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Hou W, Ma H, Huang C, Li Y, Li L, Zhang L, Qu Y, Xun Y, Yang Q, He Z, Tai F. Effects of paternal deprivation on empathetic behavior and the involvement of oxytocin receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105536. [PMID: 38522143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105536] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Paternal deprivation (PD) impairs social cognition and sociality and increases levels of anxiety-like behavior. However, whether PD affects the levels of empathy in offspring and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), impaired sociality, reduced the ability of emotional contagion, and the level of consolation behavior. Meanwhile, PD reduced OT neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in both male and female mandarin voles. PD decreased the level of OT receptor (OTR) mRNA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of male and female mandarin voles. Besides, OTR overexpression in the ACC reversed the PD-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior, social preference, emotional contagion, and consolation behavior. Interference of OTR expression in the ACC increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors, while it reduced levels of sociality, emotional contagion, and consolation. These results revealed that the OTR in the ACC is involved in the effects of PD on empathetic behaviors, and provide mechanistic insight into how social experiences affect empathetic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China; School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, 264005, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qixuan Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
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Annor FB, Amene EW, Zhu L, Stamatakis C, Picchetti V, Matthews S, Miedema SS, Brown C, Thorsen VC, Manuel P, Gilbert LK, Kambona C, Coomer R, Trika J, Kamuingona R, Dube SR, Massetti GM. Parental absence as an adverse childhood experience among young adults in sub-Saharan Africa. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 150:106556. [PMID: 37993366 PMCID: PMC10961199 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental absence in childhood has been associated with multiple negative consequences, such as depression and anxiety in young adulthood. OBJECTIVE To assess whether parental absence for six months or more in childhood is associated with poor mental health and substance use in young adulthood and whether parental absence accounts for additional variance beyond those explained by other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among youth in sub-Saharan Africa. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS We used combined Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data from Cote d'Ivoire (2018), Lesotho (2018), Kenya (2019), Namibia (2019), and Mozambique (2019). Analyses were restricted to 18-24-year-olds (nf = 7699; nm = 2482). METHODS We used logistic regression to examine sex-stratified relationships between parental absence in childhood (defined as biological mother or father being away for six months or more before age 18) and mental health problems and substance use and whether parental absence explained additional variance beyond those explained by other ACEs. RESULTS In sub-Saharan Africa, parental absence in childhood was common (30.5 % in females and 25.1 % in males), significantly associated with poor mental health and substance use among females and males and accounted for additional variance beyond those explained by conventional ACEs. For example, after controlling for study covariates and other ACEs, females who experienced any parental absence had 1.52 (95 % CI = 1.02-2.26) higher odds of experiencing moderate/serious psychological distress compared with those who did not. CONCLUSION The observed association between parental absence and poor mental health suggests that this experience has significant adverse consequences and merits consideration as an ACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis B Annor
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States.
| | - Ermias W Amene
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Liping Zhu
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline Stamatakis
- Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rwanda
| | - Viani Picchetti
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sarah Matthews
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Stephanie S Miedema
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Colvette Brown
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Viva C Thorsen
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Pedro Manuel
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique
| | - Leah K Gilbert
- United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States; Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Office of Safety, Security and Asset Management, Occupational Health Clinic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline Kambona
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Namibia
| | | | | | - Shanta R Dube
- Levine College of Public Health Program, Wingate University, Wingate, NC, United States
| | - Greta M Massetti
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Sex-specific effects of neonatal paternal deprivation on microglial cell density in adult California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) dentate gyrus. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 106:1-10. [PMID: 35908654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.07.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse early-life experiences are risk factors for psychiatric disease development, resulting in stress-related neuronal modeling and neurobehavioral changes. Stressful experiences modulate the immune system, contributing to neuronal damage in higher cortical regions, like the hippocampus. Moreover, early-life stressors dysregulate the function of microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, in the developing hippocampus. Paternal deprivation, an early-life stressor in many biparental species, facilitates sex-dependent inhibitions in hippocampal plasticity, but parental contributors to these sex-specific outcomes are unknown. Also, neurobiological mechanisms contributing to impairments in hippocampal neuroplasticity are less known. Thus, our goals were to 1) determine whether parental behavior is altered in maternal females following removal of the paternal male, 2) assess the effects of paternal deprivation on dentate gyrus (DG) volume and microglia proliferation, and 3) determine if early-life experimental handling mitigates sex-specific reductions in DG cell survival. California mice were born to multiparous breeders and reared by both parents (biparental care) or by their mother alone (i.e., father removed on postnatal day 1; paternal deprivation). One cohort of offspring underwent offspring retrieval tests for eight days beginning on postnatal day 2. On PND 68, these offspring (and a second cohort of mice without behavioral testing) were euthanized and brains visualized for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and neuron-specific class III beta-tubulin (TuJ-1) or ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1). While mate absence did not impair maternal retrieval, paternal deprivation reduced DG volume, but Iba1+ cell density was only higher in paternally-deprived females. Neither sex or paternal deprivation significantly altered the number of BrdU+ or Tuj1+ cells in the DG - an absence of a reduction in cell survival may be related to daily handing during early offspring retrieval tests. Together, these data suggest that paternal deprivation impairs hippocampal plasticity; however, sex and early environment may influence the magnitude of these outcomes.
