Examining the Associations Between Childhood Trauma, Resilience, and Depression: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis

Factor analysis and evaluation of one-year test-retest reliability of the 33-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in Chinese adolescents

The 33-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33) is a recently developed tool expanded from the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) to assess childhood trauma events, which showed good test-retest reliability over 2 weeks. However, little is known regarding the factor structure and long-term test-retest reliability of the CTQ-33. To fill such a gap, this study investigated the factorial validity of the CTQ-33 and test-retest reliability of the scale over a relatively long interval of 1 year. Data on demographics, the CTQ-33 scores, and mental health statuses such as depressive/anxiety symptoms were collected in Chinese adolescents (n = 188) twice across a one-year period. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the Chinese version of CTQ-33 has close factor validity when compared to the original CTQ-28 in college students. Furthermore, the total and most subscale scores of the CTQ-33 have fair to good test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients >0.6 for the total score, and > 0.4 for most subscales), except for the physical abuse subscale. Moreover, we replicated previous findings of significant positive relationships between levels of different childhood trauma subtypes using the CTQ-33. These findings provide initial evidence supporting that the CTQ-33 is overall reliable to assess childhood traumatic events in adolescents over relatively long intervals.

Cyber dating abuse perpetration and victimization among Chinese college students with a history of peer phubbing: psychological resilience moderates the indirect effect of rejection sensitivity

BACKGROUND

As emerging adults are increasingly reliant on instant messaging applications for communication with romantic partners, cyber dating abuse perpetration (CDAP) and victimization (CDAV) have proliferated. This has aroused the high attention of researchers. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the influence of peer phubbing on CDAP and CDAV in Chinese context.

METHODS

566 Chinese college students (average age of 19.31 years, 47.7% females) were investigated with the generic scale of being phubbed, rejection sensitivity questionnaire, Chinese version of resilience scale and cyber dating abuse questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using a moderated mediation model with SPSS and the PROCESS.

RESULTS

The results revealed that: (1) peer phubbing had a significant positive predictive effect on CDAP (β = .32, p < .001) and CDAV (β = .43, p < .001) respectively. (2) Rejection sensitivity played a partial mediating role both between peer phubbing and CDAP (indirect effect = .12, 95% CI = [.05, .18], accounting for 37.5%) and CDAV (indirect effect = .09, 95% CI = [.05, .14], accounting for 20.9%. (3) The first half (β = - .27, p < .001) of the indirect effect of peer phubbing on CDAP and CDAV are weakened by psychological resilience, and the direct paths were also weakened by psychological resilience(β = - .13, p < .001;β = - .16, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of discerning the mechanisms moderating the mediated paths linking peer phubbing to CDAP and CDAV. The results also underline the importance of implementing measures and interventions to use the protective role of psychological resilience on college students' CDAP and CDAV.

Coping motives as a mediator of the relationship between child maltreatment and substance use problems in south African adolescents

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that adults with a history of child maltreatment (CM) engage in substance misuse driven by 'coping motives': maladaptive beliefs that substances help them cope with negative emotions. However, the specificity of this risk pathway is under-researched in younger and non-Western cohorts.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to determine whether coping motives play a distinct role compared to other motives for substance use in mediating the relationship between CM and problematic alcohol and marijuana use in a sample of South African adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 688 high school students (M age = 15.03 years; 62.5 % female) in Cape Town, South Africa, completed a cross sectional survey.

METHODS

Participants completed self-report measures of CM exposure, motives for using alcohol and marijuana (coping, enhancement, social and conformity), and alcohol and marijuana related problems. Participants who endorsed using alcohol (N = 180) or marijuana (N = 136) were included in analysis. A parallel mediation model was conducted for each substance (alcohol and marijuana, respectively) to assess which motives mediated the relationship between CM exposure and substance-related problems.

