The emergence of sex differences in PTSD symptoms across development: evidence from the ALSPAC cohort

AbstractBackgroundCross-sectional evidence suggests females in late adolescence exhibit higher rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) than males and younger age groups. However, longitudinal evidence is limited, and underlying factors are not well understood. We investigated the emergence of sex differences in PTSS from childhood to adolescence in a large, longitudinal UK cohort, and tested whether these could be explained by overlap between PTSS and depressive symptoms, or onset of puberty.MethodsTrauma exposure and PTSS were assessed at ages 8, 10, 13 (parent-report) and 15 (self-report) years in a sub-sample of 9966 children and adolescents from the ALSPAC cohort-study. Analyses of PTSS focused on those who reported potential trauma-exposure at each time-point (ranged from n = 654 at 15 years to n = 1231 at 10 years). Age at peak-height velocity (APHV) was used as an indicator of pubertal timing.ResultsThere was no evidence of sex differences in PTSS at ages 8 and 10, but females were more likely to show PTSS at ages 13 (OR 1.54, p = 0.002) and 15 (OR 2.04, p = .001), even once symptoms related to depression were excluded. We found little evidence that the emergence of sex differences was related to pubertal timing (as indexed by APHV).ConclusionsResults indicate that females show higher levels of PTSS in adolescence but not during childhood. The emergence of this sex difference does not seem to be explained by overlap with depressive symptoms, while the influence of pubertal status requires further investigation.

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Dietary patterns and internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00048674211031486 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000486742110314

Author(s):

Laura Orlando ◽

Katarina A Savel ◽

Sheri Madigan ◽

Marlena Colasanto ◽

Daphne J Korczak

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Parent Report ◽

Self Report ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Cross Sectional

Context: Studies of child and adolescent internalizing symptoms and dietary pattern have produced mixed results. Objectives: To quantify the association between dietary patterns and internalizing symptoms, including depression, in children and adolescents. Data sources: Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Cochrane up to March 2021. Study selection: Observational studies and randomized controlled trials with mean age ⩽ 18 years, reporting associations between diet patterns and internalizing symptoms. Data extraction: Mean effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were determined under a random-effects model. Results: Twenty-six studies were cross-sectional, 12 were prospective, and 1 used a case-control design. The total number of participants enrolled ranged from 73,726 to 116,546. Healthy dietary patterns were negatively associated with internalizing ( r = –0.07, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [–0.12, 0.06]) and depressive symptoms ( r = –0.10, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [–0.18, –0.08]). Effect sizes were larger for studies of healthy dietary patterns and internalizing and depressive symptoms using self-report versus parent-report measures, as well as in cross-sectional studies of healthy dietary patterns and depression compared to prospective studies. Unhealthy dietary patterns were positively associated with internalizing ( r = 0.09, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [0.06, 0.14]) and depressive symptoms ( r = 0.10, p < 0.01, 95% CI [0.05, 0.17]). Larger effect sizes were observed for studies of unhealthy dietary patterns and internalizing and depressive symptoms using self-report versus parent-report measures. Limitations: A lack of studies including clinical samples and/or physician diagnosis, and a paucity of studies in which anxiety symptoms were the primary mental health outcome. Conclusion: Greater depression and internalizing symptoms are associated with greater unhealthy dietary patterns and with lower healthy dietary intake among children and adolescents.

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Coping Style as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Deliberate Self-Harm

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000083 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 272-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Allison S. Christian ◽

Kristen M. McCabe

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Self Report ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Deliberate Self Harm ◽

Self Blame ◽

Self Harm ◽

The Relationship

Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) occurs with high frequency among clinical and nonclinical youth populations. Although depression has been consistently linked with the behavior, not all depressed individuals engage in DSH. Aims: The current study examined maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., self-blame, distancing, and self-isolation) as mediators between depression and DSH among undergraduate students. Methods: 202 students from undergraduate psychology courses at a private university in Southern California (77.7% women) completed anonymous self-report measures. Results: A hierarchical regression model found no differences in DSH history across demographic variables. Among coping variables, self-isolation alone was significantly related to DSH. A full meditational model was supported: Depressive symptoms were significantly related to DSH, but adding self-isolation to the model rendered the relationship nonsignificant. Limitations: The cross-sectional study design prevents determination of whether a casual relation exists between self-isolation and DSH, and obscures the direction of that relationship. Conclusions: Results suggest targeting self-isolation as a means of DSH prevention and intervention among nonclinical, youth populations.