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Culpin I, Heuvelman H, Rai D, Pearson RM, Joinson C, Heron J, Evans J, Kwong ASF. Father absence and trajectories of offspring mental health across adolescence and young adulthood: Findings from a UK-birth cohort. J Affect Disord 2022; 314:150-159. [PMID: 35842065 PMCID: PMC10666570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High prevalence of parental separation and resulting biological father absence raises important questions regarding its impact on offspring mental health across the life course. We specifically examined whether these relationships vary by sex and the timing of exposure to father absence (early or middle childhood). METHODS This study is based on up to 8409 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Participants provided self-reports of depression (Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised) at age 24 years and depressive symptoms (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) between the ages of 10 and 24 years. Biological father absence in childhood was assessed through maternal questionnaires at regular intervals from birth to 10 years. We estimated the association between biological father absence and trajectories of depressive symptoms using multilevel growth-curve modelling. RESULTS Early but not middle childhood father absence was strongly associated with increased odds of offspring depression and greater depressive symptoms at age 24 years. Early childhood father absence was associated with higher trajectories of depressive symptoms during adolescence and early adulthood compared with father presence. Differences in the level of depressive symptoms between middle childhood father absent and father present groups narrowed into adulthood. LIMITATIONS This study could be biased by attrition and residual confounding. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence that father absence in childhood is persistently associated with offspring depression in adolescence and early adulthood. This relationship varies by sex and timing of father's departure, with early childhood father absence emerging as the strongest risk factor for adverse offspring mental health trajectories Further research is needed to identify mechanisms that could inform preventative interventions to reduce the risk of depression in children who experience father absence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Culpin
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - Hein Heuvelman
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Avon and Wiltshire Partnership National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Rebecca M Pearson
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Carol Joinson
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Centre for Academic Child Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Heron
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Evans
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Avon and Wiltshire Partnership National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Alex S F Kwong
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Baiden P, Eugene DR, Nicholas JK, Spoor S, Brown FA, LaBrenz CA. Misuse of Prescription Opioids and Suicidal Behaviors Among Black Adolescents: Findings from the 2017 and 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2022:10.1007/s40615-022-01369-5. [PMID: 35861928 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01369-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although some studies have examined the association between prescription opioid misuse and mental health outcomes, few have investigated the effects of prescription opioid misuse on suicidal behaviors among Black adolescents. The objective of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional association between prescription opioid misuse and suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt among Black adolescents. METHODS Data for this study came from the 2017 and 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. An analytic sample of 4798 Black adolescents aged 14-18 years (51.2% female) was analyzed using binary logistic regression. The outcome variables investigated were suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt, and the main explanatory variable was prescription opioid misuse. RESULTS Of the 4798 Black adolescents, 15% reported ever misusing prescription opioids; 16.2% experienced suicidal ideation; 14% made a suicide plan; and 11.3% attempted suicide during the past 12 months. In the multivariate logistic regression models, Black adolescents who misused prescription opioids had 1.39 times higher odds of making a suicide plan and 1.65 times higher odds of making a suicide attempt during the past 12 months when compared to their counterparts who did not misuse prescription opioids. Other significant factors associated with suicidal behaviors include female sex, school bullying, cyberbullying, depressive symptoms, and illicit drug use. In addition, physical activity had a protective effect on suicide attempt. CONCLUSION The findings of the present study demonstrate the effects of prescription opioid misuse and its association with suicidal behaviors among Black adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Baiden
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St, Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
| | - Danielle R Eugene
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St, Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Julia K Nicholas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Room 317 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Samantha Spoor
- Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Fawn A Brown
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Arlington, 501 Nedderman Dr, Box 19528, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Catherine A LaBrenz
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St, Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
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6
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Liu XG, Li Y, Xiong F, Li WT, Liu LZ, John S S. The relationship between father absence and hostility among Chinese depressed youths: A serial mediation model and the role of self-esteem and frustration tolerance. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:711241. [PMID: 36776682 PMCID: PMC9909746 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.711241] [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: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the association between father absence and youth hostility has been well-documented among depressed youths, there is a lack of research on the potential mechanism underlying such an association. This study aimed to test a serial mediation model of self-esteem and frustration tolerance on the link between father absence and youth hostility. METHODS A total of 137 Chinese youths with major depressive disorder were recruited from Wuhan Mental Health Center. They completed a survey including the Father Absence Questionnaire to measure father absence, the Chinese Hostility Inventory (CHI) to measure hostility, the Psychological Endurance Questionnaire to measure frustration tolerance, and the Self-esteem Scale (SES) to measure self-esteem. A series of multiple linear regression models were employed to assess the associations among father absence, self-esteem, frustration tolerance, and hostility. RESULTS Although father absence was modestly associated with hostility (r = 0.30, p < 0.001), subsequent serial mediation analysis showed that father absence was not directly related to hostility (β = 0.06, p = 0.29) when self-esteem and frustration tolerance were included in the model. High levels of father absence had an adverse effect on levels of self-esteem, which decreased levels of frustration tolerance, and thus higher levels of hostility among depressed youths. The indirect effects of father absence on hostility through self-esteem, frustration tolerance, as well as through self-esteem and frustration tolerance serially accounted for 28%, 24%, and 24% of the total effect, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study tested a serial mediation model of self-esteem and frustration tolerance as mediators between father absence and hostility among depressed youths. The findings strengthened our understanding of the potential mechanism underlying the association between self-esteem and frustration tolerance, which may provide useful guidance for future intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ge Liu
