Project description:BackgroundAnxiety symptoms are common in adolescence and are often considered developmentally benign. Yet for some, anxiety presents with serious comorbid nonanxiety psychopathology. Early identification of such "malignant" anxiety presentations is a major challenge. We aimed to characterize anxiety symptoms suggestive of risk for depression and suicidal ideation (SI) in community youths.MethodsCross-sectional associations were evaluated in community youths (n = 7,054, mean age: 15.8) who were assessed for anxiety, depression, and SI. We employed factor and latent class analyses to identify anxiety clusters and subtypes. Longitudinal risk of anxiety was evaluated in a subset of 330 youths with longitudinal data on depression and SI (with baseline mean age of 12.3 years and follow-up mean age of 16.98 years).OutcomesAlmost all (92%) adolescents reported anxiety symptoms. Data-driven approaches revealed anxiety factors and subtypes that were differentially associated with depression and SI. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that panic and generalized anxiety symptoms show the most robust associations with depression and SI. Longitudinal, multivariate analyses revealed that panic symptoms during early adolescence, not generalized anxiety symptoms, predict depression and SI for later adolescent years, particularly in males.InterpretationAnxiety is common in youths, with certain symptom clusters/subtypes predicting risk for depression and SI. Panic symptoms in early adolescence, even below disorder threshold, predict high risk for late adolescent depression and SI.
Project description:Early identification of anxiety among youth is required to prevent them from going unrecognised and untreated by mental health professionals. A precise identification of the young person's primary difficulty is also required to guide treatment programs. Availability of a valid and easily administrable assessment tool is crucial for identifying youth suffering from anxiety disorders. The purpose of the present study was therefore to examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). A total of 667 youth from community schools (4(th) through 9(th) grade) across Denmark participated in the study. The psychometric properties of the RCADS-(DAN) resembled those reported in US and Europe. Within scale reliability was excellent with Chronbach's alpha of.96. All subscales also showed good to excellent internal reliability. The study provides convincing evidence that the RCADS-(DAN) is a valid assessment tool for screening anxiety in Danish youth.
Project description:Depression and anxiety are common mental health concerns worldwide. Broad-spectrum multi-vitamin/mineral approaches have been found to alleviate a number of psychiatric symptoms. We investigated the effects of a nutrient intervention program, which includes optimizing vitamin D levels, on depression and anxiety outcomes from community-based program. We evaluated self-reported health measures of depression and anxiety collected as part of a community-based program focused on optimizing overall health through nutritional supplementation, education and lifestyle advice. Data were collected from 16,020 participants, with measures including European Quality of Life Five Dimensions (EQ-5D) and Targeted Symptoms List (TSL) providing self-reported depression and anxiety. More than 56% of participants were identified as having elevated levels of depression and anxiety at baseline as reported on the EQ-5D. After one year in the program, 49.2% (n = 7878) of participants who reported any level of depression or anxiety at baseline reported improvement at follow-up. Of those who reported severe/extreme depression at baseline (n = 829), 97.2% reported improvement after one year. Regression analyses revealed a significant association of improvement in depression and anxiety with higher vitamin D status (>100 nmol/L) and more strenuous physical activity. Overall, people from the general population who suffer from mood and anxiety problems may benefit from improved nutritional status achieved with nutritional supplements.
Project description:With the increasing legislation restricting health care access for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations in recent years, there has been limited research on how awareness of and concerns about legislative restrictions and protections influence mental health outcomes. To examine whether awareness of and concerns about the current policy environment regarding trans individuals are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among trans adults. This study uses cross-sectional data collected between March and April 2023 from the Washington Priority Assessment in Trans Health (PATH) Project, an online study designed by, with, and for trans communities. All participants were trans adults, aged 18 years or older, living in Washington state. Awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety symptoms, assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. A series of multivariable regression models was used to assess the association between awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment and depression and anxiety symptoms. Models were adjusted for covariates, including demographics, social marginalization, and health care experiences. A total of 797 participants (653 women [81.93%]; 455 aged 18-29 years [57.09%]) were included. The majority screened positive for current depression (689 individuals [86.45%]) and anxiety (686 individuals [86.07%]) symptoms. Trans individuals who were concerned or worried about their rights being taken away (vs not) had significantly higher odds of current depression symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.54), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.63-4.36). Those who knew (vs did not know) about state-level protective legislation had significantly lower odds of current depression symptoms (aOR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28-0.67), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.25). When examining interaction effect estimates, trans individuals who correctly knew about the protective policies and were not worried about having their rights taken away reported the lowest odds of depression and anxiety. The findings of this cross-sectional study are consistent with research elucidating the negative mental health consequences of policies limiting health care access and provide insights into informing policies and interventions that target trans populations' worsened mental health outcomes as a result of antitrans legislation.
