Higher cognitive ability buffers stress-related depressive symptoms in adolescent girls

AbstractStress has been shown to have a causal effect on risk for depression. We investigated the role of cognitive ability as a moderator of the effect of stressful life events on depressive symptoms and whether this varied by gender. Data were analyzed in two adolescent data sets: one representative community sample aged 11–12 years (n = 460) and one at increased familial risk of depression aged 9–17 years (n = 335). In both data sets, a three-way interaction was found whereby for girls, but not boys, higher cognitive ability buffered the association between stress and greater depressive symptoms. The interaction was replicated when the outcome was a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. This buffering effect in girls was not attributable to coping efficacy. However, a small proportion of the variance was accounted for by sensitivity to environmental stressors. Results suggest that this moderating effect of cognitive ability in girls is largely attributable to greater available resources for cognitive operations that offer protection against stress-induced reductions in cognitive processing and cognitive control which in turn reduces the likelihood of depressive symptomatology.

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Interpersonal Stress Generation—A Girl Problem? The Role of Depressive Symptoms, Dysfunctional Attitudes, and Gender in Early Adolescent Stress Generation

The Journal of Early Adolescence ◽

10.1177/0272431617725197 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 41-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Susanne Meiser ◽

Günter Esser

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Community Sample ◽

Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽

Stress Generation ◽

Interpersonal Stress ◽

German Children ◽

And Gender

To provide further insight into stress generation patterns in boys and girls around puberty, this study investigated longitudinal reciprocal relations between depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, and stress generation, the process by which individuals contribute to the occurrence of stress in interpersonal contexts (e.g., problematic social interactions) or in noninterpersonal contexts (e.g., achievement problems). A community sample of N = 924 German children and early adolescents (51.8% male) completed depressive symptoms and dysfunctional attitudes measures at T1 and again 20 months later (T2). Stressful life events were reported at T2. Dysfunctional attitudes were unrelated to stress generation. Interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal, dependent stress partially mediated the relationship between initial and later depressive symptoms, with girls being more likely to generate interpersonal stress in response to depressive symptoms. Findings underscore the role of interpersonal stress generation in the early development of depressive symptomatology, and in the gender difference in depression prevalence emerging around puberty.

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Inflammation and the Association of Vitamin D and Depressive Symptomatology

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13061972 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1972

Author(s):

Ezgi Dogan-Sander ◽

Roland Mergl ◽

Anja Willenberg ◽

Ronny Baber ◽

Kerstin Wirkner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Inflammatory Markers ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Community Sample ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Complex Relationship ◽

Moderation Effect ◽

Mediation Analyses

Depression and vitamin D deficiency are major public health problems. The existing literature indicates the complex relationship between depression and vitamin D. The purpose of this study was to examine whether this relationship is moderated or mediated by inflammation. A community sample (n = 7162) from the LIFE-Adult-Study was investigated, for whom depressive symptoms were assessed via the German version of CES-D scale and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and inflammatory markers (IL-6 and CRP levels, WBC count) were quantified. Mediation analyses were performed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro and regression analyses were conducted to test moderation effects. There was a significant negative correlation between CES-D and 25(OH)D, and positive associations between inflammatory markers and CES-D scores. Only WBC partially mediated the association between 25(OH)D levels and depressive symptoms both in a simple mediation model (ab: −0.0042) and a model including covariates (ab: −0.0011). None of the inflammatory markers showed a moderation effect on the association between 25(OH)D levels and depressive symptoms. This present work highlighted the complex relationship between vitamin D, depressive symptoms and inflammation. Future studies are needed to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on inflammation and depressive symptomatology for causality assessment.

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The role of environmental sensitivity in the development of rumination and depressive symptoms in childhood: a longitudinal study

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ◽

10.1007/s00787-021-01830-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francesca Lionetti ◽

Daniel N. Klein ◽

Massimiliano Pastore ◽

Elaine N. Aron ◽

Arthur Aron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Parenting Style ◽

Middle Childhood ◽

Internalizing Problems ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Community Sample ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Environmental Sensitivity ◽

Permissive Parenting

AbstractSome children are more affected than others by their upbringing due to their increased sensitivity to the environment. More sensitive children are at heightened risk for the development of internalizing problems, particularly when experiencing unsupportive parenting. However, little is known about how the interplay between children’s sensitivity and parenting leads to higher levels of depressive symptoms. In the current study, we investigated the interaction between early parenting and children’s sensitivity on levels of depressive symptomatology in middle childhood, exploring the role of rumination as a possible mediator in a community sample. Participants included 196 USA resident families, from a middle class and mostly European–American background, and their healthy children, followed up from age 3 until 9 and 12 years. Environmental sensitivity was assessed observationally when children were 3 years old. Parenting style was based on parent-report at the age of 3 years. When children were nine, they completed questionnaires on rumination and depressive symptoms (repeated at 12 years). Analyses were run applying a Bayesian approach. Children’s sensitivity interacted with permissive parenting in predicting rumination at age 9. Rumination, in turn, was associated with depressive symptoms at age 9 and, to a lesser extent, at age 12. No relevant interactions emerged for authoritative and authoritarian parenting. Sensitive children may be at heightened risk for internalizing problems when exposed to a permissive parenting style. Permissive parenting was associated with increased ruminative coping strategies in sensitive children which, in turn, predicted higher levels of depression. Hence, rumination emerged as an important cognitive risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in sensitive children.

