Elevated Lipid and Pro-Inflammatory Markers Relate to Future Depression and Anxiety Components: A Cross-Lagged Prospective Network Analysis

Background: Vulnerability theories propose that higher levels of lipid and pro-inflammatory markers precede and relate to future heightened depression and anxiety. Scar models posit the reverse association. However, most studies testing biomarker-psychopathology relations have been cross-sectional, which precludes causal inferences, and did not differentiate biomarker and psychopathology components. We thus used cross-lagged prospective network analysis (CLPN) to investigate this topic. Methods: Community adult women (n = 3,302) completed a self-report (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale; CES-D) and provided biomarker samples. CLPN identified true relations (edges) among components (nodes) of psychopathology (depressed mood, anxiety severity, somatic symptoms, interpersonal issues), lipid markers (insulin, glucose, triglycerides), inflammation (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL), within and across five time-points. Results: Contemporaneous CLPN revealed true positive edges for somatic symptoms-inflammation, somatic symptoms-lipid markers, and anxiety severity-lipid markers. Temporal networks showed that higher levels of lipid or pro-inflammatory markers were related to greater future depressed mood, somatic symptoms, anxiety severity, and interpersonal issues. Also, lower HDL level was associated with more future somatic symptoms, interpersonal issues, and depressed mood. Further, somatic symptoms and lipid markers had the strongest effect on future nodes in the network. Conclusions: Overall, the results were consistent with vulnerability (vs. scar) models. Possible mechanistic accounts include long-term dysregulated metabolic, endocrine, and immune systems and social disengagement patterns. Cognitive-behavioral and related lifestyle-based therapies that optimize diet, nutrition, and physical activity may effectively target depression and anxiety at the prevention and treatment stages. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

Psychometric Properties of Screening Questionnaires To Detect Depression In Primary Healthcare Setting In Rural Ethiopia

Background: Much of the research about the validity of depression screening questionnaires is on criterion validity. Evidence is scarce on the concurrent, convergent and construct validity of these measures, particularly from low-income countries. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of depression screening questionnaires in primary healthcare (PHC) in rural Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 587 participants recruited from patients attending three PHC facilities and two Holy water sites. The psychometric properties of five mental health screening questionnaires were evaluated: the nine item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the two item version of PHQ-9 (PHQ-2), a version of PHQ-9 with two added items of irritability and noise intolerance (PHQ-11), the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), and the World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5). Clinical diagnosis of depression was ascertained by psychiatrists using a semi-structured interview. We analyzed data using exploratory factor analysis, Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient (Rho), the Mann Whitney test of the equality of medians, univariate logistic regression and Cronbach’s alpha. Results: PHQ-9, PHQ-11 and WHO-5 were found to be unidimensional, with items in each scale highly loading onto one factor (factor loadings ranging from 0.64 to 0.87). The items of each instrument were internally consistent, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.72 (PHQ-2) to 0.89 (PHQ-11). Scores for all screening scales were moderately or highly correlated with each other (Rho= 0.58 to 0.98) and moderately correlated with anxiety and disability scores. Median scores of all screening scales were significantly higher in those diagnosed with depression. The association of items measuring emotional and cognitive symptoms with the diagnosis of depression was stronger than the association with items measuring somatic symptoms. Irritability and noise intolerance had higher association with depression diagnosis than PHQ-9 items. Conclusion: Emotional and cognitive symptoms are more useful than somatic symptoms to predict the diagnosis of depression. Irritability and noise intolerance are more useful to detect depression. Future research should focus on testing the unidimensionality of PHQ-9, PHQ-11 and WHO-5 using confirmatory factor analysis; establishing the criterion validity of PHQ-11 and WHO-5; and on assessing test-retest reliability of all the measures.

Wizerunek kobiety w "Eklodze II" Nemezjana

The aim of the article is to analyse the image of a woman in the II Eclogue written by Nemesianus. Moreover, the text describes somatic symptoms used in the evidentiary proceedings in the case of loss of virginity and leading to the accused woman’s isolation.

