Network analysis of suicide ideation and depression-anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents.

Background: The co-occurrence of depression and anxiety among adolescents is typically associated with suicide ideation. Aims: The study aimed to investigate the symptom-level relationship between suicide ideation and the comorbidity of depression and anxiety. Methods: 1501 adolescents aged 12-19 years were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and 716 adolescents who scored ≥5 on both scales were selected as participants. Network analysis was used to identify the network structure of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Participants were categorised into either the suicide ideation or non-suicide ideation groups based on their scoring on the suicide-related item in PHQ-9. A comparison was made between the depression-anxiety symptom networks of the two groups. Results: 'Restlessness', 'sad mood' and 'trouble relaxing' were the most prominent central symptoms in the depression-anxiety symptom network, and 'restlessness', 'nervousness' and 'reduced movement' were the bridge symptoms in this network. 'Sad mood' was found to be directly related to 'suicide ideation' with the highest variance. The network structure was significantly different in properties between the suicide ideation group and the non-suicide ideation group, with 'restlessness' and 'sad mood' exhibiting significantly higher influence in the network of the suicide ideation group than that in the non-suicide ideation group. Conclusion: Restlessness and sad mood could be targeted for the intervention of depression-anxiety symptoms among adolescents with suicide ideation.

Common mental disorders and risk of spontaneous abortion or recurrent spontaneous abortion: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The direct causal relationships between common mental disorders (anxiety disorders, broad depression, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and insomnia) and miscarriage or recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore these, using Mendelian randomization. METHODS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) meta-analyses with the largest sample size possible and selected independent single individuals of European ancestry were selected. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was the main analysis method. The heterogeneity of the instrumental variables (IVs) was assessed using IVW and MR-Egger, and the horizontal pleiotropy of the IVs was assessed using MR-Egger and MR-PRESSO. RESULTS: Based on IVW results, the four mental disorders were found to be causally associated with spontaneous abortion (anxiety disorder: OR (95%CI), 1.230 (1.063-1.420), P = 0.0050; major depressive disorder: 1.690 (1.239-2.307), P = 0.0009; bipolar disorder: 1.110 (1.052-1.170), P = 0.0001; insomnia: 1.292 (1.076-1.552), P = 0.0060). Furthermore, no causal relationship was observed between broad depression and spontaneous abortion. Five common mental disorders were not causally associated with the RSA. LIMITATIONS: (1) Our analysis was limited to the European population; (2) the duration of mental disorders was not analyzed, as no information was available; and (3) it was difficult to completely detect genetic pleiotropy. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety disorders, MDD, bipolar disorder, and insomnia may contribute to spontaneous abortion. Therefore, we should focus on the mental and sleep health of pregnant women. Future studies may be required on whether mental disorders directly lead to RSA, especially unexplained RSA.

Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids and depression: deep insight into biological mechanisms and potential applications.

The gut microbiota is a complex and dynamic ecosystem known as the 'second brain'. Composing the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the gut microbiota and its metabolites regulate the central nervous system through neural, endocrine and immune pathways to ensure the normal functioning of the organism, tuning individuals' health and disease status. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the main bioactive metabolites of the gut microbiota, are involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. SCFAs have essential effects on each component of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in depression. In the present review, the roles of major SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) in the pathophysiology of depression are summarised with respect to chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, neuroinflammation, host epigenome and neuroendocrine alterations. Concluding remarks on the biological mechanisms related to gut microbiota will hopefully address the clinical value of microbiota-related treatments for depression.

Risk factors associated with depression and anxiety among the Chinese general population after retracting the dynamic zero-COVID policy: A network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have evidenced the negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and sociodemographic vulnerability among the general population, while limited information was available on which factors make the greatest contribution to psychological distress when these factors were considered concurrently. Herein, we aimed to investigate the pathways that underlie psychological distress in the context of retracting dynamic zero-COVID policy. METHODS: We employed the mixed graphical model to construct the network of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and pandemic-related factors in a general population sample (N = 1610). Then, we re-examined the network by adding sociodemographic variables to further explore the influence of sociodemographic factors. Additionally, we repeated the analyses in the second sample (N = 620) collected in the same period to assess the replicability. RESULTS: The relationships between the pandemic factors and anxiety and depressive symptoms exhibited a tendency to decrease after adding demographic variables, and income became the most important node and shared edge weights with all anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings were replicable with the second sample. No significant difference in the network properties was detected between the two samples. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design limits the ability to observe longitudinal changes in these risk factors and their relationship with psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Income level, rather than the pandemic-related factors, acted as a vital role in the psychological distress of the general population, implying that livelihood issues may be the critical intervention targets for mental health during the post-pandemic period.

