Internalising disorders - depression - research Flashcards
Salem et al. (2019)
In the current literature there is a general lack of research examining the impact of causal explanations on beliefs about psychotherapy, willingness to accept treatment, and treatment expectancies. The present study was aimed at experimentally investigating effects of causal explanations for depression on treatment-seeking behavior and beliefs. Participants at a large Southern university (N = 139; 78% female; average age 19.77) received bogus screening results indicating high depression risk, then viewed an explanation of depression etiology (fixed biological vs. malleable biopsychosocial) before receiving a treatment referral (antidepressant vs. psychotherapy). Participants accepted the cover story at face value, but some expressed doubts about the screening task’s ability to properly assess their individual depression. Within the skeptics, those given a fixed biological explanation for depression were relatively unwilling to accept either treatment, but those given a malleable biopsychosocial explanation were much more willing to accept psychotherapy. Importantly, differences in skepticism were not due to levels of actual depressive symptoms. Information about the malleability of depression may have a protective effect for persons who otherwise would not accept treatment.
Mumtaz and Quayyum (2019)
Basic procedures: In this paper, two different deep learning architectures were proposed that utilized one dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) and 1DCNN with long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture. The proposed deep learning architectures automatically learn patterns in the EEG data that were useful for classifying the depressed and healthy controls. In addition, the proposed models were validated with resting-state EEG data obtained from 33 depressed patients and 30 healthy controls.
Main findings: As results, significant differences were observed between the two groups. The classification results involving the CNN model were accuracy=98.32%, precision=99.78%, recall=98.34%, and f-score=97.65%. In addition, the study has reported LSTM with 1DCNN classification accuracy=95.97%, precision=99.23%, recall=93.67%, and f-score=95.14%.
Conclusions: Deep learning frameworks could revolutionize the clinical applications for EEG-based diagnosis for depression. Based on the results, it may be concluded that the deep learning framework could be used as an automatic method for diagnosing the depression.
Han et al. (2019)
Individuals with subthreshold depression have an increased risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study was to develop a prediction model to predict the probability of MDD onset in subthreshold individuals, based on their proteomic, sociodemographic and clinical data. To this end, we analysed 198 features (146 peptides representing 77 serum proteins (measured using MRM-MS), 22 sociodemographic factors and 30 clinical features) in 86 first-episode MDD patients (training set patient group), 37 subthreshold individuals who developed MDD within two or four years (extrapolation test set patient group), and 86 subthreshold individuals who did not develop MDD within four years (shared reference group). To ensure the development of a robust and reproducible model, we applied feature extraction and model averaging across a set of 100 models obtained from repeated application of group LASSO regression with ten-fold cross-validation on the training set. This resulted in a 12-feature prediction model consisting of six serum proteins (AACT, APOE, APOH, FETUA, HBA and PHLD), three sociodemographic factors (body mass index, childhood trauma and education level) and three depressive symptoms (sadness, fatigue and leaden paralysis). Importantly, the model demonstrated a fair performance in predicting future MDD diagnosis of subthreshold individuals in the extrapolation test set (AUC = 0.75), which involved going beyond the scope of the model. These findings suggest that it may be possible to detect disease indications in subthreshold individuals up to four years prior to diagnosis, which has important clinical implications regarding the identification and treatment of high-risk individuals.
de Leon et al. (2019)
Introduction: Suicide is a multifactorial phenomenon that is frequently found in comorbidity with mental disorders, such as depression and substance abuse, which can interact in summation to produce any element of the continuum of suicidal behavior: ideation, planning, attempt, and death by suicide. Objectives: To describe the relationship between depression and other mental disorders with substance abuse and suicidal behavior, and to discuss its implications for mental health services in Mexico. Methods: A narrative review of the literature of articles published national and internationally was carried out to describe the relationship between depression and other mental disorders with substance abuse and suicidal behavior. Results: The review of the literature demonstrates the relationship between depression and substance abuse (mainly alcohol) with suicidal behavior; however, the need for its early diagnosis and timely treatment is indicated, especially in high-risk groups, like adolescents. Conclusions: There is a synergistic relationship between depression and substance use for the presence of greater suicidal behavior, which implies important challenges in mental health care services as early identification and effective management are essential to reduce the impact of the continuum of suicidal behavior.
