Does Prospective Mental Imagery Predict Symptoms of Negative Affect and Anhedonia in Young People?

Adolescent depression is associated with unhelpful emotional mental imagery. Here, we investigated whether vividness of negative and positive prospective mental imagery predict negative affect and anhedonia in adolescents. 111 people from Israel completed measures of prospective mental imagery, negative affect, and anhedonia at two time-points approximately three months apart. Using three cross-lagged panel models, we showed once 'concurrent' (across-variable, within-time) and 'stability' paths (across-time, within-variable) were estimated, there were no significant cross-lag paths between: i) T1 prospective negative mental imagery and T8 negative affect (i.e. increased vividness of negative future imagery at Time 1 did not predict increased negative affect at Time 8); ii) T1 prospective positive mental imagery and T8 negative affect (i.e. reduced vividness of positive future imagery at Time 1 did not predict increased negative affect at Time 8); and iii) T1 prospective positive mental imagery and T8 anhedonia (i.e. reduced vividness of positive future imagery at Time 1 did not predict increased anhedonia at Time 8). Given high levels of attrition, future research should aim to explore these associations in a larger, more diverse population, as such data could inform on whether modifying earlier prospective mental imagery may influence later time/context-specific effects of prospective mental imagery on negative affect and anhedonia.

Identifying characteristics of adolescents with persistent loneliness during COVID-19: A multi-country eight-wave longitudinal study.

Background: Elevated loneliness experiences characterise young people. While loneliness at this developmental juncture may emerge from age-typical upheaval in social relationships, there is little data on the extent to which young people experience high and persistent levels of loneliness, and importantly, who is most vulnerable to these experiences. Using the widespread social restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which precipitated loneliness in many, we aimed to examine adolescents' loneliness profiles across time and the demographic predictors (age, sex, and country) of more severe trajectories. Methods: Participants aged 12-18 years, recruited into a multi-wave study (N = 1039) across three sites (UK, Israel, and India) completed a 3-item loneliness measure fortnightly across 8 timepoints during the pandemic. Results: Latent class growth analysis suggested 5 distinct trajectories: (1) low stable (33%), (2) low increasing (19%), (3) moderate decreasing (17%), (4) moderate stable (23%), and (5) high increasing (8%). Females and older adolescents were more likely to experience persistently high loneliness. Conclusions: These findings indicate a need for interventions to reduce loneliness in adolescents as we emerge from the pandemic, particularly for those groups identified as being at highest risk.

A qualitative investigation into care-leavers' experiences of accessing mental health support.

INTRODUCTION: People who grew up under the care of children's social services are a highly vulnerable group, with 50% of this population meeting the criteria for a mental health problem at any one time. Emerging evidence suggests that there is a disparity between the number of people who require support, and those that receive it, and that they face several barriers to accessing timely and effective mental health support. We have a limited understanding of how to support the mental health of this group as they 'age out' of children's social services, and the transition to independence, which occurs around the age of 18. We aimed to explore how care-leavers understand their experiences of help-seeking from formal mental health services. METHODS: We used qualitative interviews, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with 9 care-experienced young people aged between 18 and 25 years old. This work was co-produced by a team of care-experienced adults, from the conception of the study to write-up. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis revealed several themes which centred around: (1) taking reluctant steps towards recovery, (2) challenges with being understood and the importance of gaining an understanding of yourself, (3) navigating trust and (4) the legacy of not having your mental health needs met. CONCLUSIONS: We identified several important implications for health and social care practice, across primary and secondary health care settings. This work highlights ways to better support this highly vulnerable group in accessing evidence-based mental health support, and how to maintain engagement.

A Scoping Review of Factors Associated With the Mental Health of Young People Who Have "Aged Out" of the Child Welfare System.

