Preliminary evidence of acylated ghrelin association with depression severity in postmenopausal women

AbstractWe have previously shown increased depression and anxiety scores in postmenopausal overweight women, when compared to overweight premenopausal women. The mechanisms responsible for these alterations are not understood. Although ghrelin involvement in mood modulation has been suggested, its role is still ambiguous and has not been evaluated in postmenopause. Here we investigated the association of ghrelin with depression and anxiety symptoms in postmenopausal women. Fifty-five postmenopausal women with depression symptoms, who were not in use of hormones or antidepressants, were included in the study. Depression symptoms were evaluated by Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms were evaluated by Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Women were allocated into three groups, according to BDI classification of mild, moderate, or severe depression symptoms. Anthropometric, biochemical and hormonal parameters were analyzed. Total and acylated ghrelin levels were higher in the severe depression than in the mild depression group. Multivariate regression analyses showed positive associations of BDI scores with acylated ghrelin and BMI, and of PHQ-9 scores with acylated ghrelin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). BAI scores associated positively with waist-to-hip ratio. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an association between acylated ghrelin and the severity of depression symptoms in postmenopausal women. This association may reflect either a physiological response aimed at fighting against depression symptoms or a causal factor of this mental disorder.

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Relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms and adipocyte-derived proteins in postmenopausal women

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0248314

Author(s):

Yu-Ting Wu ◽

Wan-Yu Huang ◽

Chew-Teng Kor ◽

Ko-Hung Liu ◽

Ting-Yu Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Population Heterogeneity ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Future Research ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety

Introduction Studies on the association between adiponectin and leptin and anxiety and depression among postmenopausal women are limited. Therefore, the present study specifically evaluates the mutual relationships between adiponectin and leptin and anxiety and depression in postmenopausal women. Participants and design In this cross-sectional study, a total of 190 women aged 40–65 years were enrolled. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Fasting specimens were collected to measure sex hormone, glucose, insulin, and adipokine levels. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between depression and anxiety and adipocyte-derived hormones. Settings The study was performed in a hospital medical center. Results Among 190 enrolled postmenopausal women, Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between CES-D and HAM-A (r = 0.715, P < 0.0001), between CES-D and adiponectin (p = 0.009) and leptin (p = 0.015), and between HAM-A and adiponectin (p = 0.01) and leptin (p = 0.001). The subjects with CES-D ≥ 16 and with HAM-A ≥ 18 had higher adiponectin levels than those with CES-D < 16 and HAM-A < 18, respectively. After adjusting for age, body mass index, exercise, alanine amino transferase and parameters of lipid profiles, Log adiponectin levels were found to be significantly associated with both CES-D and HAM-A, and Log leptin levels were only significantly associated with HAM-A. Conclusions The data show that adiponectin and leptin levels are significantly associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. These results suggest that higher adiponectin and lower leptin levels may serve as potential markers related to anxiety and mood in postmenopausal women. More future research that is designed to deal with the important confounders (e.g., population heterogeneity) is needed to investigate comprehensively on these associations.

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AB1034 DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.5852 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1808.2-1809

Author(s):

D. Karatas ◽

Z. Öztürk ◽

D. Cekic ◽

Z. Yuertsever ◽

Ü. Erkorkmaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Familial Mediterranean Fever ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Mild Depression ◽

