Internalizing symptoms, well-being, and correlates in adolescence: A multiverse exploration via cross-lagged panel network models

Abstract Internalizing symptoms are the most prevalent mental health problem in adolescents, with sharp increases seen, particularly for girls, and evidence that young people today report more problems than previous generations. It is therefore critical to measure and monitor these states on a large scale and consider correlates. We used novel panel network methodology to explore relationships between internalizing symptoms, well-being, and inter/intrapersonal indicators. A multiverse design was used with 32 conditions to consider the stability of results across arbitrary researcher decisions in a large community sample over three years (N = 15,843, aged 11–12 at Time 1). Networks were consistently similar for girls and boys. Stable trait-like effects within anxiety, attentional, and social indicators were found. Within-person networks were densely connected and suggested mental health and inter/intrapersonal correlates related to one another in similar complex ways. The multiverse design suggested the particular operationalization of items can substantially influence conclusions. Nevertheless, indicators such as thinking clearly, unhappiness, dealing with stress, and worry showed more consistent centrality, suggesting these indicators may play particularly important roles in the development of mental health in adolescence.

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Internalizing Symptoms, Wellbeing and Correlates in Adolescence: A Multiverse Exploration via Cross-lagged Panel Network Models

10.31234/osf.io/z8pwd ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Louise Black ◽

Margarita Panayiotou ◽

Neil Humphrey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Large Scale ◽

Community Sample ◽

Social Indicators ◽

Network Models ◽

The Stability ◽

Similar Complex ◽

People Today

Internalizing symptoms are the most prevalent mental health problem in adolescents, with sharp increases seen, particularly for girls, and evidence that young people today report more problems than previous generations. It is therefore critical to measure and monitor these states on a large scale and consider correlates. We used novel panel network methodology to explore relationships between internalizing symptoms, wellbeing and inter/intrapersonal indicators. A multiverse design was used with 32 conditions to consider the stability of results across arbitrary researcher decisions in a large community sample over three years (N = 15,843, aged 11-12 at time one). Networks were consistently similar for girls and boys. Stable trait-like effects within anxiety, attentional and social indicators were found. Within-person networks were densely connected and suggested mental health and inter/intrapersonal correlates related to one another in similar complex ways, rather than clustering by domain. The multiverse design suggested the particular operationalization of items can substantially influence conclusions. Nevertheless, indicators such as thinking clearly, unhappiness, dealing with stress and worry showed more consistent centrality, suggesting these indicators may play particularly important roles in the development of mental health in adolescence.

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The architecture of psychological well-being: A network analysis study of the Ryff psychological well-being scale

10.21203/rs.3.rs-402554/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Blasco-Belled ◽

Carles Alsinet

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Network Model ◽

Network Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Psychological Phenomena ◽

Self Acceptance ◽

The Stability

Abstract The proliferation of mental health research is orienting its efforts towards the exploration of psychological well-being. One of the main burdens is the measurement challenges reported by the Psychological Well-being Scale (PWBS), which has often been criticized for inconsistencies between the theoretical and the empirical model. A potential alternative to understand the structure of psychological well-being is network models, which conceptualizes psychological phenomena as emerging systems of mutually connected indicators. We examined the network structure of the Spanish 29-item PWBS in a sample of 1,404 adults. We estimated a regularized partial correlation network using the graphical LASSO algorithm in the item and dimension level. We tested the stability of both networks and identified the most important variables of the network. The PWBS network model revealed four dimensions, with self-acceptance, life purpose and environmental mastery clustering together. Node strength centrality suggested that self-acceptance is the most central dimension in the psychological well-being structure as measured by the PWBS. Despite the network model of psychological well-being did not replicate the theoretical structure of Ryff’s model, it provides a novel conceptualization of psychological well-being and proposes target indicators for mental health interventions.

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Tourist Mental Health Drives Destination Choice, Marketing, and Matching

Journal of Travel Research ◽

10.1177/00472875211011548 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 004728752110115

Author(s):

Mary-Ann Cooper ◽

Ralf Buckley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Large Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Destination Choice ◽

Destination Marketing ◽

Health Maintenance ◽

Nature Tourism ◽

Tourism Destinations ◽

Tourism Enterprises ◽

Health And Well Being

Leisure tourism, including destination choice, can be viewed as an investment in mental health maintenance. Destination marketing measures can thus be analyzed as mental health investment prospectuses, aiming to match tourist desires. A mental health framework is particularly relevant for parks and nature tourism destinations, since the benefits of nature for mental health are strongly established. We test it for one globally iconic destination, using a large-scale qualitative approach, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists’ perceptions and choices contain strong mental health and well-being components, derived largely from autonomous information sources, and differing depending on origins. Parks agencies emphasize factual cognitive aspects, but tourism enterprises and destination marketing organizations use affective approaches appealing to tourists’ mental health.