Young people who grow up in care and then exit care around the age of 18 (care-leavers) are a particularly vulnerable group, at increased risk for mental health problems even relative to other care-experienced groups. Yet, little is understood about the factors underpinning this association. We used scoping review methods to synthesize the quantitative and qualitative literature on factors that are associated with mental health problems for care-leavers. Following rigorous methods, we systematically searched three scientific databases spanning psychology and social care and identified 23 peer-reviewed studies for inclusion. This review highlights the heterogeneity of this research, in terms of methodology and topics investigated. Topics included are as follows: pre-care maltreatment, care-related experiences, psychological factors (emotion regulation), social support, education, and adult functioning (e.g., housing, finances, employment). We found mixed and inconsistent findings across research studies. The strongest evidence-base is around the influence of social support upon the mental health of recent care-leavers, though methodological problems are discussed. The field benefits from several large-scale observational and longitudinal research studies. However, there is an over-reliance upon retrospective reporting, and the use of unvalidated measures is common. It is apparent that there are significant gaps in our current understanding of the mental health of care-leavers, in particular around modifiable factors. We discuss potential directions for future empirical research, both in terms of methodology and factors investigated.

Creatine Kinase Is Decreased in Childhood Asthma.

Rationale: The identification of novel molecules associated with asthma may provide insights into the mechanisms of disease and their potential clinical implications. Objectives: To conduct a screening of circulating proteins in childhood asthma and to study proteins that emerged from human studies in a mouse model of asthma. Methods: We included 2,264 children from eight birth cohorts from the Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy project and the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. In cross-sectional analyses, we tested 46 circulating proteins for association with asthma in the selection stage and carried significant signals forward to a validation and replication stage. As CK (creatine kinase) was the only protein consistently associated with asthma, we also compared whole blood CK gene expression between subjects with and without asthma (n = 249) and used a house dust mite (HDM)-challenged mouse model to gain insights into CK lung expression and its role in the resolution of asthma phenotypes. Measurements and Main Results: As compared with the lowest CK tertile, children in the highest tertile had significantly lower odds for asthma in selection (adjusted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.31; 0.15-0.65; P = 0.002), validation (0.63; 0.42-0.95; P = 0.03), and replication (0.40; 0.16-0.97; P = 0.04) stages. Both cytosolic CK forms (CKM and CKB) were underexpressed in blood from asthmatics compared with control subjects (P = 0.01 and 0.006, respectively). In the lungs of HDM-challenged mice, Ckb expression was reduced, and after the HDM challenge, a CKB inhibitor blocked the resolution of airway hyperresponsiveness and reduction of airway mucin. Conclusions: Circulating concentrations and gene expression of CK are inversely associated with childhood asthma. Mouse models support a possible direct involvement of CK in asthma protection via inhibition of airway hyperresponsiveness and reduction of airway mucin.

Meta-Analysis of Cyber Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization: Different Types and their Associations with Face-to-Face IPV among Men and Women.

Cyber intimate partner violence (C-IPV) is a technology-mediated form of violence. It has been examined only in the last 10 years as a form of violence that can cause psychological damage to its victims. How this phenomenon connects to and differs from face-to-face IPV (F2F-IPV) has been, as yet, little studied. Research has not made clear whether sex differences may impact its use, particularly in light of the fact that no physical coercion is used in C-IPV. Thus, the current research aimed to investigate through a meta-analysis: differences between the average levels of different types of C-IPV victimization and perpetration; the association between C-IPV and F2F-IPV victimization and perpetration; and whether the answers to these questions were dependent on sex. The current meta-analysis drew on 46 studies, within 44 papers, with a total sample of 27,491 participants. Findings from 22 of these studies showed no significant sex differences between the average levels of different types of C-IPV victimization and between different types of C-IPV perpetration. These 22 studies showed positive large effect sizes for the correlation between C-IPV and F2F-IPV perpetration and victimization. Moreover, in both perpetration and victimization, sex did not impact the level of association. The findings suggested that C-IPV and F2F-IPV are highly correlated, and though not the same, they may share similar characteristics. Additionally, the results suggested that sex differences do not impact non-physical aggression, such as C-IPV. The implications for preventive strategies include that IPV interventions should also focus on alleviating instances of C-IPV.

