scholarly journals Friendships and Family Support Reduce Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in At-Risk Adolescents

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e0153715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Laura van Harmelen ◽  
Jenny L. Gibson ◽  
Michelle C. St Clair ◽  
Matt Owens ◽  
Jeannette Brodbeck ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Olivia Susanne Notter

<p>This study sought to confirm and expand literature on psychological health by comparing and contrasting the effects of two prevention programmes, one focused on reducing negative affect and the other focused on enhancing positive affect, and by revealing possible pathways that might lead to increased wellbeing and resilience and reduced negative affect and depressive symptoms.  Two school-based intervention approaches were examined: Kiwi ACE (Adolescents Coping with Emotions) and PAL (Positive Approaches to Life), to investigate which techniques would prevent the occurrence of depression, increase wellbeing, and help build resilience in Year 9 students (13-yr-olds). Kiwi ACE is a programme based on a CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) model and was trialled previously with success. PAL kept within the same structure as Kiwi ACE but used strategies aimed at building a capacity within students to develop positive emotions in order to build resources for present and future challenges. Both programmes aimed to build resilience and prevent the development of depression in at-risk adolescents.  Nine schools from the wider Wellington region in New Zealand participated in the current study. Sixty-five students identified as at-risk, participated in one of the two programmes, and 69 students constituted the control group. All students in the current study were at risk of developing depression, pre-intervention, as suggested by a mild-moderate score on the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory). Both programmes consisted of weekly one hour sessions enacted over 12 weeks during which a group of approximately 10 students met with a clinical psychologist and school counsellor. A survey consisting of a range of scales, measured students' scores pre- and post- programme, at six months and one year after the programme was completed.  Kiwi ACE and PAL both decreased depressive symptoms and increased well-being for up to one year after the programme. However, PAL had stronger effects in promoting gratitude, satisfaction with life, happiness, and resilience. Mediation analysis revealed that Kiwi ACE helped to decrease depressive symptoms by increasing students' sense of environmental mastery and increased students' well-being scores by decreasing the intensity and frequency of participants’ negative emotions. In contrast, PAL helped to decrease depressive symptoms, and increase well-being and resilience through many routes, namely through increasing gratitude, meaning, happiness and satisfaction with life.  The findings of this study reveal that building a capacity for positive emotions can help develop many resources that protect students from depressive symptoms and increase their psychological well-being and personal resilience. In addition, using positive emotions as a resource is equally effective as using CBT strategies in preventing depression and is more effective in increasing positive outcomes, including personal resilience. Finally the results from PAL indicate that cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude and happiness is an effective way to build personal resilience in adolescence.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Olivia Susanne Notter

<p>This study sought to confirm and expand literature on psychological health by comparing and contrasting the effects of two prevention programmes, one focused on reducing negative affect and the other focused on enhancing positive affect, and by revealing possible pathways that might lead to increased wellbeing and resilience and reduced negative affect and depressive symptoms.  Two school-based intervention approaches were examined: Kiwi ACE (Adolescents Coping with Emotions) and PAL (Positive Approaches to Life), to investigate which techniques would prevent the occurrence of depression, increase wellbeing, and help build resilience in Year 9 students (13-yr-olds). Kiwi ACE is a programme based on a CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) model and was trialled previously with success. PAL kept within the same structure as Kiwi ACE but used strategies aimed at building a capacity within students to develop positive emotions in order to build resources for present and future challenges. Both programmes aimed to build resilience and prevent the development of depression in at-risk adolescents.  Nine schools from the wider Wellington region in New Zealand participated in the current study. Sixty-five students identified as at-risk, participated in one of the two programmes, and 69 students constituted the control group. All students in the current study were at risk of developing depression, pre-intervention, as suggested by a mild-moderate score on the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory). Both programmes consisted of weekly one hour sessions enacted over 12 weeks during which a group of approximately 10 students met with a clinical psychologist and school counsellor. A survey consisting of a range of scales, measured students' scores pre- and post- programme, at six months and one year after the programme was completed.  Kiwi ACE and PAL both decreased depressive symptoms and increased well-being for up to one year after the programme. However, PAL had stronger effects in promoting gratitude, satisfaction with life, happiness, and resilience. Mediation analysis revealed that Kiwi ACE helped to decrease depressive symptoms by increasing students' sense of environmental mastery and increased students' well-being scores by decreasing the intensity and frequency of participants’ negative emotions. In contrast, PAL helped to decrease depressive symptoms, and increase well-being and resilience through many routes, namely through increasing gratitude, meaning, happiness and satisfaction with life.  The findings of this study reveal that building a capacity for positive emotions can help develop many resources that protect students from depressive symptoms and increase their psychological well-being and personal resilience. In addition, using positive emotions as a resource is equally effective as using CBT strategies in preventing depression and is more effective in increasing positive outcomes, including personal resilience. Finally the results from PAL indicate that cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude and happiness is an effective way to build personal resilience in adolescence.</p>


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Landau ◽  
John Arthur Trinder ◽  
Julian Simmons ◽  
Monika Raniti ◽  
Matthew Blake ◽  
...  

