Relationship between personality and adolescent depression: the mediating role of loneliness and problematic internet use.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has indicated that personality traits, loneliness, and problematic internet use (PIU) significantly contribute to the prevalence of adolescent depression. However, the specific interrelationships among these variables in explaining the occurrence of depression remain unclear. Drawing upon susceptibility theory and cognitive-behavioral theory, this study explored whether personality traits influences adolescent depression through loneliness and PIU. METHODS: A total of 2476 adolescents (aged 12-18) from all over the country completed a psycho-social test, including the 10-Item Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-10), three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS), Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-Short Form (PIUQ-SF-6) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The mediation model was built and bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect. RESULTS: Results showed that neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness have a direct role on depression. Loneliness and PIU partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and depression, and completely mediated the relationship between extroversion and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that loneliness and PIU play important mediating roles in the relationship between personality traits and depression. This remind us that alleviating sense of loneliness and reducing overuse of the internet are a strategy for improve depression among adolescents.

Influence of perceived stress on fertility intention among women of childbearing age without children: multiple mediating effect of anxiety, family communication and subjective well-being.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the desire to have children among Chinese women of childbearing age, particularly for the first child. This trend has sparked a growing interest in understanding the underlying factors. Although perceived stress has been speculated as an important factor in decreasing fertility intention, the precise mechanism is unclear. The current study, therefore, aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms linking perceived stress to fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children, a topic of significant relevance and importance. METHODS: Data were sourced from Chinese residents' psychology and behavior investigation (PBICR-2022). A multistage random sampling method was applied to recruit eligible participants. The Mplus8.3 software constructed a chain path model among the variables. RESULTS: The median fertility intention was 30(3-60) on a scale of 0 to 100. The mediation analysis revealed a significant negative influence of perceived stress on fertility intention (ß = - 0.076, P < 0.001). Additionally, a more intricate pattern of chain-mediating effect was observed involving perceived stress, anxiety (ß = 0.037, P < 0.05), family communication (ß = 0.106, P < 0.001), subjective well-being (ß = 0.088, P < 0.001) and fertility intention. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress not only directly suppressed fertility intention but also indirectly affected it through anxiety, family communication, and subjective well-being. Effective family communication and favorable subjective well-being emerged as factors that could augment fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children.

Predictive models for predicting the risk of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review and evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical prediction models have been widely used to screen and diagnose postpartum depression (PPD). This study systematically reviews and evaluates the risk of bias and the applicability of PPD prediction models. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in eight databases from inception to June 1, 2022. The literature was independently screened, and data were extracted by two investigators using the checklist for critical appraisal and data extraction for systematic reviews of prediction modeling studies (CHARMS). The risk of bias and applicability was assessed using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). RESULTS: After the screening, 12 studies of PPD risk prediction models were included, with the area under the ROC curve of the models ranging from 0.611 to 0.937. The most-reported predictors of PPD included several aspects, including prenatal mood disorders, endocrine and hormonal influences, psychosocial aspects, the influence of family factors, and somatic illness factors. The applicability of all studies was good. However, there was some bias, mainly due to inadequate outcome events, missing data not appropriately handled, lack of model performance assessment, and overfitting of the models. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and evaluation indicate that most present PPD prediction models have a high risk of bias during development and validation. Despite some models' predictive solid performance, the models' clinical practice rate is low. Therefore, future research should develop predictive models with excellent performance in all aspects and clinical applicability to better inform maternal medical decisions.

Effects of family relationship and social support on the mental health of Chinese postpartum women.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies suggest that interpersonal relationships and social support influence the development of postpartum depression and sleep quality for women. However, the effect of support from the husband or the mother-in-law has not been thoroughly validated. The current study examined the relative contribution of marital satisfaction, perceived caring of the mother-in-law, and social support on postpartum depression and sleep quality simultaneously in a path model. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2017 in Hebei, China, using a self-report questionnaire. A total of 817 women participated at 6 weeks postpartum. Sociodemographics and information about marital satisfaction, perceived caring of the mother-in-law, social support, postpartum depression, and sleep were collected. Path analysis was used to analyze the cross-sectional data. RESULTS: The final model had a highly satisfactory fit. Marital satisfaction and perceived caring of mother-in-law had both direct and indirect effects on postpartum depression through social support, but these two variables had only an indirect effect on sleep quality through social support and postpartum depression. Sleep quality is a consequence of postpartum depression at 6 weeks after delivery. The prevalence of minor and major postpartum depressive symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum was 41.49 and 23.13%, respectively. A total of 371 (45.41%) women experienced sleep disturbance at 6 weeks postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that interpersonal relationships with family members play important roles in postpartum depression and sleep quality through social support in Chinese women. Improving the relationship between new mothers and their husbands or mothers-in-law and then enhancing social support might reduce postpartum depression and sleep disturbance.