- Research Center for Psychological Sciences and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.,Department of Student Affairs Management, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Li
- Moral Education and Art Department of Henan Vocational College of Geology and Mineral Resources, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fang Xiong
- Research Center for Psychological Sciences and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen-Tian Li
- Research Center for Psychological Sciences and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lian-Zhong Liu
- Research Center for Psychological Sciences and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sullivan John S
- Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and mental health: Implications for a nationwide school mental health program. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02342-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Jacob L, Smith L, Jackson SE, Haro JM, Shin JI, Koyanagi A. Secondhand Smoking and Depressive Symptoms Among In-School Adolescents. Am J Prev Med 2020; 58:613-621. [PMID: 32059988 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smoking has been linked with depressive symptoms in adolescents, but data on secondhand smoking and depressive symptoms in low- and middle-income countries are scarce. Thus, this study analyzes the association between secondhand smoking and depressive symptoms among in-school adolescents from 22 low- and middle-income countries. METHODS Data from the 2003-2008 Global School-Based Student Health Survey were analyzed in June 2019. Data on past-week exposure to secondhand smoke and past-year depressive symptoms were collected. The association between secondhand smoke and depressive symptoms was studied using multivariable logistic regressions and meta-analyses. RESULTS The sample consisted of 37,505 adolescents aged 12-15 years who never smoked. The prevalence of depressive symptoms increased from 23.0% in adolescents with no secondhand smoking to 28.9% in those with secondhand smoking every day in the past week. After adjusting for sex, age, food insecurity, and country, there was a dose-response relationship between secondhand smoking and depressive symptoms in the overall sample (0 days: reference; 1-2 days: OR=1.06, 95% CI=0.95, 1.18; 3-6 days: OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.20, 1.58; 7 days: OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.44, 1.86). The country-wise analysis showed that secondhand smoking on at least 3 days (versus <3 days) in the past week was associated with a 1.48-fold increase in the odds of depressive symptoms (95% CI=1.39, 1.59), with a low level of between-country heterogeneity (I2=4.2%). CONCLUSIONS There was a positive association between secondhand smoking and depressive symptoms among in-school adolescents from low- and middle-income countries. Further research should investigate causality and assess whether prevention of exposure to secondhand smoke can have a positive effect on the mental well-being of adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Jacob
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France; Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Lee Smith
- Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E Jackson
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Josep Maria Haro
- Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jae Il Shin
- Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ai Koyanagi
- Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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Meland E, Breidablik HJ, Thuen F. Divorce and conversational difficulties with parents: Impact on adolescent health and self-esteem. Scand J Public Health 2019; 48:743-751. [PMID: 31814517 DOI: 10.1177/1403494819888044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Divorce experience (DE) may cause health and self-conceptual problems, but these consequences might also be caused by conflicts and lack of conversational confidence (CC) with one or both parents. We investigated how DE impacted CC and how DE and CC impacted health complaints and self-esteem in a two-year longitudinal cohort study. Methods: The study was performed between 2011 and 2013 among 1225 students in junior high school (aged 11 and 13 years in 2011). We used binary logistic analyses to account for how DE impacted CC, and linear regression analyses to examine how DE and CC impacted on subjective health and self-esteem in 2013. Results: The study revealed that former and recent DEs impacted CC with fathers only. The impact was most evident for the more severe forms of conversational difficulties. DE in itself predicted only self-esteem, and CC with parents mediated this association. CC with both mothers and fathers had strong temporal causal associations with the outcomes two years later. Only CC with fathers impacted changes of the health complaints and self-esteem in full-model residual change analyses. Conclusions: The study proves a sex-specific effect on loss of CC between fathers and children after divorce. The impairment of CC has predictive repercussions on the health and self-conception of adolescents in their middle teenage years. From a public-health perspective, preserving the relation and the confidence between children and their fathers after divorce seems an important task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eivind Meland
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Research Group for General Practice, Universitetet i Bergen Det medisinsk-odontologiske fakultet, Norway
| | | | - Frode Thuen
- Center for Evidence-Based Practice, Western Norway University of Science, Norway
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Little SA, Germeroth C, Garber J. Father-Adolescent Conflict and Adolescent Symptoms: The Moderating Roles of Father Residential Status and Type. JOURNAL OF CHILD AND FAMILY STUDIES 2019; 28:3193-3206. [PMID: 32774077 PMCID: PMC7405962 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-019-01495-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine if the longitudinal associations between father-adolescent conflict and both externalizing and internalizing symptoms in youth were moderated by fathers' residential status (i.e., whether or not he lived in the home) and type of residential father (i.e., biological or step). METHODS Adolescents (N = 146) completed a measure about conflict with their father or stepfather in 8th and 9th grade. At the same time points, mothers completed measures about the youths' externalizing and internalizing symptoms. RESULTS The association between 8th grade conflict and 9th grade externalizing symptoms was moderated by fathers' residential status. Conflict with fathers in 8th grade was positively associated with 9th grade externalizing symptoms when youths resided with their father (biological and stepfathers were included); in contrast, higher levels of father-adolescent conflict were associated with lower levels of subsequent externalizing symptoms when fathers did not live with the youth. Externalizing symptoms in 8th grade did not significantly predict father-adolescent conflict in grade 9. Regarding internalizing symptoms, the association between father-adolescent conflict in 8th grade and internalizing symptoms in 9th grade was moderated by father's residential status; conflict predicted higher levels of internalizing symptoms when the biological father lived elsewhere. Higher levels of 8th grade internalizing symptoms also significantly predicted greater conflict between adolescents and their fathers in 9th grade for residential fathers only. CONCLUSIONS The associations among adolescent emotional and behavioral outcomes and paternal-child relationship qualities vary with symptom type and family structures and, thus, warrant further comprehensive study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Judy Garber