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Economic analysis of mental health services

New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry ◽

10.1093/med/9780199696758.003.0187 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 1473-1480

Author(s):

Martin Knapp ◽

Dan Chisholm

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Resource Allocation ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Economic Analysis ◽

Priority Setting ◽

Large Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Countries ◽

Societal Needs ◽

Distribution Of Resources

Economics is concerned with the use and distribution of resources within a society, and how different ways of allocating resources impact on the well-being of individuals. Economics enters the health sphere because resources available to meet societal needs or demands are finite, meaning that choices have to be made regarding how best to allocate them (typically to generate the greatest possible level of population health). Economics provides an explicit framework for thinking through ways of allocating resources. Resource allocation decisions in mental health are complicated by the fact that disorders are common, debilitating, and often long-lasting. Epidemiological research has demonstrated the considerable burden that mental disorders impose because of their prevalence, chronicity, and severity: globally, more than 10 per cent of lost years of healthy life and over 30 per cent of all years lived with disability are attributable to mental disorders. Low rates of recognition and effective treatment compound the problem, particularly in poor countries. However, disease burden is not in itself sufficient as a justification or mechanism for resource allocation or priority-setting. A disorder can place considerable burden on a population but if appropriate strategies to reduce this burden are absent or extremely expensive in relation to the health gains achieved, large-scale investment would be considered misplaced. The reason is that scarce resources could be more efficiently channelled to other burdensome conditions for which cost-effective responses were available. For priority-setting and resource allocation, it is necessary to ask what amount of burden from a disorder can be avoided by using evidence-based interventions, and at what relative cost of implementation in the target population. Cost and cost-effectiveness considerations enter into health care reform processes, priority-setting exercises within and across health programmes, and regulatory decisions concerning drug approval or pricing. Two broad levels of economic analysis can be distinguished: macro and micro.

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Should Psychological Distress Screening in the Community Account for Self-Perceived Health Status?

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674370905400805 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (8) ◽

pp. 526-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Norbert Schmitz ◽

Alain Lesage ◽

JianLi Wang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Health Status ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Community Sample ◽

Strong Association ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Health Status ◽

Screening Performance

Objective: Psychological distress questionnaires are often used as screening instruments for mental disorders in clinical and epidemiologic settings. Poor physical health may affect the screening properties of a questionnaire. We evaluate the effect of self-perceived health status on the screening performance of the Kessler K10 and K6 scales in a community sample. Methods: We used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being (CCHS 1.2). Psychological distress was measured by the 6–item (K6) and the 10–item (K10) Kessler instrument. Depression and anxiety disorders were assessed using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (1–month estimates). Optimal cut-off points regarding health status were determined by finding the K6 and K10 values that allowed for the best balance between sensitivity and specificity. Stratum-specific likelihood ratios (SSLRs) were computed to define strata with discriminating power. Results: There was a strong association between the screening performance of the K6 and K10 scales and self-perceived health status: for the K10 scale, a cut-off point of 5/6 yielded the best balance between sensitivity and specificity for subjects with excellent or very good health status, while a cut-off point of 14/15 yielded the best balance between sensitivity and specificity for subjects with poor health status. Conclusions: The combination of the K6 and K10 scales, with a self-rated health status item, may improve screening properties of the 2 scales.

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Prevalence and Co-Occurrence of Internalizing and Externalizing Depression Symptoms in a Community Sample of Australian Male Truck Drivers

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988315626262 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 74-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Simon M. Rice ◽

Helen M. Aucote ◽

Dina Eleftheriadis ◽

Anne Maria Möller-Leimkühler

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Community Sample ◽

Externalizing Symptoms ◽

Truck Drivers ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Emotional States ◽

Treatment Of Depression ◽

Symptom Ratings ◽

Internalizing And Externalizing

Trucking industry employees are known to be at risk of elevated levels of stress and a range of behaviors that may compromise their mental health. Clinical reports indicate that in response to negative emotional states, men tend to engage in a cluster of externalizing behaviors including irritability, anger and aggression, risk taking, and substance misuse. However, as such symptoms fall outside standard diagnostic depression criteria, the diagnosis and treatment of depression in men may be impeded. The present exploratory study reports retrospective symptom ratings of internalizing and externalizing depression symptoms from 91 Australian male truck drivers. Moderate correlation between externalizing and internalizing symptoms was reported across the sample, though internalizing symptoms were reported more frequently. However, consistent with prediction, those meeting probable depression caseness ( n = 20) reported three times the number of externalizing symptoms relative to those in the nonclinical group (Cohen’s d = 1.31). Externalizing symptoms may be a particular phenotypic feature of depression in men, and assessment of such symptoms may assist in the detection of those unwilling to disclose typical internalizing symptoms (i.e., sadness, hopelessness). Results also highlight the need for targeted research into stress-related and mental health outcomes of men in high health risk occupations such as truck driving.

