scholarly journals Immune and Epigenetic Pathways Linking Childhood Adversity and Health Across the Lifespan

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Chen ◽  
Angie S. LeRoy ◽  
Marzieh Majd ◽  
Jonathan Y. Chen ◽  
Ryan L. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Physical Health Problems ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Parent Child Relationships

Childhood adversity is associated with a host of mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Individuals who have experienced childhood adversity (e.g., child abuse and neglect, family conflict, poor parent/child relationships, low socioeconomic status or extreme poverty) are at a greater risk for morbidity and premature mortality than those not exposed to childhood adversity. Several mechanisms likely contribute to the relationship between childhood adversity and health across the lifespan (e.g., health behaviors, cardiovascular reactivity). In this paper, we review a large body of research within the field of psychoneuroimmunology, demonstrating the relationship between early life stress and alterations of the immune system. We first review the literature demonstrating that childhood adversity is associated with immune dysregulation across different indices, including proinflammatory cytokine production (and its impact on telomere length), illness and infection susceptibility, latent herpesvirus reactivation, and immune response to a tumor. We then summarize the growing literature on how childhood adversity may alter epigenetic processes. Finally, we propose future directions related to this work that have basic and applied implications.

Neurodevelopmental plasticity and psychiatric vulnerability

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (S2) ◽  
pp. S70-S70
Author(s):  
A. Dayer
Keyword(s):  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Serotonin System ◽  
Increase Risk

The early developmental period is characterized by a high degree of plasticity and, consequently, is very sensitive to environmental factors, such as early life stressors (ELS). Exposure to ELS is known to increase risk to psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety disorders later in life . At a cellular level, alterations in the migration and integration of GABAergic interneurons (INs) in cortical circuits have emerged as a key processes involved in the vulnerability to psychiatric disorders . In humans and rodents, ELS interacts with genes regulating the serotonin system to increase risk to stress-related disorders . In addition, ELS is associated to a variety of epigenetic methylation changes in blood DNA from patients displaying a high loading of ELS . Here, we aimed to investigate the role of the ionotropic serotonin 3A receptor (5-HT3AR) at a genetic and epigenetic level in rodent and human models of early-life stress. We will first present data indicating that the 5-HT3AR is specifically expressed in a subset of cortical INs derived from the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) and controls early steps of cortical circuit assembly . Interestingly, the migration, transcriptional programs and positioning of 5-HT3AR expressing interneuron subtypes were found to be dysregulated in pathological models of early-life serotonin dysregulation. At a behavioral level, we found that ELS interacts with the 5-HTR3A to modulate social behaviors. Finally, we will present human data indicating that childhood adversity significantly impacts the methylation status of the promoter region of the human 5-HT3AR in an allele-specific manner. Taken together, this presentation will highlight the importance of the serotonin system in early life development and psychopathology with a special focus on the role of the 5-HT3AR in cortical interneuron development.

THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG WORKERS: A PILOT STUDY

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tezan Bildik ◽  
Muge Tamar ◽  
Savaş Vesek ◽  
Nagehan Bukusoglu ◽  
Cahide Aydin
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Young Workers ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Apprenticeship Training ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the study was to evaluate the distribution of psychological symptoms in young workers, and the relationship with regard to sociodemographic characteristics using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis, 1992), in İzmir Apprenticeship Training Center, Turkey, with 203 randomly selected apprentices aged 15–21, 31 (15.3%) females and 172 (84.7%) males. The mean age was 17.48± 1.24 years. The apprentices were from four different occupational groups: Metalwork (21.7%), Auto repair (29.6%), Electric repair (20.7%) and Hairdressing (28.1%). Results showed that apprentices who are female, who come from single-parent families, who reported low socioeconomic status, who had lost one of their parents or siblings, whose fathers had no stable job, and who work in hairdressing are at risk for psychological problems. In conclusion, those “at risk” apprentices should receive psychosocial support and counseling for coping with problems.

Social Risk Factors in Schizophrenia

1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siegfried Weyerer
Keyword(s):  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Social Selection ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

In analyzing the relationship between social factors and schizophrenia one can distinguish two research strategies. Studies can focus on individual differences or the aggregate level. Several investigations indicate that social factors, e.g., low socioeconomic status, single status, ethnic group, are significantly associated with the prevalence of schizophrenia. To explain this relationship most investigators favor the hypothesis of social selection rather than a social causation. This view is also supported by an ecological study of the incidence of psychiatrically treated schizophrenic disorders in the city of Mannheim.