Moderate Depression ◽

Mediterranean Fever

Background:Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever, peritonitis, pleuritis, arthritis, and skin eruption (1). It is shown by studies that chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, chronic heart disease, hypertension which other than inflammatory – rheumatologic disease increase depression and anxiety (2). There are a few studies evaluating depression and anxiety in FMF patients, and these results are conflicting (3,4).Objectives:To assess the frequency of depression and anxiety in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)Methods:In this study, 77 FMF patients aged 18 and over who were followed up in Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital, Department of Rheumatology, and 78 healthy volunteers aged 18 and over as thecontrol group. Beck depression scale and Beck anxiety scale were used to depression and anxiety, respectively. Beck’sdepression scale was evaluated as 9 and below normal, 10-16 mild depression, 17-29 moderate depression, 30-63 severe depression. Beck anxiety scale was evaluated as 0-8 normal, 8-15 mild anxiety, 16-25 moderate anxiety, 26 and above severe anxiety.FMF disease severity was determined by Pras scoring.Results:The study group, comprised 77 diagnosed with FMF with a meanage of 37.18 and a control group comprised of 78 healthy controls (C) with a meanage of 35.32 (p=0,058). İn studygroup (P) %63.6, control group (C) %53.8 as female. %36.4 of thestudy group(C), %46.2 of the control group are male. (p=0,216). The prevalence of depression was significantly higher in FMF patients compared to the control group (in order P;C: normal %24,7; %47,4, mild depression: %40.3; %26.9, moderate depression %26; %19.2, severe depression %11.7; %6.4 p<0.015). Similarly in depression results; the prevalence of anxiety was significantly higher in FMF patients compared to the control group (in order P;C normal %23,4; %57.7, mild anxiety %26; %20.5, moderate anxiety %26; %15.4, severe anxiety %24.4; %6.4 p<0,001). Depression status was not correlated with FMF disease severity (p=0.645). A correlation was found between FMF severity and anxiety which it is which was found statistically significant (p=0.005).There was no relationship between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein with depression and anxiety.Conclusion:Both anxiety and depression frequency are increased in FMF patients compared to healthy controls.References:[1]Livneh A, Langevitz P, Zemer D et al. (1997) Criteria for the diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever. Arthritis Rheum 40 (10), 1879–85.[2]Alonso J, Ferrer M, Gandek B, Ware JE Jr, Aaronson NK, Mosconi P, Rasmussen NK, Bullinger M, Fukuhara S, Kaasa S, Leplège A, IQOLA Project Group (2004) Health-related quality of life associated with chronic conditions in eight countries: results from the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. Qual Life Res 13:283–298[3]Makay B, Emiroglu N, Unsal E (2010) Depression andanxiety in children and adolescents with familial Mediterranean fever. Clin Rheumatol 29, 375–9.[4]Giese A, Ornek A, Kilic L, Kurucay M, Sendur S. N., Lainka E, Henning B. F. Anxiety and depression in adult patients with familialMediterranean fever: a study comparing patients living in Germany and Turkey. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2017; 20: 2093–2100Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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Determinants of patient-reported outcome trajectories and symptomatic recovery in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720005395 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Jan Stochl ◽

Emma Soneson ◽

Freya Stuart ◽

Jessica Fritz ◽

Annabel E. L. Walsh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Symptom Severity ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Rapid Improvement ◽

Baseline Severity ◽

Psychological Therapies ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Functionally Impaired

Abstract Background Despite evidence for the general effectiveness of psychological therapies, there exists substantial heterogeneity in patient outcomes. We aimed to identify factors associated with baseline severity of depression and anxiety symptoms, rate of symptomatic change over the course of therapy, and symptomatic recovery in a primary mental health care setting. Methods Using data from a service evaluation involving 35 527 patients in England's psychological and wellbeing [Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)] services, we applied latent growth models to explore which routinely-collected sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables were associated with baseline symptom severity and rate of symptomatic change. We used a multilevel logit model to determine variables associated with symptomatic recovery. Results Being female, younger, more functionally impaired, and more socioeconomically disadvantaged was associated with higher baseline severity of both depression and anxiety symptoms. Being older, less functionally impaired, and having more severe baseline symptomatology was associated with more rapid improvement of both depression and anxiety symptoms (male gender and greater socioeconomic disadvantage were further associated with rate of change for depression only). Therapy intensity and appointment frequency seemed to have no correlation with rate of symptomatic improvement. Patients with lower baseline symptom severity, less functional impairment, and older age had a greater likelihood of achieving symptomatic recovery (as defined by IAPT criteria). Conclusions We must continue to investigate how best to tailor psychotherapeutic interventions to fit patients’ needs. Patients who begin therapy with more severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms and poorer functioning merit special attention, as these characteristics may negatively impact recovery.

