scholarly journals Prediction of parental alienation on depression in left-behind children: A 12-month follow-up investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Sun ◽  
Xuemei Qin ◽  
Mengjia Zhang ◽  
Aigang Yang ◽  
Xiaomei Ren ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Alienation towards parents often occurs when parents divorce; however, it can also occur when one or both parents leave for work for more than 6 months. Our previous investigation has confirmed a high level of feelings of alienation towards parents among Chinese left-behind children. However, the longitudinal prediction of alienation on children's mental health outcomes remains largely unknown. This study aims to observe the prediction of alienation towards parents on children's depression 12 months later and potential mediators and moderators. Methods A total of 1090 Chinese left-behind children took part in this 12-month follow-up investigation, using the Chinese version of the Inventory of Alienation towards Parents (IAP), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Adolescent Self-Rating Life-events Checklist (ASLEC), and the Adolescent Resilience Scale. Results Alienation towards parents was high (16.42 ± 7.27 for mother, 15.63 ± 7.17 for father) in left-behind children, and 21.01% of children reported depression. Alienation towards parents predicted current depression of children directly and later depression indirectly; children's alienation toward their mothers was a stronger predictor of depression than alienation towards fathers. In models, stressful life-events acted as a risk mediator. Previous depression was the strongest risk predictor, resilience was the strongest protective factor, and duration of fathers’ absence and parents’ marital status moderated the predictive effects. Conclusions This study is among the first to longitudinally confirm that alienation towards parents is a predictor of children's later depression. The results provide important suggestions for families and schools; i.e. to prevent depression in left-behind children, parent−child bonds especially alienation towards mothers, should be carefully considered, and individuals with more negative life-events and weaker resilience need further attention.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Lloyd ◽  
N. Sartorius ◽  
H. U. Ahmed ◽  
A. Alvarez ◽  
S. Bahendeka ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims To examine the factors that are associated with changes in depression in people with type 2 diabetes living in 12 different countries. Methods People with type 2 diabetes treated in out-patient settings aged 18–65 years underwent a psychiatric assessment to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline and follow-up. At both time points, participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the WHO five-item Well-being scale (WHO-5) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale which measures diabetes-related distress. A composite stress score (CSS) (the occurrence of stressful life events and their reported degree of ‘upset’) between baseline and follow-up was calculated. Demographic data and medical record information were collected. Separate regression analyses were conducted with MDD and PHQ-9 scores as the dependent variables. Results In total, there were 7.4% (120) incident cases of MDD with 81.5% (1317) continuing to remain free of a diagnosis of MDD. Univariate analyses demonstrated that those with MDD were more likely to be female, less likely to be physically active, more likely to have diabetes complications at baseline and have higher CSS. Mean scores for the WHO-5, PAID and PHQ-9 were poorer in those with incident MDD compared with those who had never had a diagnosis of MDD. Regression analyses demonstrated that higher PHQ-9, lower WHO-5 scores and greater CSS were significant predictors of incident MDD. Significant predictors of PHQ-9 were baseline PHQ-9 score, WHO-5, PAID and CSS. Conclusion This study demonstrates the importance of psychosocial factors in addition to physiological variables in the development of depressive symptoms and incident MDD in people with type 2 diabetes. Stressful life events, depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress all play a significant role which has implications for practice. A more holistic approach to care, which recognises the interplay of these psychosocial factors, may help to mitigate their impact on diabetes self-management as well as MDD, thus early screening and treatment for symptoms is recommended.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sundström ◽  
Michael Rönnlund ◽  
Rolf Adolfsson ◽  
Lars-Göran Nilsson

ABSTRACTBackground:The impact of stressful life events as a risk factor of dementia diseases is inconclusive. We sought to determine whether stressful negative life events are associated with incidental dementia in a population-based study with long-term follow-up. We also tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of positive life events could mitigate or overcome the possible adverse effects of negative life events on dementia conversion.Methods:The study involved 2,462 dementia-free participants aged 55 years and older. Information on life events was ascertained at baseline from a comprehensive Life Event Inventory, which included 56 questions about specific life events. For each life event, the emotional impact (both positive and negative) and emotional adjustment were asked for.Results:During follow-up, 423 participants developed dementia; of these, 240 developed Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cox regression analysis showed no association between the total number of negative life events and the incidence of dementia when adjusted solely for age and gender (hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.92–1.02), or with multiple adjustments for a range of covariates (hazard ratio = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91–1.01). Similarly, neither emotional impact nor emotional adjustment to these life events was associated with incident dementia. A separate analysis of AD did not alter the results.Conclusions:The result of this population-based study finds no association between negative or positive life events and dementia. Accordingly, our results reject the hypothesis that stressful life events trigger the onset of dementia diseases.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A212-A213
Author(s):  
I Skobic ◽  
G Howe ◽  
P L Haynes