Boredom belief moderates the mental health impact of boredom among young people: Correlational and multi-wave longitudinal evidence gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Young people's experience of boredom and its psychological health sequelae have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examined the moderating role of boredom beliefs-the extent to which one affectively dislikes boredom (boredom dislike) and cognitively accepts it (boredom normalcy)-on the association between boredom experience and mental well-being. We also validated a new measure of boredom beliefs in two different samples of young people. METHOD: We report data from a correlational study with British young people aged 12-25 (Study 1; N = 2495) and a 16-week eight-wave within-subject study with Israeli adolescents aged 12-18 (Study 2; N = 314). RESULTS: Across both studies, disliking boredom was associated with higher frequency and intensity of boredom. Boredom dislike moderated the negative association between boredom and mental well-being, such that the association was more salient among those who strongly disliked boredom. Normalizing boredom was positively associated with mental well-being. The measure of boredom beliefs demonstrated fair validity and reliability. CONCLUSION: Results provide novel insights into the potential buffering effect of boredom beliefs against the mental health impact of boredom, particularly at a time of reduced activity. These findings generalize across two different countries.

Developing a novel co-produced methodology to understand 'real-world' help-seeking in online peer-peer communities by young people experiencing emotional abuse and neglect.

BACKGROUND: Recent systematic reviews suggest mediating factors (barriers and facilitators) of help-seeking for children and young people (CYP) with a range of mental health problems but highlight the need for a more robust methodology underpinned by theoretical frameworks. Emotional abuse and neglect is the most prevalent and pervasive form of abuse, with many CYP remaining unknown to professional services. These CYP are underrepresented in help-seeking research yet seek help from their peers via anonymous online publicly available message communities. OBJECTIVES: To sensitively co-develop qualitative methodology to explore 'real-world' data to inform our understanding of help-seeking for these CYP, and define potential mediators (barriers and facilitators) and mechanisms of change associated with online peer support. METHODS: Co-production with 10 young co-researchers (YCoR; aged 14-18 years) from the NeurOX Young People's Advisory Group (YPAG) included co-development and triangulation to apply different research methods (i.e., interpretative phenomenological, thematic and conversation analyses) to analyse rich ethnographic material from 20 publicly available online message conversations between help-seekers experiencing or questioning emotional abuse and neglect. A theoretical model of adolescent help-seeking proposed by Rickwood et al. was used as a conceptual framework to guide methodological development. RESULTS: The methodological approach facilitated the identification of barriers and facilitators of help-seeking contextualized to the lives of these CYP: understanding and validating of abuse, emotional competence, fears and uncertainties around disclosure, knowledge, motivational factors and connection/trusted relationships. Notably, positive changes in expressed or perceived 'psychological state' and/or intention to seek help were noticed in 9 of 10 message threads that included a 'conversation' (≥3 posts). Themes associated with change related to connection with supportive peers; compassionate responding and the safeness of the online community. The existing adolescent help-seeking model was found to be too simplistic to account for help-seeking associated with emotional abuse and neglect. CONCLUSION: The novel methodological approach offers a meaningful way to explore 'real-world' data with YCoR, for a population underrepresented in help-seeking research. Proposed relational mechanisms involve connection, compassion and online communities. Further research coproduced with YCoR with diverse care experiences and characteristics is required to upscale the methodology and further validate and extend the findings. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The core study was co-produced with 10 YCoRs from the NeurOX YPAG who have been involved in over 135 h on and offline work. Their roles involved co-deciding the direction of the study, evolving methodology, detailed co-analysis and reflective processes throughout all aspects of the study, interpretation, presentation and discussion of the findings with the NSPCC and Childline, and involvement in all communications. Additional consultation and involvement included further interested members of the NeurOX YPAG for the final online workshop and dissemination outputs.

A network analysis of adolescent mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic: Evidence for cross-cultural differences in central features.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented threat globally. Adolescents and youth may be especially susceptible to the long-term impact of these stressors, thus intervening early is an important priority. However, it is also crucial to understand how young people maintain psychological well-being in the face of adversity, particularly given that many nations are experiencing further waves of the pandemic. The understanding of such resilient outcomes could inform the development of programs to encourage positive mental health.We explored adolescents' resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic stress by examining core aspects of well-being across countries using network analysis. Using the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, cross-sectional data was collected online from adolescents from India (N = 310; Males = 159, Females = 151, aged 12-18 years), Israel (N = 306; Males = 154, Females = 152, aged 12-18 years) and the United Kingdom (UK; N = 1666; Males = 598, Females = 1068, aged 12-25 years). Two highly similar network clusters were identified for UK and Israel, with three clusters emerging for India. UK and Israeli networks centred on "dealing with problems well" while the Indian network centred on "feeling useful". As central items highlight aspects of well-being that influence or are influenced by other aspects, these findings may inform interventions to safeguard adolescent mental health during future phases of the pandemic.