Project description:Background: Gender dysphoria (GD) is frequently reported among transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse (TNG) populations, and is closely related to anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This study aimed to understand how GD influences the four mental health disparities among TNG youth, and to compare these outcomes depending on the severity of GD. Methods: 96,218 College students participated in the survey, of which the analysis was run on an extracted sub-set data of 2,315 (2.40%) TNG youth, with a mean age of 19.46 (SD = 1.52). Self-reported inventories measured sociodemographic factors, the severity of GD (Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale-Gender Spectrum), anxiety (seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire), depression (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), suicidal ideation (Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised), and NSSI (Clinician-Rated Severity of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Scale). Binary logistic regression assessed the association between significant GD and the four psychiatric disorders. Adjusted multiple logistic regression, and directed acyclic graph (DAG) analyses were conducted to explore the activating relationship among GD, sociodemographic factors, and psychiatric disorders. Results: 1,582 (68.30%) TNG youth who experienced significant levels of GD (total scores cutoff >= 46) were entered into the analyses. Binary logistic regression displayed significantly positive associations between significant GD and anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and NSSI. Multiple regression models showed risk factors included poor relationship with one's father/mother, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and having a lower subjective social status. While family harmony, a higher father's educational level, and partaking in exercise were protective factors that exerted distinct impacts on these four psychiatric disorders. DAG findings showed a poor relationship with one's father with significant GD via other socio-demographic characteristics, activated psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: TNG youth with higher levels of GD also exhibited more severe anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and NSSI. Tailored interventions should be provided to prioritize relieving those with severe GD to protect TNG youth from psychiatric outcomes further.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough perinatal women experience an elevated level of affective instability (AI), limited research has been conducted to examine perinatal AI and its relation to depression and anxiety. The current study investigated correlations between AI and depression, between AI and anxiety during the perinatal period, and between current depression and anxiety and the latent factors of the Affective Lability Scale-18 (ALS-18).Methods202 Canadian perinatal women participated in this cross-sectional study. The ALS-18 was used to assess AI, while the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 measured depression, anxiety, and stress. Multiple logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between AI and depression and anxiety, and multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the association between current depression and anxiety and the three latent factors of ALS-18.ResultsThe findings revealed a significant association between AI and depression and between AI and anxiety. Current depression and anxiety were correlated with ALS-18 factors of depression/anxiety shift and depression/elation shift, while current depression was linked to ALS-18 factor of anger.ConclusionsThe study findings have important implications for early detection and intervention of maternal anxiety and depression. In order to improve maternal mental health, AI should be included in routine perinatal check-ups.
Project description:ObjectiveTo characterize the association between residential environmental manganese (Mn) exposure and depression and anxiety, given prior associations among occupationally-exposed workers.MethodsWe administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to 697 study participants in their preferred languages. These participants represented a population-based sample of residents aged ≥40 from two predominantly Black African communities in Gauteng province, South Africa: 605 in Meyerton, adjacent to a large Mn smelter, and 92 in Ethembalethu, a comparable non-exposed community. We investigated the associations between community (Meyerton vs. Ethembalethu) and severity of depression and anxiety, using linear regression, adjusting for age and sex. To document community-level differences in Mn exposure, we measured airborne PM2.5-Mn.ResultsMeyerton residents had BDI scores 5.63 points (95 % CI 3.07, 8.20) higher than Ethembalethu residents, with all questions contributing to this significant difference. STAI-state scores were marginally higher in Meyerton than Ethembalethu residents [2.12 (95 % CI -0.17, 4.41)], whereas STAI-trait scores were more similar between the communities [1.26 (95 % CI -0.82, 3.35)]. Mean PM2.5-Mn concentration was 203 ng/m3 at a long-term fixed site in Meyerton and 10 ng/m3 in Ethembalethu.ConclusionResidence near Mn emission sources may be associated with greater depression symptomatology, and possibly current, but not lifetime, anxiety.