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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11
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Multidimensionality and Complexities of Fathering: A Critical Examination of Afro-Jamaican Fathers’ Perspectives. SEX ROLES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-019-1012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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12
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Easey KE, Mars B, Pearson R, Heron J, Gunnell D. Association of birth order with adolescent mental health and suicide attempts: a population-based longitudinal study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019; 28:1079-1086. [PMID: 30604131 PMCID: PMC6675759 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1266-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous cohort studies have observed higher birth order to be associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviour. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we used multivariable logistic regression models and mediation analysis to investigate the associations of birth order with adolescent suicide attempts and psychiatric disorder. We investigated whether the number of maternal depressive episodes and father absence mediated the associations found. In fully adjusted models (n = 2571), higher birth order was associated with an increased risk of both suicide attempts (OR = 1.42, CI = 1.10-1.84) and psychiatric disorder (OR = 1.29, CI = 0.99-1.69). Maternal depression and father absence only partially mediated (8%; 12%) these associations. Whilst maternal depression and paternal absence partially mediated the associations between birth order, and suicidal behaviour and psychiatric disorder, other pathways may account for much of these associations. Future studies should investigate alternative mediating pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh E. Easey
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Becky Mars
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Rebecca Pearson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Jon Heron
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David Gunnell
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
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Di Manno L, Macdonald JA, Youssef GJ, Little K, Olsson CA. Psychosocial profiles of adolescents from dissolved families: Differences in depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. J Affect Disord 2018; 241:325-337. [PMID: 30142592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.07.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When parents separate, on average, children are at greater risk for concurrent and subsequent depression; however, mean outcomes mask substantial variation in depressive risk. This study aimed to (1) identify multivariate risk profiles (classes) in adolescents from separated families and (2) prospectively estimate class risk for depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. METHODS The sample comprised 449 participants with separated parents from an Australian population based longitudinal cohort study established in 1983. Classes were explored using 17, theoretically germane, self- and parent-reported indicators of adolescent risk assessed at three points in adolescence (13-14, 15-16 and 17-18 years), spanning three domains of assessment: individual, relational, contextual. Distinct profiles of adolescents were identified using Latent Class Analysis. Class differences on depressive symptoms in emerging adult (19-20 years) were then examined. RESULTS Three multivariate profiles, differentiated by patterns of risk severity, were observed: Adjusted (n = 253), Moderate Risk (n = 156), and High Risk (n = 40). Compared to the Adjusted class, participants in the Moderate Risk, but not High Risk class had notably elevated depressive symptomatology in emerging adulthood (d = 0.35). In contrast, High Risk class membership in adolescence predicted antisocial behavior in emerging adulthood. LIMITATIONS Risk for depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood may be under-estimated due to a disproportionate loss of participants from low socio-economic backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS We found most adolescents from dissolved families to be well-adjusted. Differences between Moderate Risk and High Risk adolescents signal differentiated pathways to subsequent mental health problems. Our findings are relevant for targeted therapeutic strategies for adolescents from dissolved families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Di Manno
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Jacqui A Macdonald
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Parkville, Australia
| | - George J Youssef
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Keriann Little
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Barwon Child Youth & Family, Geelong, Australia; The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Neurodevelopment and Disability, Parkville, Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Parkville, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Parkville, Australia
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14
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Opondo C, Redshaw M, Quigley MA. Association between father involvement and attitudes in early child-rearing and depressive symptoms in the pre-adolescent period in a UK birth cohort. J Affect Disord 2017; 221:115-122. [PMID: 28646709 PMCID: PMC5523941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Much of the research on parenting and its influence on child development has emphasised the mother's role. However, increasing evidence highlights the important role of fathers in the development, health and well-being of their children. We sought to explore the association between paternal involvement in early child-rearing and depressive symptoms in 9 and 11 year-old children. METHODS We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort recruited in the southwest of England. The outcome was depressive symptoms measured using the short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (sMFQ) score. The main exposure was father involvement measured through factor analysis of fathers' responses on their participation in, understanding of, and feelings about their child's early upbringing. Scores on factor 1 measured fathers' emotional response to the child; scores on factor 2 measured the frequency of father involvement in domestic and childcare activities; scores on factor 3 measured fathers' feelings of security in their role as parent and partner. RESULTS Children of fathers with high scores on factors 1 and 3 had 13% (OR 0.87, 95%CI 0.77-0.98, p = 0.024) and 9% (OR 0.91, 95%CI 0.80-1.03, p = 0.129) respectively lower adjusted odds of depressive symptoms at 9 and 11 years. For factor 2, there was weak evidence of a 17% increase in odds of depressive symptoms associated with 1 unit higher factor scores at both ages (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.00-1.37, p = 0.050). LIMITATIONS In these observational data, the possibility of residual confounding in the association between the exposure and the outcome cannot be ruled out. CONCLUSION Positive psychological and emotional aspects of father involvement in children's early upbringing, but not the quantity of direct involvement in childcare, may protect children against developing symptoms of depression in their pre-teen years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Opondo
- Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, United Kingdom.