Associations between pre- and postnatal exposure to air pollution and lung health in children and assessment of CC16 as a potential mediator.

BACKGROUND: Early life exposure to air pollution can affect lung health. Previous studies have not assessed the implications of both pre- and postnatal exposure to air pollutants on lung function at repeated ages during childhood. In addition, there is the need to identify potential mediators of such effect. OBJECTIVES: To longitudinally assess the association between pre- and postnatal air pollution exposure and lung function during childhood. We also aimed to explore the role of Club cell secretory protein (CC16) as a potential mediator in this association. METHODOLOGY: We included 487 mother-child pairs from the INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) Sabadell birth cohort, recruited between 2004 and 2006. Air pollution exposure was estimated for pregnancy, pre-school age, and school-age using temporally adjusted land use regression (LUR) modelling. Lung function was measured at ages 4, 7, 9 and 11 by spirometry. At age 4, serum CC16 levels were determined in 287 children. Multivariable linear regression models and linear mixed modelling were applied, while considering potential confounders. RESULTS: Prenatal exposure to Particulate Matter (PM)10 and PMcoarse had the most consistent associations with reduced lung function in cross-sectional models. Associations with postnatal exposure were less consistent. Increasing CC16 levels at 4 years were associated with an increase in FEF25-75 (ß = 120.4 mL, 95% CI: 6.30, 234.5) from 4 to 11 years of age. No statistically significant associations were found between pre- or postnatal air pollution and CC16 at age 4. CONCLUSION: Increasing levels of air pollution exposure, particularly prenatal PM10 and PMcoarse exposure, were associated with a reduction in lung function. We were not able to confirm our hypothesis on the mediation role of CC16 in this association, however our results encourage further exploration of this possibility in future studies.

The role of parental emotion reactivity and regulation in child maltreatment and maltreatment risk: A meta-analytic review.

The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment make the scientific investigation of this phenomenon a matter of vital importance. Prior research has examined associations between problematic patterns of parents' emotion reactivity and regulation and child maltreatment and maltreatment risk. However, the strength and specificity of these relationships is not yet clear. To address this, we conducted a systematic literature search of four databases from inception through February 2021 to identify studies that reported these relationships. Our resulting meta-analysis of maltreatment involved parents of children who are up to 18 years of age (k = 46, encompassing 6669 parents). Our focus was the magnitude of the difference in levels of emotion reactivity and regulation between parents who maltreat or are at risk of maltreating and parents who do not maltreat their children or are not at risk of maltreating their children. As expected, results from meta-analyses using robust variance estimation indicated significantly higher problems with reactivity and regulation in maltreating parents / parents at risk (r = 0.40, k = 140; 95% CI [0.34, 0.45]), indicating that maltreating / at risk parents were more likely to have overall worse measures of reactivity and regulation. In comparison to non-maltreating parents, maltreating / at risk parents experience more negative emotions, display more negative emotion behavior, and are more dysregulated. These effects were fairly stable with little to no remaining heterogeneity. The current review concludes with a theoretical framework outlining the role of emotion reactivity and regulation in multiple risk factors of maltreatment, aiming to guide future study in this area.

Emotion Reactivity and Regulation in Maltreated Children: A Meta-Analysis.

The many adverse effects of child maltreatment make the scientific investigation of this phenomenon a matter of vital importance. Although the relationship between maltreatment and problematic emotion reactivity and regulation has been studied, the strength and specificity of these associations are not yet clear. We examine the magnitude of the maltreatment-child-emotion reactivity/regulation link. Studies with substantiated maltreatment involving children aged up to 18 were included, along with a smaller number of longitudinal studies (58 papers reviewed, encompassing more than 11,900 children). In comparison to nonmaltreated children, maltreated children experience more negative emotions, behave in a manner indicative of more negative emotion, and display emotion dysregulation. We outline several theoretical implications of our results.

Political Efficacy as a Buffer of the Heightened Risk of Posttraumatic Stress in Disadvantaged Communities.

