Childhood Anxiety Symptoms as a Predictor of Psychotic Experiences in Adolescence in a High-Risk Cohort for Psychiatric Disorders.

Background and Hypothesis: When occurring in adolescence, psychotic experiences (PE), subclinical psychotic symptoms, can be an early marker of mental illnesses. Studies with high-risk populations for psychosis show that anxiety symptoms often precede the onset of psychosis. Although anxiety symptoms are frequently experienced across the continuum of psychosis, no previous study has analyzed this association using a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) longitudinally to identify if anxiety can be a predictor of PE over time or vice versa. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether one symptom domain predicts the other over time. Study Design: 2194 children from the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort (BHRC) were evaluated at baseline (T 0), and 76.5% completed a 3-year follow-up (T 1) interview. Childhood anxiety symptoms and PE were assessed using a standardized self-report questionnaire at both time points. Cross-lagged panel models evaluated time-lagged associations between PE and anxiety longitudinally. Study Results: Higher levels of anxiety in childhood predicted an increase in PE levels in adolescence. The cross-lagged effect of anxiety scores at T 0 on PE scores at T 1 was significant (ß = .03, SE = 0.01, P ≤ .001) and PE in childhood did not increase levels of anxiety in adolescence, when controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Conclusions: Our findings reinforce that anxiety may represent an early marker of psychosis proneness, not a consequence of already presenting PE, which can help to develop better screening approaches. Therefore, future studies should focus on identifying biological or other clinical markers to increase prediction accuracy.

Network analysis of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in older adults in the United Kingdom.

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and the confinement measures that were subsequently implemented had unprecedented effects on the mental health of older adults, leading to the emergence and exacerbation of different comorbid symptoms including depression and anxiety. This study examined and compared depression and anxiety symptom networks in two specific quarantine periods (June-July and November-December) in the older adult population in the United Kingdom. We used the database of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging COVID-19 Substudy, consisting of 5797 participants in the first stage (54% women) and 6512 participants in the second stage (56% women), all over 50 years of age. The symptoms with the highest centrality in both times were: "Nervousness (A1)" and "Inability to relax (A4)" in expected influence and predictability, and "depressed mood (D1"; bridging expected influence). The latter measure along with "Irritability (A6)" overlapped in both depression and anxiety clusters in both networks. In addition, a the cross-lagged panel network model was examined in which a more significant influence on the direction of the symptom "Nervousness (A1)" by the depressive symptoms of "Anhedonia (D6)", "Hopelessness (D7)", and "Sleep problems (D3)" was observed; the latter measure has the highest predictive capability of the network. The results report which symptoms had a higher degree of centrality and transdiagnostic overlap in the cross-sectional networks (invariants) and the cross-lagged panel network model of anxious and depressive symptomatology.

Bidirectional Associations of Prosocial Behavior with Peer Acceptance and Rejection in Adolescence.

As most studies on the link between peer status and prosocial behavior are cross-sectional, conducted with children, and operationalize status as the difference between acceptance and rejection, it remains unclear whether peer acceptance and rejection are consequences or prerequisites of prosocial behavior in adolescence. To fill this gap, this study examines the bidirectional associations of prosocial behavior with peer acceptance and peer rejection with data collected at 3 time points, 6 months apart, in a sample of 660 early Chilean adolescents (M = 12.94, SD = 0.62; 55.1% boys). Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that prosocial behavior positively predicted future peer acceptance, whereas peer acceptance had no significant effect on future prosocial behavior. The association between rejection and prosocial behavior was negative and bidirectional between Time 1 and Time 2. When a new academic year began, between Time 2 and Time 3, prosocial behavior negatively predicted rejection, whereas rejection in the previous grade level was positively associated with prosocial behavior at the beginning of the next grade. Multi-group panel analyses did not detect significant differences between boys and girls in the cross-lagged associations of prosociality with peer acceptance and peer rejection. The results suggest that acting prosocially can make adolescents better liked by their peers and highlight the possible importance of the transition to a new academic year for the prosocial behavior of previously rejected students. Implications for future research on peer relations are discussed.

Transactional processes between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms from middle childhood to early adolescence: Locus of control as a mediator.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has identified a significant, positive relation between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. However, the findings required replication at the within-person level. Moreover, the mediating mechanism of locus of control accounting for their relations has yet to be fully evaluated. Thus, this study examined the dynamic longitudinal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms including whether locus of control functioned as a mediator between them after separating between-person effects from within-person effects. METHODS: A sample of 4110 Chinese children (50.60% boys; Mage = 9.89 at Wave 1) covering the transitional period from middle childhood to early adolescence completed a package of self-report measures on 5 occasions across 2.5 years, using 6-month intervals. Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied to disaggregate between- and within-person effects. Also, alternative Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied. RESULTS: Locus of control played a mediating role in the reciprocal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms at the within-person level. LIMITATIONS: Some limitations existed in the measures. Moreover, sexual abuse was not investigated in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlighted the mediating role of locus of control in the reciprocal relations between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms at the within-person level, suggesting that interventions targeted at promoting internal locus of control may help prevent the developmental pathway from childhood maltreatment to depressive symptoms and vice versa from middle childhood to early adolescence.

Pain Intensity Predicts Pain Catastrophizing During the Postpartum Period: A Longitudinal Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Study.

