John Cairney

Stress, social support and depression in single and married mothers.

Background: This study examined the effect of stress and social support on the relationship between single-parent status and depression. Method: A secondary data analysis of the 1994–95 National Population Health Survey was conducted. Single and married mothers who participated in the survey were derived from the general sample (N = 2,921). Logistic regression techniques were used to assess the mediating and moderating effects of stress and social support on the relationship between family structure and depression. Results: Bivariate analyses showed that, compared to married mothers, single mothers were more likely to have suffered an episode of depression (12-month prevalence), to report higher levels of chronic stress, more recent life events and a greater number of childhood adversities. Single mothers also reported lower levels of perceived social support, social involvement and frequency of contact with friends and family than married mothers. The results of the multivariate analyses showed that, together, stress and social support account for almost 40% of the relationship between single- parent status and depression. We also found a conditional effect of stress on depression by family structure. Life events were more strongly related to depression in married than in single mothers. Conclusions: A substantial part of the association between single-parent status and depression can be accounted for by differences in exposure to stress and social support.Our results suggest that it is important to examine multiple sources of stress, as exposure to both distal and proximal stressors were higher among single mothers. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

A descriptive epidemiology of lifetime trauma and the physical health status of older adults.

Three issues are evaluated in this study. The 1st involves examining the relationship between exposure to trauma over the life course and physical health status in old age. The 2nd has to do with seeing whether the relationship between trauma and health varies across 3 cohorts of older adults: the young-old (ages 65-74), the old-old (ages 75-84), and the oldest old (age 85 and over). The 3rd issue involves seeing whether the age at which a trauma was encountered is related to health in late life. Data from a nationwide survey of older people (N=1,518) reveal that trauma is associated with worse health. Moreover, the young-old appear to be at greatest risk. Finally, data suggest that trauma arising between the ages of 18 and 30 years, as well as ages 31 to 64 years, has the strongest relationship with current health.

The Social Distribution of Psychological Distress and Depression in Older Adults

Objective: This study examines the associations between social position and mental health and explores whether differences in distress and depression by social position can be accounted for by differences in the major components of the stress process model. We extend previous work by including an ethnocultural measure alongside more traditional measures of social position. Method: Secondary data analysis of the 1994 National Population Health Survey. Results: Consistent with findings from studies of younger adults, mental health in later life is determined in part by age, gender, marital status, education, and ethnocultural factors. The data indicate that the life experiences connected to these social positions are largely responsible for these effects. Discussion: Our findings suggest that key social factors are related to mental health in late life, because one’s position in the social structure shapes the stressors they encounter and the resources they have at their disposal to cope with them.

Developmental coordination disorder and reported enjoyment of physical education in children

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are less likely to enjoy participating in physical education (PE) than children without motor coordination difficulties. However, no studies have attempted to quantify this relationship or examine potentially modifiable mediating variables. Using a large sample (N = 590) of children (aged 9 to 14), we examine differences in the enjoyment of PE classes between children with DCD and those without using a standardized measure. We also examine whether differences in perceived adequacy towards physical activity, body fat and fitness explain why children with DCD score lower on this scale. Of all these measures, perceived adequacy accounts for the largest proportion of the effect of DCD on enjoyment. Interventions aimed at improving enjoyment of PE for children with DCD should target perceptions of their abilities with regard to physical pursuits.

Housing Tenure and Psychological Well-Being During Adolescence

Although a substantial body of work has demonstrated that housing tenure (home ownership vs. renting) is a determinant of health, much less work has focused on this relationship between children and adolescents. This is a significant omission as there is good reason to hypothesize that the effect of housing status on health may change with age. In particular, growing independence and reduced exposure to the residential environment may attenuate the association between housing tenure and health as children age. Using a large representative sample of adolescents, ages 12 to 19 years old, the hypothesis that age moderates the relationship between housing tenure and psychological well-being is tested. The findings, in general, support the hypothesis. Future directions for research are discussed.

Socio-economic Status and Self-Rated Health Among Older Canadians

Although previous research has examined the various correlates of self-rated health, little attention has been paid to how position in the social structure influences this important measure of health. Drawing upon the social structure and personality perspective, I examine whether the relationship between socio-economic status (income adequacy and education) and self-rated health is mediated by financial stress, self-esteem, mastery, social support, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, using data from the 1994 National Population Health Survey. Results show that almost one-third of the relationship can be explained by the mediating effect of these variables. Income adequacy and education, however, remain significantly related to self-rated health net of these variables. Further research with a broader array of variables related to social position is required to specify the mechanisms connecting socio-economic status and perceived health.