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Neuroticism, social network, stressful life events: Association with mood disorders, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in a community sample of women

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 226 (1) ◽

pp. 38-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Laura Mandelli ◽

Finiki A. Nearchou ◽

Chrysostomos Vaiopoulos ◽

Costas N. Stefanis ◽

Silia Vitoratou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mood Disorders ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Community Sample ◽

Stressful Life

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Impact of Estradiol Variability and Progesterone on Mood in Perimenopausal Women With Depressive Symptoms

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/clinem/dgz181 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. e642-e650 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hadine Joffe ◽

Anouk de Wit ◽

Jamie Coborn ◽

Sybil Crawford ◽

Marlene Freeman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Medical Center ◽

Academic Medical Center ◽

Madrs Score ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Perimenopausal Women ◽

Menopause Transition

Abstract Context Women are at increased risk for depressive symptoms during the menopause transition. Changes in estradiol secretion and presence of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) contribute to perimenopausal depressive symptoms, but links with progesterone have not been investigated. Objective To determine whether estradiol variability, ovulatory levels of progesterone, and VMS burden are independently associated with perimenopausal depressive symptomatology. Design and Intervention Depressive symptoms, serum levels of estradiol and progesterone, and VMS frequency were assessed weekly in an 8-week observational study. Association of mood with estradiol variability, ovulatory levels of progesterone, and VMS frequency were estimated using generalized estimating equation models. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Fifty unmedicated perimenopausal women with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms (mean Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] score 15.5 ± 5.3). Main Outcome Measure Depressive symptoms (MADRS score). Results During the study, 90.0% of participants had varying estradiol levels, 51.1% had ovulatory progesterone levels, and 90% had VMS. Greater estradiol variability and absence of progesterone levels consistent with ovulation, but not VMS frequency, are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (β = 0.11 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.04 to 0.18; P = 0.001]; β = −2.62 [95% CI, −4.52 to −0.71; P = 0.007], respectively), after accounting for higher body mass index, lifetime history of depression, and stressful life events. Conclusions Increasing dysregulation of ovarian hormones, but not VMS, associates with more depressive symptom burden during perimenopause. These results suggest that perimenopausal mood instability is driven by the underlying hormonal dysregulation of the menopause transition involving changes in both estradiol and progesterone.

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Depressive symptomatology in childhood and adolescence

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579401001109 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 143-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

SUNITA DUGGAL ◽

ELIZABETH A. CARLSON ◽

L. ALAN SROUFE ◽

BYRON EGELAND

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Family Relationship ◽

Family Context ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Data Sets ◽

Early Care ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Relationship Factors ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Antecedents of depressive symptomatology in childhood and adolescence were examined in a prospective longitudinal study of at-risk youth (n = 168) from families of lower socioeconomic status. Relations between family context factors, maternal depressive symptoms, and depressive symptoms in childhood and adolescence were examined, with a focus on early family relationship factors rarely available for analysis in longitudinal data sets. Results suggest the possibility of etiological differences between depressive symptoms in childhood and in adolescence. Depressive symptomatology in childhood was predicted by the overall family context. Cumulative effects of maternal depressive symptomatology, early care lacking in emotional supportiveness, abuse, and family stressors were observed. Depressive symptomatology in adolescence, on the other hand, was specifically associated with maternal depression and early care lacking in emotional supportiveness. Moreover, an intriguing sex difference emerged: maternal depressive symptomatology was strongly associated with depressive symptomatology in adolescence for females, but for males supportive early care appeared more relevant.