OBJECTIVE: Pain catastrophizing is an important psychological predictor of pain. Recent evidence suggests the relationship between catastrophizing and pain intensity could be bidirectional, but most studies have been conducted on chronic pain patients and using criticized statistical methods. The present study aimed to examine if the relationship between pain intensity and catastrophizing was bidirectional in the context of childbirth. METHODS: A total of 504 women without chronic pain were recruited on their 32-37 gestational week. They completed measures of catastrophizing and pain intensity on the first encounter and then again at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum. The temporal relationship between the variables was assessed using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. RESULTS: The hypothesis of reciprocal association did not receive support, as pain intensity predicted catastrophizing during the postpartum period, but catastrophizing did not show an effect over pain intensity at any moment. CONCLUSIONS: Pain intensity predicting catastrophizing is consistent with previous literature, while the lack of effect of catastrophizing over pain intensity is an unexpected result, which may suggest that catastrophizing plays a different role in the postpartum period. These results highlight the importance of timely efforts for pain management during the postpartum period and contribute to the theoretical conceptualization of catastrophizing.

Longitudinal relationships between job satisfaction and creative performance: a three-wave cross-lagged panel design / Relações longitudinais entre satisfação no trabalho e desempenho criativo: um projeto de painel com três ondas cruzadas / Relaciones longitudinales entre la satisfacción laboral y el desempeño creativo: diseño de panel de correlaciones cruzadas, con tres momentos temporales

Despite the assumption about the positive relationship between wellbeing and performance within the happy and productive worker thesis (HPWT), the matter is still under discussion due to inconclusive results. To better understand the link between wellbeing and performance and delineate their possible causal relationships, it is necessary to conduct longitudinal studies with data collection at different moments, as well as broaden the focus by considering different types of wellbeing and performance. To achieve this, the authors of this study analyzed the relationship between intrinsic (IJS) and extrinsic job satisfaction (EJS) with creative performance. The design consisted of a three-time cross-lagged panel design since it permits analyzation of the reciprocal and longitudinal relationship between two or more variables. Our sample was composed of 209 employees from nine different organizations in Spain. The results demonstrated that only IJS predicted creative performance at one of the time intervals. The conclusions were: 1) the relationship between IJS and creative performance might be spurious, 2) it is important to consider IJS and EJS separately because they yield differential results, 3) the relationship between IJS and creative performance is not reciprocal, and 4) it is necessary to increase longitudinal studies in the field.

Apesar do pressuposto sobre a relação positiva entre bem-estar e desempenho dentro da Tese do Trabalhador Feliz e Produtivo (happy and productive worker thesis - HPWT), o assunto ainda está em discussão devido aos resultados inconclusivos. Para melhor compreender a relação entre bem-estar e desempenho e delinear suas possíveis relações causais, é necessário realizar estudos longitudinais com coleta de dados em diferentes momentos, bem como ampliar o foco considerando diferentes tipos de bem-estar e desempenho. Para alcançar este objetivo, os autores deste estudo analisaram a relação entre satisfação intrínseca (intrinsic job satisfaction - IJS) e extrínseca no trabalho (extrinsic job satisfaction - EJS) com o desempenho criativo. O desenho consistiu em um projeto de painel com retardo cruzado de três ondas, uma vez que permite a análise da relação recíproca e longitudinal entre duas ou mais variáveis. Nossa amostra foi composta por 209 funcionários de nove organizações diferentes na Espanha. Os resultados demonstraram que apenas IJS previu desempenho criativo em um dos intervalos de tempo. As conclusões foram: 1) a relação entre IJS e desempenho criativo pode ser espuria, 2) é importante considerar IJS e EJS separadamente porque eles produzem resultados diferenciais, 3) a relação entre IJS e desempenho criativo não é recíproca e 4) é necessário aumentar os estudos longitudinais na área.

A pesar de la suposición sobre la relación positiva entre el bienestar y el desempeño dentro de la tesis del trabajador feliz y productivo (happy and productive worker thesis - HPWT), el tema aún está en discusión debido a resultados no concluyentes. Para comprender mejor el vínculo entre bienestar y desempeño y delinear sus posibles relaciones causales, es necesario realizar estudios longitudinales con recolección de datos en diferentes momentos, así como ampliar el enfoque considerando diferentes tipos de bienestar y desempeño. Para lograrlo, los autores de este estudio analizaron la relación entre la satisfacción laboral intrínseca (intrinsic job satisfaction - IJS) y extrínseca (extrinsic job satisfaction - EJS) con el desempeño creativo. Se utilizó un diseño de panel de correlaciones cruzadas, con tres momentos temporales, ya que permite el análisis de la relación recíproca y longitudinal entre dos o más variables. Nuestra muestra estuvo compuesta por 209 empleados de nueve organizaciones diferentes en España. Los resultados demostraron que solo IJS predijo el rendimiento creativo en uno de los intervalos de tiempo. Las conclusiones fueron: 1) la relación entre IJS y el desempeño creativo podría ser espuria, 2) es importante considerar IJS y EJS por separado porque producen resultados diferenciales, 3) la relación entre IJS y el desempeño creativo no es recíproca, y 4) es necesario incrementar los estudios longitudinales en el campo.