RESULTS

CM exposure predicted both alcohol-and marijuana related problems. The relationship between CM exposure and alcohol-related problems was partially mediated by coping motives (p < .001, 95%CI 0.028, 0.115) and, to a lesser extent, conformity motives (p < .01, 95%CI 0.001, 0.041), but not by social motives or enhancement motives. The relationship between CM exposure and marijuana-related problems was partially mediated by coping motives (p < .001, 95%CI 0.004, 0.037), but not by conformity, social or enhancement motives.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the importance of coping motives as a mediator between CM and problematic substance use across different substances of abuse in South African adolescents, and the role of conformity motives in problematic alcohol use. Future research should explore whether these findings hold across other sociocultural contexts, and the utility of interventions to address coping motives for substance use in adolescence.

[New Normative Values for the German Short Version of the Resilience Scale (RS-13)]

OBJECTIVE

In a representative survey conducted in Germany, normative values for the German short version of the RS-13 resilience scale were updated and compared with the data from a previous representative survey conducted in 2001.

METHODS

In a representative study conducted by the social science research institute USUMA GmbH in 2021, people aged 16 to 95 years (N=2,505) were randomly selected and interviewed by telephone. Data were compared to representative data collected in 2001 (N=2,045), and the influence of demographic variables on resilience was examined.

RESULTS

The internal consistency of the RS-13 was α=0.92. Current norm data of the RS-13, differentiated by gender and age, were generated. Access to these data is provided by an online tool, which can be used for the norm-oriented interpretation of individual resilience values (http://rs13.shinyapps.io/RS13). In the current 2021 sample, the mean resilience score was significantly higher than in 2001 (d=0.28, 95% CI [0.22-0.34]). Age was significantly negatively associated with resilience, education and net household income showed a significant negative correlation.

DISCUSSION

The RS-13 has good psychometric properties. Providing updated normative values of the RS-13 is justified due to the significantly higher scores in 2021 compared to 2001. The updated normative values allow for the comparison of future data with those of the German general population. In addition, the online tool can be used for the norm-oriented interpretation of individual resilience scores as part of diagnostic procedures.

CONCLUSION

The RS-13 is a reliable, valid and economical instrument for assessing resilience in its theoretical understanding of a stable personality trait. Future studies investigating resilience should consider age, education and income as relevant influencing variables.

Translation and validation of Persian version of resilience evaluation scale (RES): A cross-cultural methodological research

BACKGROUND

The Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES) is a new, free and short self-report questionnaire for measuring psychological resilience. This study aims to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the RES.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

In the present methodological study, after the translation process, face and content validity were conducted through qualitative and quantitative methods. To determine the construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used, and for the reliability, Cronbach's α test and inter-counter coefficient test were calculated. Persian version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was used to determine the convergent validity of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

Results show that the face and content validity of 9 items of RES were acceptable and they were all approved [Impact scores (IS) >1.5, S-CVI/Ave = 0.97, I-CVI = 0.93]; the Internal consistency of the scale was confirmed by the Cronbach's α coefficient (0.82) and McDonald's omega (0.83). The reliability of the scale also was confirmed by the Spearman's correlation coefficient and intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC), with results obtained above 0.8 for all items. The factor analysis identified two factors that accounted for about 56% of the variance. Also, the CFA model fitted well according to the results of the fitting indices (RMSEA = 0.084, CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.064, and TLI = 0.97). In addition, the convergent validity of the scale was equal to 0.65 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Development of a valid and reliable psychological resilience scale may bring great benefits to the Persian society. Our findings suggest that the Persian RES has good psychometric properties, and it may serve as a valuable instrument in research and clinical practice.

Long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms in deployed military personnel: A 10-year prospective study

BACKGROUND

Military missions, especially those involving combat exposure, are associated with an increased risk of depression. Understanding the long-term course of depressive symptoms post-deployment is important to improve decision-making regarding deployment and mental health policies in the military. This study investigates trajectories of depressive symptoms in the Dutch army, exploring the influence of factors such as demographics, early-life trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and deployment stressors.

METHODS

A cohort of 1032 military men and women deployed to Afghanistan (2005-2008) was studied from pre- to 10 years post-deployment. Depressive and PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Symptom CheckList-90 and the Self-Rating Inventory for PTSD. Demographics, early trauma, and deployment experiences were collected at baseline and after deployment, respectively. Latent Class Growth Analysis was used to explore heterogeneity in trajectories of depressive symptoms over time.

