Social Functioning Mediates the Relation Between Symptoms of Depression,Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation Among Youth

Journal of Child and Family Studies - In order to accurately identify youth at risk for suicide, it remains crucial to explore the interplay of risk factors that predict suicidal behavior. Thus,...     

Social Anxiety Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in a Clinical Sample of Early Adolescents: Examining Loneliness and Social Support as Longitudinal Mediators

Recent research has shown that social anxiety may be related to increased risk for suicidal ideation in teens, although this research largely has been cross-sectional and has not examined potential mediators of this relationship. A clinical sample of 144 early adolescents (72 % female; 12–15 years old) was assessed during psychiatric inpatient hospitalization and followed up at 9 and 18 months post-baseline. Symptoms of social anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and perceived social support were assessed via structured interviews and self-report instruments. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant direct relationship between social anxiety symptoms at baseline and suicidal ideation at 18 months post-baseline, even after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms and ideation. A second multiple mediation model revealed that baseline social anxiety had a significant indirect effect on suicidal ideation at 18 months post-baseline through loneliness at 9 months post-baseline. Social anxiety did not have a significant indirect effect on suicidal ideation through perceived social support from either parents or close friends. Findings suggest that loneliness may be particularly implicated in the relationship between social anxiety and suicidality in teens. Clinicians should assess and address feelings of loneliness when treating socially anxious adolescents.     

Family Conflicts,Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms,and Suicidal Ideation of Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Applied Research in Quality of Life - The present study examined the relationship between parent–adolescent conflict and adolescent suicidal ideation in Hong Kong, China. Depression and...     

Relevance of the Tripartite Dimensions of Affect for Anxiety and Depression in Youth: Examining Sex and Psychopathology Status

Using a combined sample (N = 1,215) of referred children and children from the general population aged between 8 and 14 years, the present study addressed two research goals: First, latent mean differences (depending on the individual’s sex or psychopathology level) in anxiety, depression, Positive Affect (PA), Negative Affect (NA) and Physiological Hyperarousal (PH) were examined. Secondly, the structure of anxiety and depression was investigated from a tripartite model perspective in boys and girls with high versus low levels of psychopathology respectively. When relating the latent mean level differences in NA, PA, and PH with those in anxiety and depression, the results suggest that higher levels (depending on the individual’s sex and psychopathology status) of anxiety or depression are associated with higher levels of PH and lower levels of PA, whereas no consistent pattern was found between mean level differences in NA on the one hand and mean level differences in anxiety/depression on the other. Results further demonstrated that a better fit was obtained for the dual than for the unitary construct representation in boys or girls with high or low levels of psychopathology, thereby suggesting that a valid distinction can be made between anxiety and depression in children between 8 and 14 years old, irrespective of their sex or level of psychopathology. However, when looking at the structural relations of the dual construct representation of anxiety and depression with NA, PA and PH in each of the four groups separately, it became evident that the PH and PA tripartite dimensions could not account for the unique aspects of anxiety and depression respectively. Moreover, PH rather than NA was found to be common for anxiety and depression.     

An Examination of the Tripartite Model of Anxiety and Depression and Its Application to Youth

The ability to differentiate anxiety and depression has been a topic of discussion in the adult and youth literatures for several decades. The tripartite model of anxiety and depression proposed by L. A. Clark and D. Watson (1991) has helped focus the discussion. In the tripartite model, anxiety is characterized by elevated levels of physiological hyperarousal (PH), depression is characterized by low levels of positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) or generalized emotional distress is common to both. The advent of the model led to the development of measures of tripartite constructs and subsequent validity studies. The tripartite model and resultant activity concerning the model was largely devoted to adult samples. However, those interested in anxiety and depression among youth are now incorporating the tripartite model in their work. This paper examines the current influence of the tripartite model in the youth literature, especially with regard to measuring anxiety and depression.     

PTSD, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation in African American Women: A Mediated Model

Although research has shown positive associations among post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, the nature of these relations is unclear, especially in African American women. This study examined the associations among these comorbid psychological difficulties in a sample of 136 low-income, African American women. Specifically, the goal of this investigation was to ascertain if overall depressive symptoms, as well as both the cognitive-affective and somatic components of depression, mediated the PTSD-suicidal ideation link. Results from bootstrapping analyses revealed that overall depressive symptoms and the cognitive-affective components of depression, but not the somatic components, mediated the PTSD-suicidal ideation link.     