The relationship between personality traits and dysfunctional attitudes in individuals with or without major depressive disorder: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional attitudes, which are characterized by distorted self-cognitions, were considered to be linked to personality traits. It was found that certain personality traits may predict dysfunctional attitudes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, the relationship between personality traits and dysfunctional attitudes remains under-researched. AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between specific domains of Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) and dysfunctional attitudes in Chinese participants with or without MDD. In addition, the present study explores the associations between 16PF and eight subtypes of dysfunctional attitudes, based on the proposed eight-factor structure of the Chinese version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Form A (C-DAS-A). METHODS: One hundred and sixty-eight participants with MDD and 130 healthy participants were included in the study (Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR1800014591). Personality was assessed using the 16PF Questionnaire. Dysfunctional attitudes were measured through the C-DAS-A. RESULTS: The 16PF dimensions associated with dysfunctional attitudes and the eight subtypes were mainly concentrated in the four anxiety facets including factors C, L, O, and Q4, in both MDD and HC groups. There were significant differences in the 16 PF dimensions that would explain dysfunctional attitudes between the two groups, which were as follows: factors C, G, and O in the MDD group, and factors L and Q4 in the HC group. CONCLUSIONS: Personality traits, especially the anxiety-related personality traits, were distinctly associated with the development of dysfunctional attitudes in people with or without MDD.

Potential Correlation Between Self-Compassion and Bedtime Procrastination: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation.

Purpose: The present research aims to investigate the potential correlations between self-compassion and bedtime procrastination, a significant behavior related to sleep. In this research, we put forward the hypothesis that a reduction in negative affect and the implementation of adaptative emotion regulation strategies can elucidate the established connections between self-compassion and a decreased tendency for bedtime procrastination. Methods: Two cross-sectional online surveys (Survey I: n=241 and Survey II: n=546) were carried out via a convenient sampling method. Prior to their inclusion, all participants underwent a thorough assessment to confirm no evidence of clinical insomnia. The study participants in both survey investigations were asked to complete various psychometric assessments, including self-compassion, positive and negative affect, and bedtime procrastination; however, the study participants in Survey II additionally underwent the administration of a cognitive reappraisal assessment. Results: In Survey I, a multiple mediation analysis was conducted to examine the mediating effects of self-compassion on reducing bedtime procrastination through a reduction in negative affect. The results supported the hypothesized relationships, indicating that self-compassion had the expected mediated effects by mitigating negative affective states. However, contrary to expectations, higher positive affect did not mediate the relationship between self-compassion and reduced bedtime procrastination. The findings of Survey II were confirmed through the utilization of path analysis. Moreover, this analysis provided additional evidence to suggest that the mechanism of cognitive reappraisal could account for the observed decrease in negative affect associated with self-compassion. The present study found a notable and sustained impact of self-compassion on reducing instances of delaying bedtime activities. Conclusion: The present research contributes novel empirical evidence suggesting a negative association between self-compassion and the propensity to engage in bedtime procrastination. This relationship can be attributed partly to the implementation of an adaptative emotion regulation mechanism that effectively alleviates negative affect.

Functional connectome through the human life span.

The functional connectome of the human brain represents the fundamental network architecture of functional interdependence in brain activity, but its normative growth trajectory across the life course remains unknown. Here, we aggregate the largest, quality-controlled multimodal neuroimaging dataset from 119 global sites, including 33,809 task-free fMRI and structural MRI scans from 32,328 individuals ranging in age from 32 postmenstrual weeks to 80 years. Lifespan growth charts of the connectome are quantified at the whole cortex, system, and regional levels using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. We report critical inflection points in the non-linear growth trajectories of the whole-brain functional connectome, particularly peaking in the fourth decade of life. Having established the first fine-grained, lifespan-spanning suite of system-level brain atlases, we generate person-specific parcellation maps and further show distinct maturation timelines for functional segregation within different subsystems. We identify a spatiotemporal gradient axis that governs the life-course growth of regional connectivity, transitioning from primary sensory cortices to higher-order association regions. Using the connectome-based normative model, we demonstrate substantial individual heterogeneities at the network level in patients with autism spectrum disorder and patients with major depressive disorder. Our findings shed light on the life-course evolution of the functional connectome and serve as a normative reference for quantifying individual variation in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

