mHealth in the wild: A global examination of a publicly available app for depression (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Langting Su ◽  
Page Lyn Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
User Behavior ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Negative Cognitions ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
In The Wild

BACKGROUND The scope and impact of depression worldwide is breathtaking. Reducing the global burden of depression will require a multi-pronged approach. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to examine naturalistic user behavior of MoodTools, a publicly available, self-guided mHealth app designed to improve symptoms of depression, in a global community sample. METHODS Mobile analytics data was collected from all unique downloads of the Android version of MoodTools between March 1, 2016 and February 28, 2018. RESULTS MoodTools was used by 158,930 people from 198 countries. 51.14% of users returned to the app after initial download. The typical person used the app for 3 sessions for a total of 12 minutes over the span of 90 days. Users most often visited tools designed for self-monitoring of symptoms and for targeting a core mechanism of depressive psychopathology, negative cognitions. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that there is global interest in a publicly available app for improving depression. Self-guided apps like MoodTools, therefore, could be a tool in the toolbox to address the global burden of depression. Future research is needed to determine whether people who use self-guided apps experience improvement in depressive symptoms. Given the low motivation and behavioral avoidance associated with the disorder, a key challenge for self-guided apps for depression is to engage and to retain users. CLINICALTRIAL none, not a trial

Rape Disclosure and Depression Among Community Women: The Mediating Roles of Shame and Experiential Avoidance

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1226-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prachi H. Bhuptani ◽  
Julia S. Kaufman ◽  
Terri L. Messman-Moore ◽  
Kim L. Gratz ◽  
David DiLillo
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Clinical Interventions ◽  
Rape Survivors

Many women who disclose a rape encounter victim-blaming responses, which are associated with negative outcomes. The present study examined rape-related shame and experiential avoidance as mediators of the relation between victim-blaming responses to rape disclosure and depression among 103 rape survivors drawn from a community sample. Results revealed that victim-blaming responses were positively associated with depressive symptoms through rape-related shame and experiential avoidance, and shame was indirectly related to depression via avoidance. Findings suggest clinical interventions should focus on rape-related shame and experiential avoidance in targeting depression among rape survivors, and future research should continue to examine how victim-blaming responses to rape disclosure may be related to these factors.

scholarly journals Cognitive/affective and somatic/affective symptoms of depression in patients with heart disease and their association with cardiovascular prognosis: a meta-analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (13) ◽  
pp. 2689-2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. de Miranda Azevedo ◽  
A. M. Roest ◽  
P. W. Hoen ◽  
P. de Jonge
Keyword(s):  
Heart Disease ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Symptom Dimensions ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Cardiovascular Prognosis ◽  
Affective Symptoms ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

BackgroundSeveral prospective longitudinal studies have suggested that somatic/affective depressive symptoms, but not cognitive/affective depressive symptoms, are related to prognosis in patients with heart disease, but findings have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of cognitive/affective and somatic/affective symptoms of depression with cardiovascular prognosis in patients with heart disease using a meta-analytic perspective.MethodA systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and PsycInfo. Thirteen prospective studies on symptom dimensions of depression and cardiovascular prognosis fulfilled the inclusion criteria, providing data on a total of 11 128 subjects. The risk estimates for each dimension of depressive symptoms, demographic and methodological variables were extracted from the included articles.ResultsIn least-adjusted analyses, both the somatic/affective [hazard ratio (HR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–1.41, p < 0.001] and cognitive/affective (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00–1.15, p = 0.05) dimensions of depressive symptoms were associated with cardiovascular prognosis. In fully adjusted analyses, somatic/affective symptoms were significantly associated with adverse prognosis (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10–1.29, p < 0.001) but cognitive/affective symptoms were not (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.97–1.12, p = 0.25). An increase of one standard deviation (±1 s.d.) in the scores of the somatic/affective dimension was associated with a 32% increased risk of adverse outcomes (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17–1.48, p < 0.001).ConclusionsSomatic/affective depressive symptoms were more strongly and consistently associated with mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with heart disease compared with cognitive/affective symptoms. Future research should focus on the mechanisms by which somatic/affective depressive symptoms may affect cardiovascular prognosis.

The Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Meta-Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 257-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha Chakrabarty ◽  
Amir A. Sepehry ◽  
Claudia Jacova ◽  
Ging-Yuek Robin Hsiung
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Frontotemporal Dementia ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Depressive Mood ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

Background: Depression is common in Alzheimer's and vascular dementia and is associated with poorer outcomes; however, less is known about the impact of depression on frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of diagnostic methods and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in FTD. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and PsychINFO were queried for ‘depression' and/or ‘depressive mood' in behavioral- and language-variant FTD. The prevalence and diagnosis of depressive symptoms were extracted from relevant studies and the results pooled using a random-effects model. Results: We included 29 studies in this meta-analysis, with sample sizes ranging from 3 to 73 (n = 870). The omnibus estimated event rate of depressed mood was 0.334 (33%; 95% CI: 0.268-0.407). Symptoms were most commonly assessed via standardized neuropsychiatric rating scales, with other methods including subjective caregiver reports and chart reviews. The study results were heterogeneous due to the variability in diagnostic methods. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms similar to those in other dementias are commonly detected in FTD. However, the diagnostic methods are heterogeneous, and symptoms of depression often overlap with manifestations of FTD. Having a standardized diagnostic approach to depression in FTD will greatly facilitate future research in this area.

scholarly journals Habitual Behavior as a Mediator Between Food-Related Behavioral Activation and Change in Symptoms of Depression in the MooDFOOD Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 216770262097978
Author(s):  
Matthew Owens ◽  
Ed Watkins ◽  
Mariska Bot ◽  
Ingeborg A. Brouwer ◽  
Miquel Roca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Emotional Eating ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Uncontrolled Eating ◽  
Overweight Adults

In this study, we tested potential mediators that may explain change in depressive symptoms following exposure to a food-related behavioral activation intervention (F-BA). These included behavioral activation, avoidance and rumination, eating styles, body mass index, and dietary behavior at baseline and 3-month and 12-month follow-up. The trial used a community sample of 1,025 overweight adults with elevated depressive symptoms without current major depression. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four trial arms: either daily nutritional supplements (vs. placebo) alone or in combination with F-BA (vs. no F-BA) over 12 months. Although F-BA did not significantly reduce depressive symptoms (standardized regression coefficient [ b] = −0.223, SE = 0.129; p = .084), significant mediators included emotional eating ( b = −0.028, SE = 0.014; p = .042) and uncontrolled eating ( b = −0.039, SE = 0.016; p = .013), suggesting that learning adaptive responses to emotional and food cues may underlie effects of F-BA on depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals Perceptions of inequality and intolerance “in the air”: Development and initial validation of the Diversity Climate Scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Angel Soto ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Anna Salomaa ◽  
Jasmine A. Mena ◽  
Natalia Van Doren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Diversity Climate ◽  
Convergent And Divergent Validity ◽  
Perceptions Of Inequality ◽  
Climate Scale

Diversity climate is associated with numerous outcomes across psychological, physical, and occupational domains. The Diversity Climate Scale (DCS) was created to measure diversity climate perceptions among individuals with diverse and complex social identities, with a range of importance ascribed to those identities, and across diverse contexts (proximal and distal environments). The DCS was constructed and examined across four separate studies. Study 1 presents the development of the scale, preliminary factor structure, and convergent validity. Studies 2 and 3 confirmed the factor structure of the DCS and established the convergent and divergent validity with increasingly generalizable samples. Study 4 extended these analyses with a community sample, examined the predictive validity of the measure, and demonstrated that favorable proximal and distal diversity climate differed significantly across groups with different constellations of marginalized identities and differences in the importance ascribed to those identities. When controlling for lifetime discrimination, perceiving a more positive proximal climate was consistently associated with decreased depressive symptoms and increased life satisfaction, while perceptions of distal climate interacted with proximal climate and discrimination to predict depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Applications of the DCS and considerations for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Associations of self-repression with disordered eating and symptoms of other psychopathologies for men and women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Bachner-Melman ◽  
Yonatan Watermann ◽  
Lilac Lev-Ari ◽  
Ada H. Zohar
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
General Psychopathology ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression

Abstract Background: Disordered eating has been found to be associated with self-repression, specifically with selflessness, the tendency to relinquish one’s needs for others’, and concern for appropriateness, an alertness to information about social comparison and tendency to vary one’s behavior in different social situations. This study aimed to examine associations between these self-repression variables and symptoms of general psychopathology for women and men in a community sample. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six participants (92 men) aged 18-76 (M=29.11+10.10) volunteered to complete measures of ED symptoms (EDE-Q), concern for appropriateness (CFA-CSV and CFA-ATSCI), selflessness (SS), and symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (BSI-18 anx) and somatization (BSI-18 som) online. Structural equation models were built to assess pathways between the study variables for men and women separately. Results: A MANOVA 2*7 design showed that women scored significantly higher than men on the SS, EDE-Q and PHQ-9. For men, SS scores were positively and significantly associated only with PHQ-9 scores. CAS-CSV scores were positively associated with PHQ-9, BSI-18 som and BSI-18 anx scores. For women, SS scores were positively and significantly associated with PHQ-9, EDE-Q, BSI-18 som and BSI-18 anx scores. CAS-CSV scores were positively and significantly associated with PHQ-9, BSI-18 anx and BSI-18 som scores but not EDE-Q scores. CAS-ASCI scores were positively and significantly associated only with EDE-Q scores.Conclusions: Self-repression is a much more central path to psychopathology in women than in men. For men, self-suppression seems to play an important role in the development and maintenance of symptoms of internalizing disorders, but not disordered eating. Even for women, it appears that self-repression is not connected specifically with disordered eating, but with symptoms of psychopathology in general. Future research should explore why self-suppression plays such a central role in women’s psychopathology.