External collective political efficacy (PE) is an individual's perception of the extent to which the government is responsive to the needs of his or her group or community or to its collective actions. Does PE play a role in the association between exposure to political violence and posttraumatic stress? The current study aimed to examine whether such PE may help explain why exposure to political violence results in posttraumatic stress for some people but not others. Based on the conservation of resource theory, research has found that residents of some types of communities are less likely to suffer from posttraumatic stress when exposed to political violence, due to the economic and psychological resources these communities provide. Political efficacy, as an individual-level factor that relates to the community, may help predict who will suffer more or less posttraumatic stress from exposure to political violence within a given community. Based on a panel study conducted immediately before and after the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict (N = 650) and hierarchical linear modeling analyses, we found that type of community indeed moderated the association between exposure to political violence and posttraumatic stress, Δ-2 log likelihood = 30.4, p < .001. In addition, we found that PE mitigated the psychological distress resulting from exposure to political conflict in disadvantaged communities, Δ-2 log likelihood = 22.8, p < .001. This study not only further untangled the association between exposure and distress during times of war but also identified the role that governments can play in preventing conflict-induced distress beyond offering physical protection.

Spanish Abstracts by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) ¿La eficacia política amortigua el mayor riesgo de estrés postraumático en las comunidades desfavorecidas? EL EFECTO AMORTIGUADOR DE LA EFICACIA POLÍTICA La eficacia política colectiva externa (EP) es la percepción que tiene un individuo de la medida en que el gobierno responde a las necesidades de su grupo o comunidad o a sus acciones colectivas. ¿La EP juega un papel en la asociación entre la exposición a la violencia política y el estrés postraumático? El estudio actual tuvo como objetivo examinar si tal EP puede ayudar a explicar por qué la exposición a la violencia política produce estrés postraumático para algunas personas, pero no para otras. Sobre la base de la teoría de la conservación de los recursos, la investigación ha encontrado que los residentes de algunos tipos de comunidades tienen menos probabilidades de sufrir estrés postraumático cuando están expuestos a la violencia política, debido a los recursos económicos y psicológicos que estas comunidades proporcionan. La EP, como un factor a nivel individual que se relaciona con la comunidad, puede ayudar a predecir quién sufrirá más o menos estrés postraumático por la exposición a la violencia política dentro de una comunidad determinada. Sobre la base de un estudio de panel realizado inmediatamente antes y después del conflicto de Gaza de 2008-2009 (N = 650) y los análisis de modelos lineales jerárquicos, encontramos que el tipo de comunidad efectivamente moderó la asociación entre la exposición a la violencia política y el estrés postraumático Δ-2loglikelihood = 30.4, p <.001. Además, encontramos que la EP mitigó el malestar psicológico resultante de la exposición al conflicto político en comunidades desfavorecidas, Δ-2loglikelihood = 22.8, p <.001. Este estudio no solo desenredó más la asociación entre la exposición y malestar en tiempos de guerra, sino que también identificó el papel que los gobiernos pueden desempeñar en la prevención del malestar provocado por el conflicto más allá de ofrecer protección física.

Broken bonds: A meta-analysis of emotion reactivity and regulation in emotionally maltreating parents.

BACKGROUND: Emotional maltreatment is the most pervasive but least studied form of abuse. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we examined the role of emotion reactivity and emotion regulation in emotional child maltreatment. METHODS: We identified nine studies that compared levels of parental emotion reactivity and regulation in emotionally maltreating families with levels in non-maltreating families. RESULTS: Our meta-analytic findings revealed that, in comparison to non-maltreating parents, parents who are emotionally maltreating their children report higher levels of negative affect, depression, verbal aggression, and anger. We also found that in comparison to non-maltreating parents, emotionally maltreating parents report lower levels of emotional control, emotion regulation, and coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: We outline the theoretical and practical implications of these results, and emphasize how research into the etiology of child maltreatment may provide the basis for more effective prevention, screening, and treatment practices designed to eradicate emotional maltreatment.