Tshomo and Chaimongkol (2019)
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and factors associated with the depression among persons with chronic medical illness. A total of 120 adult patients visited at a medicine OPD hospital in Bhutan were recruited and asked to complete self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were employed to analyze the data. Results revealed 41% of the prevalence rate of depression in persons with chronic medical illness in Bhutan. Patients’ age <= 40 years, being a female, and those with low level of physical activity and low social support were significantly associated with depression. Nurses and related health care providers could utilize these findings to develop an intervention to prevent depression in persons with medical chronic illness by promoting social support and physical activity focusing on females, and young adults.
Berlow et al. (2019)
As transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) emerges as an investigational noninvasive approach for the treatment of major depressive disorder, there is increasing interest in its safety profile [ 1 ]. Several studies and case reports suggest that tDCS may be associated with increased risk of treatment-emergent mania or hypomania (TEM) when used to treat depression [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. In 2017, Brunoni et al. [ 3 ] conducted a meta-analysis of TEM in ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating antidepressant effects of active tDCS (n = 226) and sham tDCS (n = 190) in unipolar and bipolar depression and failed to demonstrate group differences [ 3 ]. Since that time, three large antidepressant RCTs comparing active tDCS (n = 185) with sham (n = 216) in unipolar depression have been published [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]; results include four additional cases of TEM occurring in the active tDCS groups and none in the sham groups. The current study aims to provide an updated meta-analysis that evaluates the association between tDCS and TEM in unipolar depression, hypothesizing that active tDCS is associated with increased risk of TEM relative to sham, and represents a safety outcome that merits consideration when designing future treatment protocols and considering risks related to unsupervised tDCS.
Stanton et al. (2019)
Extensive research has been conducted to isolate features that distinguish bipolar spectrum disorders from unipolar depression. Therefore, we identified latent symptom dimensions that are unique versus shared across these disorders by examining the joint structure of hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms in two large samples (i.e., 647 community adults; 1,370 outpatients with unipolar depression or bipolar disorder history). Results across studies suggested that (a) many hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms (e.g., irritability) are transdiagnostic, but also that (b) symptoms such as increased energy and euphoric mood define a latent specific positive activation dimension that appears more specific to bipolar disorder. We discuss how these results indicate that some symptoms may be more optimal to target than others when trying to distinguish bipolar disorder from unipolar depression, as well as how the identification of relatively disorder-specific symptom types may optimally guide future research on key mechanisms linked to hypomania/mania and depression
Yu et al. (2020)
Two popular debilitating illness, unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar disorder (BD), have the similar symptoms and tight association on the psychopathological level, leading to a clinical challenge to distinguish them. In order to figure out the underlying common and different mechanism of both mood disorders, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data derived from 36 UD patients, 42 BD patients (specially type I, BD-I) and 45 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed retrospectively in this study. Functional brain networks were firstly constructed on both group and individual levels with a density 0.2, which was determined by a network thresholding approach based on modular similarity. Then we investigated the alterations of modular structure and other topological properties of the functional brain network, including global network characteristics and nodal network measures. The results demonstrated that the functional brain networks of UD and BD-I groups preserved the modularity and small-worldness property. However, compared with HC, reduced number of modules was observed in both patients’ groups with shared alterations occurring in hippocampus, para hippocampal gyrus, amygdala and superior parietal gyrus and distinct changes of modular composition mainly in the caudate regions of basal ganglia. Additionally, for the network characteristics, compared to HC, significantly decreased global efficiency and small-worldness were observed in BD-I. For the nodal metrics, significant decrease of local efficiency was found in several regions in both UD and BD-I, while a UD-specified increase of participant coefficient was found in the right paracentral lobule and the right thalamus. These findings may contribute to throw light on the neuropathological mechanisms underlying the two disorders and further help to explore objective biomarkers for the correct diagnosis of UD and BD.
Fond et al. (2020)
Methods: Abnormal CRP was defined by a CRP blood level >= 3 mg/L. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Calgary Depression Rating Scale score. The clinicians were blinded of the CRP status of the patient.
Results: 411 patients were included (272 SZ and 139 UD). 171 (41.6%) were diagnosed with current major depression (74 (27.2%) for SZ and 97 (69.8%) for UD). 86 SZ (31.6%) and 119 UD (85.6%) were treated by antidepressant. Only 28/74 (37.8%) of the SZ subjects with major depression were administered antidepressants vs. 87/97 (89.7%) for UD. The non-remission rate under antidepressant was 28/86(32.6%) for SZ and 87/119 (73.1%) for UD. Overall, 105 (40.1%) of SZ and 39 (28.1%) of UD patients were found to have abnormal CRP blood levels. Abnormal CRP levels were significantly associated with increased MDD and more strongly with increased rates of non-remission under antidepressants in SZ patients, independently of age, gender, psychotic symptomatology, functioning, tobacco smoking and metabolic syndrome. This result was not replicated in UD patients, which suggests that CRP may be a specific marker of major depression and remission under antidepressant in SZ patients.
