Subthreshold depressive symptoms relate to cuneus structure: Thickness asymmetry and sex differences

Abstract Background Maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) are negatively associated with children's academic performance, with stronger effects sometimes reported in boys. However, few studies have tested the mechanisms of this association. We examined the mediating role of school engagement and peer victimization in this association and tested for sex differences. Methods Participants were 1173 families from a population-based longitudinal Canadian study. MDSs were self-reported annually using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (child's age: 5 months to 5 years). Data on mediators (peer victimization, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional school engagement) were reported annually from ages 6–10 by multiple informants including children, parents, and teachers using items from validated scales. Mathematics, reading, and writing exam scores at age 12 were obtained from standardized exams administered by Québec's Ministry of Education and Teaching. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation by school experiences in boys and girls. Results Exposure to MDSs was negatively associated with mathematics, reading, and writing scores in girls and with mathematics only in boys. Cognitive and behavioral engagement significantly mediated the association between MDSs and mathematics, reading, and writing scores in girls. There were no significant mediators for boys. Conclusions Prevention and intervention strategies aiming to improve school engagement might be beneficial for daughters of mothers experiencing depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and to identify the mechanisms explaining this association in boys.

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A Theory of Unmitigated Communion

Personality and Social Psychology Review ◽

10.1207/s15327957pspr0203_2 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 173-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Vicki S. Helgeson ◽

Heidi L. Fritz

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sex Role ◽

Female Gender ◽

Well Being ◽

The Self ◽

Unmitigated Communion ◽

Role Socialization ◽

Behavioral Features ◽

Sex Role Socialization

Research has established that women suffer more often than men from depression. Sex role socialization has been offered as one explanation for this sex difference, but traditional measures of female gender-related traits are not related to depressive symptoms. We argue that thus far research has failed to distinguish the traditional measure of female gender-related traits, communion, from another set of gender-related traits, unmitigated communion. Unmitigated communion is a focus on and involvement with others to the exclusion of the self. Unmitigated communion, but not communion, is related to psychological distress, including depressive symptoms, and accounts for sex differences in distress. We examine the relation of unmitigated communion to communion as well as other personality constructs and then describe the cognitive and behavioral features of unmitigated communion. We note the implications of unmitigated communion for physical and psychological well-being and speculate on possible origins.

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Relation Between Depressive Symptoms and Physical Functioning in a Sample Based on Turkish Institutionalized Elderly: Exploring Sex Differences

Journal of Medical Sciences(Faisalabad) ◽

10.3923/jms.2005.106.112 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 106-112

Author(s):

Ugur Cavlak ◽

Mustafa Ahmet Dirik . ◽

Beyza Akdag .

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Physical Functioning ◽

Institutionalized Elderly

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Sex differences in the association between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and depressive symptoms among the general population with normal free T4 levels

Journal of Affective Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jad.2019.02.027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 249 ◽

pp. 151-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

San Lee ◽

Sarah Soyeon Oh ◽

Eun-Cheol Park ◽

Sung-In Jang

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

General Population ◽

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽

Free T4 ◽

Hormone Levels ◽

Stimulating Hormone

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Sex differences in depressive symptoms and their networks in a treatment-seeking population – a cross-sectional study

Journal of Affective Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.074 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 278 ◽

pp. 357-364

Author(s):

Johannes Simon Vetter ◽

Tobias Raphael Spiller ◽

Flurin Cathomas ◽

Donald Robinaugh ◽

Annette Brühl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Health Status in Peripheral Artery Disease: Role of Sex Differences

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.119.014583 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (16) ◽

Author(s):

Qurat‐ul‐ain Jelani ◽

Carlos Mena‐Hurtado ◽

Matthew Burg ◽

Robert Soufer ◽

Kensey Gosch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Health Status ◽

Visual Analogue Scale ◽

Peripheral Artery Disease ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Analogue Scale ◽

Peripheral Artery ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Disease Specific

Background The association of depressive symptoms with health status in peripheral artery disease (PAD) is understudied. No reports of differential impact on women have been described. Methods and Results The PORTRAIT (Patient‐Centered Outcomes Related to Treatment Practices in Peripheral Artery Disease Investigating Trajectories) registry enrolled 1243 patients from vascular specialty clinics with new or worsening PAD symptoms. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and 3 months using the 8‐Item Patient Health Questionnaire (score ≥10 indicating clinically relevant depressive symptoms). Disease‐specific and generic health status were measured by Peripheral Artery Questionnaire and EQ‐5D Visual Analogue Scale at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. An adjusted general linear model for repeated measures was constructed for baseline and 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐month health status outcomes by depressive symptoms at baseline. Differences by sex were tested with interaction effects. The mean age was 67.6±9.4 years with 38% (n=470) women. More women than men (21.1% versus 12.9%; P <0.001) presented with severe depressive symptoms. In the adjusted model, patients with depressive symptoms had worse health status at each time point (all P <0.0001). Results were similar for EQ‐5D Visual Analogue Scale scores. The magnitude in 1‐year change in health status scores did not differ by sex. Depressive symptoms explained 19% of the association between sex differences in 1‐year Peripheral Artery Questionnaire summary scores. Conclusions Women with PAD have a high burden of depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were associated with a strikingly worse disease‐specific health status recovery path over the year following PAD diagnosis in men and women. Developing and testing interventions to address depressive symptoms in PAD are urgently needed. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01419080.

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