RESULTS

Four trajectories were found: resilient (65%), intermediate-stable (20%), symptomatic-chronic (9%), and late-onset-increasing (6%). The resilient group experienced fewer deployment stressors, while the symptomatic-chronic group reported more early life traumas. Trajectories with elevated depressive symptoms consistently demonstrated higher PTSD symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

Potential nonresponse bias and missing information due to the longitudinal design and extensive follow-up times.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified multiple trajectories of depressive symptoms in military personnel up to 10 years post-deployment, associated with early trauma, deployment stressors, adverse life events and PTSD symptoms. The prevalence of the resilient trajectory suggests a substantial level of resilience among deployed military personnel. These findings provide valuable insights and a foundation for further research.

The role of resilience in the development of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder after trauma in children and adolescents

This investigation, conducted within the Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network, investigated the prospective relationships between resiliency and emergent internalizing symptoms among trauma-exposed youth. The cohort encompassed 1262 youth, aged 8-20, from twelve health-related institutions across Texas, who completed assessments at baseline and one- and six-month follow-ups for resiliency, symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other demographic and clinical characteristics. At baseline, greater resilience was positively associated with older age, male (vs female) sex assigned at birth, and history of mental health treatment. Unadjusted for covariates, higher baseline resilience was associated with greater prospective depression and PTSD symptoms but not anxiety symptoms. Upon adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, higher baseline resilience was no longer associated with depression, PTSD, or anxiety symptoms. Our analyses demonstrate that the predictive value of resilience on psychopathology is relatively small compared to more readily observable clinical and demographic factors. These data suggest a relatively minor prospective role of resilience in protecting against internalizing symptoms among trauma-exposed youth and highlight the importance of controlling for relevant youth characteristics when investigating a protective effect of resilience on internalizing symptoms.

Childhood Trauma and Depressive Level Among Chinese College Students in Guangzhou: The Roles of Rumination and Perceived Stress

OBJECTIVE

Although previous studies have validated the effect of childhood trauma on depressive level, few studies have utilized the diathesis-stress theory to investigate the specific roles of perceived stress and rumination in the pathway between childhood trauma and depression in Chinese college students. This study aims to demonstrate the mediation effect of perceived stress and the moderation effect of rumination in the pathway between childhood trauma and depressive level in Chinese college students.

METHODS

A total of 995 Chinese college students in Guangzhou were included in this study by recruitment advertisement from October to December 2021. And they were asked to finish four self-report questionnaires, including Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Perceived Stress Scale, the 22-item Ruminative Response Scale, and Beck Depression Scale-II. Then the data were analyzed with Mplus 8.3.

RESULTS

Results revealed significant correlations among childhood trauma, perceived stress, rumination and depressive level. Further analyses revealed that perceived stress played a mediation role between childhood trauma and depressive level (estimate=0.09, standard error [SE]=0.02, t=5.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.06-0.12), and rumination played a moderation role between childhood trauma and perceived stress (estimate=-0.17, SE=0.06, t=-2.86, 95% CI=-0.28- -0.05]) as well as between childhood trauma and depressive level (estimate=0.10, SE=0.04, t=2.74, 95% CI=0.03-0.16).

CONCLUSION

These results revealed the mediation effect of perceived stress and the moderation effect of rumination in the pathway between childhood trauma and depressive level in Chinese college students, which helped us to understand how the childhood trauma influenced the depressive level and gave us multi-dimensional indications for reducing the effect of childhood trauma on depressive level.

Cognitive factors as mediators of the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms: the mediating roles of cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination, and social problem-solving

Background: Childhood trauma has negative immediate and long-term impacts on depression. Questions remain, however, regarding the cognitive factors influencing this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the role of three cognitive factors - cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination and social problem-solving - as mediating factors in the relationship between childhood trauma and symptoms of depression.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Iran from March to July 2023. Participants (N = 227; Mean age 32.44 ± 8.95 years) with depression completed measures of childhood trauma, depression, self-overgeneralisation, cognitive errors, memory specificity, rumination and social problem-solving. The conceptual model was assessed using structural equation modelling.Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that childhood trauma had a positive direct effect on depression symptoms. Childhood trauma had a positive indirect effect on depression symptoms through both self-overgeneralisation and rumination and a negative indirect effect on depression through effective social problem-solving strategies.Conclusions: The findings suggest increased exposure to childhood trauma may be associated with elevated depression and self-overgeneralisation, rumination, and effective social problem-solving strategies may play an important role in this relationship. These findings hold potential implications for those working with patients with depression and a history of childhood trauma.