Abstract Introduction The stress generation hypothesis posits that depressed (versus non-depressed) individuals generate more stressful life events, especially events for which they are at least partly responsible (i.e., dependent events). Insomnia disorder interferes with emotion regulation, potentially leading to impaired decision-making and increased stress generation. We hypothesized that insomnia disorder would lead to an increased number of stressful life events in our sample of adults who have recently experienced involuntary job loss. Methods Assessing Daily Activity Patterns through Occupational Transitions is a longitudinal study examining linkages between job-loss, sleep, obesity, and mental health. We used baseline and 3-month follow-up data from 137 participants who completed the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule, a contextual life event measure. Insomnia disorder was coded yes if participants met ICSD-3 criteria for a current chronic or acute insomnia disorder on the Duke Structured Interview for Sleep Disorders. Covariates included age, gender, and race. Linear and logistic regression were employed to assess changes in number of events over time. Secondary analysis examined the relationship between insomnia and dependent stressful life events specifically. Results When controlling for covariates, insomnia disorder at study baseline predicted the number of stressful life events generated between baseline and 3-month follow-up (β =.60, se=.30, t=1.99, p=.05). Conversely, events at baseline did not predict insomnia disorder at follow-up when controlling for baseline insomnia disorder (OR=.98, CI=.82-1.17). Secondary analysis revealed a trend toward increased generation of dependent events among individuals with insomnia disorder (β =.37, se=.23, t = 1.6, p=.11). Conclusion Our analyses provide preliminary evidence for a causal relationship between insomnia disorder and stress generation. Additional research is needed to replicate and examine the mechanisms behind this relationship. This extension of the stress generation hypothesis may have important implications for harm reduction interventions for insomnia disorder. Support #1R01HL117995-01A1.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Zhou ◽  
Guojun Wang ◽  
Cunxian Jia ◽  
Zhenyu Ma

AbstractBackgroundSuicide rate among rural elderly is the highest among all age groups in China, yet little is known about the suicide risks in this rapidly growing vulnerable population.MethodsThis matched case–control psychological autopsy study was conducted during June 2014 to September 2015. Consecutive samples of suicides aged 60 or above were identified in three provinces (Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi) in China. Living comparisons were 1:1 matched with the suicides in age (±3 years old), gender, and living location. Risk factors included demographic characteristics, being left-behind, mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support.ResultsA total of 242 suicides and 242 comparisons were enrolled: 135 (55.8%) were male, mean (s.d.) age was 74 (8) years. The most frequently used suicide means were pesticides (125, 51.7%) and hanging (95, 39.3%). Independent risks of suicide included unstable marital status [odds ratio (OR) 4.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.61–10.92], unemployed (compared with employed, OR 4.43, 95% CI 1.09–17.95), depressive symptoms (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21–1.48), and mental disorder (OR 6.28, 95% CI 1.75–22.54). Structural equation model indicated that the association between being left-behind and suicide was mediated by mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support.ConclusionsUnstable marital status, unemployed, depressive symptoms, and mental disorder are independent risk factors for suicide in rural elderly. Being left-behind can elevate the suicide risk through increasing life stresses, depressive symptoms, mental disorder, and decreasing social support. Elderly suicide may be prevented by restricting pesticides, training rural physicians, treating mental disorders, mitigating life stress, and enhancing social connection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-758
Author(s):  
Nadya Dich ◽  
Stacey N Doan

AbstractBackgroundResearch investigating the associations between stress-related negative emotions and alcohol consumption often assumes a linear dose–response relationship. Based on the current theories of emotions, we questioned this assumption and hypothesized that both very low and very high levels of negative emotional response (NER) to stressful life events are related to increased alcohol consumption.MethodsWe used data from Phases 1 (1985–88) and 2 (1989–90) of the British Whitehall II study. At both phases, participants reported on their alcohol consumption, recent stressful events and the NER to the events. Two thousand and sixteen participants without recent stressful events at baseline were selected. Logistic regression was used to model the association between emotional response at baseline and increased frequency of alcohol consumption between the two phases.ResultsThe likelihood of increased alcohol consumption increased with the number of recent stressful events. Among participants with at least one event, 17% increased alcohol consumption, compared with 14% of those who reported no events. Participants with average NER were at lowest risk (14%) of increasing alcohol consumption after major life events. Those with highest NER were significantly more likely to increase alcohol consumption (20%) than those with average NER, but the difference between those with highest NER and those with lowest NER (17%) was not statistically significant.ConclusionsIncreases in alcohol consumption following stressful events are least likely if people experience moderate levels of NER to events. Negative emotions in moderate doses should not be regarded as a risk factor for unhealthy behaviours, but rather a potentially protective factor.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 157-157
Author(s):  
E. Heldt ◽  
C. Blaya ◽  
L. Kipper ◽  
G. Salum Junior ◽  
V.N. Hirakata ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere is a limitation of data about factors associated with treatment response in panic disorder (PD) patients at long-term follow-up period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment response of pharmacotherapy-resistant patients with PD after 5 years of cognitive-behavior group therapy (CBGT) and to identify factors that predict this outcome.MethodSixty-four patients who completed 12 sessions of CBGT were followed for 5-year. Outcome measures were evaluated by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and quality of life (QoL) using WHOQOL-bref. Demographic and clinical features, stressful life events were the variables investigated as predictors of CBGT response across follow-up period.ResultsTreatment was associated with significant reduction in symptoms severity (agoraphobia, anticipatory anxiety and panic attacks) with maintenance of gains at 5-year of follow-up (p < 0.05). Twenty-four (40%) of the sample remained in remission after 5 years, 12 (20%) relapsed during the follow-up period and 24 (40%) were non-responder to CBGT. The poor CBGT response had an important negative impact in QoL. Regression analyzes showed that comorbidity with dysthymia (p = 0.017) and stressful life events (p = 0.012) as the most important predictors to worse response.ConclusionsThe improvement in all evaluations suggested that brief CBGT for pharmacotherapy-resistant patients could be an alternative as next-step strategy for residual symptoms with maintenance of the gains after 5 years as assessed across follow-up period. New strategies should be tried for resistant patients, such as those with dysthymia comorbidity, and some specific tool in order to cope with adverse events.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriëtte Riese ◽  
Harold Snieder ◽  
Bertus F. Jeronimus ◽  
Tellervo Korhonen ◽  
Richard J. Rose ◽  
...  

