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Schreier HMC, Feinberg ME, Jones DE, Ganguli A, Givens C, Graham-Engeland J. Children's empathy moderates the association between perceived interparental conflict and child health. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:128-135. [PMID: 38408496 PMCID: PMC11008563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Interparental conflict is known to negatively impact child well-being, including behavioral and physiological well-being. Children's empathy - that is, vicariously experiencing others' emotions - may increase children's sensitivity to and the biological repercussions of interparental conflict. Although empathy represents a valued trait and is an important part of socioemotional development, its influence on children's physical health is unknown. This study examined whether empathy moderates the association between perceived interparental conflict and both child systemic inflammation and parent-rated overall child health in a sample of children between the ages of seven to nine. Children and their parents participating in the long-term evaluation of the Family Foundations program, a randomized trial of a perinatal preventative intervention, provided data approximately eight years following enrollment into the program. We collected peripheral blood samples via dried blood spots, anthropometric measurements, and child and parent psychosocial questionnaires. Results indicated significant positive main effects of child empathy on both C-reactive protein (CRP; B = 0.26, SE = 0.11, p =.026) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6; B = 0.20, SE = 0.10, p =.045) levels. Further, child affective empathy moderated the associations between perceived interparental conflict and both CRP (B = 0.39, SE = 0.19, p =.050) and parent-reported child health (B = 0.30, SE = 0.13, p =.021), such that greater empathy strengthened the negative associations between interparental conflict and child health. Overall, findings suggests that there may be a biological cost of being more empathic in high-conflict environments and highlight the need for tools to help more empathic children appropriately manage vicarious emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, United States; Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, United States.
| | - Mark E Feinberg
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Damon E Jones
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Aishwarya Ganguli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Caitlin Givens
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
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Brown CL, Grimm KJ, Wells JL, Hua AY, Levenson RW. Empathic Accuracy and Shared Depressive Symptoms in Close Relationships. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:509-525. [PMID: 37206479 PMCID: PMC10193708 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221141852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Empathic accuracy, the ability to accurately understand others' emotions, is typically viewed as beneficial for mental health. However, empathic accuracy may be problematic when a close relational partner is depressed because it promotes shared depression. Across two studies, we measured empathic accuracy using laboratory tasks that capture the ability to rate others' emotional valence accurately over time: first, in a sample of 156 neurotypical married couples (Study 1; Total N=312), and then in a sample of 102 informal caregivers of individuals with dementia (Study 2). Across both studies, the association between empathic accuracy and depressive symptoms varied as a function of a partner's level of depressive symptoms. Greater empathic accuracy was associated with (a) fewer depressive symptoms when a partner lacked depressive symptoms, but (b) more depressive symptoms when a partner had high levels of depressive symptoms. Accurately detecting changes in others' emotional valence may underpin shared depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey L. Brown
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
| | | | - Jenna L. Wells
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Alice Y. Hua
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
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Manczak EM. Is there a cost to caring? Dispositional affective empathy interacts with depressive symptoms to predict higher C-reactive protein 8 years later. Biol Psychol 2023; 180:108573. [PMID: 37148961 PMCID: PMC10330800 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Affective empathy, including the tendency to vicariously experience the emotions of others, is a highly-valued prosocial trait, but has been previously found to be associated with higher chronic inflammation cross-sectionally and to interact with the levels of depressive symptoms in important social partners. The current study utilized prospective longitudinal data from a nationally representative study of adults in the United States to assess whether dispositional affective empathy interacted with one's own depressive symptoms to predict C-reactive protein (CRP) approximately eight years later. Results revealed that higher ratings of empathy predicted higher CRP, but only among individuals with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Higher depressive symptoms related to greater inflammation regardless of dispositional empathy and perceived stress did not account for observed associations. Taken together, these findings suggest that vicariously experiencing others' emotions may come at a biological cost, which, if sustained, may place individuals at greater risk for inflammatory diseases.