A validation study of the Occupational Depression Inventory in Poland and Ukraine

This study examined the psychometric and structural properties of the Polish and Ukrainian versions of the Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI). We relied on two samples of Polish employees (NSample1 = 526, 47% female; NSample2 = 164, 64% female) and one sample of Ukrainian employees (NSample3 = 372, 73% female). In all samples, the ODI exhibited essential unidimensionality and high total-score reliability (e.g., McDonald's omegas > 0.90). The homogeneity of the scale was strong (e.g., 0.59 ≤ scale-level Hs ≤ 0.68). The ODI's total scores thus accurately ranked individuals on a latent occupational depression continuum. We found evidence of complete measurement invariance across our samples, a prerequisite for between-group comparisons involving observed scores. Looking into the criterion validity of the ODI, we found occupational depression to correlate, in the expected direction, with resilience and job-person fit in six areas of working life-workload, control, rewards, community, fairness, and values. The prevalence of occupational depression was estimated at 5% in Sample 1, 18% in Sample 2, and 3% in Sample 3. Our findings support the use of the ODI's Polish and Ukrainian versions. This study adds to a growing corpus of research suggesting that the ODI is a robust instrument.

Associations of childhood adversity with emotional well-being and educational achievement: A review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Profound negative implications of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have raised public health concern worldwide.

METHOD

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined associations of three types of ACEs (abuse, neglect, and household dysfunctions) with experiential (emotional quality of momentary and everyday experiences) and reflective (judgments about life satisfaction, sense of meaning, and ability to pursue goals that can include and extend beyond the self) facets of emotional well-being (EWB) and educational achievement. The systematic review yielded 100 studies with 176 effect sizes that met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

ACEs were related particularly strongly to lower EWB, r = -0.32, p < .001; [95 % CI: -0.44 to 0.01], but also to lower educational achievement, r = -0.18, p < .001; [95 % CI: -0.21 to -0.05]. Associations were stronger for abuse and composite indicators of ACEs than for household dysfunctions. Associations of ACEs with EWB and educational achievement were stronger in childhood and adolescence than in emerging or later adulthood. Associations did not differ for males and females or for Eastern versus Western cultural groups. Analyses provided evidence for the causal role of ACEs in the development of lower EWB and academic achievement as well as their reciprocal associations.

LIMITATIONS

There is no standard conceptualization of well-being and studies are not always clear about the types of ACEs examined, with limited research on educational achievement.

CONCLUSION

Findings have important implications for mental health professionals, policy makers and social service agencies in developing resources and intervention services that target ACEs to protect individuals and promote well-being and academic achievement.

Child maltreatment and resilience in adulthood: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Although child maltreatment (CM) has been linked to health problems and poor psychosocial functioning, not all individuals exposed to CM develop or experience negative consequences later in life. This suggests that some individuals show resilience after being exposed to CM. However, conclusions have been limited by inconsistent findings across different CM subtypes and resilience domains.Objective: To develop a protocol for conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify associations between CM (overall and its subtypes) and resilience (global and its multiple domains) in adulthood, and to examine moderators and mediators of these associations.Method: PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science will be searched to identify relevant studies on the association between CM (exposure) and resilience (outcome) in adults (≥ 18 years). Data will be screened and extracted by at least two independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the included studies will be independently assessed with a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). If deemed viable, a meta-analysis will be conducted using a random effects model. Heterogeneity of evidence will be estimated with the I2 statistic, and publication bias will be assessed. The effects of potential moderators (e.g. timing and severity of CM, age, sex, family cohesion, socio-economic status, country/region) will be analysed using meta-regression and subgroup analyses, and meta-analytical structural equation modelling will be employed to synthesise indirect mediation effects. Candidate moderators and mediators (e.g. genetic factors, brain functioning, attachment style, personality traits, physical activity, and social support) will be also examined qualitatively.Conclusions: This protocol will facilitate a systematic review and meta-analysis that has the potential to enhance our knowledge about the association between CM exposure in early life and resilience in adulthood. Understanding associations and underlying mechanisms between CM and resilience is potentially important in informing prevention and interventions to sustain health and improve outcomes among adults with a history of CM.PROSPERO registration: CRD42023394120.

