scholarly journals Epigenetic profiling of social communication trajectories and co-occurring mental health problems: a prospective, methylome-wide association study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jolien Rijlaarsdam ◽  
Charlotte A. M. Cecil ◽  
Caroline L. Relton ◽  
Edward D. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Communication Deficits ◽  
False Discovery ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

Abstract While previous studies suggest that both genetic and environmental factors play an important role in the development of autism-related traits, little is known about potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we examined prospective associations between DNA methylation (DNAm: nbirth = 804, nage 7 = 877) and trajectories of social communication deficits at age 8–17 years. Methylomic variation at three loci across the genome (false discovery rate = 0.048) differentiated children following high (n = 80) versus low (n = 724) trajectories of social communication deficits. This differential DNAm was specific to the neonatal period and not observed at 7 years of age. Associations between DNAm and trajectory membership remained robust after controlling for co-occurring mental health problems (i.e., hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems). The three loci identified at birth were not replicated in the Generation R Study. However, to the best of our knowledge, ALSPAC is the only study to date that is prospective enough to examine DNAm in relation to longitudinal trajectories of social communication deficits from childhood to adolescence. Although the present findings might point to potentially novel sites that differentiate between a high versus low trajectory of social communication deficits, the results should be considered tentative until further replicated.

scholarly journals The Clustering of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: Are Gender and Poverty Important?

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052093509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Lacey ◽  
Laura D. Howe ◽  
Michelle Kelly-Irving ◽  
Mel Bartley ◽  
Yvonne Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Close Family Member ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
Close Family

Previous research has demonstrated a graded relationship between the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences reported (an ACE score) and child outcomes. However, ACE scores lack specificity and ignore the patterning of adversities, which are informative for interventions. The aim of the present study was to explore the clustering of ACEs and whether this clustering differs by gender or is predicted by poverty. Data on 8,572 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used. ALSPAC is a regionally representative prenatal cohort of children born between 1991 and 1992 in the Avon region of South-West England. ACEs included parental divorce, death of a close family member, interparental violence, parental mental health problems, parental alcohol misuse, parental drug use, parental convictions, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, between birth and 19 years. Latent class analysis was used to derive ACE clusters and associations between poverty, gender, and the derived classes tested using multinomial logistic regression. Five latent classes were identified: “Low ACEs” (55%), “Parental separation and mother’s mental health problems” (18%), “Parental mental health problems, convictions and separation” (15%), “Abuse and mental health problems” (6%), and “Poly adversity” (6%). Death of a close family member and sexual abuse did not cluster with other adversities. The clustering did not differ by gender. Poverty was strongly related to both individual ACEs and clusters. These findings demonstrate that ACEs cluster in specific patterns and that poverty is strongly related to this. Therefore, reducing child poverty might be one strategy for reducing ACEs.

scholarly journals Have associations between mental health and health related behaviours changed between 2005 and 2015? A population based cross-cohort study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne H. Gage ◽  
Praveetha Patalay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Weight Perception ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
Over Time

AbstractBackgroundPoor adolescent mental health is a growing concern over recent decades with evidence of increasing internalising mental health problems corresponding with decrease in anti-social, smoking and alcohol behaviours. However, understanding whether and how the associations between mental health and health-related behaviours such as substance use, anti-social behaviour and obesity have changed over time is less well-understood.ObjectivesWe investigate whether the associations between different health-related outcomes in adolescence are stable or changing over time in two recent cohorts of adolescents born ten years apart.MethodData from two UK birth cohort studies, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, born 1991-92, N=5627, 50.7% female) and Millennium Cohort Study (MCS, born 2000-1, N=11318, 50.6% female) at age 14 sweeps are used. The health outcomes of focus are depressive symptom score, substance use (alcohol, smoking, cannabis and other drugs), antisocial behaviours (assault, graffiti, vandalism, shoplifting and rowdy behaviour), weight (BMI), weight perception (perceive self as overweight) and sexual activity (had sexual intercourse).ResultsOur results suggest although directions of associations between mental-health and health-related behaviours (eg smoking) are similar over time, their strength across the distribution has changed. While smoking and alcohol use behaviours are decreasing in adolescents, those that endorse these behaviours in 2015 are more likely to have co-occurring mental-health and other problems than those born in 2005. Similarly, higher body mass index is more strongly associated with depressive symptoms in 2015.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that associations between these factors has changed over time, which has implications for public health and our understanding of the mechanisms underlying their observed associations in the population.

