Marie B. H. Yap

Sex differences in the neural correlates of emotion: Evidence from neuroimaging

Sex differences in emotional processes represent some of the most robust sex stereotypes worldwide. However, empirical support for these stereotypes is lacking, especially from research utilizing objective measures, such as neuroimaging methodologies. We conducted a selective review of functional neuroimaging studies that have empirically tested for sex differences in the association between brain function and emotional processes (including perception, reactivity, regulation and experience). Evidence was found for marked sex differences in the neural mechanisms underlying emotional processes, and in most cases suggested that males and females use different strategies during emotional processing, which may lead to sex differences in the observed (or subjectively reported) emotional process. We discuss how these findings may offer insight into the mechanisms underlying sex differences in emotional behaviors, and outline a number of methodological considerations for future research. Importantly, results suggest that sex differences should not be ignored in research investigating the neurobiology of emotion.

Parental factors associated with depression and anxiety in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND There is a burgeoning and varied literature examining the associations between parental factors and depression or anxiety disorders in young people. However, there is hitherto no systematic review of this complex literature with a focus on the 12-18 years age range, when the first onset for these disorders peaks. Furthermore, to facilitate the application of the evidence in prevention, a focus on modifiable factors is required. METHODS Employing the PRISMA method, we conducted a systematic review of parental factors associated with depression and anxiety disorders in young people which parents can potentially modify. RESULTS We identified 181 articles altogether, with 140 examining depression, 17 examining anxiety problems, and 24 examining both outcomes. Stouffers method of combining p values was used to determine whether associations between variables were reliable, and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the mean effect sizes of associations between each parental factor and outcome. LIMITATIONS Limitations include sacrificing micro-level detail for a macro-level synthesis of the literature, not systematically reviewing moderators and mediators, the lack of generalizability across cultures and to younger or adult children, and the inability to conduct a meta-analysis on all included studies. CONCLUSIONS Parental factors with a sound evidence base indicating increased risk for both depression and anxiety include less warmth, more inter-parental conflict, over-involvement, and aversiveness; and for depression additionally, they include less autonomy granting and monitoring.

Emotional inertia prospectively predicts the onset of depressive disorder in adolescence.

Emotional inertia refers to the degree to which a persons current emotional state is predicted by their prior emotional state, reflecting how much it carries over from one moment to the next. Recently, in a cross-sectional study, we showed that high inertia is an important characteristic of the emotion dynamics observed in psychological maladjustment such as depression. In the present study, we examined whether emotional inertia prospectively predicts the onset of first-episode depression during adolescence. Emotional inertia was assessed in a sample of early adolescents (N = 165) based on second-to-second behavioral coding of videotaped naturalistic interactions with a parent. Greater inertia of both negative and positive emotional behaviors predicted the emergence of clinical depression 2.5 years later. The implications of these findings for the understanding of the etiology and early detection of depression are discussed.

Risk and protective factors for depression that adolescents can modify: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

BACKGROUND Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of depression, but little is known about what adolescents can do to reduce their own level of risk. To fill this gap, a review was carried out to identify risk and protective factors for depression during adolescence that are modifiable by the young person. METHODS Employing the PRISMA method, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies to identify risk and protective factors during the adolescent period (aged 12-18 years) that are potentially modifiable by the young person without professional intervention or assistance. Stouffer׳s method of combining p values was used to determine whether associations between variables were reliable, and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the mean effect sizes of associations. RESULTS We identified 113 publications which met the inclusion criteria. Putative risk factors implicated in the development of depression for which there is a sound evidence base, and which are potentially modifiable during adolescence without professional intervention, are: substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, other illicit drugs, and polydrug use); dieting; negative coping strategies; and weight. Modifiable protective factors with a sound evidence base are healthy diet and sleep. LIMITATIONS Limitations include not systematically reviewing moderators and mediators, the lack of generalisability across cultures or to younger children or young adults, and the inability to conduct a meta-analysis on all included studies. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this review suggest that future health education campaigns or self-help prevention interventions targeting adolescent depression should aim to reduce substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, other illicit drugs, and polydrug use); dieting; and negative coping strategies; and promote healthy weight; diet; and sleep patterns.