The Impact of Religiosity on Suicidal Ideation Among Youth in Central Mexico

Although over 100 years of research has been dedicated to understanding the connection between religiosity and suicide, many questions still remain. This is especially true among adolescent populations in countries outside the US. In 2008, over 700 students attending eight alternative high school centers in central Mexico completed a health survey designed to provide a comprehensive overview of their physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. This article reports on the findings of a secondary analysis study of those data and focuses on the protective influence of religiosity on suicidal ideation. The findings of this study are discussed in light of the network theory’s assertion that there is a belonging aspect to religion, and also to the idea that in religiously homogeneous communities of Mexico, religion can have a protective effect on the suicidal ideation of its members.     

Suicidal Ideation and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents: The Role of Interoceptive Deficits

Eating disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation are relatively common, and often begin to emerge in adolescence. Interoceptive deficits, or the inability to perceive and accurately identify the physiological condition of the body, is an established risk factor for both eating disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Despite this, longitudinal research examining the temporal dynamics between these variables is scarce, especially within adolescent samples. Using a three-wave longitudinal design, the present study tested bidirectional relationships between interoceptive deficits, eating disorder symptoms, and suicidal ideation to examine whether interoceptive deficits predicted eating disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation over the course of a year among a sample of adolescents. Participants were 436 community adolescents recruited from local middle- and high-schools. Data were collected at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. Study measures assessed current suicidal ideation, eating disorder symptom severity, and interoceptive deficits. Autoregressive cross-lagged modeling was conducted in MPlus. We found baseline eating disorder symptoms significantly predicted suicidal ideation at 6-month follow-up when controlling for baseline suicidal ideation. Baseline interoceptive deficits significantly predicted eating disorder symptoms 6-months later, while 6-month follow-up interoceptive deficits significantly predicted 12-month follow-up suicidal ideation. Our findings highlight the need for early and regular assessment of suicidal ideation and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents. Given that interoceptive deficits was a shared risk factor for both conditions within this sample, these results underscore the need for targeted interventions aimed at improving interoception.     

Relations of Tripartite Dimensions of Emotion to Childhood Anxiety and Mood Disorders

This study examined preliminary higher-order models relating tripartite dimensions of emotion to severity of anxiety and depressive disorders in 100 clinically referred children and adolescents. In light of the accumulating support for multifactor models of vulnerability and negative emotion in children, the present investigation was designed to establish preliminary estimates of the structure and magnitude of the relations of three emotion factors with dimensions of social anxiety, depression, panic, generalized anxiety, obsessions/compulsions, and separation anxiety. Results were consistent with structures that minimally specified two higher-order emotion factors, yet only some parameter estimates were consistent with theory regarding the tripartite model. Problems with the measurement of tripartite factors and possibilities for further research are outlined.     

Emotion Reporting Using Electronic Diaries Reduces Anxiety Symptoms in Girls With Emotion Dysregulation

Theory and empirical research suggest that electronic diaries, which require children to report on their emotional experiences, might encourage emotional processing and facilitate a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, particularly for children exhibiting emotion-related deficits. Electronic diaries were given to 52 children (aged 7–12) to track their emotions and associated intensity for 7?days; anxiety was assessed prior to and after the use of the electronic diary by both parent- and child-report. It was hypothesized that the use of an electronic diary to track emotional experiences would lead to a reduction in anxiety symptoms for those children high in poor awareness, high in expressive reluctance, and low in emotion coping. The use of electronic diaries was effective at reducing child self-reported anxiety symptoms in girls who reported low emotion coping and reducing parent-reported anxiety for girls who reported a high reluctance to express emotions. Current findings suggest that having children identify their emotions using electronic diaries may be particularly beneficial for girls who are reluctant to express emotions and who report poor coping abilities.     

Emotion Regulation Mediates the Relationship between ADHD and Depressive Symptoms in Youth

A significant literature suggests that youth diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for later depression relative to youth without ADHD. Youth with co-occurring ADHD and depression experience more serious impairments and worse developmental outcomes than those with either disorder alone, including increased rates of suicidal ideation and suicide completion. Despite these very serious outcomes, few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying the relationship between ADHD and depression in youth. The present study examined emotion regulation (ER) as a mediator of the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms in 69 youth between the ages of 10 and 14, with (n?=?37) and without (n?=?32) ADHD. Parent and youth ratings of depressive symptoms and ER were collected. Youth with ADHD reported significantly more depressive symptoms and poorer ER ability relative to youth without ADHD. ER fully mediated the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms. Limitations and clinical implications are discussed.     