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OBJECTIVES: Family risk factors are crucial to adolescent mental health. Few studies have investigated the complex relationship between family risk factors and adolescent mental health. This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between family cumulative risk (FCR) and adolescent mental health, and to clarify the factors contributing to adolescent mental health problems. METHODS: This study recruited 903 junior high school students and 991 senior high school students in Changsha, Hunan and was conducted through an offline computer-based questionnaire survey using the Middle School Student Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS) and the Family Cumulative Risk Questionnaire (FCRQ) to assess the mental health status and FCR factors, respectively. Statistical analyses were conducted to clarify the demographic factors influencing MSSMHS total and factor scores, and to analyze the relationship between FCRQ and MSSMHS total and factor scores. RESULTS: Females exhibited more mental health problems than males in various MSSMHS factors (all P<0.05); adolescents were prone to different mental health problems at different stages (junior high school first-grade vs. senior high school first-grade); senior high school first-grade students were more likely to experience academic pressure and maladjustment than junior high school first-grade students (P<0.01), and junior high school first-grade students were more likely to exhibit obsessive, paranoia, and hostility symptoms than senior high school first-grade students (all P<0.01); adolescents with low family intimacy and high family conflict reported more symptoms in every dimension of MSSMHS (all P<0.05); adolecents with poor parent-child separation reported higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, academic pressure, maladjustment, emotional instability, and unbalanced mind than those with good parent-child separation (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Female, low family intimacy, high family conflict, and poor parent-child separation are risk factors of adolescent mental health problems. Higher-grade middle school students are prone to exhibit academic pressure and maladjustment, while lower-grade middle school students are prone to exhibit obsessive, paranoia, and hostility symptoms.

Mental health and cognitive function among medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Background: Chinese people experienced a nationwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic after the adjustment of epidemic response policies from December 2022 to January 2023. This study aims to explore the prevalence of mental and cognitive symptoms and their associated factors among medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 27th and March 8th, 2023. The symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive function among medical students were examined using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), and the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression-5 (PDQ-D-5). Data on demographic information was also collected. Statistical analyses were conducted to describe the prevalence and explore the associated factors of mental and cognitive symptoms. Results: Among 947 participants, the proportion of students experiencing anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD symptoms was 37.8, 39.3, 28.3, and 29.5%, respectively. The self-reported COVID-19 infection rate was 72.2%. Higher grades, childhood, and current rural residence were identified as potential risk factors for mental and cognitive symptoms. Gender, age, average monthly household income, and COVID-19 diagnosis were not associated with mental and cognitive symptoms among medical students. Conclusion: Our findings revealed a high prevalence of mental and cognitive symptoms among Chinese medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention should be paid to the mental health of higher-grade students and those residing in rural areas.

The longitudinal change pattern of cognitive subtypes in medication-free patients with major depressive disorder: a cluster analysis.

This study aimed to investigate whether there are different cognitive subtypes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the change pattern of cognitive clusters across the course of MDD. A battery of comprehensive cognitive tests was used to assess the executive function, processing speed, attention, and memory of 153 medication-free patients and 142 healthy controls (HCs). After 6 months of treatment with antidepressants, 87 patients completed cognitive tests again. K-means cluster analysis was performed to determine the cognitive subtypes. A preserved cognition cluster and an impaired cognition cluster were identified in the acute episode phase and the 6-month follow-up phase. 80.5% of the patients remained in their original subgroup after 6 months of treatment. The impaired cognition cluster during the 6-month follow-up period could be predicted by impaired cognition during the episode phase, disease state (remission or non-remission), current illness duration, and education level. This study supporting the heterogeneity of cognitive performance across the course of disease in patients with MDD using cluster analysis. It was found that cognitive impairment during depressive episodes was predictive of poorer cognitive performance even after treatment with antidepressants. Therefore, interventions targeting cognitive function from the early stages of MDD is essential.