Neuroticism is a predictor of many health problems. To study the determinants of within–subject change in neuroticism, three hypotheses were tested: (i) subjects who experienced stressful life events (SLEs) show an increase in neuroticism; (ii) high baseline neuroticism moderated this effect; and (iii) recent SLEs had a greater impact on neuroticism than distant SLEs. Data came from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Neuroticism data were collected in 1975 and 1981 and SLEs data in 1981 (n = 21 085). By entering baseline neuroticism as a predictor for neuroticism at follow–up, the outcome measure was change in neuroticism. Changes in neuroticism were predicted from SLE indices or their interaction with baseline neuroticism. Timing of SLEs was taken into account by distinguishing recent from distant SLEs. To control for confounding by shared genes and environments, both within–twin pair and between–twin pair effects were tested for monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs separately. Neuroticism's six–year stability was high (r = .58, p < .001). Exposure to SLEs modestly increased neuroticism (βs > .55, ps < .001), unconfounded by shared genes. This effect was not moderated by high baseline neuroticism. Recent SLEs (.09 < βs < .15) had more impact than distant SLEs (.03 < βs < .11; ps < .01). In conclusion, the findings strongly supported a model of environmentally driven SLEs causing dynamic fluctuations around a person's set point of neuroticism. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A26-A27
Author(s):  
Alisa Huskey ◽  
Daniel Taylor ◽  
Bruce Friedman

Abstract Introduction Poor sleep quality is a well-established risk for posttraumatic symptoms (PTSS; Casement et al., 2012; Germain et al., 2004; 2005). Conversely, self-reported resilience is a well-established protective factor against PTSS (Mealer et al., 2012; Wrenn et al., 2011) and has also been shown to moderate the negative impacts of stressful life events on sleep quality (Li et al., 2019). Fewer studies have investigated whether autonomic indices of regulatory control moderate the impacts of resilience and sleep quality on PTSS. Resting heart rate variability (HRV) is a widely supported measure of top-down regulation of cognitive, behavioral and autonomic outcomes (Thayer & Ruiz-Padial, 2006). Higher HRV has been linked with increased capacity for stress coping as well as regulation of affect and attention (Bornstein & Suess, 2000). This study investigates whether resting HRV moderates the relationship between resilience, sleep quality, and PTSS. Methods Participants completed the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 criteria (PCL-5), the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). A resting baseline assessment of electrocardiogram was used to derive resting-state HRV. Participants (N = 42; 86% women; 76% Caucasian) were recruited from college courses and the surrounding community. Results Individuals were grouped into higher and lower HRV. In the lower HRV group, resilience was not related to PTSS, but poorer sleep quality predicted higher PTSS severity (B=.79). Specific components of sleep quality that predicted PTSS in the lower HRV group were sleep disturbance (B=.38) and daytime dysfunction (B=.76). In the higher HRV group, greater resilience predicted lower PTSS severity (B=-.63), but sleep quality was not related to PTSS. Sleeping medication was the only component that predicted PTSS in the higher HRV group, such that less sleep medication was related to higher PTSS (B=-.751). Conclusion These findings suggest that higher HRV in combination with a self-perception of greater resilience are protective factors against PTSS as well as the effects of poorer sleep quality on PTSS. Resting HRV provides an index of regulatory control that may also be a physiological component of resilience. Support (if any) This project was funded by the Dean’s Discovery Fund at Virginia Tech.


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