Panic disorder in later life : results from a national survey of canadians

BACKGROUND At present, our understanding of the risk markers associated with panic disorder among older, community dwelling older adults is limited. To address this gap, we examined the prevalence, risk markers, and comorbidity of panic disorder defined using DSM-IV criteria among older adults. METHOD Using data drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of Canadians, we estimated lifetime and 12-month prevalence of panic disorder, and examined demographic predictors and patterns of comorbidity of current panic disorder in adults aged 55 years and older (n = 12,792). RESULTS The 12-month and lifetime prevalence estimates of panic disorder in this sample were 0.82% and 2.45% respectively, and one-fifth of these cases reported a first onset after the age of 55 years. In multivariate models, the risk of panic disorder decreased with older age and was significantly lower among widowed respondents. Physical limitations in daily activities as well as the presence of other psychiatric disorders (major depression, and social phobia) were also significantly associated with panic disorder in this sample. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with previous research on panic disorder, the prevalence of the disorder decreased with age among older adults. Potential explanations for the age effect and the clinical implications of the mental health comorbidities with panic disorder are discussed.

Left ventricular structure and function in children with and without developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity and reduced cardio-respiratory fitness. However, there is limited data using laboratory measures for assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with DCD. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in left ventricular structure and function between children with DCD and healthy controls. The study involved 126 children (aged 12-13 years) with significant motor impairment (n = 63) and healthy controls (n = 63) matched for age, sex, and school. The Movement ABC test (M-ABC2) was used to classify children as probable DCD (p-DCD). Cardiac dimensions were measured using ultrasound echocardiography. Left ventricular mass (LVM) was elevated in children with p-DCD (89 ± 17 g) compared to controls (87 ± 21 g), however, this difference was not significant. When LVM was normalized to height(2.7), no difference was evident between groups (26 g and 26 g for the p-DCD and controls, respectively). However, the p-DCD group demonstrated significantly elevated stroke volume (p = 0.02), cardiac output (p<0.001), end-diastolic volume (p = 0.03), and left ventricle diameter in diastole (p = 0.02). Also, peak VO(2) normalized for fat free mass (FFM) was significantly lower (p = 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.01), body mass index (p = 0.001), heart rate (p = 0.005) and percent body fat (p<0.001) were significantly higher in p-DCD. In regression analyses, p-DCD was a significant predictor of stroke volume and cardiac output even after accounting for height, FFM, VO(2FFM), and sex. Children with p-DCD do not demonstrate significantly elevated LVM or depressed systolic function compared to healthy controls. However, cases with p-DCD demonstrate significantly elevated end-diastolic volume, diastolic chamber size, stroke volume, and cardiac output. These differences indicate obesity related changes in the left ventricle and may represent the early stages of developing left ventricle hypertrophy.

Exploring the origins of developmental disorders.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a condition affecting explicitly the motoric, physical, psycho-social, and academic spheres of approximately 8% of children and adolescents. Considerable research has been conducted in order to understand the latent pathophysiology generating the various negative outcomes of DCD. Unfortunately, no convincing evidence exists as yet to support one particular theory.

Mental Disorder in Canada: An Epidemiological Perspective

Canada has long been recognized as a leader in the field of psychiatric epidemiology, the study of the factors affecting mental health in populations. However, there has never been a book dedicated to the study of mental disorder at a population level in Canada. This collection of essays by leading scholars in the discipline uses data from the countrys first national survey of mental disorder, the Canadian Community Health Survey of 2005, to fill that gap. Mental Disorder in Canada explores the history of psychiatric epidemiology, evaluates methodological issues, and analyzes the prevalence of several significant mental disorders in the population. The collection also includes essays on stigma, mental disorder and the criminal justice system, and mental health among women, children, workers, and other demographic groups. Focusing specifically on Canadian scholarship, yet wide-reaching in scope, Mental Disorder in Canada is an important contribution to the dissemination and advancement of knowledge on psychiatric epidemiology.