Project description:Research has documented the co-occurrence of symptoms of anxiety and depression across the lifespan, suggesting that these symptoms share common correlates and etiology. The present study aimed to examine potential specific and/or transdiagnostic correlates of symptoms of anxiety and depression in at-risk youth. The present study examined youth stress associated with parental depression and youth coping as potential correlates of symptoms of anxiety and depression in a sample of children of depressed parents. One hundred eighty parents with a history of depression and their children ages 9-15 completed measures assessing youths' stress associated with parental depression (RSQ), symptoms of anxiety and depression (YSR and CBCL), and coping (RSQ). The results support the hypothesis that secondary control coping is a transdiagnostic correlate of symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth. Youth stress related to parental depression and primary control coping were specific correlates of youth depressive symptoms and not anxiety symptoms. Disengagement coping was not a significant correlate of symptoms of anxiety or depression in youth. Results suggest that there are both transdiagnostic and specific correlates of symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth. The current study provides evidence to suggest specific types of stress and strategies to cope with this stress demonstrate specificity to symptoms of anxiety and depression in high-risk offspring of depressed parents. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the relationship between stress, coping, and symptoms to inform prevention and treatment research.
Project description:Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Parents have an important role in managing asthma in children. Studies have shown a higher degree of depression and anxiety and lower family performance in mothers of asthmatic children in comparison with the control group.The aim of this study was to evaluate the parenting styles and also depression, anxiety and stress parameters in mothers of children with asthma.This case-control study was performed on 45 mothers of 3 to 15 years old asthmatic children in the allergy clinic of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, during the years of 2014 to 2016. The control group was 45 mothers of non-asthmatic children who were matched for the age of their children with the case group in the same population. The parenting styles, as well as depression and anxiety of mothers were evaluated using parenting scales, and the depression-anxiety-stress scales (DASS). The mothers were also asked to fill a strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) for their children. Furthermore, parenting styles in the case group were compared to mothers of children without asthma as the control group. The data were then analyzed by SPSS 11.5, using Chi-square, ANOVA, and independent-samples t-test.The results of this study showed that 21 mothers (74.6%) were normal, but 12 mothers (26.7%) had a mild -, 9 (20%) a moderate - and 3 (6.7%) a severe degree of abnormality according to DASS. Independent-samples t-test showed a significant difference between the case and control groups regarding depression in mothers and laxness (p<0.001), over reactivity (p<0.013) and verbosity (p<0.031) in children with asthma.The results of this study demonstrated that anxiety and depression are partially frequent in mothers of children with asthma, and parenting styles are less affective in these families.
Project description:ObjectivesThis study explores the openness of transgender and gender diverse youth and young adults (TGDY) to mindfulness meditation programs in order to create culturally informed interventions to benefit this population.MethodTwo focus groups were conducted with a total of ten TGDY ages 14-24 years old at a transgender youth health center in a large metropolitan city in the USA. A 10-min guided mindfulness meditation was included for participants to experience and voice reactions to. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was utilized to measure the quantitative impact of the meditation on participants' anxiety and thematic analysis for the qualitative data.ResultsReflexive Thematic Analysis on qualitative focus group data revealed the following four themes: Active in Self-care, Silent Meditation Is "Not for Me," Guided Mindfulness Calms and Connects, and Program Ideas for Future. STAI results indicated a statistically significant reduction in anxiety following participation in the group meditation.ConclusionsParticipants were open to mindfulness as an additional method of self-care, and they emphasized future programs should include sensory stimulation, a pressure-free environment accepting of active minds and bodies, and a transgender instructor if possible. Meditation and mindfulness have the potential to be a very powerful healing modality for TGDY in clinical and therapeutic care.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-02048-6.