Temporal relationship between depression and cognitive decline in the elderly: a two-wave cross-lagged study in a Chinese sample.

Objectives: Less information is available about the temporal relationship between depression in the elderly and cognitive decline. In the current study, we (1) evaluated the temporal association between depression and cognitive decline in older adults over a 4-year period; (2) indicated which cognitive domains have a strong temporal relationship with depression.Methods: Using data from China Family Panel Studies, we examined the relationship between depression and cognition among adults aged 65 and older with a cross-lagged design.Results: The results showed that initial depression affected subsequent cognitive function, especially immediate and delayed recall, but that cognition decline did not predict depression over time.Conclusion: The findings suggest that depression precedes cognitive decline in older adults, which is of great significance for the future research of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly.

Bidirectional longitudinal relationships between parents' marital satisfaction, parenting stress, and self-compassion in China.

Abundant research has shown that self-compassion robustly contributes to adults' psychological well-being. Meanwhile, a few studies have shown that self-compassion is rooted in early experiences with parents. However, it is unclear whether interactions with partners and children affect adults' self-compassion, and the role of their self-compassion in interactions with significant others. This study examined bidirectional longitudinal relationships between Chinese parents' marital satisfaction, parenting stress, and self-compassion following a three-wave longitudinal design. A sample of 322 Chinese father-mother dyads (father's Mage  = 35.84, SDage  = 5.76; mother's Mage  = 34.32, SDage  = 5.46) completed a set of questionnaires at three time points. The results showed that marital satisfaction positively predicted the fathers' and mothers' self-compassion, while parenting stress did not significantly predict the parents' self-compassion; In contrast, parents' self-compassion did not significantly predict marital satisfaction or parenting stress. Additionally, there was a bidirectional relationship between marital satisfaction and parenting stress in fathers and mothers. Finally, mothers' marital satisfaction positively mediated the relationship between parenting stress and self-compassion/next-stage parenting stress. This study revealed that adults' self-compassion can develop from caring and supportive relationships, including marital relationships. Highlighting key mechanisms of marital satisfaction, such as increasing self-compassion and reducing parenting stress, may contribute to the improvement of adults' mental health.

Longitudinal associations between post-traumatic stress disorder and metabolic syndrome severity.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the direction of this association is not yet established, as most prior studies employed cross-sectional designs. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate bidirectional associations between PTSD and MetS using a longitudinal design. METHOD: A total of 1355 male and female veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan underwent PTSD diagnostic assessments and their biometric profiles pertaining to MetS were extracted from the electronic medical record at two time points (spanning ~2.5 years, n = 971 at time 2). RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS among veterans with PTSD was just under 40% at both time points and was significantly greater than that for veterans without PTSD; the prevalence of MetS among those with PTSD was also elevated relative to age-matched population estimates. Cross-lagged panel models revealed that PTSD severity predicted subsequent increases in MetS severity (ß = 0.08, p = 0.002), after controlling for initial MetS severity, but MetS did not predict later PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression results suggested that for every 10 PTSD symptoms endorsed at time 1, the odds of a subsequent MetS diagnosis increased by 56%. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the substantial cardiometabolic concerns of young veterans with PTSD and raise the possibility that PTSD may predispose individuals to accelerated aging, in part, manifested clinically as MetS. This demonstrates the need to identify those with PTSD at greatest risk for MetS and to develop interventions that improve both conditions.

Bidirectional Relationship between Positive Parenting Behavior and Children's Self-Regulation: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study.

In this study, we used a cross-lagged design to explore the relationship between children's self-regulation and positive parenting behaviors. Children aged 3 years (N = 84) were tested individually three times a year for their hot and cool self-regulation, while their parents' positive parenting behaviors (warmth, structure, and autonomy support) were collected through questionnaires. In the structural equation panel model, bidirectional relations between children's inhibitory control and parental positive parenting were found. Children's inhibitory control and positive parenting predicted changes in each other for the first six months. Such a reciprocal relationship also existed between parental autonomy support and children's inhibitory control. There was a cross-lagged effect between parental warmth and children' inhibitory control rather than a simultaneous relation. Children's inhibitory control positively predicted parental structural behaviors rather than vice versa. Children's delayed waiting and positive parenting (autonomy support) were only positively correlated, rather than having a lagging effect. All the relationships faded over time.

The relationship between cognitions and symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: The cognitive theory of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) ascertains that catastrophic (mis)interpretations of normally occurring intrusive thoughts are related to the maintenance of OCD. Nonetheless, findings supporting the relationship between cognitive biases and OCD symptoms are largely inconsistent. In the present study we examined the relationship between OCD cognitions and symptoms among 382 OCD patients participating in the longitudinal Netherlands Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Association (NOCDA) study. METHODS: OCD cognitions and OC, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using self-report questionnaires at baseline and at two-year follow-up. Baseline multiple regression analyses assessed the specificity of OC cognitions to OCD symptoms. Cross-lagged analyses examined whether cognitions predict OCD symptoms at two-year follow up. RESULTS: Baseline analyses demonstrated significant relationships between comorbid anxiety, depressive severity and OC cognitions, adjusted for OCD symptoms (ß = .283, p < .001 and ß = .246, p < .001, respectively). OCD severity adjusted for comorbid symptoms was unrelated to cognitions at baseline (ß = .040, p = n.s). Unique associations were found between cognitions and two OCD symptom subtypes (Impulses: ß = .215, p < .001; Rumination/doubting: ß = .205, p < .001). Longitudinal analyses yielded non-significant associations between OCD cognitions and symptom severity. Prospective analyses of cognitions and OCD symptom subtypes yielded significant effects for both bidirectional and unidirectional associations (ß = .11-.16, p < .05). LIMITATIONS: Given the naturalistic design of the study, we did not assess therapeutic interventions between baseline and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Results only partially concord with the predictions of the cognitive theory of OCD. Future studies should focus on mechanisms alternative to cognitions when investigating the course of OCD.