Dynamics of Affective Reactivity during Mother-Daughter Interactions: The Impact of Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an alarming public health concern that is particularly widespread among adolescents. The current study examined affective responses during mother-daughter interactions in adolescent girls with and without a history of NSSI. Participants were 60 girls aged 13-17 with (n = 27) and without (n = 33) a history of NSSI and their mothers. Adolescents and their mothers completed two interaction tasks: one positive and one negative. During these interactions, facial affect was assessed via electromyography (EMG). Results of Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling (APIM) revealed several intra- and interpersonal disruptions in affect during both tasks among dyads in which the adolescent had an NSSI history. Findings suggest deficits in both self- and co-regulation of facial affect during mother-daughter interactions involving dyads in which the adolescents reports NSSI. Ultimately, if replicated and extended in longitudinal research, these disruptions may prove to be promising targets of intervention to reduce risk for future NSSI in adolescent girls.

Investigating Strategies of Emotion Regulation As Mediators of Occupational Stressors and Mental Health Outcomes in First Responders.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether two emotion regulation strategies, expressive suppression or cognitive reappraisal, mediated the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression (MD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in first responders (FR) who experienced occupational stressors, using cross-sectional data. An aggregate of 895 first responders (M = 37.32, SD = 12.09, 59.2% male, 91.3% Caucasian) who were recruited through professional organizations and social media sites across North and South American states participated in an online Qualtrics survey. Bivariate correlation analyses demonstrated that occupational stressors were positively correlated with expressive suppression and each mental health outcome but were not significantly correlated with cognitive reappraisal. Mediation analyses demonstrated expressive suppression as a significant mediator between occupational stressors and PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms, but not cognitive reappraisal. Even though these findings are in purview of a cross-sectional research design, they suggest the importance of practices that bolster first responders' ability to use more effective and adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as emotion expression, effective communication, and cognitive reappraisal that might help enhance psychological resilience.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, work-related trauma exposure, and substance use in first responders.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have been shown to increase the likelihood of substance use in the general population. First responders (e.g., EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters) are routinely exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) as part of their regular duties, increasing their risk for a range of adverse mental health outcomes including PTSD symptoms. However, no study to our knowledge has explored the relationship between PTEs, PTSD symptoms, and substance use in this population. In the current study, we examined whether PTSD symptoms were associated with alcohol and drug use in first responders above and beyond demographic variables, job-related characteristics, social support, and cumulative work-related PTE exposure, and whether work-related PTE exposure had an indirect effect on substance use via PTSD symptoms. METHODS: Participants (N = 885; mean age = 37.13; 59.0% male; 91.5% White) were recruited from all 50 U.S. states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to complete an online survey. RESULTS: In hierarchical regression analyses, PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with alcohol and drug use above and beyond all the other variables. Work-related PTE exposure was not a significant predictor of either outcome once PTSD symptoms were included, suggesting that PTEs confer risk for substance use via their association with PTSD symptoms. This finding was confirmed by an analysis showing that PTE exposure had a significant indirect effect on both alcohol and drug use via PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: Results support the need for periodic assessment of both PTSD symptoms and substance use in first responders.

Social support as a mediator of occupational stressors and mental health outcomes in first responders.

This cross-sectional study aimed to address whether occupational stressors are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in first responders via lower social support. A total of 895 first responders including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and firefighters from 50 US States and the Virgin Islands (mean = 37.32, standard deviation = 12.09, 59.2% male, and 91.3% White) completed an online survey. Bivariate analyses indicated that occupational stressors were positively correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression (MD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms, and negatively correlated with social support, whereas social support was negatively correlated with PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of occupational stressors on PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms via social support, after controlling for covariates. Although longitudinal research is needed for a more robust examination of this pathway, the results highlight the importance of social support in first responders. Efforts to augment the support systems of first responders are recommended.

Prospective associations between social anxiety and depression in youth: The moderating role of maternal major depressive disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Although social anxiety symptoms and exposure to maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) have each been conceptualized as key contributors to the development of depression symptoms in youth, these risk factors have not been integrated into a single model of risk. The current study evaluated a two-hit model of risk to determine whether the impact of social anxiety on prospective changes in youth depressive symptoms is stronger among youth exposed to maternal MDD than among those of never-depressed mothers. METHODS: Participants were youth (aged 8-14 at baseline, 50.4% girls, 80.9% Caucasian) and their biological mothers recruited from the community in the United States. Of the mothers, 129 had a history of MDD during their youth's lifetime and 117 had no lifetime history of MDD. At the initial assessment, mothers completed diagnostic interviews and youth completed self-report measures of social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants were reassessed every 6 months for 2 years during which youth again completed the symptom measures. RESULTS: Results of hierarchical linear modeling revealed that levels of social anxiety predicted prospective increases in depressive symptoms among offspring of mothers with a history of MDD, but not among those of never-depressed mothers. Depressive symptoms did not predict prospective changes in social anxiety (alone or in interaction with maternal MDD). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide preliminary evidence for an integrated model of risk such that social anxiety symptoms may be a particularly strong risk factor for the subsequent development of depression symptoms among youth with exposure to maternal MDD.