Psychopharmacology and refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants

2021 ◽  
pp. 483-492
Author(s):  
David C. Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Therapeutic Alliances ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Common Mental Health Problems ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

Refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant populations may have experienced many adverse life events during time in their country and during the time of migration. As a result, many will experience common mental health problems, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. This chapter reviews the genetic and environmental factors that impact pharmacological interventions for the common mental health problems of these groups. Cultural and explanatory models may play a role in help-seeking, as well as therapeutic alliances and adherence. Cultures may carry different explanations for the use of medication. Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic properties will vary across cultures. These will be affected by dietary factors, as well as genetic and biological factors. Recommendations are also included regarding the safe and effective approaches for treating these groups of patients with psychotropic medications.

Does Compressing High School Duration Affect Students’ Stress and Mental Health? Evidence from the National Educational Panel Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 238 (5) ◽  
pp. 441-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Sophie Quis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
German State ◽  
Instruction Time ◽  
Academic Track ◽  
School Duration ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Starting in 2004/2005, the German state Baden-Wurttemberg reduced academic track duration from nine to eight years, leaving cumulative instruction time mostly unchanged. I use this change in schooling policy to identify the effect of increased schooling intensity on students’ internalizing mental health problems and perceived stress. Using data on 2306 students from the Additional Study Baden-Wurttemberg of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), estimates show strong negative effects on internalizing mental health problems for girls and an increase in stress for both genders.

scholarly journals The association of alcohol polygenic risk scores with mental health outcomes: A multi-generational analysis in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh E Easey ◽  
Robyn E Wootton ◽  
Hannah M Sallis ◽  
Elis Haan ◽  
Laura Schellhas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Polygenic Risk Score ◽  
Polygenic Risk ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

AbstractBackgroundIncreased alcohol consumption often co-occurs with mental health problems; however, we do not currently fully understand whether this is due to confounding, shared biological mechanisms, or causal effects.DesignWe analysed a polygenic risk score (PRS) composed of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reliably associated with patterns of adult alcohol consumption to test: 1) if this PRS is associated with consumption during pregnancy and adolescence, 2) if child alcohol PRS is associated with mental health phenotypes, and 3) if maternal alcohol PRS is associated with offspring alcohol phenotypes and mental health. We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Additional substance abuse behaviours and mental health/behavioural outcomes were also investigated at different life stages across both generations (alcohol phenotypes n =22; health phenotypes n = 91). The availability of data from early life on the same participants (pre-alcohol use around ages 7-10 years) provided a negative control, in contrast to that in ages of alcohol use (13-24 years).FindingsThe adult alcohol PRS was associated with consumption phenotypes during pregnancy (strongest signal for alcohol frequency at 18 weeks’ gestation: p=1.01×10-5) but offspring alcohol PRS did not predict offspring alcohol consumption at age 13-24 years. We found evidence for an association of maternal PRS with own perinatal depression (p=0.02) and decreased offspring intellectual ability (p=0.016).ConclusionsAn alcohol PRS derived from GWAS of alcohol use in the general population was shown to be associated with frequency and amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy, and maternal depression at 32 weeks gestation. The associations between alcohol PRS with mother’s depression and offspring intellectual ability are consistent with previous studies, adding to the validity of using this alcohol PRS in future aetiological studies.

scholarly journals Autistic-like traits and their association with mental health problems in two nationwide twin cohorts of children and adults

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 2423-2433 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lundström ◽  
Z. Chang ◽  
N. Kerekes ◽  
C. H. Gumpert ◽  
M. Råstam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

BackgroundAutistic-like traits (ALTs), that is restrictions in intuitive social interaction, communication and flexibility of interests and behaviors, were studied in two population-based Swedish twin studies, one in children and one in adults: (1) to examine whether the variability in ALTs is a meaningful risk factor for concomitant attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, conduct problems, depression and substance abuse, and (2) to assess whether common genetic and environmental susceptibilities can help to explain co-existence of ALTs and traits associated with such concomitant problems.MethodTwo nationwide twin cohorts from Sweden (consisting of 11 222 children and 18 349 adults) were assessed by DSM-based symptom algorithms for autism. The twins were divided into six groups based on their degree of ALTs and the risk for concomitant mental health problems was calculated for each group. Genetic and environmental susceptibilities common to ALTs and the other problem types were examined using bivariate twin modeling.ResultsIn both cohorts, even the lowest degree of ALTs increased the risk for all other types of mental health problems, and these risk estimates increased monotonically with the number of ALTs. For all conditions, common genetic and environmental factors could be discerned. Overall, the phenotypic correlation between ALTs and the traits examined were less pronounced in adulthood than in childhood and less affected by genetic compared with environmental factors.ConclusionsEven low-grade ALTs are relevant to clinical psychiatry as they increase the risk for several heterotypical mental health problems. The association is influenced partly by common genetic and environmental susceptibilities. Attention to co-existing ALTs is warranted in research on a wide range of mental disorders.

scholarly journals Schizophrenia polygenic risk is associated with child mental health problems through early childhood adversity: evidence for a gene–environment correlation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen Bolhuis ◽  
Lisa R. Steenkamp ◽  
Laura M. E. Blanken ◽  
Alexander Neumann ◽  
Philip R. Jansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Paediatric Population ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Polygenic Risk ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Gene Environment