Conclusion: The development of biomarkers in psychiatry may orientate specific etiologic therapies in patients with mental disorders. The present findings suggest that major depression is frequent in SZ patients and that increased CRP levels are associated with non-remission under antidepressants in this population. Anti-inflammatory strategies may be particularly useful in this specific population
Li et al. (2019)
This study investigated the relationship between guilt and well-being of bereaved persons, and explored potential differences in the associations between guilt-complicated grief (CG) and guilt-depression. In total, 1358 Chinese bereaved adults were recruited to fill out questionnaires. Participants (N = 194) who had been bereaved within 2years of the first survey, filled out the same questionnaires 1 year later. Higher guilt was associated with higher degrees of both CG and depression. The level of guilt predicted CG and depression symptoms 1 year later. Bereavement-related guilt has a closer association with CG than depression. Responsibility guilt, indebtedness guilt and degree of guilt feeling are more prominent aspects of guilt in CG than in depression. These findings demonstrate the significant role of guilt (perhaps a core symptom) in mental health of the bereaved, having implications for identifying persons with grief complications and depression.
Zisook et al. (2007)
Objective: This report assesses whether age at onset defines a specific subgroup of major depressive disorder in 4,041 participants who entered the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Method: The study enrolled outpatients 18–75 years of age with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder from both primary care and psychiatric care practices. At study entry, participants estimated the age at which they experienced the onset of their first major depressive episode. This report divides the population into five age-at-onset groups: childhood onset (ages <12), adolescent onset (ages 12–17), early adult onset (ages 18–44), middle adult onset (ages 45–59), and late adult onset (ages ≥60). Results: No group clearly stood out as distinct from the others. Rather, the authors observed an apparent gradient, with earlier ages at onset associated with never being married, more impaired social and occupational function, poorer quality of life, greater medical and psychiatric comorbidity, a more negative view of life and the self, more lifetime depressive episodes and suicide attempts, and greater symptom severity and suicidal ideation in the index episode compared to those with later ages at onset of major depressive disorder. Conclusions: Although age at onset does not define distinct depressive subgroups, earlier onset is associated with multiple indicators of greater illness burden across a wide range of indicators. Age of onset was not associated with a difference in treatment response to the initial trial of citalopram.
Boylan et al. (2019)
To update a comparative effectiveness review (1980–2011) of treatments for adolescents whose depressive episode or disorder (MDE/MDD) did not respond to one or more trials of SSRI antidepressants. MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, PsychINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, CINAHL, and AMED were searched in addition to the grey literature. We spanned May 2011 to September 1, 2017 and included only articles in English. 11 new studies were reviewed based on the criteria of having tested a comparative treatment in adolescents with MDD or MDE who were confirmed to have failed one or more SSRI trials. Data were extracted using standardized forms and a reference guide in DistillerSR; a second reviewer verified the accuracy of the data fields and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. One trial (N = 29) found a small benefit of escalating doses of fluoxetine and the treatment of adolescent depression study (TORDIA, N = 334) found significant benefits of combined SSRI or venlafaxine treatment with CBT for most outcomes. No new studies were identified since the previous review (2012). One trial is currently registered that will be a cross over trial of rTMS; other registered trials are open label. Multiple secondary data analyses of TORDIA have identified important predictors of treatment response and relapse. No new comparative studies were identified since the original review. Trials are desperately needed to identify new treatments for youth with SSRI resistant MDD. These youth should not be deemed as treatment resistant until completing one or two failed trials of SSRI combined with evidence-based psychotherapy.
Eraydin et al. (2018)
Methods
This study examined baseline cross‐sectional data from the ongoing online PROTECT study. A total of 7344 participants, 50 years or older, with a history of depression and no diagnosis of dementia were divided into three groups according to age of onset of their first depressive episode: early‐onset, midlife‐onset, and late‐onset. Performance on measures of visuospatial episodic memory, executive function, verbal working, and visual working memory were evaluated. Demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, education, and severity of symptoms during their worst previous depressive episode and current depression severity were included in multivariate regression models.