Impact of childhood maltreatment on adult resilience.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested that childhood maltreatment is associated with poor health outcomes. While not everyone who experiences abuse as a child goes on to experience poor mental health, some traumatized people are grown to be more resilient than others. Few studies have examined the association between childhood maltreatment and adult resilience. This study aimed to determine different relationships between specific types and features of childhood maltreatment with adult resilience among Chinese with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS: A total of 101 patients with MDD and 116 participants in the healthy control (HC) group from Zhumadian Psychiatric Hospital and its nearby communities were included in this analysis. Childhood maltreatment was assessed retrospectively using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Adults' resilience was assessed by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Generalized linear models were applied between childhood maltreatment (specific types and features) and resilience adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The total score of CD-RISC and factor scores of strength, optimism, and tenacity in the HC group were higher than those in the MDD group. CTQ total score had a negative association with optimism score among participants in MDD (ß=-0.087, P < 0.001) and HC (ß=-0.074, P = 0.023) groups. Higher emotional neglect (EN) score (ß=-0.169, P = 0.001) and physical neglect (PN) score (ß=-0.153, P = 0.043) were related to a worse optimism score in MDD group. Emotional abuse (EA) score was associated with a worse tenacity score (ß=-0.674, P = 0.031) in MDD group. For participants in HC group, higher EN and PN scores were related to worse resilience scores (tenacity, strength, and optimism). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MDD showed lower optimism than HCs. Childhood maltreatment, especially childhood negect, independently contributed to optimism, with more severe childhood maltreatment predictive of worse performance of optimism. EA in childhood was also linked to worse tenacity in adult patients with MDD.

The kynurenine pathway in major depressive disorder under different disease states: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A disruption of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway may exist in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the changing pattern of the KYN pathway across the different disease states in MDD is unclear. Herein, we performed a meta-analysis to examine the differences in KYN metabolites between patients in the current episode of MDD (cMDD) and patients in remission (rMDD), as well as the changes after treatments. METHODS: Literature was systematically searched from electronic databases, from inception up to September 2022. Random-effect models were used to quantify the differences in KYN metabolites between patients with MDD across acute depressive episode and remission phases, as well as the changes after treatments. RESULTS: Fifty-one studies involving 7056 participants were included. Tryptophan (TRP), KYN, kynurenic acid (KYNA), KYNA/quinolinic acid (QA), KYNA/3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), and KYNA/KYN were significantly lower, while KYN/TRP was significantly higher in patients with cMDD. Moreover, these effect sizes were generally larger in medication-free patients. No significant differences were found between patients with rMDD and HCs. Additionally, KYNA was found negatively correlated with depression severity and significantly increased after treatments, while the alteration was not found in QA. LIMITATIONS: The number of included studies of patients with rMDD and longitudinal studies investigating the change of the KYN metabolites after treatment with antidepressants was limited. In addition, the heterogeneity across included studies was relatively high. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed a comprehensive image of the unique dysfunction pattern of the KYN pathway across different MDD states and highlighted KYNA as a potentially sensitive biomarker of MDD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic events in China: a nationally representative cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most severe sequelae of trauma. But a nationally representative epidemiological data for PTSD and trauma events (TEs) was unavailable in China. This article firstly demonstrated detailed epidemiological information on PTSD, TEs, and related comorbidities in the national-wide community-based mental health survey in China. A total of 9,378 participants completed the PTSD-related interview of the CIDI 3.0. Lifetime prevalence and 12-month prevalence of PTSD in total respondents were 0.3% and 0.2%. while the conditional lifetime and 12-month prevalence of PTSD after trauma exposure were 1.8% and 1.1%. The prevalence of exposure to any type of TE was 17.2%. Among individuals with the exposed to TEs, younger, without regular work (being a homemaker or retried), and intimate relationship breakdown (separated/Widowed/Divorced), living rurally were associated with either the lifetime PTSD or the 12-month PTSD, while the count of a specific TE, the unexpected death of loved one, was related to both. Alcohol dependence was the most common comorbidity among male participants with PTSD but major depressive disorder (MDD) for female counterparts. Our study can provide a reliable reference for future identification and intervention for people with PTSD.

