years) and retrospectively (reported at 23 years), PGSDEP and self-reported depressive symptoms (20-23 years). Using hierarchical linear regressions, we found that retrospective, but not prospective indicators of maltreatment (threat/deprivation/cumulative) were associated with later depressive symptoms, above and beyond the PGSDEP. Our findings also show the presence of gene-environment interactions, whereby the association between maltreatment (retrospective cumulative maltreatment/threat, prospective deprivation) and depression was strengthened among youth with higher PGSDEP scores. Consistent with the Diathesis-Stress hypothesis, our findings suggest that a genetic predisposition for depression may exacerbate the putative impact of maltreatment on later depressive symptoms, especially when maltreatment is retrospective. Understanding the gene-environment interplay emerging in the context of maltreatment has the potential to guide prevention efforts.

Patterns of maternal adverse childhood experiences and the intergenerational association of preschool children's emotional and behavioral problems

Introduction

Children of whose mothers exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are at increased risk for developmental problems. This study aims to investigate the relationship between types and patterns of maternal ACEs and preschool children's emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) in China, and to explore gender differences associated with these problems.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we selected 9,647 children from 36 preschools in three cities of Anhui province, China. Questionnaires were used to report the details of maternal ACEs and children's EBPs. We used the latent class analysis (LCA) to identify "patterns" in the types of maternal ACEs. Binomial logistic regressions was performed to examine the relationship between types and patterns of maternal ACEs and preschoolers' EBPs.

Results

Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed four different classes of maternal ACEs. Logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the low ACEs class, children of mothers in the high abuse and neglect class had the highest risk of developing EBPs (OR = 5.93, 95%CI: 4.70-7.49), followed by moderate ACEs class (OR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.98-3.00), and high household dysfunction class (OR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.19-3.90). We found gender differences in the effects of high abuse and neglect/moderate ACEs class and maternal childhood physical abuse/neglect on children's EBPs, which had a stronger impact on EBPs in boys than girls (P<0.05).

Discussion

This study supports and refines existing research that confirms an intergenerational association between types and patterns of maternal ACEs and children's EBPs in a large Chinese sample, so as to provide references for the early prevention and control of children's EBPs.

The relationship between childhood maltreatment subtypes and adolescent internalizing problems: The mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies

BACKGROUND

While childhood maltreatment is understood to be a significant risk factor for adolescent internalizing problems (depression and anxiety), underlying mechanisms linking each type of maltreatment to internalizing problems in adolescents remain unclear. Moreover, the current state of knowledge regarding the associations between maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and each type of maltreatment, as well as their impact on adolescent internalizing problems, is limited. Additionally, it remains unclear whether these maladaptive strategies mediate this relationship.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate the effects of childhood maltreatment types on adolescent internalizing problems and to explore whether the overall and specific types of maladaptive strategies mediate these associations.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional design, adolescents (N = 7071, Mage = 14.05 years, SDage = 1.54) completed online questionnaires assessing childhood maltreatment, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (including rumination, catastrophizing, self-blame, and other-blame), anxiety, and depression. The hypothesized mediating effects were tested using the Lavaan package in R software (4.1.2).

RESULTS

Different maltreatment types had varying effects on adolescent internalizing problems. Emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse significantly affected anxiety and depression, whereas physical neglect and physical abuse did not. Other than physical neglect and physical abuse, overall maladaptive strategies mediated the relationship between the other three types of maltreatment (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) and internalizing problems (anxiety and depression). For specific maladaptive strategies, rumination mediated the effects of physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse on internalizing problems (anxiety and depression). In contrast, catastrophizing mediated the relationship between physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse and internalizing problems (anxiety and depression).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the effects of maltreatment types on internalizing problems are different and that maladaptive strategies, particularly rumination and catastrophizing, are important mechanisms through which childhood maltreatment affects internalizing problems. This is a reminder that mental health workers need to consider the different effects of maltreatment types when intervening and recognize the importance of prioritizing interventions for rumination and catastrophizing.

Reciprocal associations between early maladaptive schemas and depression in adolescence: long-term effects of childhood abuse and neglect

BACKGROUND

Adolescent depression has grown to be a major social concern in China. During the coronavirus pandemic, the incidence of depression among Chinese adolescents increased substantially. More research is required to inform the prevention and intervention of adolescent depression in China. Depression is associated with Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs). Childhood abuse and neglect are distal antecedents of adolescent depression. It is not known how depression and EMSs interact in adolescence and how childhood abuse and neglect contribute to this relationship. This study aimed to examine the reciprocal relationships between depression and EMSs, as well as the long-term effects of childhood abuse and neglect on depression and EMSs during adolescence. The work also investigates gender differences in these mechanisms.

METHODS

Using a two-wave longitudinal design, we recruited 3,485 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.2; 43.2% females) from three Shanxi Province, China middle schools. All participants completed self-report questionnaires addressing childhood abuse and neglect, depression, and EMSs. Structural equation models examined reciprocal relationships between depression and EMS, as well as the effect of childhood abuse and neglect on depression and EMSs. Multi-group analysis addressed gender differences.

RESULTS

Results indicated that greater depression predicted more EMSs measured later, but EMSs did not predict subsequent depression. Childhood abuse and neglect had different effects on depression and EMSs during adolescence. Specifically, exposure to childhood abuse related to more severe depression and EMSs in adolescence and contributed to the perpetuation of EMSs by increasing depression. Exposure to childhood neglect showed a direct effect on depression and indirectly reinforced subsequent EMSs through depression. There were no gender differences.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to a better understanding of the emergence and course of depression in early adolescence, suggesting that childhood abuse and neglect are critical early risk factors. Additionally, depression plays a key role in promoting schema perpetuation among adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment, providing important implications for relevant prevention and intervention in early adolescence.

Childhood Neglect rather than Abuse Is More Strongly Associated with Anhedonia across Major Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patients and University Students

Background. According to the dimensional model of adversity, the deprivation and threat dimensions of CT influence distinct neural circuits and have different developmental outcomes. The present study compared neglect and abuse subtypes which are representative of deprivation and threat dimensions of CT prediction of anhedonia in MDD and OCD patients and university students. Methods. A total of 305 patients with MDD, 152 patients with OCD, and 2110 university students fulfilled the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to identify neglect and abuse subtypes of CT. Different aspects of anhedonia were measured. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to identify subtypes of trauma as predictors of different aspects of anhedonia in MDD and OCD patients and university students, respectively. Results. Childhood neglect, not abuse, showed association with anticipatory and state anhedonia in OCD patients and anticipatory, consummatory, physical, and state anhedonia in MDD patients and university students. Both childhood neglect and abuse were associated with social anhedonia in university students, but the neglect type showed greater magnitude. In terms of more specific categories, emotional neglect was the type of CT demonstrating strongest magnitude of association with most of the anhedonia aspects. Conclusions. Findings revealed that deprivation, rather than threat, was the more influential adversity dimension for the individuals’ anhedonia presentations.