Infant Emotion Regulation Strategy Moderates Relations between Self‐Reported Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Infant HPA Activity

Children of mothers with depressive symptoms often have high cortisol levels. Research shows that various child characteristics (e.g., attachment pattern, internalizing behaviours, and temperament) moderate this association. We suggest that these characteristics share common variance with emotion regulation strategy. Therefore, we examine infant emotion regulation strategy as a moderator of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and infant hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) function. We hypothesize that infants who utilize more independent emotion regulation strategies and have mothers who report higher depressive symptoms will exhibit elevated cortisol levels. Participants were 193 mothers and infants (15 months old) recruited from the community. Self‐reported maternal depressive symptoms were assessed. Infant independent regulatory behaviours (withdrawal, wandering away, distraction, scanning, orienting to another object) were coded in the context of a Toy Frustration Task. Infant cortisol was collected via saliva samples at baseline, +20, and +40 minutes. Results indicate that infant emotion regulation strategy moderates the relation between mothers' self‐reported depressive symptoms and infant total cortisol output (AUC_G) and cortisol reactivity (AUC_I). Infants who employed more independent regulatory behaviours and have mothers with higher depressive symptoms experience greater cortisol secretion. We discuss the findings in relation to parent‐infant interactions and the adaptive nature of emotion regulation strategies, as they relate to HPA regulatory capacities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidence that anticipated stigma predicts poorer depressive symptom trajectories among emerging adults living with concealable stigmatized identities

People living with concealable stigmatized identities are vulnerable to experiencing greater depressive symptoms as a result of occupying a lower social status. In the present research, we examine the effect of changes in enacted stigma and changes in anticipated stigma on trajectories of depressive symptoms over time. A sample of 192 college-aged emerging adults (81.0% female, 81.9% Caucasian, M_age = 18.82 years) living with a concealable stigmatized identity (e.g., mental illness and sexual minority status) completed measures of enacted stigma, anticipated stigma, and depressive symptoms at two time points across eight weeks. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicate that increases in anticipated stigma, but not enacted stigma, predicted poorer trajectories of depressive symptoms, controlling for the effect of baseline rumination and other identity-related variables. These data are among the first to demonstrate that worries about future devaluation predict poorer depressive symptom trajectories over time among college-aged emerging adults.     

Mothering under political violence: Post-traumatic symptoms,observed maternal parenting practices and child externalising behaviour

Using the family stress model as our conceptual framework, we explored whether observed maternal parenting practices (positive and coercive) account for the associations between mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms and children's externalising behaviours. Mothers' self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms, observed maternal practices, and reports of children's externalising behaviour were collected from 123 Israeli mothers and their children, who were exposed to ongoing rocket attacks in southern Israel. A structural equation model revealed that mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms were linked with greater maternal coercive parenting practices, which in turn were associated with more externalising behaviours in children. The study highlights the crucial role of maternal distress and mothers' parenting skills in the development of externalising behaviours in children exposed to chronic political violence. These results suggest that prevention interventions designed to promote parenting skills for mothers exposed to political violence may be beneficial for children's healthy development.     

Borderline personality disorder level predicts change in depressiveness after short‐term group psychotherapy: A study in a daily psychiatric clinic

The project examined the comorbidity between depression symptoms and the level of borderline personality organisation among patients admitted for group psychotherapy (Study 1). It also aimed to analyse how the level of borderline personality organisation relates to the reduction in depression symptoms after short‐term psychotherapy (Study 2). The study was conducted in a day clinic where patients were receiving psychotherapy for emotional problems affecting their functioning (N = 57). The study used the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire. The analysis showed that BPI was positively related to depression symptoms. The higher borderline personality organisation patients presented when entering group psychotherapy, the greater was the decrease in depression symptoms after 3 months of psychotherapy. We discuss the results in relation to the notion that the presence of depression could be a positive prognostic indicator for patients with borderline personality.     