Inflammatory markers including C-Reactive Protein (CRP) are increasingly used within research and clinical settings. Yet, varying methodologies for cleaning immunoassay data with out of range (OOR) samples may alter characteristic levels of CRP, thereby obscuring interpretation and reliability. This study investigated the influence of eight immunoassay OOR data treatment techniques on salivary CRP (sCRP) samples from at-risk adolescents. Participants from the ‘Sleep and Education: learning New Skills Early’ (SENSE) Study were 86 adolescents at-risk for depression (50 female), aged 14.29 years (SD=1.04). ANOVA results showed no statistically significant differences in average morning (F(7, 590)=1.24, p=.28) and evening (F(7, 599)=1.29, p=.25) values produced by each OOR data cleaning technique. However, varying techniques produced differences in the magnitude of Pearson’s correlations between consecutive saliva samples (r’s between .27 – .78), and influenced the significance of a sCRP diurnal pattern; two techniques produced statistically higher morning than evening sCRP levels (t(85)=2.70, p=.01 and t(85)=2.67, p=.01), whereas six techniques failed to find statistical differences between morning and evening sCRP levels (p’s &gt;.05). Varying techniques also produced statistically divergent associations between sCRP and age and depressive symptoms. Results from this study provide evidence for the temporal stability of sCRP among adolescents, show winsorization as an effective OOR data management technique, and highlight the influence of methodological decisions in cleaning salivary biomarker data and the need for consistency within the field.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongjie Zhou ◽  
Ruoxi Wang ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Ting Ding ◽  
Lijuan Huo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although more and more attention has been paid to the psychological consequences of the lockdown policy amongst pregnant women, the underlying mechanism linking the lockdown policy to maternal depression has not been studied in the context of China. This study aimed to explore the association between the lockdown policy and maternal depressive symptoms, and whether such association was mediated by internet use and/or family support. Methods This cross-sectional study used multi-stage sampling techniques in central and western China. Data were collected from 1266 pregnant women using a structtured questionnaire that measured internet use, family support, and depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Internet use was measured by length of usage and varierity of purpose for internet use. Family support was measureed by spousal support and parental support. The structural equation modelling was employed to conduct mediation analysis to test the specificity of the hypothetical paths. Results Overall, 527 respondents (41.63%) presented depressive symptoms. The lockdown policy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in pregnant women (β = − 0.925, 95% CI = −1.510, − 0.360). The impact of the lockdown policy on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by internet use (β = 1.589, 95% CI = 0.730, 2.807) and family support (β = − 0.162, 95% CI = − 0.341, − 0.017), accounting for 42.67% of the total effect. Conclusions The lockdown policy was generally associated with fewer depressive symptoms in pregnant women. The lockdown policy increased maternal depressive symptoms through increased internet use, but decreased maternal depressive symptoms through enhanced family support. The findings suggest that the psychological consequence of the lockdown policy may vary across different populations, and warrant the need to take into consideration the features of subgroups.


2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amparo Escartí ◽  
Melchor Gutiérrez ◽  
Carmina Pascual ◽  
Diana Marín

This study evaluated improvement in self-efficacy and personal and social responsibility among at-risk of dropping-out of school adolescents participating in a program in which Hellison's Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model was applied in physical education classes during the course of an academic year. Thirty at-risk adolescents aged 13-14 years old (23 boys, 7 girls) were assigned to an intervention group (12 boys and 3 girls) or a comparison group (11 boys, 4 girls), the latter of which did not participate in the program. Quantitative results showed a significant improvement in the students' self-efficacy for enlisting social resources and in self-efficacy for self-regulated learning. Qualitative results showed an improvement in responsibility behaviors of participants in the intervention group. This suggests that the model could be effective for improving psychological and social development in at-risk adolescents, and that physical education classes may be an appropriate arena for working with these young people.


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