| | - Maggie Redshaw
- Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, United Kingdom
| | - Maria A Quigley
- Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, United Kingdom
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15
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Bohman H, Låftman SB, Päären A, Jonsson U. Parental separation in childhood as a risk factor for depression in adulthood: a community-based study of adolescents screened for depression and followed up after 15 years. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:117. [PMID: 28356107 PMCID: PMC5370459 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1252-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Earlier research has investigated the association between parental separation and long-term health outcomes among offspring, but few studies have assessed the potentially moderating role of mental health status in adolescence. The aim of this study was to analyze whether parental separation in childhood predicts depression in adulthood and whether the pattern differs between individuals with and without earlier depression. METHODS A community-based sample of individuals with adolescent depression in 1991-93 and matched non-depressed peers were followed up using a structured diagnostic interview after 15 years. The participation rate was 65% (depressed n = 227; non-depressed controls n = 155). Information on parental separation and conditions in childhood and adolescence was collected at baseline. The outcome was depression between the ages 19-31 years; information on depression was collected at the follow-up diagnostic interview. The statistical method used was binary logistic regression. RESULTS Our analyses showed that depressed adolescents with separated parents had an excess risk of recurrence of depression in adulthood, compared with depressed adolescents with non-separated parents. In addition, among adolescents with depression, parental separation was associated with an increased risk of a switch to bipolar disorder in adulthood. Among the matched non-depressed peers, no associations between parental separation and adult depression or bipolar disorder were found. CONCLUSIONS Parental separation may have long-lasting health consequences for vulnerable individuals who suffer from mental illness already in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Bohman
- Department of Neuroscience, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Box 593, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Akademiska sjukhuset, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sara Brolin Låftman
- Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aivar Päären
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Box 593, SE-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulf Jonsson
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Box 593, SE-75124 Uppsala, Sweden ,0000 0004 1937 0626grid.4714.6Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Flouri E, Midouhas E, Narayanan MK. The Relationship Between Father Involvement and Child Problem Behaviour in Intact Families: A 7-Year Cross-Lagged Study. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 44:1011-21. [PMID: 26349744 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-015-0077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the cross-lagged relationship between father involvement and child problem behaviour across early-to-middle childhood, and tested whether temperament modulated any cross-lagged child behaviour effects on father involvement. It used data from the first four waves of the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, when children (50.3 % male) were aged 9 months, and 3, 5 and 7 years. The sample was 8302 families where both biological parents were co-resident across the four waves. Father involvement (participation in play and physical and educational activities with the child) was measured at ages 3, 5 and 7, as was child problem behaviour (assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Key child and family covariates related to father involvement and child problem behaviour were controlled. Little evidence was found that more father involvement predicted less child problem behaviour two years later, with the exception of father involvement at child's age 5 having a significant, but small, effect on peer problems at age 7. There were two child effects. More hyperactive children at age 3 had more involved fathers at age 5, and children with more conduct problems at age 3 had more involved fathers at age 5. Child temperament did not moderate any child behaviour effects on father involvement. Thus, in young, intact UK families, child adjustment appears to predict, rather than be predicted by, father involvement in early childhood. When children showed more problematic behaviours, fathers did not become less involved. In fact, early hyperactivity and conduct problems in children seemed to elicit more involvement from fathers. At school age, father involvement appeared to affect children's social adjustment rather than vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Flouri
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, UK.
| | - Emily Midouhas
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, UK
| | - Martina K Narayanan
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, UK.,The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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17
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Tabbaa M, Lei K, Liu Y, Wang Z. Paternal deprivation affects social behaviors and neurochemical systems in the offspring of socially monogamous prairie voles. Neuroscience 2017; 343:284-297. [PMID: 27998780 PMCID: PMC5266501 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early life experiences, particularly the experience with parents, are crucial to phenotypic outcomes in both humans and animals. Although the effects of maternal deprivation on offspring well-being have been studied, paternal deprivation (PD) has received little attention despite documented associations between father absence and children health problems in humans. In the present study, we utilized the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), which displays male-female pair bonding and bi-parental care, to examine the effects of PD on adult behaviors and neurochemical expression in the hippocampus. Male and female subjects were randomly assigned into one of two experimental groups that grew up with both the mother and father (MF) or with the mother-only (MO, to generate PD experience). Our data show that MO subjects received less parental licking/grooming and carrying and were left alone in the nest more frequently than MF subjects. At adulthood (∼75days of age), MO subjects displayed increased social affiliation (SOA) toward a conspecific compared to MF subjects, but the two groups did not differ in social recognition (SOR) and anxiety-like behavior. Interestingly, MO subjects showed consistent increases in both gene and protein expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) as well as the levels of total histone 3 and histone 3 acetylation in the hippocampus compared to MF subjects. Further, PD experience increased glucocorticoid receptor beta (GRβ) protein expression in the hippocampus of females as well as increased corticotrophin receptor 2 (CRHR2) protein expression in the hippocampus of males, but decreased CRHR2 mRNA in both sexes. Together, our data suggest that PD has a long-lasting, behavior-specific effect on SOA and alters hippocampal neurochemical systems in the vole brain. The functional role of such altered neurochemical systems in social behaviors and the potential involvement of epigenetic events should be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Tabbaa
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Kelly Lei
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
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18
