Excessive Reassurance Seeking: Delineating a Risk Factor Involved in the Development of Depressive Symptoms

Abstract Background Childhood trauma (CT) is associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders; however, it is unknown whether this represents a diagnosis-specific risk factor for specific psychopathology mediated by structural brain changes. Our aim was to explore whether (i) a predictive CT pattern for transdiagnostic psychopathology exists, and whether (ii) CT can differentiate between distinct diagnosis-dependent psychopathology. Furthermore, we aimed to identify the association between CT, psychopathology and brain structure. Methods We used multivariate pattern analysis in data from 643 participants of the Personalised Prognostic Tools for Early Psychosis Management study (PRONIA), including healthy controls (HC), recent onset psychosis (ROP), recent onset depression (ROD), and patients clinically at high-risk for psychosis (CHR). Participants completed structured interviews and self-report measures including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, SCID diagnostic interview, BDI-II, PANSS, Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms and structural MRI, analyzed by voxel-based morphometry. Results (i) Patients and HC could be distinguished by their CT pattern with a reasonable precision [balanced accuracy of 71.2% (sensitivity = 72.1%, specificity = 70.4%, p ≤ 0.001]. (ii) Subdomains ‘emotional neglect’ and ‘emotional abuse’ were most predictive for CHR and ROP, while in ROD ‘physical abuse’ and ‘sexual abuse’ were most important. The CT pattern was significantly associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in ROD, ROP, and CHR, as well as with the PANSS total and negative domain scores in the CHR patients. No associations between group-separating CT patterns and brain structure were found. Conclusions These results indicate that CT poses a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental health disorders, possibly related to depressive symptoms. While differences in the quality of CT exposure exist, diagnostic differentiation was not possible suggesting a multi-factorial pathogenesis.

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Mediators and Moderators of the Association Between Perceived Stress and Episodic Memory in Diverse Older Adults

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617720001253 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Afsara B. Zaheed ◽

Neika Sharifian ◽

A. Zarina Kraal ◽

Ketlyne Sol ◽

Jennifer J. Manly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Negative Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Stress Memory

Abstract Objective: Stress is a risk factor for numerous negative health outcomes, including cognitive impairment in late-life. The negative association between stress and cognition may be mediated by depressive symptoms, which separate studies have identified as both a consequence of perceived stress and a risk factor for cognitive decline. Pathways linking perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and cognition may be moderated by sociodemographics and psychosocial resources. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to identify modifying factors and enhance understanding of the mechanisms underlying the stress–cognition association in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of older adults. Method: A linear regression estimated the association between perceived stress and episodic memory in 578 older adults (Mage = 74.58) in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Subsequent models tested whether depressive symptoms mediated the stress–memory relationship and whether sociodemographics (gender, race, and ethnicity) or perceived control moderated these pathways. Results: Independent of sociodemographics and chronic diseases, greater perceived stress was associated with worse episodic memory. This relationship was mediated by more depressive symptoms. Higher perceived control buffered the association between stress and depressive symptoms. There was no significant moderation by gender, race, or ethnicity. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms may play a role in the negative association between perceived stress and cognition among older adults; however, longitudinal analyses and studies using experimental designs are needed. Perceived control is a modifiable psychological resource that may offset the negative impact of stress.

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Right–Wing Authoritarianism: Protective Factor against Or Risk Factor for Depression?

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.853 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 536-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Bart Duriez ◽

Theo A. Klimstra ◽

Koen Luyckx ◽

Wim Beyers ◽

Bart Soenens

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

World War Ii ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Life Events ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Community Sample ◽

Well Being ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Student Sample

Because the authoritarian personality was introduced to explain the rise of fascism during World War II, research focused on its ability to predict prejudice, leaving its associations with well–being largely unexplored. Studies that did examine these associations yielded inconsistent results, and some authors even argued that authoritarianism buffers against the negative effects of psychological vulnerability factors (i.e. D–type personality) and negative life events on well–being, especially among people in an authoritarian environment. Using a cross–sectional community sample (N = 1010), Study 1 failed to support the idea that authoritarianism relates to depressive symptoms and buffers against the negative effects of D–type personality on depressive symptoms. Using a longitudinal college student sample (N = 499), Study 2 showed that authoritarianism did not moderate the effects of life events either and even predicted over–time increases in depressive symptoms. Using a longitudinal high school sample (N = 590), Study 3 showed that this effect emerged regardless of degree of fit with the social environment (i.e. with family and friends). Taken together, results suggest that authoritarianism constitutes a risk factor for rather than a protective factor against depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Is Worse Attention a Risk Factor for or a Consequence of Depression, or Are Worse Attention and Depression Better Accounted for by Stress? A Prospective Test of Three Hypotheses

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702618794920 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 93-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Naoise Mac Giollabhui ◽

Thomas M. Olino ◽

Johanna Nielsen ◽

Lyn Y. Abramson ◽

Lauren B. Alloy

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Life Stress ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Childhood Stress ◽

Attentional Functioning ◽

First Onset ◽

Impaired Cognition ◽

Switching Attention

It is unclear whether impaired cognition is a risk factor for depression or a consequence of depression, or whether both depression and impaired cognition are caused by a third underlying process (e.g., stress). These three hypotheses were tested in 523 adolescents assessed annually for depression, attentional functioning, and childhood/recent life stress. Baseline switching, sustained, and selective attention did not predict first onset of depression or depressive symptoms. Divided attention predicted depressive symptoms only. Piecewise growth modeling indicated that the trajectory of switching attention declined prior to first onset of depression; there was evidence of significant recovery in switching attention following first onset of depression. Structural equation modeling indicated that impaired switching attention prospectively predicted higher depressive symptoms and that higher depressive symptoms predicted worse selective and switching attention. Further, childhood stress prospectively predicted higher depressive symptoms via switching attention and worse switching attention via depressive symptoms.

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Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022145 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 190 (6) ◽

pp. 469-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Katri Räikkönen ◽

Anu-Katriina Pesonen ◽

Eero Kajantie ◽

Kati Heinonen ◽

Tom Forsén ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Birth Size ◽

Gestational Length ◽

Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽

Duration Of Gestation ◽

Length Of Gestation

BackgroundA non-optimal foetal environment, reflected in smaller birth size and shorter duration of gestation, is a risk factor for compromised health later in life.AimsTo examine whether smaller birth size and shorter gestation predict depressive symptoms.MethodA total of 1371 members of a cohort born between 1934 and 1944 at term (259–294 days' gestation) in Helsinki, Finland, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES–D) at an average age of 61.5 years (BDI) and 63.4 years (BDI and CES–D).ResultsGestational length predicted depressive symptoms linearly and independently of gender and birth weight: per day decrease in gestational length, depressive symptoms scores increased by 0.8-0.9% (95% CI 0.2-1.4, P<0.009). Weight, length and head circumference at birth showed no linear association with depression, adjusted for gender and gestational length. The results did not change when further controlled for socioeconomic characteristics at birth and in adulthood, age and body mass index in adulthood.ConclusionsSusceptibility to depressive symptoms may relate to shorter length of gestation.

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