The Importance of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Depressive Symptoms and Their Biological Consequences in Healthy Adults: Results of a Polish University Student Study

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a long-lasting effect on both physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to assess the consequences of ACEs and experienced stress on depression and the role of biological disturbances in this relationship in a student population. Potential participants filled out a screening questionnaire; 60 of 126 students met the inclusion criteria and were tested for the severity of stress and depressive symptoms, ACEs, dietary habits, and serum concentrations of biological markers. Depressive symptoms were related to a younger age (p = 0.012), a higher severity of stress (p = 0.001), ACEs (p = 0.007), and lower triglyceride (p = 0.01) and cortisol concentrations (p = 0.01). An inverse relationship between the triglyceride concentration and emotional abuse (R = -0.38) and emotional neglect (R = -0.33) was found. Occludin was positively associated with physical abuse (R = 0.31). Cortisol was inversely associated with emotional abuse (R = -0.35). Emotional neglect was associated with lipopolysaccharide binding protein (R = 0.38) and insulin levels (R = -0.31). The most promising multi-panel of biomarkers for recognizing mood symptoms included triglycerides, tight junction protein 1, and cortisol (cut-offs of ≤ 95.5 mg/dL, 0.72 ng/mL, and 134.63 ng/mL, respectively). This study confirmed the association between ACEs and depressive symptoms and the importance of psychological stress in developing mood disorders. ACEs could affect biological dysregulation. Some of the biological markers could be helpful in early detection of depression.

Human emotion processing accuracy, negative biases, and fMRI activation are associated with childhood trauma

Introduction

Emerging literature suggests that childhood trauma may influence facial emotion perception (FEP), with the potential to negatively bias both emotion perception and reactions to emotion-related inputs. Negative emotion perception biases are associated with a range of psychiatric and behavioral problems, potentially due or as a result of difficult social interactions. Unfortunately, there is a poor understanding of whether observed negative biases are related to childhood trauma history, depression history, or processes common to (and potentially causative of) both experiences.

Methods

The present cross-sectional study examines the relation between FEP and neural activation during FEP with retrospectively reported childhood trauma in young adult participants with remitted major depressive disorder (rMDD, n = 41) and without psychiatric histories (healthy controls [HC], n = 34). Accuracy of emotion categorization and negative bias errors during FEP and brain activation were each measured during exposure to fearful, angry, happy, sad, and neutral faces. We examined participant behavioral and neural responses in relation to total reported severity of childhood abuse and neglect (assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ).

Results

Results corrected for multiple comparisons indicate that higher trauma scores were associated with greater likelihood of miscategorizing happy faces as angry. Activation in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) positively correlated with trauma scores when participants viewed faces that they correctly categorized as angry, fearful, sad, and happy.

Discussion

Identifying the neural mechanisms by which childhood trauma and MDD may change facial emotion perception could inform targeted prevention efforts for MDD or related interpersonal difficulties.

Comorbidity between major depressive disorder and physical diseases: a comprehensive review of epidemiology, mechanisms and management

Populations with common physical diseases - such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders - experience substantially higher rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) than the general population. On the other hand, people living with MDD have a greater risk for many physical diseases. This high level of comorbidity is associated with worse outcomes, reduced adherence to treatment, increased mortality, and greater health care utilization and costs. Comorbidity can also result in a range of clinical challenges, such as a more complicated therapeutic alliance, issues pertaining to adaptive health behaviors, drug-drug interactions and adverse events induced by medications used for physical and mental disorders. Potential explanations for the high prevalence of the above comorbidity involve shared genetic and biological pathways. These latter include inflammation, the gut microbiome, mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, and brain structure and function. Furthermore, MDD and physical diseases have in common several antecedents related to social factors (e.g., socioeconomic status), lifestyle variables (e.g., physical activity, diet, sleep), and stressful live events (e.g., childhood trauma). Pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies are effective treatments for comorbid MDD, and the introduction of lifestyle interventions as well as collaborative care models and digital technologies provide promising strategies for improving management. This paper aims to provide a detailed overview of the epidemiology of the comorbidity of MDD and specific physical diseases, including prevalence and bidirectional risk; of shared biological pathways potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of MDD and common physical diseases; of socio-environmental factors that serve as both shared risk and protective factors; and of management of MDD and physical diseases, including prevention and treatment. We conclude with future directions and emerging research related to optimal care of people with comorbid MDD and physical diseases.

