Sex differences in prenatal epigenetic programming of stress pathways

Maternal stress experience is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Recent studies have examined mechanisms by which changes in the maternal milieu may be transmitted to the developing embryo and potentially translated into programming of the epigenome. Animal models of prenatal stress have identified important sex- and temporal-specific effects on offspring stress responsivity. As dysregulation of stress pathways is a common feature in most neuropsychiatric diseases, molecular and epigenetic analyses at the maternal-embryo interface, especially in the placenta, may provide unique insight into identifying much-needed predictive biomarkers. In addition, as most neurodevelopmental disorders present with a sex bias, examination of sex differences in the inheritance of phenotypic outcomes may pinpoint gene targets and specific windows of vulnerability in neurodevelopment, which have been disrupted. This review discusses the association and possible contributing mechanisms of prenatal stress in programming offspring stress pathway dysregulation and the importance of sex.     

McEwen-Induced Modulation of Endocrine History: A Partial Review

In endless facets of physiology, there are points of homeostatic balance, such that too much or too litttle of something can both be deleterious (i.e., an "inverse U" pattern). This is particularly true when considering glucocorticoids (GCs), the adrenals steroid secreted during stress. In the first part of this paper, I review a number of realms in which a paucity and an excess of GCs are both damaging. Some findings are classical (for example, concerning GC effects upon body weight), while some are quite recent and have considerable implications for both physiology and pathophysiology (for example, inverse U's of GC actions in the realm of immunity and neuronal survival). The second part of the review considers the far thornier issue of how such inverse U's of GC actions are generated on a cellular and molecular level. One solution that has evolved, primarily in the hippocampus within the nervous system, involves the presence of two different types of receptors for GCs within the same cells; so long as the two receptors have very different affinities and mediate opposing effects on some cellular endpoint, an inverse U will emerge. The second solution, found in a number of peripheral tissues, involves GCs having opposing effects on the amount of some signal being generated (e.g., an immune cytokine) and the sensitivity of target tissues to that signal; under conditions that appear to be physiologically relevant, inverse U's emerge from this pattern as well. The final section of this review considers the enormous role played by Bruce McEwen in the emergence of this literature. I suggest that while much of this obviously has to do with the facts that have come from his group, another substantial contribution is from his steadying and supportive personality, the veritable embodiment of homeostatic balance.     

Development of the Mental Health Locus of Control and Mental Health Locus of Origin Scales

The Mental Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale is an area-specific measure of locus of control expectancies designed to predict mental health related behaviors, particularly those occurring in treatment situations. The discriminant validity of the MHLC, in contrast with Rotter's 1-E measure of generalized expectancies, was demonstrated with two mental health related variables: beliefs concerning etiology of psychopathology, and information about abnormal psychology. Beliefs about etiology were measured by the Mental Health Locus of Origin (MHLO) Scale. The primary hypothesis, that individuals with 'endogenous' beliefs about etiology tend to have 'external' expectations for the client's role in treatment, was supported by a statistically significant (p < .001) correlation between the MHLC and MHLO Scales.     

Validation of the Measure of Delinquent Social Identity Among Youth Offenders in the UK

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to develop and validate the Measure of Delinquent Social Identity (MDSI). Dimensionality and construct validity of the MDSI was investigated in a sample of youth offenders (N = 536). Four alternative models of the MDSI were estimated using Mplus. The model identified as being the best fit for the data was a bifactor model with three dimensions (cognitive centrality, in-group affect, in-group ties) while controlling for the general factor. The three subscales differentially correlated with criminal friend index, self-esteem, parental attachment, and peer rejection. Limitations and advantages, including practical implications, of the current research are discussed.     

Developmental and sex-related differences in preschoolers' affective decision making

This study investigated developmental and sex-related differences in affective decision making, using a two-deck version of Children's Gambling Task administered to 3- and 4-year-old children. The main findings were that 4-year-old children displayed better decision-making performance than 3-year-olds. This effect was independent of developmental changes in inductive reasoning, language, and working memory. There were also sex differences in decision-making performance, which were apparent only in 3-year-old children and favored girls. Moreover, age predicted awareness of task and the correlation between the latter and decision-making performance was significant, but only in 4-year-old children. This study thus indicates that there is a remarkable developmental leap in affective decision making, whose effects are apparent around the age of 4, which according to our results, also marks the age when the correlation of declarative knowledge and decision-making performance becomes significant.     

Self-cutting: patient characteristics compared with self-poisoners

A large ( n = 14,892) consecutive sample of deliberate self-harm (attempted suicide) patients who presented to a general hospital in the United Kingdom during a 23-year study period was examined (over two consecutive time periods) in order to compare the characteristics of those who used self-cutting ( n = 428) and those who self-poisoned ( n = 11,065). Patients who used different methods on other occasions, or were not assessed by the psychiatric service, were excluded. In the first time period (January 1976-June 1988), the self-cutters were distinguished from the self-poisoners by more often being male, single, not employed, and having a history of previous deliberate self-harm. In the second time period (July 1988-December 1998) the self-cutters were again distinguished by more often being male and having a history of previous deliberate self-harm, but also by being more likely to live alone, misuse alcohol, and have low suicidal intent scores. The finding of an excess of males among the self-cutters is contrary to the impression in the literature that self-cutting presentations to general hospitals more often involve females. It also indicates that the treatment needs of those who deliberately cut themselves are likely to differ from those of self-poisoners.     

Medicolegal stress at work

Connections between work, stress, and emotional distress have become the object of extensive litigation in the workers' compensation system and other legal forums. This article examines some of this activity from the perspective of medicolegal sociology. It explores five forums in which discussion of these connections takes place-every day life, science, within organizations, adjudicatory inquiries, public policy-and the moral stress discourse that helps bind these discussions together. Particular attention is paid to stress litigation stemming from investigations into violations of the law, principdy police work. Workers' compensation stress claims are viewed as part of an extensive societal medicolegal inquiry into the emotional underlife of work organizations.