Results
The late‐onset depression group scored significantly lower on the verbal reasoning task than the early‐onset group while there were no significant differences found on the other tasks. Midlife‐onset depression participants performed better in the visual episodic memory task, but worse on the verbal reasoning task, than early‐onset depression participants. Current depression severity was negatively correlated with all four cognitive domains, while historical severity score was found to be significantly associated with cognitive performance on the verbal reasoning and spatial working memory tasks.
Conclusions
The most important indicator of cognitive performance in depression appears to be current, rather than historic depression severity; however, late‐onset depression may be associated with more executive impairment than an early‐onset depression
Wong (2019)
Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) prevalence in Indigenous communities is higher than in the general population. Objective: To determine the risk and protective factors associated with MDD among Indigenous peoples living in Toronto. Database: Our Health Counts Toronto (OHCT) database, the largest urban Indigenous health study of 897 Indigenous adult participants, was accessed for analysis. Methods: Performed analyses using weighted generalized linear mixed modelling approaches. Results: Factors protecting against MDD include having a strong connection to Indigenous identity, smoking, and hallucinogen use. Risk factors for MDD include only completing a high school education and use of cannabis, crack, and amphetamine. Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest potential areas for preemptive measures against MDD, including establishing programs to help support a strong sense of cultural identity.
Gudmundsen et al. (2018)
This study documents the emergence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in a community sample of school-age children and describes the temporal progression of symptoms leading to depressive episodes. Caregivers of 468 seventh graders reported retrospectively the manifestation of 14 symptoms of depression and anxiety in their children from kindergarten through sixth grade. The sample was balanced by sex and reflected the racial and economic diversity of the urban school district. Childhood period prevalence was calculated for each symptom, and discrete time survival analyses compared likelihoods of early symptom emergence in children who did and did not meet diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) by ninth grade. Symptom prevalence ranged between 20% (excessive guilt) and 50% (concentration problems) during the elementary school years. The 4-year period prevalence of MDD was 8.9%, 95% confidence interval [6.5%, 12.1%]. Low energy, excessive worry, excessive guilt, anhedonia, social withdrawal, and sadness or depressed mood were each associated with a significantly higher likelihood of onset of MDD. Compared to girls, boys were more likely to exhibit sad mood, fatigue, and trouble concentrating. Children who later met criteria for MDD demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of showing core features of depressive and anxiety disorders during their elementary school years. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing early signs and developing interventions to help children manage early symptoms and prevent later psychiatric illness.
Richards (2011)
Depression is one of the leading causes of disease worldwide. Historically conceived as either a disease of the mind or of the brain, treatment options followed this aetiology. Current diagnostic assessment of depression is based on descriptions of symptoms, their presence and magnitude over time. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that depressive disorders are highly prevalent: displaying high rates of lifetime incidence, early age onset, high chronicity, and role impairment. These studies have deepened our understanding of the course of depression; remission, recovery, relapse and recurrence. An illustration of recovery rates has begun to demonstrate the complexity of the nature and course of depression. The majority recovers; however, recovery may not be permanent and future episodes carry the threat of chronicity. A key variable influencing rates of recovery, relapse, and recurrence is the presence of medical or psychiatric comorbid illnesses. The review considers the literature on Major Depression beginning with a brief historical overview, its classification, and a synthesis of the current knowledge regarding prevalence and course.
Lewisohn et al. (1998)
In this article we summarize our current understanding of depression in older (14–18 years old) adolescents based on our program of research (the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project). Specifically, we address the following factors regarding adolescent depression: (a) phenomenology (e.g., occurrence of specific symptoms, gender and age effects, community versus clinic samples); (b) epidemiology (e.g., prevalence, incidence, duration, onset age); (c) comorbidity with other mental and physical disorders; (d) psychosocial characteristics associated with being, becoming, and having been depressed; (e) recommended methods of assessment and screening; and (f) the efficacy of a treatment intervention developed for adolescent depression, the Adolescent Coping With Depression course. We conclude by providing a set of summary statements and recommendations for clinicians.
Benjet et al. (2019)
Eight-year incidence of MDD was 12.9% in youth from Mexico City.
Recurrence of MDD from adolescence through early adulthood was 46.1%.
Female sex, any trauma, sexual abuse, and private event predicted incidence of MDD.
Childhood onset and domestic violence was associated to recurrence of MDD.
Having a parent with depression was associated to both incidence and recurrence.