Mapping Neurophysiological Subtypes of Major Depressive Disorder Using Normative Models of the Functional Connectome.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder that typically emerges in adolescence and can occur throughout adulthood. Studies aimed at quantitatively uncovering the heterogeneity of individual functional connectome abnormalities in MDD and identifying reproducibly distinct neurophysiological MDD subtypes across the lifespan, which could provide promising insights for precise diagnosis and treatment prediction, are still lacking. METHODS: Leveraging resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 1148 patients with MDD and 1079 healthy control participants (ages 11-93), we conducted the largest multisite analysis to date for neurophysiological MDD subtyping. First, we characterized typical lifespan trajectories of functional connectivity strength based on the normative model and quantitatively mapped the heterogeneous individual deviations among patients with MDD. Then, we identified neurobiological MDD subtypes using an unsupervised clustering algorithm and evaluated intersite reproducibility. Finally, we validated the subtype differences in baseline clinical variables and longitudinal treatment predictive capacity. RESULTS: Our findings indicated great intersubject heterogeneity in the spatial distribution and severity of functional connectome deviations among patients with MDD, which inspired the identification of 2 reproducible neurophysiological subtypes. Subtype 1 showed severe deviations, with positive deviations in the default mode, limbic, and subcortical areas and negative deviations in the sensorimotor and attention areas. Subtype 2 showed a moderate but converse deviation pattern. More importantly, subtype differences were observed in depressive item scores and the predictive ability of baseline deviations for antidepressant treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on our understanding of different neurobiological mechanisms underlying the clinical heterogeneity of MDD and are essential for developing personalized treatments for this disorder.

Empirical evidence for the neurocognitive effect of nitrous oxide as an adjunctive therapy in patients with treatment resistant depression: A randomized controlled study.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has demonstrated an antidepressant effect for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but no studies investigated the effects of N2O on different cognition domains. This study aimed to test whether N2O would display pro-cognitive effects. We conducted a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial, 44 patients with TRD were randomized to N2O group (one-hour inhalation of 50% N2O/50% oxygen) or placebo group (50% air/50% oxygen). Thirty-four patients completed cognitive tests at the pre-treatment phase, 1-week, and 2 weeks post-treatment including subjective cognitive function, processing speed, attention, and executive function. Although the antidepressant effect of N2O was not significant at 1 week, patients still showed better performance of executive function at 1 week after receiving N2O compared with the placebo. Moreover, this significant improvement still existed at 1 week after controlling for the change in depressive symptoms over-time. Additionally, no significant difference was observed in subjective cognitive function, processing speed, and attention between these two groups across the 2-week follow-up period. As the first study investigating the treatment effects of N2O on improving cognitive function in TRD patients, the current study indicated that N2O has a potential pro-cognitive effect on executive function and this effect might be independent from improvements in depressive symptoms.

Effect of fluvoxamine on plasma interleukin-6 in patients with major depressive disorder: a prospective follow-up study.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with low-grade inflammation, and anti-inflammatory treatment can help improve depressive symptoms. A recent study found that fluvoxamine (FLV) can reduce Interleukin-6 (IL-6) production via sigma-1 receptor in inflammation models. However, the anti- IL-6 effect of FLV in treating patients with MDD and whether it can contribute to antidepressant effects remain unclear. Methods: A total of 65 patients with MDD and 34 healthy controls were recruited at baseline, and 50 patients completed the FLV treatment for 2 months. We assessed depression and anhedonia and collected plasma IL-6 levels at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months after baseline. This study evaluated the changes in clinical measures and IL-6 during treatment and analyzed their association. Further subgroup analyses were conducted in patients with MDD with high, medium, or low IL-6. Results: Depression and anhedonia were significantly improved in patients with MDD, while the IL-6 did not significantly change after the FLV treatment. However, IL-6 significantly declined after the FLV treatment among patients with MDD with higher baseline IL-6. No significant associations were found between the changes in depressive symptoms and IL-6. Conclusion: Our study provided preliminary evidence suggesting that the anti-IL-6 effect of FLV might not play a vital role in its antidepressant treatment, at least in patients with MDD with low inflammation. However, for patients with MDD with higher IL-6, FLV can help reduce IL-6 significantly in the antidepressant treatment, which may help guide the individual treatment of MDD with higher IL-6 levels. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04160377, identifier NCT04160377.