A Minority Stress Model for Suicidal Ideation in Gay Men

There is a dearth of research on mechanisms underlying higher rates of suicidal ideation among gay men compared to heterosexual men. The purpose of this study was to establish the link between social/psychological predictor variables and suicidal ideation by testing a hypothesized minority stress model. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the relationships posited in the model using data from a community sample of 167 gay men. Model fit was adequate and hypothesized relationships were partially supported. Also, depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between (less) outness predicting suicidal ideation. These findings imply that therapeutic approaches targeting the coming out process may be more effective than approaches targeting internalized homophobia when suicidal ideation is indicated in the clinical presentation of gay and bisexual men.     

Pragmatic Screening of Anxiety,Depression, Suicidal Ideation,and Substance Misuse in Older Adults

Older adults’ mental health needs are often unmet across care settings (e.g., primary or residential care) for a variety of reasons, such as mental health stigma and mental health care professionals’ lack of awareness of age-related changes in mental disorders. Screening, when coupled with access to evidence-based interventions, is effective at identifying and reducing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance misuse in older adults across care settings. Unfortunately, due to lack of training many mental health care professionals may be unsure about what or how to screen, as well as which screening measures are available for use with older adults. Following professional guidelines recommended for older adults, we provide an overview of screening measures for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance misuse that are evidence-based and meet pragmatic criteria identified by stakeholder research. Specific pragmatic criteria include screening measures developed with older adults (unless unavailable) as well as brief in length (items ≤30), time for administration (≤15 minutes), scoring (<5 minutes), and interpretation (<5 minutes). Other pragmatic criteria include screening measures readily available on the internet at no cost and usable across diverse settings (e.g., community, primary care, and/or residential care). For each measure, we also review relevant psychometric properties (e.g., reliability, cut-scores, sensitivity, specificity, and construct validity). Lastly, we discuss strategies to facilitate screening with older adults and direct mental health care providers to internet resources that can be used to learn more about assessment with older adults.     

Examining the Importance of Intentionally Structuring the Youth Sport Context to Facilitate Positive Youth Development

Researchers argue that sport must be deliberately structured to teach life skills. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in program quality and positive developmental outcomes across 3 youth programming contexts (intentional sport, nonintentional sport, intentional leadership) pertaining to the importance of intentionally teaching life skills. Researchers conducted 184 observations, and 377 youth completed 2 questionnaires. Results indicated intentionally structured programs scored higher on program quality and positive youth development outcomes than nonintentionally structured programs, with intentional sport scoring significantly higher on some measures of program quality and positive youth development than leadership programs. Practical implications and future research areas are discussed.     

Maternal Emotion Dysregulation Predicts Emotion Socialization Practices and Adolescent Emotion Lability: Conditional Effects of Youth ADHD Symptoms

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Maternal emotional functioning and emotion socialization practices can facilitate or hinder children’s emotional development, and youth with...     

Health Downturns and Predictors of Suicidal Ideation: An Application of the Baumeister Model

Suicidal thoughts and attempts have been studied from a number of perspectives, but only recently has an attempt been made to incorporate many different psychological perspectives into one framework. Baumeister (1990) has integrated personality and social psychological perspectives into one sequential model, moving from instigating events to a final stage of suicidal thoughts. Employing a sample of older adult subjects undergoing the stresses of a recent health downturn, this study tested a four-stage model of suicidal ideation based on many of the components proposed by Baumeister. Structural equation modeling achieved a good fit to the data. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of including life events, particularly poor health, and cognitive variables such as confusions in thinking, in understanding suicidal ideation.     

The Effects of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms on Daily Positive Emotion Regulation

Individuals with anxiety and depressive symptoms exhibit disturbances in positive emotion regulation, which may hinder full recovery. By comparison, individuals with strong beliefs regarding their capacity to “savor” or maintain positive emotions (i.e., savoring beliefs) display more adaptive positive emotion regulation. The present daily diary study explores three momentary processes involved in positive emotion regulation, namely positive emotion reactivity, regulatory goals, and regulatory effectiveness, and examines the comparative effects of baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms versus savoring beliefs on such processes in real-life contexts. A sample of 164 nonclinical undergraduates provided baseline measures of anxiety and depressive symptom severity and savoring beliefs prior to completing 14 daily assessments of positive emotions and emotion regulatory responses to daily positive events. Results indicated that higher baseline anxiety and depressive symptom severity were associated with decreased positive emotion reactivity and increased down-regulation of positive emotions; higher baseline savoring beliefs were associated with increased positive emotion reactivity, decreased down-regulation and increased up-regulation of positive emotions. Potential clinical implications are discussed.