Bailey et al. (2018)
We aimed to establish the treatment effect of physical activity for depression in young people through meta-analysis. Four databases were searched to September 2016 for randomised controlled trials of physical activity interventions for adolescents and young adults, 12–25 years, experiencing a diagnosis or threshold symptoms of depression. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the standardised mean difference (SMD) between physical activity and control conditions. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression investigated potential treatment effect modifiers. Acceptability was estimated using dropout. Trials were assessed against risk of bias domains and overall quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria. Seventeen trials were eligible and 16 provided data from 771 participants showing a large effect of physical activity on depression symptoms compared to controls (SMD = −0.82, 95% CI = −1.02 to −0.61, p < 0.05, I2 = 38%). The effect remained robust in trials with clinical samples (k = 5, SMD = −0.72, 95% CI = −1.15 to −0.30), and in trials using attention/activity placebo controls (k = 7, SMD = −0.82, 95% CI = −1.05 to −0.59). Dropout was 11% across physical activity arms and equivalent in controls (k = 12, RD = −0.01, 95% CI = −0.04 to 0.03, p = 0.70). However, the quality of RCT-level evidence contributing to the primary analysis was downgraded two levels to LOW (trial-level risk of bias, suspected publication bias), suggesting uncertainty in the size of effect and caution in its interpretation. While physical activity appears to be a promising and acceptable intervention for adolescents and young adults experiencing depression, robust clinical effectiveness trials that minimise risk of bias are required to increase confidence in the current finding. The specific intervention characteristics required to improve depression remain unclear, however best candidates given current evidence may include, but are not limited to, supervised, aerobic-based activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity, engaged in multiple times per week over eight or more weeks. Further research is needed
Saluja et al. (2004)
Main Outcome Measures Depressive symptoms, substance use, somatic symptoms, scholastic behaviors, and involvement in bullying.
Results Eighteen percent of youths reported symptoms of depression. A higher proportion of females (25%) reported depressive symptoms than males (10%). Prevalence of depressive symptoms increased by age for both males and females. Among American Indian youths, 29% reported depressive symptoms, as compared with 22% of Hispanic, 18% of white, 17% of Asian American, and 15% of African American youths. Youths who were frequently involved in bullying, either as perpetrators or as victims, were more than twice as likely to report depressive symptoms than those who were not involved in bullying. A significantly higher percentage of youths who reported using substances reported depressive symptoms as compared with other youths. Similarly, youths who reported experiencing somatic symptoms also reported significantly higher proportions of depressive symptoms than other youths.
Conclusions Depression is a substantial and largely unrecognized problem among young adolescents that warrants an increased need and opportunity for identification and intervention at the middle school level. Understanding differences in prevalence between males and females and among racial/ethnic groups may be important to the recognition and treatment of depression among youths.
Hamzah et al. (2019)
ObjectivesWhile university life is characterized by the pursuit of greater educational opportunities and employment prospects, it can also be a trigger of mental health problems. This study aims to: (a) measure the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among first-year undergraduate students in the University of Malaya, and; (b) determine the associated factors of depression, anxiety, and stress.MethodsThis cross-sectional study consisted of two phases: survey administration and physical assessment. In the first phase, data were collected electronically using a mobile application during the orientation week. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was employed to assess respondents’ mental health status. In the second phase, anthropometric measurements which included height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure were taken.ResultsOf 1602 students, the prevalence of moderate to extremely severe depression was 21% (n=341), anxiety 50% (n=793), and stress 12% (n=197). Findings showed that students who lived with non-family members were more likely to develop depression (OR: 1.846, 95% CI: 1.266-2.693), anxiety (OR: 1.529, 95% CI: 1.024-2.284), and stress (OR: 1.655, 95% CI: 1.110-2.468). Those with previous medical history were more likely to have anxiety (OR: 1.697, 95% CI: 1.097-2.626). Interestingly, students from the Southern region (OR: 0.667, 95% CI: 0.468-0.950) and from Sabah and Sarawak (OR: 0.503, 95% CI: 0.281-0.900) were less likely to report depression.ConclusionsFuture intervention programs should follow the socio-ecological model while addressing university students’ mental health needs.