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The relationship between the plasma proinflammatory cytokine levels of depressed/anxious children and their parents. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11798. [PMID: 34083584 PMCID: PMC8175361 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90971-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest immune function dysregulation in depression and anxiety disorders. Elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines may be a marker for immune system dysregulation. No study assessed the correlation between the levels of cytokines in children and adolescents with depression/anxiety disorders and their parents. In this study, 92 children and adolescents (mean age 13.90 ± 2.41 years) with depression and/or anxiety disorders were treated with fluoxetine. Blood samples were collected before initiation of treatment. One hundred and sixty-four of their parents (mean age 50.6 ± 6.2 years) and 25 parents of healthy children (mean age 38.5 ± 6.2 years) also gave blood samples. Plasma levels of three pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and compared between depressed/anxious children and their parents. We also compared cytokine levels between parents of children with depression/anxiety and control parents. Mothers of depressed children had higher TNF-α levels than mothers of controls. No significant difference was detected in the fathers. A positive correlation was found between the IL-1β levels of the depressed/anxious boys and their mothers. No such correlation was observed in the fathers. Our conclusions are that higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines may indicate immune system activation in mothers in response to the distress associated with having depressed/anxious offspring. The correlation between IL-1β levels in the mothers and their depressed/anxious children may indicate familial vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Our observation highlights the need for a better understanding of sexual dimorphism in inflammatory responses to stress.
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Huffhines L, Jackson Y, McGuire A, Schreier HMC. The intergenerational interplay of adversity on salivary inflammation in young children and caregivers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 128:105222. [PMID: 33878600 PMCID: PMC8131264 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Systemic inflammation links exposure to early childhood adversity to later disease. The associations among adversity and disease risk might in part operate through poor oral hygiene and subsequent periodontal inflammation, which can be measured in saliva. Few studies, however, have examined the association between adversity and salivary inflammation in young children. Further, there is a dearth of literature investigating adverse experiences and salivary inflammation in children and caregivers together, limiting our understanding of the intergenerational, dual effects of adversity on inflammation for both members of the caregiver-child dyad. This study tested child and caregiver adversity and their associations with an inflammatory composite (i.e., IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α) and CRP in 93 preschool-age children and their caregivers. Caregivers reported on their child's experiences of adversity, as well as on their own adverse experiences, using a comprehensive questionnaire synthesized from previous checklists for complete coverage of possible adverse events. Results showed that caregivers' salivary inflammatory markers (i.e., IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α, and CRP) were not significantly correlated with the same five inflammatory markers in children's saliva. Among children, adversity was associated with significantly higher levels of the inflammatory composite, though not CRP. This association was amplified among children whose caregivers also experienced more adversity during adulthood. Among caregivers, childhood adversity and adulthood adversity were each independently associated with significantly higher levels of the inflammatory composite and CRP. The association between caregivers' own childhood adversity and inflammation was amplified among caregivers whose children also experienced more adversity during their childhoods. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the possible dual role of young children's and caregivers' adverse experiences in contributing to salivary inflammation for both members of the dyad, suggesting possible implications for systemic inflammation and future disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Huffhines
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond St., Providence, RI 02903, USA; Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, 1 Hoppin St., Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - Yo Jackson
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Moore, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
| | - Austen McGuire
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
| | - Hannah M. C. Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802 USA
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Peters AT, Ren X, Bessette KL, Goldstein BI, West AE, Langenecker SA, Pandey GN. Interplay between pro-inflammatory cytokines, childhood trauma, and executive function in depressed adolescents. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 114:1-10. [PMID: 30978658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pro-inflammatory cytokines have been linked to depression, early childhood trauma, and impairment in executive function in adults. Whether these links are present during adolescence, a time when vulnerability to depression is heightened, a point more proximal to childhood trauma, and a critical period of brain development, is not well understood. METHOD Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured in 70 adolescents aged 12-17, including 40 with a DSM-IV depressive disorder (DEP), a sub-set (n = 22) of whom reported a history of childhood trauma (DEP-T), and 30 healthy controls (HCs). Participants completed performance-based (Parametric Go/No-Go Task) and observer-rated (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) measures of executive function. Procedures were conducted at a subspecialty clinic (Dec 2015-June 2017). RESULTS IL-6 was elevated in DEP and DEP-T adolescents compared to controls (p = .014) and TNF-α was elevated in DEP participants only (p = .040) compared to controls, whereas no group differences were found in IL-1β (p = .829). Additionally, DEP-T participants demonstrated relative deficits in performance-based (p = .044) and observer-rated inhibitory control (p = .049) compared to controls. Across the whole sample, TNF-α was associated with performance-based (r = -0.25, p = .039) and observer-rated (r = 0.32, p = .009) inhibitory control deficits. In subgroup analyses, TNF-α was associated with increased observer-rated inhibitory deficits in DEP, and at the trend level, with reduced inhibitory control performance in DEP-T. CONCLUSIONS The current results suggest that inflammation may be a marker of disease processes in adolescent depression. Though longitudinal studies are needed, depressed adolescents with childhood trauma exposure appear to constitute a uniquely vulnerable group in terms of objective risk for executive dysfunction. Immune dysregulation may partly contribute to this risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T Peters
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, USA; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, USA.