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Screening of Anxiety and Depression Related CD4 Count of People Living with HIV/AIDS with Anti-Retroviral in Medan, Indonesia

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2019.396 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (16) ◽

pp. 2590-2594

Author(s):

Dona Farila Agus ◽

Elmeida Effendy ◽

Vita Camellia

Keyword(s):

Negative Correlation ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Correlation Strength ◽

Hiv Aids

BACKGROUND: HIV, which causes AIDS, infects the immune system cells, by destroying or damaging the function of the CD4. PLWHA will have twice the risk of experiencing mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety compared with the general population, thereby suppressing immune function, decreasing their quality of life, decreasing the level of adherence to treatment, and contributing significantly to the occurrence of premature death. AIM: To determine the correlation Anxiety and Depression symptoms and CD4 levels in PLWHA who are undergoing Anti-Retroviral treatment at the HIV/AIDS METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study, which assesses the correlation between Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores (HADS) and CD4 levels in PLWHA who are receiving ARV in the HIV/AIDS Special Services Polyclinic Medan Haji general hospital. RESULTS: It was found that the average HADS-A score, PLWHA was 15.286 and the SD ± 2.244. This shows that PLWHA is in moderate to severe anxiety and moderate to severe depression. The mean CD4 level of people with HIV/AIDS/PLWHA was 288.171 and SD ± 88.955. According to WHO criteria, regarding the classification of HIV immunodeficiency in adults, are classified as moderate immunodeficiency. There was a significant correlation between the HADS-A score and CD4 level with a correlation value of r = -0.592 indicating a negative correlation with a moderate correlation strength, and the correlation between HADS-D score and CD4 level. The strength of the relationship between HADS-D score and CD4 level is r = -0.650, shows a negative correlation with strong correlation strength. CONCLUSION: from this study, it was found that there is a relationship between depression and anxiety symptom and CD4 level.

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Mexican pregnant women show higher depression and anxiety with rising age and in the case of being single

Acta medica Lituanica ◽

10.6001/actamedica.v26i4.4208 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 227-236

Author(s):

Irma Visoso Salgado ◽

Jayson Leonel Moncada Mendoza ◽

Hugo Mendieta Zerón

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Mild Depression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychology Service ◽

First Time ◽

Severe Anxiety

Background. Pregnancy is an important predisposition period to develop anxiety and depression, with a direct impact on the woman’s offspring. The aim of this study was to report the correlation between depression and anxiety in pregnant women and its association with the marital status and age. Materials. A descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient care of the Psychology Service at the “Mónica Pretelini Sáenz” Maternal Perinatal Hospital (HMPMPS), Toluca, Mexico, from June 2012 to March 2019. As routine, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory-Trait (BAIT), were applied to all women seeking attention at the HMPMPS. Only pregnant patients were selected for this study, with the women referred for the first time to the external Psychology Clinic as inclusion criteria. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the frequency of cases for age, BDI-II, and BAIT were obtained using the IBM SPSS Statistics ® v.23 software. Results. The study included 2947 pregnant patients with a mean age of 28.6 ± 6.9 years. Of these, 2616 (88.8%) presented with mild anxiety, 269 (9.1%) with moderate, and 62 (2.1%) with severe anxiety. On the other hand, 2149 (72.9%) patients presented with minimal depression, 341 (11.6%) mild depression, 268 (9.1%) moderate depression, and 189 (6.4%) had severe depression. The correlations between age and BDI-II was –0.026 (P = 0.152), between age and BAI was –0.038 (P = 0.037), and between BAIT and BDI-II 0.650 (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions. The age group with the highest frequency of depression and anxiety was from 20 to 29 years. The absence of a stable partner represented an important risk factor for anxiety and depression during pregnancy.

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Depression and Anxiety among University Students: a Comparison Between COVID-19 Pandemic Panic Period and Post-Panic Period in Bangladesh

10.21203/rs.3.rs-702997/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gowranga Kumar Paul ◽

Meshbahur Rahman ◽

Shayla Naznin ◽

Mashfiqul Haq Chowdhury ◽

Md Jamal Uddin

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Health Concern ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Time Period ◽