Psychosocial Predictors of Depression among Central American Immigrants

2000 ◽  
Vol 86 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1237-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph D. Hovey
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Central American ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
The Future ◽  
Central American Immigrants ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Predictors Of Depression

The present study investigated the relationship between stress and depression associated with acculturation among Central American immigrants (64 women, 14 men) and identified the best predictors of depression among Central American immigrants. Elevated acculturative stress was significantly associated with higher depression. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, lack of hopefulness toward the future, and low socioeconomic status were also significantly associated with high depression. The overall findings suggest that Central American immigrants who report high acculturative stress may be “at risk” for experiencing depression and that effective family and social support, hopefulness toward the future, and socioeconomic status may serve to protect against depression during acculturation.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Childhood Obesity, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Race/Ethnicity: Lessons from Massachusetts

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 691-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Rogers ◽  
Taylor F. Eagle ◽  
Anne Sheetz ◽  
Alan Woodward ◽  
Robert Leibowitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Dangerous Worldview and Perceived Sociopolitical Control: Two Mechanisms to Understand Trust in Authoritarian Political Leaders in Economically Threatening Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Torres-Vega ◽  
Josefa Ruiz ◽  
Miguel Moya
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Political Leader ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Sociopolitical Control ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
The Relationship

In this research we analyzed the relationship between threatening economic contexts (i.e., undergoing the economic crisis and having low socioeconomic status) and trust in authoritarian ideologies and leaders, regardless of the left–right political axis. Based on two theoretical approaches (i.e., the dual-process model and the compensatory control model), we argue that this relationship is mediated by dangerous worldview and low perceived sociopolitical control. We conducted two correlational studies with samples of the general population. In Study 1 (N = 185), we found that perceived threat from the economic crisis and low socioeconomic status were correlated with a higher dangerous worldview, which resulted in a more authoritarian ideology (i.e., authoritarianism) and finally in greater trust in an authoritarian political leader. In Study 2 (N = 413), we replicated the findings of Study 1 and demonstrated that low perceived sociopolitical control was associated with higher authoritarianism. Moreover, low perceived sociopolitical control partially mediated the relationship between dangerous worldview and authoritarianism. Overall, our results show that two economically threatening contexts (i.e., the economic crisis and low socioeconomic status) promote authoritarianism and trust in authoritarian leaders (with unspecified political orientation) through psychological processes (i.e., perception of the social world and perceived control). These results are useful to understand and combat the rise of authoritarianism in our societies during financially difficult times such as economic crises.

Psychopathology and early life stress in migrant youths: an analysis of the ‘Growing up in Ireland’ study

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
S. Cotter ◽  
C. Healy ◽  
D. Ni Cathain ◽  
P. Williams ◽  
M. Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

ObjectivesMigrant youths endure many challenges. Such challenges can be stressful and lead to psychological difficulties. We investigated the relationship between migration, psychopathology and stressful events in children and adolescents. We hypothesised that migrant youths would show higher levels of psychopathology and more stressful life events than non-migrant youths.MethodUsing the Child cohort (Cohort ‘98) of the ‘Growing up in Ireland’ study we investigated psychopathology, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) at age 9 and 13 and stressful life events in migrant and non-migrant youths.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the proportion of migrant and non-migrant youths reporting psychopathology in childhood (p>0.05) or adolescence (p>0.05). Analysis of the SDQ subscales revealed that a significantly greater proportion of migrant youths had hyperactivity problems in childhood (p = 0.04) but a greater proportion of non-migrant youths had emotional problems in early adolescence (p = 0.04). We found that migrant youths experienced significantly more stressful life events than their non-migrant counterparts (p<0.01), however, once ‘Moving house/country‘ was removed as a stressor, there was no difference between the groups (p>0.27).ConclusionsContrary to our hypothesis, we observed that there were few differences between migrant and non-migrant youths in the levels of psychopathology. Migrant youths experienced a greater number of stressful life events, however, this was attributable to stressors relating to moving. An increased understanding of the factors promoting resilience, as demonstrated by the migrant youths, could aid health professionals and policy makers to effectively tailor interventions for mental health promotion.

scholarly journals The role of emotion regulation as a mediator between early life stress and posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in Syrian refugees

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaynab Demir ◽  
Kerem Böge ◽  
Yan Fan ◽  
Corinna Hartling ◽  
Mazen R. Harb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cognitive Emotion Regulation ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Early life stress is an important factor in later psychopathology, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of early life stress on psychiatric symptoms within a sample of Syrian refugees. In this model, the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies was assessed as a potential mediator of the relationship between early life stress and current symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Bootstrap analyses were generated to test the indirect effect of emotion regulation (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) on the relationship between early life stress (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), PTSD (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms in eighty-nine Syrian refugees resided in Germany (n = 49) and Jordan (n = 40). The indirect effect of maladaptive strategies was significant between early life stress and psychopathology, whereas the mediation effect of adaptive strategies was not significant. The findings provide an evidence that emotional dysregulation is an underlying factor affecting psychological symptoms in refugees with adverse childhood experiences. These results suggest targeting cognitive emotion regulation in prospective prevention and treatment strategies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document