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Prepubertal urinary estrogen excretion and its relationship with pubertal timing

AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1152/ajpendo.00374.2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 299 (6) ◽

pp. E990-E997 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Lijie Shi ◽

Thomas Remer ◽

Anette E. Buyken ◽

Michaela F. Hartmann ◽

Philipp Hoffmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pubertal Timing ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Breast Development ◽

Growth Spurt ◽

Age At Menarche ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Pubertal Growth Spurt ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Pubertal Growth ◽

Estrogen Production

Whether prepubertal estrogen production impacts on the timing of puberty is not clear. We aimed to investigate prepubertal 24-h estrogen excretion levels and their association with early and late pubertal markers. Daily urinary excretion rates of estrogens of 132 healthy children, who provided 24-h urine samples 1 and 2 yr before the start of the pubertal growth spurt [age at takeoff (ATO)], were quantified by stable isotope dilution/GC-MS. E-sum3 (estrone + estradiol + estriol) was used as a marker for potentially bioactive estrogen metabolites and E-sum5 (E-sum3 + 16-epiestriol + 16-ketoestradiol) for total estrogen production. Pubertal outcomes were ATO, age at peak height velocity (APHV), duration of pubertal growth acceleration (APHV-ATO), age at Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair (PH2), genital (G2, boys) and breast (B2, girls) development, and age at menarche. Prepubertal urinary estrogen excretions (E-sum3 and E-sum5) were not associated with ATO, APHV, and age at PH2 but with duration of pubertal growth acceleration ( P < 0.01) in both sexes. Girls with higher E-sum3 reached B2 0.9 yr ( P = 0.04) and menarche 0.3 yr earlier ( P = 0.04) than girls with lower E-sum3. E-sum3 was not associated with age at G2 in boys ( P = 0.6). For most pubertal variables, the associations with E-sum3 were stronger than with E-sum5. In conclusion, prepubertal estrogens may not be critical for the onset of the pubertal growth spurt but are correlated with its duration in both boys and girls. Prepubertal estrogen levels may already predict the timing of girls' menstruation and breast development but do not appear to affect sexual maturation in boys.

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Somatic maturation and the relationship between bone mineral variables and types of sports among adolescents: cross-sectional study

Sao Paulo Medical Journal ◽

10.1590/1516-3180.2016.0270210217 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 135 (3) ◽

pp. 253-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ricardo Ribeiro Agostinete ◽

Igor Hideki Ito ◽

Han Kemper ◽

Carlos Marcelo Pastre ◽

Mário Antônio Rodrigues-Júnior ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Mineral Density ◽

Bone Mineral ◽

Peak Height ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Whole Body ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Mineral Density ◽

Cross Sectional

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Peak height velocity (PHV) is an important maturational event during adolescence that affects skeleton size. The objective here was to compare bone variables in adolescents who practiced different types of sports, and to identify whether differences in bone variables attributed to sports practice were dependent on somatic maturation status. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study, São Paulo State University (UNESP). METHODS: The study was composed of 93 adolescents (12 to 16.5 years old), divided into three groups: no-sport group (n = 42), soccer/basketball group (n = 26) and swimming group (n = 25). Bone mineral density and content were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and somatic maturation was estimated through using peak height velocity. Data on training load were provided by the coaches. RESULTS: Adolescents whose PHV occurred at an older age presented higher bone mineral density in their upper limbs (P = 0.018). After adjustments for confounders, such as somatic maturation, the swimmers presented lower values for bone mineral density in their lower limbs, spine and whole body. Only the bone mineral density in the upper limbs was similar between the groups. There was a negative relationship between whole-body bone mineral content and the weekly training hours (β: -1563.967; 95% confidence interval, CI: -2916.484 to -211.450). CONCLUSION: The differences in bone variables attributed to sport practice occurred independently of maturation, while high training load in situations of hypogravity seemed to be related to lower bone mass in swimmers.