Influence of childhood trauma, HIV infection, alcohol use disorder, and resilience on health-related quality of life in adulthood

Experience of childhood trauma, especially physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, carries a risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and engaging in risky behaviors that can result in HIV infection. AUD and HIV are associated with compromised self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) possibly intersecting with childhood trauma. To determine whether poor HRQoL is heightened by AUD, HIV, their comorbidity (AUD + HIV), number of trauma events, or poor resilience, 108 AUD, 45 HIV, 52 AUD + HIV, and 67 controls completed the SF-21 HRQoL, Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Ego Resiliency Scale (ER-89), and an interview about childhood trauma. Of the 272 participants, 116 reported a trauma history before age 18. Participants had a blood draw, AUDIT questionnaire, and interview about lifetime alcohol consumption. AUD, HIV, and AUD + HIV had lower scores on HRQoL and resilience composite comprising the BRS and ER-89 than controls. Greater resilience was a significant predictor of better quality of life in all groups. HRQoL was differentially moderated in AUD and HIV: more childhood traumas predicted poorer quality of life in AUD and controls, whereas higher T-lymphocyte count contributed to better quality of life in HIV. This study is novel in revealing a detrimental impact on HRQoL from AUD, HIV, and their comorbidity, with differential negative contribution from trauma and beneficial effect of resilience to quality of life. Channeling positive effects of resilience and reducing the incidence and negative impact of childhood trauma may have beneficial effects on health-related quality of life in adulthood independent of diagnosis.

Computing within-study covariances, data visualization, and missing data solutions for multivariate meta-analysis with metavcov

Multivariate meta-analysis (MMA) is a powerful statistical technique that can provide more reliable and informative results than traditional univariate meta-analysis, which allows for comparisons across outcomes with increased statistical power. However, implementing appropriate statistical methods for MMA can be challenging due to the requirement of various specific tasks in data preparation. The metavcov package aims for model preparation, data visualization, and missing data solutions to provide tools for different methods that cannot be found in accessible software. It provides sufficient constructs for estimating coefficients from other well-established packages. For model preparation, users can compute both effect sizes of various types and their variance-covariance matrices, including correlation coefficients, standardized mean difference, mean difference, log odds ratio, log risk ratio, and risk difference. The package provides a tool to plot the confidence intervals for the primary studies and the overall estimates. When specific effect sizes are missing, single imputation is available in the model preparation stage; a multiple imputation method is also available for pooling the results in a statistically principled manner from models of users' choice. The package is demonstrated in two real data applications and a simulation study to assess methods for handling missing data.

Childhood Adversity, Resilience, and Paranoia During the COVID-19 Outbreak. The Mediating Role of Irrational Beliefs and Affective Disturbance

Childhood adversity (CA) and resilience may impact on paranoia, but mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated two potential candidates: irrational beliefs and affective disturbance. Moreover, we investigated the potential moderating role of COVID-19 perceived stress in these associations. A community sample (N = 419, m age = 27.32 years, SD = 8.98; 88.10% females) completed self-report measures. Results indicated that paranoia was significantly associated with CA and resilience (p < .05), and both irrational beliefs and affective disturbance (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) mediated the associations between CA and paranoia. Moreover, depressive and anxiety symptoms partially explained the mediating role of irrational beliefs. These predictive models explained up to 23.52% of variance in paranoia (F(3,415) = 42.536, p < .001). Findings on resilience and paranoia replicated these results, and COVID-19 perceived stress moderated the association between resilience and ideas of persecution. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of irrational beliefs, depressive and anxiety symptoms in high CA or low resilience individuals experiencing paranoia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10942-023-00511-4.