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Sequeira ME, Lewis SJ, Bonilla C, Smith GD, Joinson C. Association of timing of menarche with depressive symptoms and depression in adolescence: Mendelian randomisation study. Br J Psychiatry 2017; 210:39-46. [PMID: 27491534 PMCID: PMC5209630 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.115.168617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies report associations between early menarche and higher levels of depressive symptoms and depression. However, no studies have investigated whether this association is causal. AIMS To determine whether earlier menarche is a causal risk factor for depressive symptoms and depression in adolescence. METHOD The associations between a genetic score for age at menarche and depressive symptoms at 14, 17 and 19 years, and depression at 18 years, were examined using Mendelian randomisation analysis techniques. RESULTS Using a genetic risk score to indicate earlier timing of menarche, we found that early menarche is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms at 14 years (odds ratio per risk allele 1.02, 95% CI 1.005-1.04, n = 2404). We did not find an association between the early menarche risk score and depressive symptoms or depression after age 14. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence for a causal effect of age at menarche on depressive symptoms at age 14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira, MSc, Sarah J. Lewis, PhD, Carolina Bonilla, PhD, George Davey Smith, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Carol Joinson, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sarah J Lewis
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira, MSc, Sarah J. Lewis, PhD, Carolina Bonilla, PhD, George Davey Smith, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Carol Joinson, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Carolina Bonilla
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira, MSc, Sarah J. Lewis, PhD, Carolina Bonilla, PhD, George Davey Smith, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Carol Joinson, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - George Davey Smith
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira, MSc, Sarah J. Lewis, PhD, Carolina Bonilla, PhD, George Davey Smith, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Carol Joinson, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Carol Joinson
- Maija-Eliina Sequeira, MSc, Sarah J. Lewis, PhD, Carolina Bonilla, PhD, George Davey Smith, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Carol Joinson, PhD, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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19
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Scourfield J, Culpin I, Gunnell D, Dale C, Joinson C, Heron J, Collin SM. The association between characteristics of fathering in infancy and depressive symptoms in adolescence: A UK birth cohort study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2016; 58:119-128. [PMID: 27376651 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that the quality of fathers' parenting has an impact on psychological outcomes during adolescence, but less is known about which aspects of fathering have the strongest effects. This study, using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), considers which paternal attitudes towards and experiences of child care in infancy are most strongly associated with depressive symptoms in adolescence, and whether father effects are independent of maternal influence and other risk factors. Primary exposures were fathers' attitudes to and experiences of child care at 8 weeks, 8 months and 21 months coded as continuous scores; the primary outcome was self-reported depressive symptoms at 16 years (Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire score ≥11). Multivariable logistic regression models showed reasonably strong evidence that parental reports indicating potential paternal abuse when children were toddlers were associated with a 22% increased odds of depressive symptoms at age 16 (odds ratio [OR] 1.22 [95% CI 1.11, 1.34] per SD). There was some evidence for an interaction with social class (p=0.04): for children living in higher social class households (professional, managerial and technical classes), an increase in the potential abuse scale increased the odds of depressive symptoms by 31% (OR 1.31 [1.13, 1.53] per SD), whereas there was no effect in the lower social class categories. The potential paternal abuse measure needs to be validated and research is needed on what circumstances predict anger and frustration with child care. Effective interventions are needed to help fathers cope better with parenting stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iryna Culpin
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - David Gunnell
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carol Joinson
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Heron
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Simon M Collin
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
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20
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Kang JH, Kim J, Lee MA. Marital status and mortality: Does family structure in childhood matter? Soc Sci Med 2016; 159:152-60. [PMID: 27203478 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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21
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Early Childhood Father Absence and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescent Girls from a UK Cohort: The Mediating Role of Early Menarche. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 43:921-31. [PMID: 25411127 PMCID: PMC4465664 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-014-9960-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Absence of the biological father in early childhood has been linked to depressive symptoms in mid-adolescent girls. Earlier studies have linked father absence to early timing of menarche, and early menarche is a risk factor for increased depressive symptoms in adolescence. No studies, however, have examined whether the association between father absence and depressive symptoms may be explained by the early onset of menarche. This study investigated whether age at menarche mediates the association between father absence in early childhood (birth to 5 years) and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls aged 14 years. The study sample comprised 7056 girls from a large UK birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) who provided data on age at onset of menarche and depressive symptoms assessed using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire at 14 years. Mothers provided data on father absence from the birth of the study child up to 10 years. Using structural equation modelling, we found that 15 % of the total estimated association between father absence in early childhood and depressive symptoms at 14 years was explained by early age at menarche. In addition to the mediated effect, father absence was linked to an 11 % increase in depressive symptoms in adolescence. The findings suggest that early age at menarche is one of the pathways linking early childhood father absence and depressive symptoms in mid-adolescent girls. Preventive strategies could be targeting young girls at risk for depressive symptoms as a function of stressful family factors (e.g., biological father absence) and earlier menarche.
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22
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Predictive Modeling of Quality of Life, Family Dynamics, and School Violence in Adolescent Students from Medellín, Colombia, 2014. SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12310-016-9190-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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23
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Invisible Victims: Delayed Onset Depression among Adults with Same-Sex Parents. DEPRESSION RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2016; 2016:2410392. [PMID: 27313882 PMCID: PMC4903140 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2410392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The relationship of elevated depression risk recently discovered among adult persons raised by same-sex parents with possible precipitating conditions in childhood has not previously been acknowledged. This study tests whether such inattention is supportable. Logistic regression based risk ratios were estimated from longitudinal measures of mental health outcomes observed in three waves (at ages 15, 22, and 28) of the US National Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 15,701). At age 28, the adults raised by same-sex parents were at over twice the risk of depression (CES-D: risk ratio 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-4.6) as persons raised by man-woman parents. These findings should be interpreted with caution. Elevated risk was associated with imbalanced parental closeness and parental child abuse in family of origin; depression, suicidality, and anxiety at age 15; and stigma and obesity. More research and policy attention to potentially problematic conditions for children with same-sex parents appears warranted.