| | - Xinguo Ren
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, USA
| | - Katie L Bessette
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, USA; University of Utah, Department of Psychiatry, USA
| | - Benjamin I Goldstein
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology & Department of Psychiatry, Canada
| | - Amy E West
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Department of Pediatrics, USA
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Subjective social status and neural processing of race in Mexican American adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1837-1848. [PMID: 30189904 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a sensitive period for sociocultural development in which facets of social identity, including social status and race, become especially salient. Despite the heightened importance of both social status and race during this developmental period, no known work has examined how individual differences in social status influence perceptions of race in adolescents. Thus, in the present study, we investigated how both subjective social status and objective socioeconomic status (SES) influence neural responses to race. Twenty-three Mexican American adolescents (15 females; mean age = 17.22 years) were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging while they viewed Black and White faces in a standard labeling task. Adolescents rated their subjective social status in US society, while their parents responded to questions about their educational background, occupation, and economic strain (objective SES). Results demonstrated a negative association between subjective social status and neural responses in the amygdala, fusiform face area, and medial prefrontal cortex when adolescents viewed Black (relative to White) faces. In other words, adolescents with lower subjective social status showed greater activity in neural regions involved in processing salience, perceptual expertise, and thinking about the minds of others when they viewed images of Black faces, suggesting enhanced salience of race for these youth. There was no relationship between objective SES and neural responses to the faces. Moreover, instructing participants to focus on the gender or emotion expression on the face attenuated the relationship between subjective social status and neural processing of race. Together, these results demonstrate that subjective social status shapes the way the brain responds to race, which may have implications for psychopathology.
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Muscatell KA. Socioeconomic influences on brain function: implications for health. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1428:14-32. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Keely A. Muscatell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina
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Levine CS, Hoffer LC, Chen E. Moderators of the relationship between frequent family demands and inflammation among adolescents. Health Psychol 2017; 36:493-501. [PMID: 28192001 PMCID: PMC5398934 DOI: 10.1037/hea0000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Frequent demands from others in relationships are associated with worse physiological and health outcomes. The present research investigated 2 potential moderators of the relationship between frequency of demands from one's family and inflammatory profiles among adolescents: (a) closeness of adolescents' relationships with their families, and (b) the frequency with which adolescents provided help to their families. METHOD Two hundred thirty-four adolescents, ages 13-16 (Mage = 14.53; 47.83% male), completed a daily dairy in which they reported on the frequency of demands made by family members. They were also interviewed about the closeness of their family relationships and reported in the daily diary on how frequently they provided help to their families. Adolescents also underwent a blood draw to assess low-grade inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation. RESULTS More frequent demands from family predicted higher levels of low-grade inflammation and cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation in adolescents. Family closeness moderated the relationship between frequent demands and stimulated cytokine production such that more frequent demands predicted higher cytokine production among adolescents who were closer to their families. Furthermore, frequency of providing help moderated the relationship between frequent demands and both low-grade inflammation and stimulated cytokine production, such that more frequent demands predicted worse inflammatory profiles among adolescents who provided more help to their families. CONCLUSIONS These findings build on previous work on family demands and health to show under what circumstances family demands might have a physiological cost. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia S. Levine
- Institute for Policy Research and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Lauren C. Hoffer
- Institute for Policy Research and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Edith Chen
- Institute for Policy Research and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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Kashdan TB, Doorley J, Stiksma MC, Hertenstein MJ. Discomfort and avoidance of touch: new insights on the emotional deficits of social anxiety. Cogn Emot 2016; 31:1638-1646. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1256867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Todd B. Kashdan
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - James Doorley
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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