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The Contribution of Level of Cognitive Complexity and Pubertal Timing to Behavioral Risk in Young Adolescents

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.95.4.528 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 95 (4) ◽

pp. 528-533

Author(s):

Donald P. Orr ◽

Gary M. Ingersoll

Keyword(s):

Risk Behaviors ◽

Cognitive Complexity ◽

Pubertal Timing ◽

Health Risk Behaviors ◽

Self Report ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Behavioral Risk ◽

Young Adolescents ◽

School Students ◽

Cross Sectional

Purpose. To determine the unique contributions of cognitive complexity and pubertal timing to participation in behavioral risk (substance use, sexual activity, school and legal problems) among young adolescents. Design. Cross-sectional with cohort replication. Methods. Two cohorts of middle school students in grades eight and nine in a midwestern school district completed a self-report questionnaire in 1987 and 1989. Measures of behavioral and emotional risk, cognitive complexity and pubertal timing relative to peers were included. Results. Complete data were available for 817 and 796 students in each cohort year. Gender, race, level of cognitive complexity and pubertal timing each contributed significantly to the variance in behavioral risk independent of chronological age (P < .0001). Boys, whites, those at lower levels of cognitive complexity and those who began pubertal maturation earlier than peers, were at significantly greater risk. Adolescents who demonstrated higher levels of cognitive complexity and those who began puberty later compared to peers participated in a smaller array of risk behaviors, independent of chronological age. Implications. Pediatricians should consider adolescents at lower levels of cognitive complexity (concrete thinking) and those who begin puberty earlier at greater risk for participation in health risk behaviors. Preventive health counseling tailored to the needs of this group may be most beneficial.

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Revisiting the critical weight hypothesis for regulation of pubertal timing in boys

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/nqaa304 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (1) ◽

pp. 123-128

Author(s):

Maria Bygdell ◽

Jenny M Kindblom ◽

John-Olov Jansson ◽

Claes Ohlsson

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Pubertal Timing ◽

Objective Measure ◽

Peak Height ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Critical Weight ◽

Weight Sensing ◽

Recent Cohort

ABSTRACT Background Recent findings indicate that there is a body weight–sensing homeostatic regulation of body weight in postpubertal rodents and humans. It is possible that body weight sensing also might be involved in the regulation of pubertal timing. Although an early small study suggested that there is a critical body weight for pubertal timing in girls, most studies have focused on BMI and reported an inverse association between BMI and pubertal timing. Objectives In the present longitudinal well-powered cohort study, we revisited the critical weight hypothesis and tested if prepubertal body weight is a more robust inverse predictor of pubertal timing than prepubertal BMI in boys. Method We included men born during 1945–1961 (old cohort; n = 31,971) and men born during 1981–1996 (recent cohort; n = 1465) in the large BMI Epidemiology Study (BEST) Gothenburg (combined BEST cohort n = 33,436). Men with information on prepubertal body weight and BMI at 8 y of age and age at peak height velocity (PHV; an objective measure of pubertal timing) were included. Results Body weight explained more of the variance in age at PHV than BMI in both the old cohort and the recent cohort (combined cohort, body weight 6.3%, BMI 3.6%). Both body weight (β: −0.24 SD/SD increase in weight; 95% CI: −0.25, −0.23) and BMI (β: −0.18 SD/SD increase in BMI, 95% CI: −0.19, −0.17) were inversely associated with age at PHV but the association for body weight was significantly more pronounced than the association for BMI (P < 0.001). Conclusions In conclusion, prepubertal body weight is a more robust inverse predictor of pubertal timing than prepubertal BMI in boys. We propose that body weight sensing constitutes a feedback mechanism to regulate pubertal timing.

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Depressive Risk among Italian Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children and Adolescents during Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-451360/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Serra ◽

