Child maltreatment, recent stressful life events, and suicide ideation: A test of the stress sensitivity hypothesis

Background. In animals, early trauma can produce long-lasting changes in sensitivity to the pathogenic effects of stress. To explore whether similar processes occur in humans, we examine whether childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in women alters sensitivity in adulthood to the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs).Method. A history of CSA was obtained from a population-based sample of 1404 female adult twins. Cox Proportional hazard models were used to predict onsets of episodes of DSM-III-R major depression (MD) in the past year from previously assessed levels of neuroticism (N), CSA and past-year SLEs scored on long-term contextual threat.Results. In the best-fit model, onset of MD was predicted by CSA, SLEs and N. Individuals with CSA (and especially with severe CSA) had both an overall increased risk for MD and a substantially increased sensitivity to the depressogenic effects of SLEs. A ‘dose–response’ relationship between severity of CSA and sensitivity to SLEs was clearer in those with low to average levels of N than in those with high levels of N.Conclusion. As documented with physiological responses to a standardized laboratory stressor, CSA increases stress sensitivity in women in a more naturalistic setting. Both genetic and early environmental risk factors can produce long-term increase in the sensitivity of individuals to depressogenic life experiences.

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Risk of Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Maltreatment: The Mediating Role of Borderline Personality Traits and Recent Stressful Life Events

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10225293 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (22) ◽

pp. 5293

Author(s):

Laia Marques-Feixa ◽

Jorge Moya-Higueras ◽

Soledad Romero ◽

Pilar Santamarina-Pérez ◽

Marta Rapado-Castro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Life Events ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Emotion Dysregulation ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Targeted Interventions

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with increased non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior (SB), independently of demographic and mental health conditions. Self-Trauma Theory and Linehan’s Biopsychosocial Model might explain the emergence of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms as mediators of the association between CM and the risk of SB. However, little is known regarding such relationships when the exposure is recent for young persons. Here, we study 187 youths aged 7–17, with or without mental disorders. We explore CM experiences (considering the severity and frequency of different forms of neglect and abuse), recent stressful life events (SLEs), some BPD traits (emotion dysregulation, intense anger and impulsivity), and the risk of SB (including NSSI, suicide threat, suicide ideation, suicide plan and suicide attempt). We study the direct and mediating relationships between these variables via a structural equation analysis using the statistical software package EQS. Our findings suggest that youths exposed to more severe/frequent CM have more prominent BPD traits, and are more likely to have experienced recent SLEs. In turn, BPD traits increase the risk of SLEs. However, only emotion dysregulation and recent SLEs were found to be correlated with SB. Therefore, targeted interventions on emotion dysregulation are necessary to prevent NSSI or SB in children and adolescents exposed to CM, as is the minimization of further SLEs.

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S14. ANALYSIS OF METHYLATION AGE AND BLOOD CELL COMPOSITION IN SUBJECTS WITH CURRENT SUICIDE IDEATION

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa031.080 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S36-S36

Author(s):

Oluwagbenga Dada ◽

Vincenzo De Luca ◽

Ali Bani-Fatemi ◽

Vincenzo De Luca

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Blood Cell ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Accelerated Aging ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Epigenetic Clock ◽

Cell Composition

Abstract Background Suicidal Ideation (SI) remain an important and common risk factor affecting people with SCZ, who eventually attempt or complete suicide. Then the question is, what if factors (such as stressful life events and related molecular biomarkers) known to be involved in the aetiology of SCZ could help in predicting SI in this population? The accelerated aging hypothesis of SCZ posits that physiological changes associated with normal aging occur at an earlier age in individuals with SCZ than in the general population. Importantly, epigenetic changes may constitute an important component of aging process. Based on this, the chronological age can be predicted by the epigenetic clock in a highly consistent manner. The aims of this research were to determine the effect chronological and biological age on current SI and secondly, to determine the effect of the variation of cellular blood cell composition on current SI. Methods A total of 103 participants with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders were recruited from the Center of Addiction and Mental Health. The SI was assessed by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was generated from whole blood cells. The DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Bead Chip while the DNA methylation-based age prediction and white blood cell composition were performed using the statistical pipeline developed by Horvath. Results Out of 103 participants, 18 had current SI (17%) while 85 had NSI. The DNAm age correlated with chronological age in the overall sample (r=0.814, p<0.0001), NSI (r=0.823, p<0.0001) and SI subjects (r=0.734, p=0.001). The strong linear relationship between DNAm age and chronological age showed a high accuracy of the epigenetic clock. However, DNAm age acceleration residuals did not differ between NSI and SI groups (t=1.532, p= 0.129). Comparison of the cellular cell blood composition between the NSI and SI groups indicated no significant differences between the NSI and SI groups (lymphocytes (t= -0.338, p=0.736), monocytes (t=-1.405, p=0.163) and granulocytes (t=0.924, p=0.358)). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the SI and NSI groups in the analysis of the plasmablast (t=0.138, p=0.890), CD4 naïve (t=0.010, p=0.992) and CD8 naïve (t=0.681, p=0.497) Discussion Stressful life events may change DNA methylation, which in turn can affect suicide ideation and suicidal behavior. Although SCZ is associated with age-related physiological factors, we were unable to find accelerated aging in our study. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out the possibility of other aging mechanism independent of epigenetic aging in SCZ patients. Conclusion: Further studies aimed at investigating the accelerated aging hypothesis in peripheral tissue are warranted to identify individuals with SCZ at risk for suicide. This will permit a tailored treatment and will prevent suicide in SCZ individuals.

