Mean Heart Rate and Parameters of Heart Rate Variability in Depressive Children and the Effects of Antidepressant Medication.

Introduction: Researchers have repeatedly discovered an association between depression and autonomic cardiac dysregulation in adults. However, corresponding data concerning minors are still rare. Method: For this exploratory, cross-sectional study, we included N = 43 minors (age range 9-17 years). The subjects were depressive subjects with or without antidepressant medication (N = 23) or healthy control children (HC) (N = 20). We assessed several indices of cardiac functioning using long-term electrocardiogram data (mean heart rate, HR, and several parameters of heart rate variability, HRV). We hypothesized that increased HR and reduced HRV are associated with depressive disorders. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of age, sex, and antidepressant medication on HR and HRV. Results: When sex and age were controlled for, HR was significantly increased in depressive minors compared to HC. However, our preliminary data suggest that this might not be the case in medicated patients, and there were no differences between groups regarding HRV parameters. There was no significant correlation in the whole sample between severity of depression and both HR and HRV. In the subsample of patients with depression, antidepressant medication was associated with lower HR and higher indices of HRV. Conclusion: The data indicate an association between depression and altered autonomic cardiac regulation, which can already manifests in minors.

Long-term symptoms and posttraumatic growth in traumatised adolescents: findings from a specialised outpatient clinic.

Although traumatic experiences are associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding the long-term outcomes of traumatised adolescents. In the current study, 42 traumatised adolescents who had been referred to a specialised health service were reassessed 2 to 5 years after the traumatic event. The course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric symptoms, the development of posttraumatic growth (PTG), and parental PTSD were analysed. The rate of PTSD (full and partial) declined from 59.5% to 11.9% between the first assessment and the follow-up. On average, low levels of PTG were reported by the adolescents at follow-up. Sexual abuse was associated with most severe PTSD symptoms at initial assessment (η(2) = .18) and the highest PTG (η(2) = .12). Adolescents with psychotherapeutic support showed the largest symptom reduction (η(2) = .15). Adolescent PTSD at follow-up was shown to be correlated with both PTG (r = .34) and parental PTSD (r = .58). The results highlight the need for psychotherapeutic support for traumatised adolescents and their parents to prevent long-term psychological impairment. The development of PTG should be considered in the aftermath of trauma and its relevance for posttraumatic recovery should be addressed in future studies.