Psychosocial risk factors for postpartum depression in Chinese women: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) has been identified as a recognized public health problem that may adversely affect mothers, infants, and family units. Recent studies have identified risk factors for PPD in Westerners; however, societal and cultural differences between China and the West could, potentially, lead to differences in risk factors for PPD. No comprehensive study has been conducted to collect all the evidence to provide estimates of psychological and social risk factors in China. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively assess all studies meeting the review's eligibility criteria and identify the psychological and social risk factors for PPD in Chinese women. METHODS: The following databases were used in the literature search from their inception until December 2020: PubMed, Embase, Foreign Medical Literature Retrieval Service (FMRS), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM). The quality was assessed through Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. The I2statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity. We extracted data for meta-analysis and generated pooled-effect estimates from a fixed-effects model. Pooled estimates from a random-effects model were also generated if significant heterogeneity was present. Funnel plot asymmetry tests were used to check for publication bias. Statistical analysis was conducted using Review Manager version 5.3 software. RESULTS: From a total of 1175 identified studies, 51 were included in the analysis. Prenatal depression (OR 7.70; 95% CI 6.02-9.83) and prenatal anxiety (OR 7.07; 95% CI 4.12-12.13) were major risk factors for PPD. A poor economic foundation (OR 3.67; 95% CI 3.07-4.37) and a poor relationship between husband and wife (OR 3.56; 95% CI 2.95-4.28) were moderate risk factors. Minor risk factors included a poor relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (OR 2.89; 95% CI 2.12-3.95), a lack of social support (OR 2.57; 95% CI 2.32-2.85), unplanned pregnancy (OR 2.55; 95% CI 2.08-3.14), and poor living conditions (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.92-3.10), mother-in-law as the caregiver (1.95; 95% CI 1.54-2.48) . CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a number of psychological and social risk factors for PPD in Chinese women. The major and moderate risk factors are prenatal depression, prenatal anxiety, a poor economic foundation, and a poor relationship between husband and wife. These findings have potential implications for informing preventive efforts and modifying screening to target at-risk populations.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Overlap Syndrome: Two Cases Report.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of which the underlying etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. Numerous data indicate an important role of the immune system and mitochondrial function in the disease. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease resulting from a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. Patients with PBC develop innate and adaptive immune reactions against mitochondrial antigens. Therefore, common mechanisms could exist in both diseases. We present two cases of ALS with PBC to explore the relationship between the two diseases from the immunological and mitochondrial aspects. Further attention should be given to immune-modulating therapy in ALS patients.

The Protective Effect of Aromatase on NSC-34 Cells with Stably Expressed hSOD1-G93A.

As an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) results in progressive muscular atrophy and paralysis. However, the mechanism of ALS has not yet been elucidated, and no cure has been found. Research has revealed that a mutation of the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene is linked to familial ALS and that potential sex discrepancies exist in ALS incidence. Here, NSC-34 cells stably expressing hSOD1-G93A (hSOD1-G93A cells) were transiently transfected with Cyp19a1 mouse open reading frame (ORF) cDNA or a short hairpin RNA (ShRNA) plasmid. Overexpression of aromatase resulting from Cyp19a1 mouse ORF cDNA plasmid transfection enhanced cell proliferation and reduced cell damage in hSOD1-G93A cells. This protective effect occurred through anti-apoptotic pathways related to estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α) activation. Meanwhile, knockdown of aromatase with Cyp19a1 ShRNA plasmid transfection reduced cell proliferation, increased cell damage, promoted apoptosis, and decreased ER-α expression in hSOD1-G93A cells, and the induced apoptotic effects could be reversed by estradiol (E2). In brief, the results of our study suggest that aromatase plays a neuroprotective role against apoptosis in hSOD1-G93A cells by activating ER-α and may become a new intervention target for ALS treatment.

Simvastatin aggravates impaired autophagic flux in NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells through inhibition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthesis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective loss of motor neurons. Statins are widely used as cholesterol-lowering drugs and significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Increasing evidence indicates the protective effects of statins against certain neurodegenerative diseases. However, in ALS, many studies have found that statins might accelerate disease progression and shorten survival, although the exact mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of simvastatin on NSC34cells stably transfected with the G93A mutation in human SOD1 (NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells), a recognized in vitro model of ALS. Our results showed that simvastatin caused a decrease in cell viability and the accumulation of autophagic vacuoles with elevated levels of LC3 II/I and P62 in NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells. Conversely, these outcomes were completely reversed by co-incubation with mevalonate, farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) but not cholesterol. In addition, inhibition of geranylgeranyl transferase I by GGTI-286 led to similar alterations in cell viability and autophagic marker levels. These results indicated that the cytotoxic effect of simvastatin on NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells might be due to the aggravation of autophagic flux impairment through the inhibition of GGPP synthesis.

Increasing Pain Sensation Eliminates the Inhibitory Effect of Depression on Evoked Pain in Rats.