Anna Presicci ◽

Luigi Quaranta ◽

Maria Rosaria Erminia Urbano ◽

Lucia Marzulli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Low Income ◽

Online Survey ◽

Self Report ◽

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Disadvantaged Children ◽

Parent Version

Abstract Background Children and adolescents and low-income individuals are considered particularly vulnerable for mental health implications during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Depression is one of the most frequent negative emotional responses during an epidemic outbreak, mainly due to the imposed restriction of social contacts. We aimed to assess depressive symptomatology in a sample of Italian low-income minors and to determine if pandemic-related stressors and pre-existing neuropsychiatric diagnoses would behave as risk factors for depressive symptoms. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study during July 2020, at the end of the Italian first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. We recruited 109 Italian socioeconomically disadvantaged children and adolescents, from 7 to 17 years. We used an online survey to collect socio-demographic and clinical data and information about pandemic-related stressors, and to assess depressive symptoms with the Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2), Parent Version (Emotional Problems subscale) and Self-Report Short Form. We performed logistic regression analysis to assess the association between depressive symptoms and potential risk factors for mental health. Results 22% and 14% of participants showed depressive symptoms at the CDI 2 Parent Version and Self-Report, respectively. Participants coming from families experiencing a lack of basic supplies during the pandemic (34.9%) were more expected to show depressive symptoms at CDI 2 Parent Version. Participants with a pre-existing neuropsychiatric diagnosis (26.6%) were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms measured by CDI 2 Parent Version. Conclusions The results of our study may be representative of a particular group of frail subjects, the socioeconomically disadvantaged children and adolescents, who were more vulnerable to depressive symptoms if they suffered from a paucity of essential supplies during the pandemic or had pre-existing neurodevelopmental disorders. The promotion of educational and child-care programs and activities could be crucial in sustaining the prevention of mental distress in those frail subjects who particularly need support outside the family.

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Depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy and clinically associated features in a single tertiary center

Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1007/s10072-021-05589-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mariacarolina Vacca ◽

Mariana Fernandes ◽

Matteo Spanetta ◽

Fabio Placidi ◽

Francesca Izzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Clinical Features ◽

Item Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Adult Patients ◽

Self Report ◽

Depression Severity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Tertiary Center ◽

Patients With Epilepsy

AbstractAlthough depressive symptoms are the most common psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy, they remain underestimated and untreated in a large proportion of patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate depression severity and related clinical features in people with epilepsy using a well-reliable self-report index of mood, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). One-hundred seventeen adult patients with epilepsy were recruited from a tertiary epilepsy center and completed the BDI-II. A single-item analysis of the 21 questions of the BDI-II was computed and differences between women and men in each depressive symptom were evaluated. Correlation and regression analyses were used to identify clinical features associated with the severity of depression. Results showed gender differences in some items, with women reporting overall higher depression severity than men. The most common symptoms regarded domains of sleeping patterns, tiredness, and loss of energy. Regression evidence suggested that being female, having an epilepsy duration < 10 years, as well as being treated with psychotropic drugs and reporting generalized seizure, were associated with higher depression severity. Despite its cross-sectional nature, this study reinforces the importance of investigating and possibly treating depressive symptoms in adult patients with epilepsy, since they negatively impact well-being, daytime activities, and sleep. Further studies identifying pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for depression in epilepsy need to be planned.

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Development of Physical Performance Tasks during Rapid Growth in Brazilian Children: The Cariri Healthy Growth Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16245029 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (24) ◽

pp. 5029

Author(s):

Simonete Silva ◽

Hudday Mendes ◽

Duarte Freitas ◽

António Prista ◽

Go Tani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Handgrip Strength ◽

Peak Height ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Maximal Velocity ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Performance Tasks ◽

Age Cohorts

Growth and physical performance scores were studied around three years of attainment of peak height velocity (PHV). We aimed to estimate the age at peak velocity, or at peak rate, in physical performance tasks, and sex-differences when aligned by biological age. A total of 131 boys and 123 girls, 8 to 14 years of age were recruited from the Cariri region of Brazil. A mixed longitudinal design was used with four overlapping age cohorts: 8, 10, 12, and 14 years, followed for three years, with measurements performed at 6 month intervals. Height, 12 min run (12mR), handgrip strength (HG), standing long jump (SLJ), and shuttle run (SR) velocities were estimated using a non-smooth mathematical procedure. Age at PHV was 13.4 ± 1.6 years in boys compared with 12.2 ± 2.3 years in girls. Maximal velocity in SLJ was attained 6 and 3 months prior to PHV in boys and girls, respectively. For HG, peaks were attained 9 months after PHV in boys and 15 months after PHV in girls. Maximal velocity in 12mR was attained 6 months before PHV in boys and at PHV in girls, whereas a peak in SR occurred 12 months after PHV in both sexes. In conclusion, dynamic changes in physical performance relative to PHV appear similar in both sexes, although sex differences were evident in some motor tests.

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