Influences of childhood family factors on depressive symptoms in adolescence and early adulthood: A Danish longitudinal study

The Interaction Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Socioeconomic Circumstances in Adolescent Depressive Symptomatology

PURPOSE

Limited research has examined the combined effects of psychosocial and material adversities experienced in childhood during adolescence, a sensitive period of rapid social, emotional, and cognitive development. We investigated the interaction effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and socioeconomic circumstances (SECs) during childhood on emerging self-reported depressive symptomatology among 13-year-old Portuguese adolescents.

METHODS

We utilized data from 4,280 participants in the Generation XXI birth cohort, collected during the baseline (2005-2006), third (2016-2017), and fourth waves (2018-2020). Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from binary logistic regression analyses to estimate the likelihood of depressive symptoms based on exposure to ACEs and adverse family SECs. The interaction effect of ACEs and SECs was evaluated in terms of departure from additive and multiplicative models.

RESULTS

Adolescents who reported experiences of abuse, school-related problems, and household dysfunction, as well as those from less advantaged family SECs at age 10, were more likely to report moderate to severe depressive symptoms at age 13, compared to their more affluent counterparts. We observed a significant additive interaction between low household income and abuse in the development of moderate to severe depressive symptoms [relative excess risk due to interaction, 0.69, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.26]. This interaction remained statistically significant on a multiplicative scale [OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 0.99, 2.69].

DISCUSSION

ACEs and low family SECs during the first decade of life are associated with an elevated risk of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in adolescence.

Depression in youths with early life adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Globally, early-life adversity (ELA) is linked to an increased risk of developing depression in adulthood; however, only a few studies have examined the specific effects of various types of ELA on depression in children and adolescents. This meta-analysis explores the association between the subtypes of ELA and the risk for youth-onset depression.

Methods

We searched three electronic databases for reporting types of ELA, namely, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, family conflict/violence, divorce, low socioeconomic status, and left-behind experience, associated with depression before the age of 18 years. Our meta-analysis utilized the odds ratio (OR) and relied on a random effects model. Large heterogeneous effects were detected. Some factors moderated the association between ELA and depression in youths. The homogeneity of variance test and meta-regression analysis were used to detect these relationships.

Results

A total of 87 studies with 213,006 participants were ultimately identified via several strategies in this meta-analysis. Individuals who experienced ELA were more likely to develop depression before the age of 18 years old than those without a history of ELA (OR=2.14; 95% CI [1.93, 2.37]). The results of the subgroup analysis revealed a strong association between ELA and depression in youth, both in terms of specific types and dimensions. Specifically, emotional abuse (OR = 4.25, 95% CI [3.04, 5.94]) was more strongly related to depression in children and adolescents than other forms of ELA were. For both dimensions, threat (OR = 2.60, 95% CI [2.23, 3.02]) was more closely related to depression than deprivation was (OR = 1.76, 95% CI [1.55, 1.99]).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis revealed that the adverse effects of a broader consideration of ELA on the risk of youth-onset depression vary according to the subtypes of ELA.

Systematic review registation

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023405803, identifier 42023405803.

The effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression among Chinese older migrant workers: gender differences in the mediating role of social-ecological systems

BACKGROUND

Older migrant workers (OMWs) in China face unique challenges rooted in their early life experiences, which increase their vulnerability to psychological and behavioral problems in adulthood. By utilizing the cumulative disadvantage model and the social-ecological systems theory, this study explored the effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression in the mediating roles of OMWs' social-ecological microsystem and mesosystem and further examined gender differences in these associations.

METHODS

Data were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving a sample of 4,309 OMWs aged 50 and above. The measures included the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression Scale, childhood family adversity, socioeconomic status, marital quality, and physical and cognitive health.

RESULTS

Childhood family adversity was positively associated with adulthood depression among OMWs. Social microsystem (physical and cognitive health) and mesosystem (marital quality and socioeconomic status) factors significantly mediated this relationship. Multi-group analysis revealed that the mediating effects of marital quality and socioeconomic status were stronger for female OMWs, while the mediating effects of physical and cognitive health were stronger for male OMWs.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that childhood family adversity has a lasting impact on the mental health of OMWs, and that social-ecological systems factors play an important role in this relationship. The study also highlights the need for gender-specific interventions to address the mental health needs of OMWs.