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24
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Di Manno L, Macdonald JA, Knight T. Family dissolution and offspring depression and depressive symptoms: A systematic review of moderation effects. J Affect Disord 2015; 188:68-79. [PMID: 26342891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental separation is associated with increased risk for offspring depression; however, depression outcomes are divergent. Knowledge of moderators could assist in understanding idiosyncratic outcomes and developing appropriately targeted prevention programs for those at heightened risk of depression following parental separation. Therefore, the objective of the review was to identify and evaluate studies that examined moderators of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression METHODS A search of scientific, medical and psychological databases was conducted in April 2015 for longitudinal research that had evaluated any moderator/s of the relationship between parental separation or divorce and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. Papers were assessed for quality by evaluating the study's sample, attrition rates, methodology and measurement characteristics. RESULTS Fourteen quantitative studies from five countries assessed sixteen moderating factors of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. A number of factors were found to moderate this relationship, including offspring gender, age (at assessment and at depression onset), genotype, preadolescent temperament, IQ, emotional problems in childhood and maternal sensitivity. LIMITATIONS While robust longitudinal research was selected for inclusion, common issues with longitudinal studies such as low rates of participation and attrition were among the methodological concerns evident in some of the reviewed papers. CONCLUSIONS The current review is the first to assess interaction effects of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. While further research is recommended, this assessment is critical in understanding variation in heterogeneous populations and can inform targeted policy and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacqui A Macdonald
- Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
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25
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Flouri E, Narayanan MK, Midouhas E. The cross-lagged relationship between father absence and child problem behaviour in the early years. Child Care Health Dev 2015; 41:1090-7. [PMID: 25708874 PMCID: PMC5098165 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Father absence has negative consequences for children's behaviour. Yet research has not examined how father absence and child behaviour may influence each other. This study models the cross-lagged relationship between father absence (non-residence) and child problem behaviour in the early years. METHODS We used data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, at children's ages 3, 5 and 7 years (Sweeps 2-4). The sample was 15,293 families in which both biological parents were co-resident at Sweep 1, when the child was aged 9 months. Child problem behaviour was assessed using the clinical cut-offs of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We also investigated gender differences in the association between father absence and problem behaviour. RESULTS Father absence at age 3 predicted a higher probability of the child scoring above cut-off for total difficulties at age 5, as did father absence at age 5 for total difficulties at age 7. There were no significant effects for total difficulties on father absence. Similar father absence effects were found for individual SDQ subscales. Using these subscales, we found few child behaviour effects, mostly during the preschool years: children's severe externalizing and social (but not emotional) problems were associated with a greater probability of the father being absent in the next sweep. All cross-lagged relationships were similar for boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS Father absence seems to be mainly the cause rather than the outcome of child problem behaviour in young UK families, and to affect boys and girls similarly. There were some child (mostly externalizing) behaviour effects on father absence, particularly in the early years.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Flouri
- UCL Institute of EducationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - M. K. Narayanan
- UCL Institute of EducationUniversity College LondonLondonUK,The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral DevelopmentUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - E. Midouhas
- UCL Institute of EducationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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26
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Musliner KL, Trabjerg BB, Waltoft BL, Laursen TM, Mortensen PB, Zandi PP, Munk-Olsen T. Parental history of psychiatric diagnoses and unipolar depression: a Danish National Register-based cohort study. Psychol Med 2015; 45:2781-2791. [PMID: 25920726 PMCID: PMC4746718 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715000744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is known to run in families, but the effects of parental history of other psychiatric diagnoses on depression rates are less well studied. Few studies have examined the impact of parental psychopathology on depression rates in older age groups. METHOD We established a population-based cohort including all individuals born in Denmark after 1954 and alive on their 10th birthday (N = 29 76 264). Exposure variables were maternal and paternal history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety or 'other' psychiatric diagnoses. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson regressions. RESULTS Parental history of any psychiatric diagnosis increased incidence rates of outpatient (maternal: IRR 1.88, p < 0.0001; paternal: IRR 1.68, p < 0.0001) and inpatient (maternal: IRR 1.99, p < 0.0001; paternal: IRR 1.83, p < 0.0001) depression relative to no parental history. IRRs for parental history of non-affective disorders remained relatively stable across age groups, while IRRs for parental affective disorders (unipolar or bipolar) decreased with age from 2.29-3.96 in the youngest age group to 1.53-1.90 in the oldest group. IRR estimates for all parental diagnoses were similar among individuals aged ⩾41 years (IRR range 1.51-1.90). CONCLUSIONS Parental history of any psychiatric diagnosis is associated with increased incidence rates of unipolar depression. In younger age groups, parental history of affective diagnoses is more strongly associated with rates of unipolar depression than non-affective diagnoses; however, this distinction disappears after age 40, suggesting that parental psychopathology in general, rather than any one disorder, confers risk for depression in middle life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L. Musliner
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Betina B. Trabjerg
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
| | - Berit L. Waltoft
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
| | - Thomas M. Laursen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
| | - Preben B. Mortensen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
| | - Peter P. Zandi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Trine Munk-Olsen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