Do the various leisure forms have equal effects on mental health? A longitudinal analysis of self-selected leisure activities

The deteriorating trends of unbalanced income, progressive age-related health problems, and loss of traditional ties necessitate ever-flexible interventions that are helpful to overcome a decline in Chinese adults' mental health. This study aimed to test whether engagement in different domains of leisure is associated with a composite index of mental health, both concurrently and subsequently. Longitudinal data including 10,968 participants (females = 5,804) with a mean age of 46.01 years in the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with a logit link. The results showed that face-to-face experiences, such as sports with all ORs of < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 and meeting with all ORs of < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 except daily in-person meeting frequency, are important for protecting mental health owing to the increasing social support by building close ties. The results also indicate that online leisure with all ORs < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 has positive effects on lowering the odds of depression. In addition, receptive cognitive leisure, such as watching television or movies with all ORs < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.05 level, was not consistently associated with depression. However, active cognitive leisure, such as reading with all ORs of < 1 at a significance level of α = 0.01, was associated with lower odds of depression.

The mediating and moderating effects of resilience between childhood trauma and geriatric depressive symptoms among Chinese community-dwelling older adults

Objective

This study aims to examine the association between childhood traumatic events (CTEs), childhood trauma severity, and depressive symptoms, as well as to examine the mediating and moderating roles of resilience in these associations.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,091 community-dwelling older adults in Jinan, China. The trauma history questionnaire (THQ) was used to measure CTEs and childhood trauma severity. CTEs were defined as the number of traumatic events before the age of 18. We calculated childhood trauma severity by multiplying the number of CTEs by the participants' self-perceived impact level of the events from the THQ. We then applied the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale and 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale to assess participants' depressive symptoms and resilience, respectively. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating and moderating roles of resilience.

Results

Childhood traumatic events, childhood trauma severity, and resilience were all associated with depressive symptoms in older adults. Resilience mediated the relationship between childhood trauma severity and depressive symptoms (β = 0.082, 95% CI = 0.045-0.123), accounting for 26.6% of the overall effect (β = 0.308, 95% CI = 0.190-0.422). However, there was no evidence that resilience mediated the association between CTEs and depressive symptoms. In addition, we did not find that resilience played a moderating role in the associations of CTEs, childhood trauma severity with depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

Resilience plays a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma severity and depressive symptoms. Intervention measures on improving resilience may reduce childhood trauma severity associated with depression risk in older Chinese adults.

Evaluating Community Resilience and Associated Factors One Year after the Catastrophic Fort McMurray Flood

BACKGROUND

Resilience after natural disasters is becoming an increasingly key area of research. In April 2020, parts of Fort McMurray were affected by severe floods. The flooding caused the loss of properties, evacuation of some residents, and effects on their mental health.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the prevalence and associated factors between flood experience and low resilience a year after the 2020 floods in Fort McMurray.

METHOD

Data collection was accomplished one year after the flood, from 24 April to 2 June 2021, using an online survey. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 25 using univariate analysis with the chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of low resilience was 37.4%. Respondents under 25 years were nearly 26 times more likely to show low resilience (OR = 0.038; 95% CI 0.004-0.384) than respondents 40 years and above. Responders with a history of depression (OR = 0.258 95% CI: 0.089-0.744) and a history of anxiety (OR = 0.212; CI 95% 0.068-0.661) were nearly four to five times more likely to show low resilience than those without a history. Similarly, respondents willing to receive mental health counselling (OR = 0.134 95% CI: 0.047-0.378) were 7.5 times more likely to show low resilience. Participants residing in the same house before the flood were almost 11 times more likely to show low resilience (OR = 0.095; 95% CI 0.021-0.427) than those who relocated. Participants who received support from the Government of Alberta were less likely to express low resilience than those who received no or limited support (OR = 208.343; 95% CI 3.284-13,218.663).

CONCLUSION

The study showed a low resilience rate among respondents following the 2020 flooding in Fort McMurray. Factors contributing to low resilience include age, history of depression or anxiety, and place of residence after the flood. After the flood, receiving support from the government was shown to be a protective factor. Further studies are needed to explore robust risk factors of low resilience and measures to promote normal to high resilience among flood victims in affected communities.