Treatment of Depressed In-Patients

1990 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne A. Bowers
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Variables ◽  
Relaxation Therapy ◽  
Negative Cognitions ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Therapy Sessions

Thirty in-patients received one of three treatments – medication (nortriptyline) alone (MA), relaxation therapy plus medication (RT&M), or cognitive therapy plus medication (CT&M) (each n = 10) – along with ward milieu. The relaxation and cognitive therapy groups participated in 12 therapy sessions. Symptoms of depression and related cognitive variables were assessed at sessions 1, 6 and 12, and at discharge. All groups improved over the course of the study. CT&M and RT&M groups reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms and negative cognitions at discharge than the MA group. The number of subjects judged depressed at discharge was lower in the CT&M group than in the MA and RT&M groups. It is proposed that a consistent rationale for treatment is a significant facilitating factor in achieving behavioural and cognitive changes in depression.

Symptoms of Alcohol Dependence Predict Suicide Ideation Among Alaskan Undergraduates

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Monica C. Skewes
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract. Background: Previous research has demonstrated an association between alcohol-related problems and suicidal ideation (SI). Aims: The present study evaluated, simultaneously, alcohol consequences and symptoms of alcohol dependence as predictors of SI after adjusting for depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption. Method: A sample of 298 Alaskan undergraduates completed survey measures, including the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, the Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory – II. The association between alcohol problems and SI status was evaluated using sequential logistic regression. Results: Symptoms of alcohol dependence (OR = 1.88, p < .05), but not alcohol-related consequences (OR = 1.01, p = .95), emerged as an independent predictor of SI status above and beyond depressive symptoms (OR = 2.39, p < .001) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.08, p = .39). Conclusion: Alcohol dependence symptoms represented a unique risk for SI relative to alcohol-related consequences and alcohol consumption. Future research should examine the causal mechanism behind the relationship between alcohol dependence and suicidality among university students. Assessing the presence of dependence symptoms may improve the accuracy of identifying students at risk of SI.

Siblings and Illness

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Sawyer Vanderwerp
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Birth Order ◽  
Family Size ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Using Data

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Mother and Child samples, I investigated the relationships among child and adolescent depressive symptoms, having a chronically ill sibling, and other child and familial demographic variables. From research on social support and social role transitions, with the Stress Process as a theoretical model, I hypothesized that children with chronically ill siblings experience more depressive symptoms. Specifically, I looked at age, gender, birth order and family size as potentially reducing the effect size of having a chronically ill sibling. Findings showed that having a chronically ill sibling is associated with demonstrating more depressive symptoms both in the bivariate and multivariate analyses. Although age, gender, birth order and family size do not interact significantly with having a chronically ill sibling in predicting depressive symptoms, they do present interesting findings about childhood depressive symptoms in general. Thus, the results of this study suggest specific and meaningful paths for future research.

Examining the Temporal Dynamics of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms During a Therapist-Supported, Smartphone-Based Intervention for Major Depression (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Allende ◽  
Valerie Forman-Hoffman ◽  
Philippe Goldin
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Temporal Relationship ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Quadratic Function ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Effect Model ◽  
End Of Treatment ◽  
Highly Correlated

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Anxiety and depression symptoms are highly correlated in adults with depression; however, little is known about their interaction and temporal dynamics of change during treatment. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to examine the temporal dynamics of anxiety and depressive symptoms during a 12-week therapist-supported, smartphone-delivered digital health intervention for symptoms of depression and anxiety, the Meru Health Program (MHP). Method: A total of 290 participants from the MHP were included in the present analyses (age Mean = 39.64, SD = 10.25 years; 79% female; 54% self-reported psychotropic medication use). A variance components model was used to examine whether (1) reporting greater anxiety during the current week relative to anxiety reported in other weeks would be associated with greater reporting of depressive symptoms during the current week, while a time-varying effect model was used to examine whether, (2) consistent with findings reported by Wright et al. (2014), the temporal relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms during the intervention would be expressed as a quadratic function marked by a weak association at baseline, followed by an increase to a peak before demonstrating a negligible decrease until the end of treatment. Results: In support of hypothesis 1, we found that reporting greater anxiety symptoms during the current week relative to other weeks was associated with greater depressive symptoms during the current week. Contrary to hypothesis 2, the temporal relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms evidenced a recurring pattern, with the association increasing during the initial weeks, decreasing during mid-treatment and sharply increasing toward the end of treatment. Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that anxiety and depressive symptoms overlap and fluctuate in concert during a smartphone-based intervention for anxiety and depressive symptoms. The present findings may warrant more refined intervention strategies specifically tailored to co-occurring patterns of change in symptoms.

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