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Gobbi G, Low NCP, Dugas E, Sylvestre MP, Contreras G, O'Loughlin J. Short-Term Natural Course of Depressive Symptoms and Family-Related Stress in Adolescents After Separation From Father. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2015; 60:417-26. [PMID: 26720187 PMCID: PMC4679116 DOI: 10.1177/070674371506001002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if separation from a father is associated with short-term changes in mental health or substance use in adolescents. METHODS Every 3 months, during a 5-year period, we followed 1160 Grade 7 students participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study who were living with both parents. Participants who reported not living with their father for 6 or more consecutive months during follow-up were categorized as separated from father. Pooled regressions within the framework of generalized estimating equations were used to model the associations between separation from father and indicators of mental health (depressive symptoms, and worry and [or] stress about family relationships or the family situation) and substance use (alcohol use and cigarette smoking) 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 months postseparation, controlling for age, sex, and baseline level of the outcome variable. RESULTS Compared with adolescents living with both parents, adolescent offspring separated from their fathers were more likely to report depressive symptoms (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.33) 4 to 6 months postseparation, as well as worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.43), a new family (OR 4.25, 95% CI 2.33 to 7.76), and the family financial situation (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.60). Separation from father was also marginally significantly related to worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father (OR 1.53; 95% CI 0.98 to 2.39). At 7 to 9 months postseparation, separation from father continued to be associated with worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing, a new family, and the family financial situation. Separation from father was no longer associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father, but it was associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their mother. Separation from father was not related to use of alcohol or cigarettes. CONCLUSION Adolescent offspring experienced family-related stress and transient depression symptoms in the 4- to 9-month period following separation from their fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Gobbi
- Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Nancy C P Low
- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec; Clinical Director, McGill Mental Health Service, Services for Students, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Erika Dugas
- Project Coordinator, Centre de recherche, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Marie-Pierre Sylvestre
- Researcher, Centre de recherche, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec; Assistant Professor, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Gisèle Contreras
- Research Associate, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institut national de la recherche scientifique-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Laval, Quebec
| | - Jennifer O'Loughlin
- Researcher, Centre de recherche, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec; Professor, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
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28
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Weder N, Zhang H, Jensen K, Yang BZ, Simen A, Jackowski A, Lipschitz D, Douglas-Palumberi H, Ge M, Perepletchikova F, O'Loughlin K, Hudziak JJ, Gelernter J, Kaufman J. Child abuse, depression, and methylation in genes involved with stress, neural plasticity, and brain circuitry. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 53:417-24.e5. [PMID: 24655651 PMCID: PMC4126411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Revised: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine whether epigenetic markers predict dimensional ratings of depression in maltreated children. METHOD A genome-wide methylation study was completed using the Illumina 450K BeadChip array in 94 maltreated and 96 healthy nontraumatized children with saliva-derived DNA. The 450K BeadChip does not include any methylation sites in the exact location as sites in candidate genes previously examined in the literature, so a test for replication of prior research findings was not feasible. RESULTS Methylation in 3 genes emerged as genome-wide-significant predictors of depression: DNA-Binding Protein Inhibitor ID-3 (ID3); Glutamate Receptor, Ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) 1 (GRIN1); and Tubulin Polymerization Promoting Protein (TPPP) (p < 5.0 × 10(-7), all analyses). These genes are all biologically relevant with ID3 involved in the stress response, GRIN1 involved in neural plasticity, and TPPP involved in neural circuitry development. Methylation in CpG sites in candidate genes were not predictors of depression at significance levels corrected for whole genome testing, but maltreated and control children did have significantly different β values after Bonferroni correction at multiple methylation sites in these candidate genes (e.g., BDNF, NR3C1, FKBP5). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that epigenetic changes in ID3, GRIN1, and TPPP genes, in combination with experiences of maltreatment, may confer risk for depression in children. The study adds to a growing body of literature supporting a role for epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Although epigenetic changes are frequently long lasting, they are not necessarily permanent. Consequently, interventions to reverse the negative biological and behavioral sequelae associated with child maltreatment are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Arthur Simen
- Yale University School of Medicine; Merck Research Laboratories
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kerry O'Loughlin
- University of Vermont, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families
| | - James J Hudziak
- University of Vermont, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families
| | | | - Joan Kaufman
- Child Mind Institute; Yale University School of Medicine.
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Child abuse, depression, and methylation in genes involved with stress, neural plasticity, and brain circuitry. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014. [PMID: 24655651 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2014.11.008.mitochondria] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine whether epigenetic markers predict dimensional ratings of depression in maltreated children. METHOD A genome-wide methylation study was completed using the Illumina 450K BeadChip array in 94 maltreated and 96 healthy nontraumatized children with saliva-derived DNA. The 450K BeadChip does not include any methylation sites in the exact location as sites in candidate genes previously examined in the literature, so a test for replication of prior research findings was not feasible. RESULTS Methylation in 3 genes emerged as genome-wide-significant predictors of depression: DNA-Binding Protein Inhibitor ID-3 (ID3); Glutamate Receptor, Ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) 1 (GRIN1); and Tubulin Polymerization Promoting Protein (TPPP) (p < 5.0 × 10(-7), all analyses). These genes are all biologically relevant with ID3 involved in the stress response, GRIN1 involved in neural plasticity, and TPPP involved in neural circuitry development. Methylation in CpG sites in candidate genes were not predictors of depression at significance levels corrected for whole genome testing, but maltreated and control children did have significantly different β values after Bonferroni correction at multiple methylation sites in these candidate genes (e.g., BDNF, NR3C1, FKBP5). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that epigenetic changes in ID3, GRIN1, and TPPP genes, in combination with experiences of maltreatment, may confer risk for depression in children. The study adds to a growing body of literature supporting a role for epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Although epigenetic changes are frequently long lasting, they are not necessarily permanent. Consequently, interventions to reverse the negative biological and behavioral sequelae associated with child maltreatment are briefly discussed.
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