Anxiety, Depression, Perceived Executive Function and Sugar Sweetened Beverages: A Causal Mediation Analysis in Mexican Young Adults

Background: There is the notion that dysregulation of executive function (EF), which disrupts behavior and cognitive processes, may explain the emotional impairment which leads to increasing sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake. We aimed to test whether anxiety and depression mediate the association between self-reported problems in EF and sugar sweetened beverage intake in Mexican adults between 18-40 years. Methods: An open survey advertised as a “mental health and sugar sweetened beverages study” was conducted, participants were recruited through Facebook ads Males and females, between 18-40 years, able to read and write, and currently residing in Mexico were included. We analyzed data using causal mediation analysis with latent variables using a structural equation modelling framework. Results: Significant indirect effects were found for somatic symptoms of depression (β = 6.601, SE = 2.657, p<.05) and anxiety (β = .679, SE = .334, p<.05). In depression model no significant direct effects of EF were found in the depression model, however they were found in the anxiety model (β = 1.335 SE = .566, p<.05). Conclusions: Somatic symptoms of depression were a total mediator, and anxiety a partial mediator. The results suggests that EF increased the probability of emotional symptoms, which led to a higher consumption of SBBs

A Case of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) – First Presentation in a Psychiatry Service

A 67 years old female developed cognitive defficits, depression and anxiety as first symptoms of multiple system atrophy (MSA). In the course of an year autonomic failure, parkinsonism and cerebellar ataxia also developed. The case is particular because of the somatic symptoms that were initially categorised as psychogenic, the presence of confusional and vertigo episodes that were recurring but not permanent.

Predictors of Psychological Distress and Coronavirus Fears in the First Recovery Phase of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Germany

Objectives: While previous research has mainly focused on the impact of the first acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, little empirical knowledge exists about depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom levels and possible predictors of symptom levels in the pandemic’s recovery phase. The present study aimed to analyze the mental burden of a convenience ample of the general German population during the first recovery phase of the pandemic and to identify significant predictors of symptom levels.Methods: Standardized measures of anxiety (GAD-2), depression (PHQ-2), somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), and health anxiety, as well as measures of COVID-19 fears and possible vulnerability factors, were administered through a national, cross-sectional online survey (n = 2160, mean age 42.7 years, 75% female), asking participants for their current symptom levels and their symptom levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Our findings show significantly elevated levels of depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and health anxiety in the recovery period compared to before the pandemic. The current prevalence rates based on self-reporting were 26.7% for depression, 24.5% for anxiety, and 29% for somatization. The strongest predictors of these symptom reports included domain-specific pre-existing symptom levels, neuroticism, biological COVID-19 risk factors, avoidance of illness information, and younger age. The most important predictors of COVID-19 fears were subjective COVID-19 risk perception, followed by pre-existing health anxiety, the number of biological COVID-19 risk factors, older age, neuroticism, avoidance of illness information and female gender.Discussion: These findings indicate the need for specific psychological programs to help individuals with enhanced psychological and biological vulnerability to cope better with the mental distress experienced during all phases of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Flexible, Self-Determined… and Unhealthy? An Empirical Study on Somatic Health Among Crowdworkers

Crowdwork is a new form of digitally enabled work in which organizations assign tasks to an anonymous group of workers via platform intermediaries. For crowdworkers, crowdwork offers both opportunities and risks. On the one side, crowdworkers enjoy high flexibility on when, where, and how much to work. On the other side, risks comparable to other forms of atypical employment arise: no labor regulation, unstable income, and uncertainty about whether enough tasks are available. Regulation of working hours lies within the crowdworkers’ own authority. Also, crowdwork in industrialized nations is often conducted during leisure times as a side-job to some other kind of employment. In accordance with Conservation of Resources Theory, we state that when leisure time gets used up with crowdwork, regeneration cannot occur and health declines. On a sample of N=748 German crowdworkers recruited from four different platform types, we analyzed whether participation in crowdwork is linked to increased somatic symptoms compared to regularly employed personnel. We found that crowdworkers show significantly increased somatic symptoms as compared to a German norm sample, that are stable across different kinds of tasks and platforms, gender, and age groups, and that is statistically due to the extent of participation in crowdwork. Specifically, we found that total work hours per week were not associated with an increase in somatic symptoms, but we did find associations with strain-based work–family conflict and the primary motivation to do crowdwork being to earn money. Consequences for research and labor regulations are discussed.

The effects of music listening on somatic symptoms and stress markers in the everyday life of women with somatic complaints and depression

Despite a growing body of literature documenting the health-beneficial effects of music, empirical research on the effects of music listening in individuals with psychosomatic disorders is scarce. Using an ambulatory assessment design, we tested whether music listening predicts changes in somatic symptoms, subjective, and biological stress levels, and examined potential mediating processes, in the everyday life of 58 women (M = 27.7 years) with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and depressive disorders (DEP). Multilevel models revealed that music listening predicted lower subjective stress ratings (p ≤ 0.02) irrespective of mental health condition, which, in turn, predicted lower somatic symptoms (p ≤ 0.03). Moreover, specific music characteristics modulated somatic symptoms (p = 0.01) and autonomic activity (p = 0.03). These findings suggest that music listening might mitigate somatic symptoms predominantly via a reduction in subjective stress in women with SSD and DEP and further inform the development of targeted music interventions applicable in everyday life.