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Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of mental disorders in the Nigerian Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.188.5.465 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 188 (5) ◽

pp. 465-471 ◽

Cited By ~ 153

Author(s):

Oye Gureje ◽

Victor O. Lasebikan ◽

Lola Kola ◽

Victor A. Makanjuola

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Large Scale ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽

Well Being ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Post Traumatic Stress

BackgroundLarge-scale community studies of the prevalence of mental disorders using standardised assessment tools are rare in sub-Saharan Africa.AimsTo conduct such a study.MethodMultistage stratified clustered sampling of households in the Yoruba-speaking parts of Nigeria. Face-to-face interviews used the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI).ResultsOf the 4984 people interviewed (response rate 79.9%), 12.1% had a lifetime rate of at least one DSM–IV disorder and 5.8% had 12-month disorders. Anxiety disorders were the most common (5.7% lifetime, 4.1% 12-month rates) but virtually no generalised anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder were identified. Of the 23% who had seriously disabling disorders, only about 8% had received treatment in the preceding 12 months. Treatment was mostly provided by general medical practitioners; only a few were treated by alternative practitioners such as traditional healers.ConclusionsThe observed low rates seem to reflect demographic and ascertainment factors. There was a large burden of unmet need for care among people with serious disorders.

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Violence, Coping, and Mental Health in a Community Sample of Adolescents

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/vivi.2003.18.4.403 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 403-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Daniel J. Flannery ◽

Mark I. Singer ◽

Kelly L. Wester

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Community Sample ◽

Violent Behavior ◽

Psychological Trauma ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Public High Schools ◽

Trauma Symptoms ◽

Maladaptive Coping

The current study examined the coping strategies, exposure to violence and psychological trauma symptoms of violent adolescents compared to less violent and nonviolent adolescents in a community sample. An anonymous self-report questionnaire was administered to students in six public high schools (grades 9–12). The 10% most violent adolescents were identified and compared to their less violent and nonviolent peers. A total of 3724 students represented 68% of adolescents in all targeted schools. Ages ranged from 14 to 19 years; 52% were female; and 35% were African-American, 34% Caucasian and 23% Hispanic. Analyses revealed that violent adolescents compared to their less violent and nonviolent peers employed more maladaptive coping strategies, were exposed to higher levels of violence and reported higher clinical levels of psychological trauma symptoms. Maladaptive coping was also significantly associated with psychological trauma symptoms and violent behavior, even after controlling for the influence of demographic factors. The findings support the importance of appropriate identification, assessment and referral services for adolescents in nonclinical settings, and the role that coping strategies play in contributing to adolescent mental health and well-being.

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The Benefits of Living With Close Others: A Longitudinal Examination of Mental Health Before and During a Global Stressor

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/21677026211053320 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 216770262110533

Author(s):

Natalie M. Sisson ◽

Emily C. Willroth ◽

Bonnie M. Le ◽

Brett Q. Ford

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Large Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Protective Function ◽

The People ◽

Longitudinal Examination ◽

Unique Context

For better or worse, the people one lives with may exert a powerful influence on one’s mental health, perhaps especially during times of stress. The COVID-19 pandemic—a large-scale stressor that prompted health recommendations to stay home to reduce disease spread—provided a unique context for examining how the people who share one’s home may shape one’s mental health. A seven-wave longitudinal study assessed mental health month to month before and during the pandemic (February through September 2020) in two diverse samples of U.S. adults ( N = 656; N = 544). Preregistered analyses demonstrated that people living with close others (children and/or romantic partners) experienced better well-being before and during the pandemic’s first 6 months. These groups also experienced unique increases in ill-being during the pandemic’s onset, but parents’ ill-being also recovered more quickly. These findings highlight the crucial protective function of close relationships for mental health both generally and amid a pandemic.

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Studying Depression, Anxiety, Distress and Somatization in a Community Sample of 2,425 Adults in Greece

EMBnet journal ◽

10.14806/ej.26.1.972 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maya Louvardi ◽

Panagiotis Pelekasis ◽

Flora Bacopoulou ◽

Dimitrios Vlachakis ◽

George Chrousos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

High Risk ◽

Community Sample ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Public Health Interventions ◽

Health Studies ◽

High Risk Populations ◽

Community Adult

A growing part of the literature has focused on depression, anxiety, distress and somatization. Identifying their prevalence and recording high-risk populations is essential in order to form relevant interventional programs addressing these symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and associated factors of distress, depression, anxiety and somatization in a community adult sample in Greece. Participants were recruited from two Greek cities; Giannitsa in the northern area and Athens in the southern area of the country and completed sociodemographic assessments, as well as the 4-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4-DSQ), a self-reported instrument assessing depression, anxiety, distress and somatization.A total of 2,425 adults, females (60.1%) and males (39.9%), 18 to 84 years of age (mean age 46.98 ± SD) participated in the study. Mental health symptoms were reported by 10.8% for depression, 12% for anxiety, 13% for distress and 5.3% for somatization of the participants. Females scored higher than males in anxiety, distress, and somatization (p=0.000 in all cases), while there were no significant sex differences in depression (p=0.593). Statistically significant associations were found between age and depression, anxiety and distress (p=0.000 in all cases), since those between 18-34 years of age had higher scores than the older age groups in all variables. Higher scores of depression, anxiety and distress were reported by students and unemployed participants (p=0.000 in all cases) than participants with other occupations. This study mapped several sociodemographic groups with worse mental health. Studies in representative population samples are needed to guide public health interventions to improve the mental and physical well-being of high-risk populations.

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