Although previous studies have suggested that depression may be associated with inhibition of evoked pain but facilitation of spontaneous pain, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are unclear. The present study investigated whether the difference between evoked and spontaneous pain on sensory (descending inhibition) and affective (avoidance motivation) components contributes to the divergent effects of depression on them. Depressive-like behavior was produced in male Wistar rats by unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Tone-laser conditioning and formalin-induced conditioned place avoidance (F-CPA) were used to explore avoidance motivation in evoked and spontaneous pain, respectively. Behavioral pharmacology experiments were conducted to examine descending inhibition of both evoked (thermal stimulation) and spontaneous pain behavior (formalin pain). The results revealed that the inhibitory effect of depression on evoked pain was eliminated following repeated thermal stimuli. Avoidance behavior in the tone-laser conditioning task was reduced in UCMS rats, relative to controls. However, avoidance motivation for formalin pain in the UCMS group was similar to controls. 5-HT1A receptor antagonism interfered with inhibition of pain responses over time. The present study demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of depression on evoked pain dissipates with increased nociception and that the sensory-discriminative and affective-motivational components of pain are jointly involved in the divergent effects of depression on pain.

Chronic administration of 5-HT1A receptor agonist relieves depression and depression-induced hypoalgesia.

Previous studies have shown that depressed patients as well as animal models of depression exhibit decreased sensitivity to evoked pain stimuli, and serotonin is indicated to be involved in depression-induced hypoalgesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role of 5-HT1A receptor in the depression-induced hypoalgesia. Acute or chronic administration of 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, was performed in olfactory bulbectomy (OB) and sham-operated rats. The depression-like behavior and pain thresholds were measured using open-field test and radiant heat thermal pain test, respectively. We found that acute administration of 8-OH-DPAT increased locomotor activity and pain thresholds in the sham rats but had no effect on the OB rats. In contrast, chronic administration of 8-OH-DPAT reduced locomotor activity and pain thresholds and restored them to normal level. Increased pain thresholds were also observed in the sham rats after the chronic administration. These results demonstrated that chronic administration of 8-OH-DPAT reversed the depression-induced decrease in pain sensitivity in rats, suggesting that 5-HT1A receptor may play a role in the depression-associated hypoalgesia.

Depressive-like history alters persistent pain behavior in rats: Opposite contribution of frontal cortex and amygdala implied.

Numerous studies have shown that pain perception is strongly influenced by depression. However, very few studies have examined whether pain perception is altered in the remission period of depression, and what role the fronto-limbic circuits may play in the behavioral changes associated with remission. Using an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) animal model of depression, the present study investigated pain-related behaviors in rats with prior exposure to a UCMS stimulus. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor agonist muscimol was microinjected bilaterally into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to examine the modulation of pain by these brain regions in the recovery state. Rats with a depression-like history displayed increased ongoing pain behavior in the formalin test, although their thermal pain thresholds were unchanged. Intra-BLA muscimol during the recovery phase dramatically decreased formalin-induced pain behavior and also significantly increased rats' sucrose preference. By contrast, in the mPFC, muscimol produced the opposite effect, suggesting different, perhaps opposing, roles of the BLA and mPFC in mediating the influence of prior UCMS exposure on pain perception. Taken together, these results demonstrated that a depressive experience may cause long-term alterations in limbic circuit excitability and thus lead to long-lasting changes in pain perception.

Increased thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds in rats with depressive-like behaviors.

Clinical observations suggest that depressed patients were less sensitive to experimental pain than healthy subjects. However, few animal studies are reported concerning the association of depression and pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) induced depression on the perceived intensity of painful stimulation in rats. We measured the thermal and mechanical paw withdrawal thresholds (PWT) of normal and spinal nerve ligated (SNL) rats using hot plate test and von Frey test, respectively. The results showed that rats exposed to UCMS exhibited significantly higher thermal and mechanical pain thresholds in comparison to the non-depressed controls. In particular, the PWT of the SNL group was restored to nearly normal level after three weeks of UCMS, and even comparable to that of the control group. These results strongly suggest that the depressed subjects have decreased sensitivity to externally applied noxious stimulation, which is consistent with our previous findings.

The differential effects of depression on evoked and spontaneous pain behaviors in olfactory bulbectomized rats.

Although it has been accepted that depression and pain are common comorbidities, their interaction is not fully understood. The current study was aimed to investigate the effects of depression on both evoked pain behavior (thermal-induced nociception) and spontaneous pain behavior (formalin pain) using an olfactory bulbectomy (OB) rat model of depression. Emotional behaviors were assessed by open field and Morris water maze tests. The results showed that the depressed rats exhibited stronger tolerance to noxious thermal stimulation compared to non-depressed animals. In contrast, the spontaneous nociceptive behaviors induced by formalin injection were significantly enhanced in the OB rats in comparison to control rats. These results demonstrated that depression can have differential effects on stimulus-evoked pain and spontaneous pain, with alleviation in the former while aggravation in the latter. The present study has confirmed our previous findings that depression can inhibit evoked pain but facilitate spontaneous pain, and provides evidence that the OB depression model is a feasible model for studying the relationship between depression and pain.