Clement et al. (2019)
Objectives: In fathers, depression symptoms experienced during pregnancy and after childbirth represent a depression risk factor during the child first months. Since depression can have a huge impact on their subsequent involvement with the child, this issue is worrisome and requires consideration. Until now, however, few studies have dealt with paternal depression and its determinants beyond the perinatal period. Method: This study uses data from a representative provincial survey conducted with 1342 fathers of children aged 6 months to 17 years. It documents the prevalence of moderate and severe depression symptoms with the CES-D scale as well as associated factors. Results: Findings show prevalence rates ranging from 3% to 10% depending on depression symptom severity and children age. Associated factors include problematic use of alcohol, no employment, stress related to balancing work and family, domestic violence environment, and low revenue and social support. Conclusion: These results are interpreted in light of the role and involvement fathers keep in their child’s life. They also stress the importance of identifying depression symptoms in this population beyond the perinatal period while monitoring the symptom intensity
Jacobson and Newman (2017)
Not only do anxiety and depression diagnoses tend to co-occur, but their symptoms are highly correlated. Although a plethora of research has examined longitudinal associations between anxiety and depression, these data have not yet been effectively synthesized. To address this need, the current study undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of 66 studies involving 88,336 persons examining the prospective relationship between anxiety and depression at both symptom and disorder levels. Using mixed-effect models, results suggested that all types of anxiety symptoms predicted later depressive symptoms (r = .34), and all types of depressive symptoms predicted later anxiety symptoms (r = .31). Although anxiety symptoms more strongly predicted depressive symptoms than vice versa, the difference in effect size for this analysis was very small and likely not clinically meaningful. Additionally, all types of diagnosed anxiety disorders predicted all types of later depressive disorders (OR = 2.77), and all depressive disorders predicted later anxiety disorders (OR = 2.73). Most anxiety and depressive disorders predicted each other with similar degrees of strength, but depressive disorders more strongly predicted social anxiety disorder (OR = 6.05) and specific phobia (OR = 2.93) than vice versa. Contrary to conclusions of prior reviews, our findings suggest that depressive disorders may be prodromes for social and specific phobia, whereas other anxiety and depressive disorders are bidirectional risk factors for one another.
Saito et al. (2019)
Methods: A total of 502 participants (212 healthy controls, 163 patients with MDD and 127 patients with BP) were administered the Japanese version of the CATS; the Japanese version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire; and the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Data were analyzed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as by univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results: A five-factor structure was appropriate for the CATS. The MDD group scored significantly higher on all subtypes of the reclassified CATS than did the control group. Among the subscales of the reclassified CATS, physical abuse and loneliness/psychological stress were significant predictors of affective temperaments, although all subscales were significantly associated with affective temperaments compared to the original CATS.
Limitations: Since child abuse was assessed retrospectively, there might be recall bias. Furthermore, as the study was limited to Japanese individuals, particularly those with mood disorders, the findings might not be generalizable.
Conclusions: This study revealed that the subtypes of child abuse (especially physical abuse and loneliness/ psychological stress) might be associated with MDD and BP.
Clavarino et al. (2011)
Method Data (3,512 mothers and 3,334 children) were from Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a population-based birth cohort study, which commenced in Brisbane, Australia, in 1981. Mothers and children were followed up at birth, 6 months and 5, 14 and 21 years after the initial interview. Marital status and marital quality were assessed at 5 and 14 years. Symptoms of depression were assessed in mothers and children at the 21-year follow-up.
Results A poor-quality marital relationship at the 14-year follow-up was associated with increased symptoms of depression in both mothers (+3.3 symptoms) and children (+1.1 symptoms) 7 years later. Symptoms of depression in the mother improved if she changed to unpartnered status (-1.31 symptoms); however, children experienced an increase in depression (+1.30 symptoms). There was a substantial increase in mothers’ depression (+3.9 symptoms) associated with a poor reconstructed relationship but no change for children (0.68).
Conclusion Marital transitions may improve symptoms of depression in the mothers but not in their children. Clinical decisions for families living in some difficult marital relationships need to take into account the association between maternal and child mental health particularly evidence from clinical samples that remission of depression in the mother improves outcomes for the child.
Sugawara et al. (2002)
To investigate the relationship between marital relations and children’s depression, as mediated by family functioning and parental attitudes toward child rearing, a questionnaire survey was carried out using a mailed questionnaire. Questionnaires completed by the father, mother, and children (average age of fathers, 43 years; mothers, 39.8 years; children, 10.2 years) were received from 313 families out of 1,360 families originally contacted. Mothers and fathers were asked to answer independently questions regarding their marital relations, family atmosphere, family cohesion, and attitudes toward childrearing. Children’s depression was measured by a self-administered depression scale. The results supported the hypothesis that higher scores on the marital love scale were related to better family functioning and warmer parental attitudes toward child rearing, and that the marital love scale was negatively correlated with children’s depression. The mother’s warm attitude toward their children was correlated with lower depression in the children; no significant correlation of depression with attitude was found for fathers.