How does subjective social status at school at the age of 15 affect the risk of depressive symptoms at the ages of 18, 21, and 28? A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Young people's mental health is declining. Depression is a public disease which is increasing internationally, and in Denmark an increase is seen especially among young people. Objective social status is known to be associated with mental health and depression, but little is known about the association between adolescent subjective social status at school and depressive symptoms during young adulthood. The aim was to investigate the association between 15-year-old's subjective social status at school and the development of depressive symptoms at age 18, 21 and 28.

METHODS

The study is a longitudinal study using questionnaire data from The West Jutland Cohort Study Denmark. The study population consisted of adolescents who at baseline, at age 15 (2004), had answered questions about their subjective social status in school using the MacArthur scale-youth version. Answers were categorised into low, medium, and high subjective social status. Outcome data about depressive symptoms was collected at age 18 (2007), age 21 (2010) and age 28 (2017) using the CES-DC and CES-D scales, dichotomised into few or many depressive symptoms. The associations between subjective social status at school at age 15 and depressive symptoms at ages 18, 21 and 28 were analysed using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Statistically significant associations were found between low subjective social status at school at age 15 and the odds of many depressive symptoms at all three age points in young adulthood. When adjusting for co-variates the odds ratio for many depressive symptoms at age 18 was OR 3.34 [1.84;6.08], at age 21 OR 3.31 [1.75;6.26] and at age 28 OR 2.12 [1.13;3.97].

CONCLUSIONS

The subjective social status of 15-year-olds is associated with depressive symptoms at ages 18, 21 and 28, respectively. It seems that subjective social status at age 15 is of greatest importance for the occurrence of depressive symptoms in the short run, and that the impact attenuates over time.

Associations Between Children's Depressive Symptoms, Life Events, and Family Factors Among School-Aged Children

BACKGROUND

About 20-30% of children worldwide report depressive symptoms. This study examined associations between children's depressive symptoms, life events, and family factors.

METHODS

Nationally representative data (n = 95,725) were drawn from the 2017 School Health Promotion Study in Finland. The respondents were 4th and 5th grade pupils (aged 10-12) in primary schools and their parents/guardians (n = 33,726). Data were analyzed for child-parent dyads (n = 32,181). Associations were studied using cross tabulation and logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Children's reports of poor self-rated health, problems with family interactions, and the accumulation of life events were statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms, also when controlling for sociodemographic factors. Financial situation and parent's depressed mood, both reported by parents, were associated with children's depressive symptoms when both were included in the regression model. However, this association disappeared when other predictors were added to the model.

CONCLUSION

The results make apparent the complex associations between children's depressive symptoms and family factors. Further research is needed on the discrepancies between parent and child experiences.

The relationship between family functioning and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents: A structural equation modeling analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous research has suggested that depressive symptoms, emotional competence, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) may mediate the association between family functioning and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the mediation effects of depressive symptoms, emotional competence, and COVID-related PTSS on the relationship between family functioning and NSSI in adolescents.

METHOD

A sample of 5854 adolescents was recruited from June 16 to July 8, 2020. The data for family functioning, depressive symptoms, emotional competence, COVID-related PTSS, and NSSI behavior of adolescents were collected via self-reported questionnaires. A structural equation model was constructed to examine the relationship, and a bootstrap analysis was conducted to evaluate the mediation effects.

RESULTS

The reporting rate of adolescent NSSI was 30.2%. The poor family functioning was positively associated with adolescent NSSI (β = 0.130, 95% CI = 0.093-0.182), which was mediated by depression with effect size of 0.231 (95% CI = 0.201-0.257). The pathway coefficients between emotional competence and NSSI, and depression, COVID-related PTSS and NSSI, though statistically significant were unlikely to be clinically meaning with values of 0.057 and 0.015. There was no mediating effect by COVID-related PTSS. The pathways initially constructed between family functioning and COVID-related PTSS, emotional capacity and COVID-related PTSS were not been verified.

LIMITATIONS

It was unclear whether this mediational effect would be supported in a longitudinal design. The application and extension of this model toward other regions and countries, and different ages need to be further explored.

CONCLUSION

The interventions of adolescent NSSI should focus on both the family level and individual levels. Improving family environment, screening depressive symptoms, enhancing emotional competence and lessening COVID-related PTSS may reduce NSSI.