The Difference ◽

The University

Abstract Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest public health concern. It harmed everyone, both physically and mentally. Because of panic situations in COVID-19 pandemic, students all over the world, including those in Bangladesh, are suffering from depression and anxiety. Considering this, we aimed to assess psycho-emotional changes of the university students through investigating their level of depression and anxiety effects during panic and post-panic period of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.Methods: Cross-sectional online surveys were conducted among university students in Bangladesh from April to July 2020 (panic period, n=170) and then from August to November 2020 (post-panic period, n=170). The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires were used to assess respondents' depression and anxiety levels, respectively. We used continuous scores to assess the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. We also computed binary depression and anxiety scores. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: The proportion of depression symptoms was 49.4% during the panic period and 52.4% after the panic period. Anxiety symptoms were experienced by 38.2% of students during the panic period, and this percentage was nearly identical in the post-panic interval. Depression levels increased in the post-panic period and urban students have significantly (P< 0.05) higher levels of depression and anxiety than their counterparts. Female students also exhibited significantly more anxious symptoms (p=0.002) than male. Depression symptoms significantly vary by family types, students place of residence whereas students age, gender, education, family head's occupation, time period and family economic condition found no significant association with the depression.Conclusions: Students during the post-panic period have a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms than during the panic period. Although the difference was small, it was still concerning for university students in Bangladesh because it interfered with their academic life.

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Serum osteocalcin concentrations in relation to glucose and lipid metabolism in Chinese individuals

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje-09-0585 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 161 (5) ◽

pp. 723-729 ◽

Cited By ~ 128

Author(s):

Mi Zhou ◽

Xiaojing Ma ◽

Huating Li ◽

Xiaoping Pan ◽

Junling Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Lipid Metabolism ◽

Glucose Tolerance ◽

Lipid Profile ◽

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Premenopausal Women ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Serum Osteocalcin

ObjectivesOsteocalcin, a bone-derived protein, has recently been reported to affect energy metabolism. We investigated the relationship between serum osteocalcin and parameters of adiposity, glucose tolerance, and lipid profile in Chinese subjects.MethodsSerum osteocalcin was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in 254 men (128 with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 126 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT)), 66 premenopausal women (33 with T2DM and 33 with NGT) as well as 180 postmenopausal women (92 with T2DM and 88 with NGT). Their associations with parameters of adiposity, glucose tolerance, and lipid profile were examined.ResultsSerum osteocalcin concentrations in diabetic patients were significantly lower than those in NGT subjects after adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index (P=0.003). Postmenopausal women had higher osteocalcin concentrations than premenopausal women and men (both P<0.001). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that age, %fat, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, and fasting serum insulin were independently associated with osteocalcin in men (P<0.05). Age and HbA1c were independently correlated with osteocalcin in postmenopausal women. Besides age and HbA1c, serum triglyceride was also an independent factor influencing osteocalcin in premenopausal women. In addition, osteocalcin was also positively associated with homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that osteocalcin was independently associated with T2DM.ConclusionsSerum osteocalcin was closely associated with not only fat and glucose metabolism but also with lipid metabolism.

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Associations of depression and anxiety symptoms with sexual behaviour in women and heterosexual men attending sexual health clinics: a cross-sectional study

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

10.1136/sextrans-2018-053689 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 95 (4) ◽

pp. 254-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rachel Margaret Coyle ◽

Fiona C Lampe ◽

Ada Rose Miltz ◽

Janey Sewell ◽

Jane Anderson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Health ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Region ◽

Condomless Sex

ObjectiveTo assess the association of symptoms of depression and anxiety with sexual risk behaviour and history, among women and heterosexual men attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.MethodsAttitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV (AURAH) was a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study recruited from 20 GUM clinics in England, 2013–2014. This analysis included women and heterosexual men. The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was assessed. Modified Poisson regression was used to produce adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the association of t demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors with depression and anxiety, adjusted for gender, age, ethnicity, education level and study region. Among individuals reporting sex in the past 3 months, associations of depression and anxiety with sexual risk behaviour and history were assessed separately by gender, adjusted for age, ethnicity, study region, education and relationship status.ResultsQuestionnaires were completed by 676 women and 470 heterosexual men. Depression symptoms were reported by 100 (14.8%) women and 33 men (7.0%). Anxiety symptoms were reported by 79 women (11.7%) and 21 men (4.5%). Among women reporting recent sex, those with depression symptoms were more likely to report condomless sex with a non-regular partner, aPR 1.38 (1.07–1.77) and recent condomless sex with two or more partners, 1.80 (1.25–2.59). Women with anxiety symptoms more likely to report recent condomless sex with two or more partners, 1.68 (1.13–2.50), low self-efficacy for condom use, 1.54 (1.02–2.31) and STI diagnosis in the last year 1.51 (1.04–2.20). Among heterosexual men reporting recent sex, depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with low self-efficacy with condom use, 2.32 (1.29–4.19) for depression and 2.23 (1.26–3.94) for anxiety, but not with measures of condomless sex.DiscussionThe associations between psychological symptoms and sexual risk behaviours highlight the importance of holistic assessment of need by both general and sexual health clinicians. We highlight the challenge in delivering holistic care associated with fragmentation of sexual health services.