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Stressful life events moderate the effect of neural reward responsiveness in childhood on depressive symptoms in adolescence

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291719001557 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (9) ◽

pp. 1548-1555 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Brandon L. Goldstein ◽

Ellen M. Kessel ◽

Autumn Kujawa ◽

Megan C. Finsaas ◽

Joanne Davila ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Community Sample ◽

Reward Processing ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Self Report ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Depression Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundReward processing deficits have been implicated in the etiology of depression. A blunted reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential elicited by feedback to monetary gain relative to loss, predicts new onsets and increases in depression symptoms. Etiological models of depression also highlight stressful life events. However, no studies have examined whether stressful life events moderate the effect of the RewP on subsequent depression symptoms. We examined this question during the key developmental transition from childhood to adolescence.MethodsA community sample of 369 children (mean age of 9) completed a self-report measure of depression symptoms. The RewP to winning v. losing was elicited using a monetary reward task. Three years later, we assessed stressful life events occurring in the year prior to the follow-up. Youth depressive symptoms were rated by the children and their parents at baseline and follow-up.ResultsStressful life events moderated the effect of the RewP on depression symptoms at follow-up such that a blunted RewP predicted higher depression symptoms in individuals with higher levels of stressful life events. This effect was also evident when events that were independent of the youth's behavior were examined separately.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the RewP reflects a vulnerability for depression that is activated by stress.

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Depression, violence and cortisol awakening response: a 3-year longitudinal study in adolescents

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718001654 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (6) ◽

pp. 997-1004 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rongqin Yu ◽

Susan Branje ◽

Wim Meeus ◽

Philip Cowen ◽

Seena Fazel

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Community Sample ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Biological Marker ◽

Cortisol Awakening Response ◽

Cortisol Reactivity ◽

Two Measures ◽

Time Invariant ◽

Invariant Factors

AbstractBackgroundDespite evidence of links between depression and violent outcomes, potential moderators of this association remain unknown. The current study tested whether a biological marker, cortisol, moderated this association in a longitudinal sample of adolescents.MethodsParticipants were 358 Dutch adolescents (205 boys) with a mean age of 15 years at the first measurement. Depressive symptoms, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and violent outcomes were measured annually across 3 years. The CAR was assessed by two measures: waking cortisol activity (CAR area under the curve ground) and waking cortisol reactivity (CAR area under the curve increase). Within-individual regression models were adopted to test the interaction effects between depressive symptoms and CAR on violent outcomes, which accounted for all time-invariant factors such as genetic factors and early environments. We additionally adjusted for time-varying factors including alcohol drinking, substance use and stressful life events.ResultsIn this community sample, 24% of adolescents perpetrated violent behaviours over 3 years. We found that CAR moderated the effects of depressive symptoms on adolescent violent outcomes (βs ranged from −0.12 to −0.28). In particular, when the CAR was low, depressive symptoms were positively associated with violent outcomes in within-individual models, whereas the associations were reversed when the CAR was high.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the CAR should be investigated further as a potential biological marker for violence in adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms.

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Depressive symptomatology and cognitive functioning: an epidemiological survey in an elderly community sample in France

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291700032815 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 159-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

R. Fuhrer ◽

T. C. Antonucci ◽

M. Gagnon ◽

J.-F. Dartigues ◽

P. Barberger-Gateau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Community Sample ◽

Epidemiological Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sectional Analysis ◽

The Relationship

SYNOPSISAs part of a 5-year, prospective, epidemiological survey of normal and pathological ageing, this cross-sectional analysis examines the relationship between depressive symptomatology (CES-D) and cognitive functioning (MMS) in a community sample of 2792 non-institutionalized persons (age ≥ 65) living in Southwest France. Of the sample, 13·4%, report depressive symptoms above the cut-off. A significant association was found between CES-D and MMS scores, but after adjusting for age, living arrangements, and especially functional limitations, the relationship remained strong only for women.

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Further Evidence of Depdc7 Dna Hypomethylation in Depression: a Study in Adult Twins

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.04.001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 715-718 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A. Córdova-Palomera ◽

M. Fatjó-Vilas ◽

H. Palma-Gudiel ◽

H. Blasco-Fontecilla ◽

O. Kebir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Community Sample ◽

Brief Symptom Inventory ◽

Dna Hypomethylation ◽

Adult Twins ◽

A Site ◽

Mz Twins

AbstractLate and early stressful factors have widely been recognized to play a role in the aetiology of depression. Recent research indicates that such adverse environmental stimuli may alter gene expression in humans via epigenetic modifications. While epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation are likely involved in these processes, it is still unknown what specific genomic loci may be hyper- or hypo-methylated in depression. The association between depressive symptoms during the last 30 days (Brief Symptom Inventory [BSI]) and peripheral-blood DNA methylation levels at genomic loci previously reported as epigenetically altered in saliva and brain of depressive patients was evaluated in a community sample of 34 adult Caucasian MZ twins (17 pairs). Intrapair DNA methylation differences in an intron of DEPDC7 (chr11:33040743) were associated with intrapair differences in current depressive symptoms. Accordingly, a site-specific 10% DNA hypomethylation in a co-twin would correlate with a current depressive symptom score around 3.1 BSI points above the score of his/her less-depressed co-twin. These findings indicate that DEPDC7 hypomethylation in peripheral blood DNA may be associated with recent depressive symptomatology, in line with previous results.

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