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The Interplay between Child Maltreatment and Stressful Life Events during Adulthood and Cardiovascular Problems—A Representative Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10173937 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (17) ◽

pp. 3937

Author(s):

Vera Clemens ◽

David Bürgin ◽

Markus Huber-Lang ◽

Paul L. Plener ◽

Elmar Brähler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Child Maltreatment ◽

Life Events ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Adult Life ◽

Stressful Events ◽

Stressful Life ◽

German Population ◽

Dependent Manner

Psychological stress is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. While the relevance of early life stress, such as that which is due to child maltreatment (CM), is well known to impact individual stress responses in the long-term, and data on the interplay between CM and stressful events in adulthood on cardiovascular health are sparse. Here, we aimed to assess how stressful life events in adulthood are associated with cardiovascular health infarction in later life and whether this association is independent of CM. In a cross-sectional design, a probability sample of the German population above the age of 14 was drawn using different sampling steps. The final sample included 2510 persons (53.3% women, mean age: 48.4 years). Participants were asked about sociodemographic factors, adult life events, CM, and health conditions in adulthood. Results indicate that the number of experienced adverse life events in adulthood is associated with significantly increased odds for obesity (Odds Ration (OR)women = 1.6 [1.3; 2.0], ORmen = 1.4 [1.1; 1.9]), diabetes (ORwomen = 1.5 [1.1; 2.1], ORmen = 1.5 [1.1; 2.3]) and myocardial infarction (ORwomen = 2.1 [1.0; 4.3], ORmen = 1.8 [1.1; 2.8]). This association is not moderated by the experience of CM, which is associated with cardiovascular problems independently. Taken together, adult stressful life events and CM are significantly and independently associated with cardiovascular health in men and women in the German population in a dose-dependent manner. General practitioners, cardiologists and health policy-makers should be aware of this association between psychosocial stressors during childhood and adulthood and cardiovascular health.

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Recent stressful life events and stress sensitivity in children and adolescents at clinical risk for psychosis

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114017 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 114017

Author(s):

Daniel Muñoz-Samons ◽

Jordina Tor ◽

Marta Rodríguez Pascual ◽

Xavier Álvarez Subiela ◽

Gisela Sugranyes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Stress Sensitivity ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Clinical Risk

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Positive Mental Health, Stressful Life Events, and Suicide Ideation

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000652 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 383-388 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Julia Brailovskaia ◽

Tobias Teismann ◽

Jürgen Margraf

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Self Report ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Background: Stressful life events and suicide ideation regularly occur together. Yet, little is known about factors that buffer individuals against the development of suicide ideation. Aim: In a long-term follow-up study design, it was investigated whether positive mental health, that is, high levels of subjective and psychological well-being, buffers the association between stressful life events and suicide ideation. Method: A total of 126 German students (80.2% female; age: M = 24.29, SD = 5.21) were assessed at a baseline evaluation and again 24 months later. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Results: Linear hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Positive mental health was considered to moderate the impact of stressful life events on suicide ideation – controlling for age and gender. Limitations: Current results are limited to university students. Conclusions: Positive mental health interacts with stressful life events, such that those with high levels of positive mental health show an attenuated increase in suicide ideation at elevated levels of stress. Positive mental health seems to confer resilience and should be focused on in counseling centers for students.

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