Trajectories of child and caregiver psychological adjustment in families of children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the trajectory of patient and caregiver mental health from diagnosis through the first year of treatment for pediatric cancer and assess whether rates of clinically relevant symptoms were elevated compared with norms. We examined mean levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in children with cancer, and depression, anxiety, and PTSS in caregivers during the first year of treatment; the proportion of patients and caregivers that scored in the clinical range at each time point; and the typical trajectory of symptoms in patients and caregivers and whether trajectories differed between individuals. METHOD: Families (N = 159) of children newly diagnosed with cancer (Mage = 5.6 years; range = 2-18 years) participated in a short-term prospective study. Primary caregivers provided monthly reports of their own and their children's psychological adjustment. RESULTS: On average, children were well-adjusted. However, compared with norms, there was a higher than expected proportion of children with clinically relevant internalizing symptoms around the time of diagnosis. On average children's symptoms declined over time, though variability was observed. Caregivers were less well-adjusted on average, with a high proportion reporting clinically relevant symptoms over time for depression and anxiety. Caregiver symptoms also declined over time, though considerable variability was observed. CONCLUSION: Although most children remain well-adjusted during the first year of treatment, many caregivers experience clinically relevant symptoms of psychological distress. Implications for development of interventions targeting at-risk patients and caregivers are discussed. Identifying processes that predict between-family variability in trajectories of psychopathology is an important next step. (PsycINFO Database Record

Trajectories of marital, parent-child, and sibling conflict during pediatric cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The stress of having a child with cancer can impact the quality of relationships within the family. The current study describes the longitudinal trajectory of marital, parent-child, and sibling conflict beginning around the time of diagnosis through the first year of treatment. We examined the average level of marital, parent-child, and sibling conflict at each monthly time point in the first year of treatment; the proportion of families that fall into the distressed range of marital, parent-child, and sibling conflict at each time point; the typical trajectory of conflict during the first year of treatment and whether there are differences in trajectories across families. METHOD: A total of 160 families of children newly diagnosed with cancer (Mage = 5.6 years; range = 2-18 years) participated in a short-term prospective longitudinal study. Primary caregivers provided monthly reports of marital, parent-child, and sibling conflict. RESULTS: Using multilevel modeling (MLM), most families showed stability in quality of family relationships, although considerable between-family variability was observed. For married couples, 25-36% of couples were in the distressed range at one time point over the first year of treatment. For married couples, more distress occurred at earlier months, particularly month 3. For parent-child and sibling dyads, the most difficult time periods were during later months. CONCLUSION: Implications for development of interventions that target at-risk family relationships are discussed. Identifying processes that predict between-family variability in trajectories of family relationships is an important next step, particularly for the marital relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record

Genetic regulation of IL1RL1 methylation and IL1RL1-a protein levels in asthma.

Interleukin-1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1) is an important asthma gene. (Epi)genetic regulation of IL1RL1 protein expression has not been established. We assessed the association between IL1RL1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), IL1RL1 methylation and serum IL1RL1-a protein levels, and aimed to identify causal pathways in asthma.Associations of IL1RL1 SNPs with asthma were determined in the Dutch Asthma Genome-wide Association Study cohort and three European birth cohorts, BAMSE (Children/Barn, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, an Epidemiological survey), INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) and PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy), participating in the Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy study. We performed blood DNA IL1RL1 methylation quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis (n=496) and (epi)genome-wide protein QTL analysis on serum IL1RL1-a levels (n=1462). We investigated the association of IL1RL1 CpG methylation with asthma (n=632) and IL1RL1-a levels (n=548), with subsequent causal inference testing. Finally, we determined the association of IL1RL1-a levels with asthma and its clinical characteristics (n=1101).IL1RL1 asthma-risk SNPs strongly associated with IL1RL1 methylation (rs1420101; p=3.7×10-16) and serum IL1RL1-a levels (p=2.8×10-56). IL1RL1 methylation was not associated with asthma or IL1RL1-a levels. IL1RL1-a levels negatively correlated with blood eosinophil counts, whereas there was no association between IL1RL1-a levels and asthma.In conclusion, asthma-associated IL1RL1 SNPs strongly regulate IL1RL1 methylation and serum IL1RL1-a levels, yet neither these IL1RL1-methylation CpG sites nor IL1RL1-a levels are associated with asthma.

