scholarly journals New Direction: Mediation Analysis in Perinatal Epidemiological Studies

Author(s):  
Qun Miao
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinfeng Cheng ◽  
Theodore D. Cosco ◽  
Tolulope Ariyo

A large body of literature has examined the relationship between social isolation and mental health in older adults. However, only a few studies have examined the mediating effects of aging attitudes on this relationship. This study investigated the impact of objective isolation (family isolation, friend isolation, and community isolation), and subjective social isolation (perceived isolation) on the mental health of Chinese older adults, and the mediating effect of aging attitudes. Mental health was assessed through depressive symptoms, using the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The research sample comprising 7,024 elderly adults (60 years old), was obtained from the nationally representative 2014 Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. The regression analysis indicated that objective social isolation and subjective social isolation are independently related to mental health among older adults. Furthermore, in the mediation analysis, aging attitude was found to play a significant mediating role between social isolation and mental health. Our study concludes that though, objective and subjective social isolation are issues affecting mental health in older people, however, aging attitude also needs to be factored in that relationship as we have shown that there is a significant mediating effect.


Author(s):  
Joana Straub ◽  
Ferdinand Keller ◽  
Nina Sproeber ◽  
Michael G. Koelch ◽  
Paul L. Plener

Objective: Research in adults has identified an association between bipolar disorder and suicidal behavior. This relationship, however, has been insufficiently investigated in adolescents to date. Methods: 1,117 adolescents from 13 German schools (mean age = 14.83, SD = .63; 52.7% females) completed an extended German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), which assesses depressive and manic symptoms during the last week, as well as the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire (SHBQ) for the assessment of lifetime suicidal behavior. Results: In the present sample 39.4% of the girls and 23.1% of the boys reported lifetime suicidal thoughts and 7.1% of the girls as well as 3.9% of the boys a lifetime history of suicide attempts. 18.7% of the adolescent sample revealed elevated symptoms of depression and 9% elevated levels of mania symptoms. Elevated sum scores of depression and mania were associated with a higher number of suicidal ideations and suicide attempts. A block-wise regression analysis revealed that sum scores of depression and mania predicted suicidal ideations best. Concerning suicide attempts, the best predictors were age as well as depression and mania sum scores. Conclusions: Suicidal behavior was reported more often when adolescents demonstrate symptoms of mania as well as symptoms of depression than when they demonstrate only depressive symptoms. The presence of bipolar symptoms in adolescents should alert clinicians to the heightened possibility of suicidal behavior.


Diagnostica ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert Matschinger ◽  
Astrid Schork ◽  
Steffi G. Riedel-Heller ◽  
Matthias C. Angermeyer

Zusammenfassung. Beim Einsatz der Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) stellt sich das Problem der Dimensionalität des Instruments, dessen Lösung durch die Konfundierung eines Teilkonstruktes (“Wohlbefinden”) mit Besonderheiten der Itemformulierung Schwierigkeiten bereitet, da Antwortartefakte zu erwarten sind. Dimensionsstruktur und Eignung der CES-D zur Erfassung der Depression bei älteren Menschen wurden an einer Stichprobe von 663 über 75-jährigen Teilnehmern der “Leipziger Langzeitstudie in der Altenbevölkerung” untersucht. Da sich die Annahme der Gültigkeit eines partial-credit-Rasch-Modells sowohl für die Gesamtstichprobe als auch für eine Teilpopulation als zu restriktiv erwies, wurde ein 3- bzw. 4-Klassen-latent-class-Modell für geordnete Kategorien berechnet und die 4-Klassen-Lösung als den Daten angemessen interpretiert: Drei Klassen zeigten sich im Sinne des Konstrukts “Depression” geordnet, eine Klasse enthielt jene Respondenten, deren Antwortmuster auf ein Antwortartefakt hinwiesen. In dieser Befragtenklasse wird der Depressionsgrad offensichtlich überschätzt. Zusammenhänge mit Alter und Mini-Mental-State-Examination-Score werden dargestellt. Nach unseren Ergebnissen muß die CES-D in einer Altenbevölkerung mit Vorsicht eingesetzt werden, der Summenscore sollte nicht verwendet werden.


Crisis ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie De Munck ◽  
Gwendolyn Portzky ◽  
Kees Van Heeringen

Background: Notwithstanding the epidemiological studies indicating an increased risk of attempted suicide among adolescents and young adults, there is a scarcity of international studies that examine long-term epidemiological trends in rates and characteristics of this vulnerable group. Aims: This article describes the results of a 9-year monitoring study of suicide attempts in adolescents and young adults referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Gent University Hospital (Belgium). Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2004, trends, sociodemographic, and methodrelated characteristics of suicide attempts were assessed by a psychiatrist on data sheets. Results: Attempted suicide rates declined from 1996 to 2001 and then rose until 2004, but did not exceed previous rates. During the 9 years of monitoring, there was a preponderance of female suicide attempters, except for 1997. Rates of attempts and of fatal suicide were negatively correlated. Significantly more males than females deliberately injured themselves. Younger attempters, especially females, significantly more often poisoned themselves with analgesics. In nearly one in five attempts, alcohol was used in combination with other methods, and alcohol intake was more commonly observed in older suicide attempters. Nearly half of the adolescents were identified as repeaters. Conclusions: The results of this study warrant further monitoring of trends and characteristics of young suicide attempters.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Rehbein ◽  
Dirk Baier

In recent years, a variety of epidemiological studies have provided empirical data on the prevalence of video game addiction (GA) in different age groups. However, few studies investigated the causes of GA and could explain why video game playing as a widespread phenomenon leads to a comparatively small percentage of addicted players. Additionally, the existing longitudinal studies mainly consider psychological trait variables and neglect the possible explanatory value of predictors in socialization regarding media availability, media use, and family and everyday school life. In this paper, the results of a two-wave longitudinal study comprising a sample of students from Grades 4 to 9 (N = 406) are presented. The data show that 15-year-old video game addicts had already exhibited a number of specific risk factors at the age of 10. Students from single-parent families seem to be particularly at risk, as are students with low experienced school well-being and with a weaker social integration in class. The data also indicate that problematic use of video games in childhood increases the risk of GA in adolescence. Male students are especially vulnerable for developing GA. The results of this study are an important contribution to understanding risk factors for GA in adolescents, thereby laying the groundwork for effective prevention measures.


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