Perceived family functioning within Chinese pregnant women and husband dyads: Levels, consistency, and correlates.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding differences in perceived family functioning between pregnant women and their partners can protect and promote women's health. The purpose of this study was to examine consistency and differences in perceived family functioning within pregnant woman-partner dyads in China and explore correlates of effective family functioning. METHOD: From 2020 to 2021, 175 pregnant women and husband dyads (100% Han nationality, Mage = 30.3 [4.5] years) were recruited from the women's psychological clinic of Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care using convenience sampling. We assessed family functioning and depression and anxiety symptoms. We examined consistency and differences in perceived family functioning between pregnant women and their husbands. RESULTS: Most pregnant women (76.6%) and husbands (71.4%) perceived their family functioning as effective. Pregnant women and their husbands shared poor consistency in family functioning, with an intraclass correlation of 0.25 and most weighted kappa coefficients of individual items < 0.2. Participants reporting effective family functioning had higher education levels and lower depression and anxiety scores. DISCUSSION: Most pregnant women and their partners perceived effective family functioning, but showed poor consistency. Higher education and milder symptoms of depression and anxiety were associated with effective family functioning both in pregnant women and their partners. For primary healthcare system workers, differences in perceptions of family functioning should be fully taken into account when conducting family based integrated care for pregnant women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity in MDD and the Antidepressant Treatment Effect-A 6-Month Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which antidepressants normalizing aberrant resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is still a matter of debate. The current study aimed to investigate aberrant rsFC and whether antidepressants would restore the aberrant rsFC in patients with MDD. METHODS: A total of 196 patients with MDD and 143 healthy controls (HCs) received the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and clinical assessments at baseline. Patients with MDD received antidepressant treatment after baseline assessment and were re-scanned at the 6-month follow-up. Network-based statistics were employed to identify aberrant rsFC and rsFC changes in patients with MDD and to compare the rsFC differences between remitters and non-remitters. RESULTS: We identified a significantly decreased sub-network and a significantly increased sub-network in MDD at baseline. Approximately half of the aberrant rsFC remained significantly different from HCs after 6-month treatment. Significant overlaps were found between baseline reduced sub-network and follow-up increased sub-network, and between baseline increased sub-network and follow-up decreased sub-network. Besides, rsFC at baseline and rsFC changes between baseline and follow-up in remitters were not different from non-remitters. CONCLUSIONS: Most aberrant rsFC in patients with MDD showed state-independence. Although antidepressants may modulate aberrant rsFC, they may not specifically target these aberrations to achieve therapeutic effects, with only a few having been directly linked to treatment efficacy.

Suicide-relevant information processing in unipolar and bipolar depression: An eye-tracking study.

Suicide-relevant attentional biases are found in suicide attempters (SAs) with depression. Wenzel and Beck provide a theoretical framework that suggests suicide-related attention biases confer vulnerability to suicide. In this study, we integrated eye-tracking dynamics of suicide-related attentional biases with self-report measures to test their model. A free-viewing eye-tracking paradigm, which simultaneously presented four images with different valences (suicide-related, negative, positive, neutral), was examined in 76 SAs with unipolar or bipolar depression, 66 nonsuicidal depressive participants (ND), and 105 healthy never-depressed healthy control participants (HC). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for the theory testing. SA gazed more at suicide-relevant stimuli throughout the 25-s trial compared with ND. SA and ND initially detected suicide-related stimuli faster than HC. Groups did not differ on how often they initially gazed at suicide images or how fast they disengaged away from them. Eye-tracking indices of attentional biases, together with self-reported hopelessness, adequately fit an SEM consistent with Wenzel and Beck's cognitive theory of suicide-related information processing. Potentially, suicide-related attention biases could increase vulnerability to suicidal ideation and eventual suicidal behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Multiple trajectories of depressive symptoms among Chinese in middle and late life: Characterization and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms, which are continuously changing, are an essential manifestation of depression and can increase the risk of mental disorders and other diseases. Because the causes and cures for depression have not yet been identified, finding the characteristics, and risk factors of depressive symptom trajectories can help us identify at-risk populations early and reduce the related public disease burden. AIMS: Herein we aimed to figure out the specific manifestations of depressive symptom trajectories among Chinese adults, explore the risk profiles of trajectory groups with higher depression burdens, and test the longitudinal associations between blood biomarkers with depressive symptoms. METHODS: Trajectories of participants' depressive symptoms measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scores were modeled with growth mixture models from 2011 to 2018. Multinomial logistic models tested associations of baseline covariates with trajectories. Generalized estimating equations were used to explore the longitudinal associations between blood data and depressive symptoms in two waves from 2011 to 2015. RESULTS: Among the sample of 5,641 individuals aged 40 or over, four heterogeneous depressive symptom trajectories were defined: stable-low, high-decrease, stable-high, and low-increase. At baseline, demographic factors and health statuses such as gender, education, income, and self-reported health status were associated with trajectories. A significant association was found between high-density lipoprotein and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide clues for predicting and identifying adults with elevated depression burdens in middle and late life and may facilitate the development of targeted preventive strategies for this population.