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that schizophrenia polygenic risk predicts a multitude of mental health problems in the general population. Yet it is unclear by which mechanisms these associations arise. Here, we explored a possible gene–environment correlation in the association of schizophrenia polygenic risk with mental health problems via childhood adversity. This study was embedded in the population-based Generation R Study, including N = 1901 participants with genotyping for schizophrenia polygenic risk, maternal reporting of childhood adversity, and Child Behaviour Checklist measurement of mental health problems. Independent replication was attempted in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 3641). Associations were analysed with Poisson regression and statistical mediation analysis. Higher burden of schizophrenia polygenic risk was associated with greater exposure to childhood adversity (P-value threshold < 0.5: Generation R Study, OR = 1.08, 95%CI 1.02–1.15, P = 0.01; ALSPAC, OR = 1.02, 95%CI 1.01–1.03, P < 0.01). Childhood adversities partly explained the relationship of schizophrenia polygenic risk with emotional, attention, and thought problems (proportion explained, range 5–23%). Direct effects of schizophrenia polygenic risk and adversity on mental health outcomes were also observed. In summary, genetic liability to schizophrenia increased the risk for mental health problems in the general paediatric population through childhood adversity. Although this finding could result from a mediated causal relationship between genotype and mental health, we argue that these observations most likely reflect a gene–environment correlation, i.e. adversities are a marker for the genetic risk that parents transmit to children. These and similar recent findings raise important conceptual questions about preventative interventions aimed at reducing childhood adversities.

scholarly journals Child Talks+: A New Intervention to Support Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin T.M. van Doesum ◽  
Charlotte Reedtz ◽  
Camilla Lauritzen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Preventive Intervention ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Parental Behavior ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Parental Mental Illness ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
The Family

Child Talks+ is a preventive intervention developed with the aim to assist mental health professionals in offering support to children of parents with mental health problems and/ or addiction problems. This brief report presents the intervention, which can be adopted by mental health workers, social workers and other healthcare professionals who are in contact with patients who are parents. Parents and their children are entitled to receive psychoeducation about the parents’ mental health problems. Interventions to provide knowledge and support will enable parents and children to have a mutual understanding of the situation in the family and possible changes in parental behavior. Common grounds can make it easier for the family to speak openly about mental health problems within the family. The intervention aims to enhance parenting communication skills. After completing the intervention, patients should feel more equipped to talk with the children about their mental health problems, as well as listen to the children’s needs and experiences.

scholarly journals Acute and Chronic Risk Preceding Suicidal Crises Among Middle-Aged Men Without Known Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Problems

Crisis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 304-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara B. Schiff ◽  
Kristin M. Holland ◽  
Deborah M. Stone ◽  
J. Logan ◽  
Khiya J. Marshall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Financial Issues ◽  
Acute Crisis ◽  
Chronic Risk

Abstract. Background: Suicides among men aged 35–64 years increased by 27% between 1999 and 2013, yet little research exists to examine the nature of the suicide risk within this population. Many men do not seek help if they have mental health problems and suicides may occur in reaction to stressful circumstances. Aims: We examined the precipitating circumstances of 600 suicides without known mental health or substance abuse (MH/SA) problems and with a recent crisis. Whether these suicides occurred within the context of an acute crisis only or in the context of chronic circumstances was observed. Method: Using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System and employing mixed-methods analysis, we examined the circumstances and context of a census of middle-aged male suicides (n = 600) in seven states between 2005 and 2010. Results: Precipitating circumstances among this group involved intimate partner problems (IPP; 58.3%), criminal/legal problems (50.7%), job/financial problems (22.5%), and health problems (13.5%). Men with IPP and criminal/legal issues were more likely than men with health and/or job/financial issues to experience suicide in the context of an acute crisis only. Conclusion: Suicides occurring in reaction to an acute crisis only or in the context of acute and chronic circumstances lend themselves to opportunities for intervention. Further implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Parental Mental Health Problems and the Risk of Child Maltreatment: The Potential Role of Psychotherapy

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Ana Isabel Lopes ◽  
João Leal ◽  
Ana Isabel Sani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Emotion Focused Therapy ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Interpersonal Difficulties

Parental mental health is a risk factor for numerous issues affecting a child’s physical and psychological development, especially the perpetration of child maltreatment. This paper aims to contribute a theoretical review of the risks faced by some children living in families with parental mental health problems and argues that psychotherapy has an essential role in resolving emotional and interpersonal difficulties, based on the example of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). This model has revealed benefits in interventions with several types of patients and is consequently a promising model for preventing the risk of aggressive behaviors. The programs addressing both parents and children have been proven to contribute to more informed and effective interventions.

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