Stress and marital adjustment in families of children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric cancer is highly stressful for parents. The current prospective study examines the impact of several stressors (financial strain, life threat, treatment intensity, treatment-related events, and negative life events) on the trajectory of marital adjustment across the first year following diagnosis. We examined whether average level of stressors across the year was related to (1) levels of marital adjustment at the end of the first year of treatment and () the rate of change in marital adjustment. METHOD: One hundred and thirty families of children newly diagnosed with cancer (M age = 6.33 years, SD = 3.61) participated. Primary caregivers provided 12 monthly reports on marital adjustment and stressors. RESULTS: Multilevel models indicated that although marital adjustment was stable across the first year on average, random effect estimates suggested that this was the result of differing trajectories between families (eg, some increasing and others decreasing). Five individual stress constructs and a cumulative stress composite were then used to predict this variability. Higher average economic strain was related to consistently poorer marital adjustment across time. Higher average frequency of treatment-related events and negative life events were associated with decreasing adjustment over time and lower adjustment at the end of the first year of treatment. Perception of life threat and treatment intensity were not associated with final levels or trajectory of adjustment. Finally, higher cumulative stress was associated with consistently poorer marital adjustment across time. CONCLUSION: Implications for identification of at-risk families are discussed, and importance of delivering tailored interventions for this population.

Genetic and epigenetic regulation of YKL-40 in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Circulating levels of the chitinase-like protein YKL-40 are influenced by genetic variation in its encoding gene (chitinase 3-like 1 [CHI3L1]) and are increased in patients with several diseases, including asthma. Epigenetic regulation of circulating YKL-40 early in life is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine (1) whether methylation levels at CHI3L1 CpG sites mediate the association of CHI3L1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with YKL-40 levels in the blood and (2) whether these biomarkers (CHI3L1 SNPs, methylation profiles, and YKL-40 levels) are associated with asthma in early childhood. METHODS: We used data from up to 2405 participants from the Spanish Infancia y Medio Ambiente; the Swedish Barn/Children, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiological survey; and the Dutch Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy birth cohorts. Associations between 68 CHI3L1 SNPs, methylation levels at 14 CHI3L1 CpG sites in whole-blood DNA, and circulating YKL-40 levels at 4 years of age were tested by using correlation analysis, multivariable regression, and mediation analysis. Each of these biomarkers was also tested for association with asthma at 4 years of age by using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: YKL-40 levels were significantly associated with 7 SNPs and with methylation at 5 CpG sites. Consistent associations between these 7 SNPs (particularly rs10399931 and rs4950928) and 5 CpG sites were observed. Alleles linked to lower YKL-40 levels were associated with higher methylation levels. Participants with high YKL-40 levels (defined as the highest YKL-40 tertile) had increased odds for asthma compared with subjects with low YKL-40 levels (meta-analyzed adjusted odds ratio, 1.90 [95% CI, 1.08-3.36]). In contrast, neither SNPs nor methylation levels at CpG sites in CHI3L1 were associated with asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of CHI3L1 genetic variation on circulating YKL-40 levels are partly mediated by methylation profiles. In our study YKL-40 levels, but not CHI3L1 SNPs or methylation levels, were associated with childhood asthma.

Protective Factors for Youth Exposed to Violence in Their Communities: A Review of Family, School, and Community Moderators.

This review provides a comprehensive investigation of the pattern and strength of findings in the literature regarding the environmental moderators of the relationship between exposure to community violence and mental health among children and adolescents. Twenty-nine studies met criteria for inclusion in our analysis of family, school, and community variables as moderators. Dependent variables included internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression, substance use). Effect sizes for the interactions of exposure to violence and potential moderators were summarized by their patterns of protective processes. The majority of studies in the literature examined family characteristics as moderators of the exposure to violence-symptom relationship, rather than school- or community-level factors. Our results indicated more consistent patterns for (a) close family relationships and social support for internalizing symptoms and (b) close family relationships for externalizing symptoms. Overall, the most common type of protective pattern was protective-stabilizing, in which youth with higher levels of the environmental attribute demonstrate relative stability in mental health despite exposure to violence. We found no consistent evidence that parental monitoring-a dimension inversely associated with exposure to violence in prior studies-moderated the relationship between exposure to violence and symptoms. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening family support for young people's exposure to community violence; more research is needed to provide a solid evidence base for the role of school and community-level protective factors for youth exposed to violence.