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The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among Overweight/Obese and Non-Overweight/Non-Obese Children/Adolescents in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16030340 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 340 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Simeng Wang ◽

Qi Sun ◽

Lingling Zhai ◽

Yinglong Bai ◽

Wei Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meta Analysis ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Middle School Student ◽

Chinese Economy ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Obese Children ◽

Prevalence Of Depression ◽

Scale Types

With the dramatic growth of the Chinese economy, the number of children/adolescents with being overweight/having obesity is increasing, which has a certain impact on their psychology, such as depression and anxiety symptoms. Our purpose was to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the prevalence and odds ratios of depression and anxiety symptoms among overweight/obese children/adolescents and non-overweight/obese children/adolescents in China. As of July 2018, the three most comprehensive computerized academic databases in China have been systematically screened, namely China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) databases, Wanfang databases and Vip databases. The same operations are performed in PubMed and Web of Science (SCIE) databases without language restrictions. Case-control studies on prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in overweight/obese children/adolescents in China were analyzed. Study selection and evaluation were performed independently by three authors. Unweighted prevalence, pooled random-effects estimates of odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were all calculated. A total of 11 eligible studies involving 17,894 subjects were included. The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in overweight/obese children/adolescents was significantly higher than that in non-overweight/non-obese children/adolescents (depression: 21.73% vs. 17.96%, OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.87, p = 0.003; anxiety: 39.80% vs. 13.99%, OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.79, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses conducted according to scale types showed that scale types have certain significance to evaluate the relationship between depression symptoms and overweight/obesity. The OR of depression symptoms between overweight/obese children/adolescents and non-overweight/non-obese children/adolescents was greatest on the Middle School Student Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS) was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.41, 3.02, I2 = 0.00%), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.25, I2 = 0.00%), and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) was 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.42, I2 = 0.00%). We concluded that the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in overweight/obese children/adolescents in China is higher than that in the non-overweight/obese children/adolescents. The results of the study indicate that the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among overweight/obese children/adolescents in Chinese medical institutions should receive more attention. Physical exercise and psychological interventions should be strengthened to prevent psychological problems. However, because of some clear limitations (no clinical interview and few studies), these results should be interpreted with caution.

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Depression and Anxiety Symptoms of British Adoptive Parents: A Prospective Four-Wave Longitudinal Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16245153 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (24) ◽

pp. 5153 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rebecca E. Anthony ◽

Amy L. Paine ◽

Katherine H. Shelton

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Adoptive Parents ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Parental Anxiety ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

The mental health of birth parents has gained attention due to the serious negative consequences for personal, family, and child outcomes, but depression and anxiety in adoptive parents remains under-recognized. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we investigated anxiety and depression symptoms in 96 British adoptive parents over four time points in the first four years of an adoptive placement. Depression and anxiety symptom scores were relatively stable across time. Growth curve analysis showed that higher child internalizing scores and lower parental sense of competency at five months post-placement were associated with higher initial levels of parental depressive symptoms. Lower parental sense of competency was also associated with higher initial levels of parental anxiety symptoms. Parents of older children and those with higher levels of parental anxiety and sense of competency at five months post-placement had a steeper decrease in depressive symptoms over time. Support for adoptive families primarily focuses on child adjustment. Our findings suggest that professional awareness of parental mental health post-placement may be necessary, and interventions aimed at improving parents’ sense of competency may be beneficial.

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