Exploring the psychometric properties of the CES-D-10 and its practicality in detecting depressive symptomatology in 27 low- and middle-income countries

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression-10 (CES-D-10) scale is known for its good psychometric properties in measuring depressive symptoms, however, some researchers question its applicability across various settings. This study explored the factor structure of the CES-D-10 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This cross-sectional survey consisted of 16,723 university students across 27 LMICs that completed self-report instruments assessing socio-demographic information and depressive symptoms using the CES-D-10. Data analysis included: exploratory factor analysis, item response theory and differential item functioning. Results indicate that a two-factor model (depressive affect and positive affect) had the best fit for this population and accounted for 52% of the total observed variance with an internal consistency, α = .77 for the depressive affect items and α = .57 for the positive affect items. The graded response model (GRM), however, indicated that the depressive affect factor had a good fit, unlike the positive affect factor. The depressive affect factor was found to consistently model depression for females better than males. Relative to their Asian counterparts, African, Caribbean and South American participants of similar depressive affect responded differently on all items of the depressive affect factor. The depressive affect factor seems most ideal for LMICs and shows gender and cross-cultural variability.     

Community,Context, and Coping: How Social Connections Influence Coping and Well-Being for Military Members and Their Spouses

Military members and their spouses (n = 223 families) were selected from an Active Duty Army installation and assessed with regard to their connections with the military community, their levels of coping with military culture demands, and their reports of individual (depression and life satisfaction) and family well-being. Guided by the contextual model of family stress and the social organization theory of action and change, results from a structural equation model indicated that military community connections, for both military members and their civilian spouses, were related to coping with the military culture and its demands, which in turn was related to both individual and family well-being. Unique actor and partner effects also emerged where both active duty military members' and their civilian spouses' perceptions of military community connections influenced the civilian spouses' satisfaction with military life, but only the active duty military members' community connections influenced their military-specific coping. Additionally, the associations between military-specific coping and individual and family well-being only had actor effects. When examined within the context of important military culture elements, namely rank and extent of military transitions (deployment and relocation), these core findings linking communities to coping and well-being were unchanged. Implications for theory, future research, and practice are shared.     

Psychosocial correlates of health status among Asians, Caucasians, and multiracial subjects

The present study assessed the relationship between race and physical health in a multicultural sample. When controlling for a variety of health risk factors, the results revealed a significant relationship between race and recent and chronic physical symptoms (i.e., minor health problems) as well as past major health problems. Multiracial individuals reported more health problems than Asians or Caucasians. These findings may reflect the differences in diet and socioeconomic status (SES) as well as conditions associated with low SES such as decreased likelihood of seeking medical services and a variety of psychosocial variables.     

Disgust and psychopathological symptoms in a nonclinical sample

There is little doubt that disgust sensitivity plays a role in the development of small animal phobias. However, it has been suggested that the basic emotion of disgust is implied in a broad range of psychopathological conditions. The present study examined the relationship between disgust sensitivity and symptoms of phobias (other than animal phobias), obsessive–compulsive disorder, depression, and eating disorder in a nonclinical sample. Undergraduate psychology students were asked to complete the Disgust Sensitivity Questionnaire, as well as measures of phobic (Fear Questionnaire), obsessive–compulsive (Maudsley Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory), depressive (Beck Depression Inventory), and eating disorder (Restraint Scale) symptomatology. Results showed that disgust sensitivity was only related to symptoms of agoraphobia and obsessive–compulsive disorder. The present findings cast doubts on the idea that disgust sensitivity is a central factor underlying a broad range of psychopathological conditions.     

The Ohio Scales: Practical Outcome Assessment

The development and initial psychometric studies for the Ohio Youth Problems, Functioning, and Satisfaction Scales (Ohio Scales) are described. The Ohio Scales were developed to be practical yet rigorous, multi-content, multi-source measures of outcome for children and adolescents receiving mental health services. Initial studies suggest that the Ohio Scales are promising (reliable, valid, and sensitive to change) measures that can be used to track the effectiveness of mental health interventions for youth with serious emotional disorders. Additional studies are warranted to expand the situations and populations within which the scales are valid.     

初中生抑郁与依恋、自我效能感的关系研究

对929个初中生施测抑郁自评量表,父母和同伴依恋问卷,一般自我效能感量表,以探讨父、母、同伴依恋和一般自我效能感对抑郁的影响模式.结果:(1)父(母)亲依恋、同伴依恋、一般自我效能感均与抑郁呈显著负相关;同伴依恋与父(母)亲依恋呈显著正相关.(2)结构方程模型分析发现:父(母)亲依恋直接影响同伴依恋,父(母)亲依恋和同伴依恋通过一般自我效能感间接影响抑郁,同时父(母)亲依恋和同伴依恋直接作用于抑郁.