Quality of information sources about mental disorders: a comparison of Wikipedia with centrally controlled web and printed sources

BACKGROUND Although mental health information on the internet is often of poor quality, relatively little is known about the quality of websites, such as Wikipedia, that involve participatory information sharing. The aim of this paper was to explore the quality of user-contributed mental health-related information on Wikipedia and compare this with centrally controlled information sources. METHOD Content on 10 mental health-related topics was extracted from 14 frequently accessed websites (including Wikipedia) providing information about depression and schizophrenia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and a psychiatry textbook. The content was rated by experts according to the following criteria: accuracy, up-to-dateness, breadth of coverage, referencing and readability. RESULTS Ratings varied significantly between resources according to topic. Across all topics, Wikipedia was the most highly rated in all domains except readability. CONCLUSIONS The quality of information on depression and schizophrenia on Wikipedia is generally as good as, or better than, that provided by centrally controlled websites, Encyclopaedia Britannica and a psychiatry textbook.

Parental Behaviors During Family Interactions Predict Changes in Depression and Anxiety Symptoms During Adolescence

This study investigated the prospective, longitudinal relations between parental behaviors observed during parent-adolescent interactions, and the development of depression and anxiety symptoms in a community-based sample of 194 adolescents. Positive and negative parental behaviors were examined, with negative behaviors operationalized to distinguish between observed parental expressions of aggression and dysphoria. Results showed that higher levels of parental aggression prospectively predicted higher levels of both depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents over two-and-a-half years, whereas higher levels of positive parental behaviors prospectively predicted lower levels of depression symptoms only. Parental dysphoric behavior was not related to changes in either symptom dimension. These results suggest that patterns of parental behaviors may be differentially associated with depressive versus anxious outcomes in adolescents, and highlight the potential role for family-focused prevention or treatment interventions aimed at reducing an escalation of depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence.

Positive parenting predicts the development of adolescent brain structure: a longitudinal study.

Highlights • Positive parenting predicts development of adolescent amygdala and prefrontal cortex.• Positive parenting has a unique influence on adolescent brain development.• Positive and negative parenting are not opposite sides of a continuum.• Parenting interventions may promote healthy adolescent brain development.

Parental factors associated with childhood anxiety, depression, and internalizing problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND There is a burgeoning and varied literature examining the associations between parental factors and depression or anxiety disorders in children. However, there is hitherto no systematic review of this complex literature with a focus on the 5-11 years age range, when there is a steep increase in onset of these disorders. Furthermore, to facilitate the application of the evidence in prevention, a focus on modifiable factors is required. METHODS Employing the PRISMA method, we conducted a systematic review of parental factors associated with anxiety, depression, and internalizing problems in children which parents can potentially modify. RESULTS We identified 141 articles altogether, with 53 examining anxiety, 50 examining depression, and 70 examining internalizing outcomes. Stouffer׳s method of combining p-values was used to determine whether associations between variables were reliable, and meta-analyses were conducted with a subset of eligible studies to estimate the mean effect sizes of associations between each parental factor and outcome. LIMITATIONS Limitations include sacrificing micro-level detail for a macro-level synthesis of the literature, the lack of generalizability across cultures, and the inability to conduct a meta-analysis on all included studies. CONCLUSIONS Parental factors with a sound evidence base indicating increased risk for both depression and internalizing problems include more inter-parental conflict and aversiveness; and for internalizing outcomes additionally, they include less warmth and more abusive parenting and over-involvement. No sound evidence linking any parental factor with anxiety outcomes was found.

Hippocampal volume and sensitivity to maternal aggressive behavior: A prospective study of adolescent depressive symptoms

It has been suggested that biological factors confer increased sensitivity to environmental influences on depressive symptoms during adolescence, a crucial time for the onset of depressive disorders. Given the critical role of the hippocampus in sensitivity to stress and processing of contextual aspects of the environment, investigation of its role in determining sensitivity to environmental context seems warranted. This study prospectively examined hippocampal volume as a measure of sensitivity to the influence of aggressive maternal behavior on change in depressive symptoms from early to midadolescence. The interaction between aggressive maternal behavior and hippocampal volume was found to predict change in depressive symptoms. Significant sex differences also emerged, whereby only for girls were larger bilateral hippocampal volumes more sensitive to the effects of maternal aggressive behavior, particularly with respect to experiencing the protective effects of low levels of maternal aggressiveness. These findings help elucidate the complex relationships between brain structure, environmental factors such as maternal parenting style, and sensitivity to (i.e., risk for, and protection from) the emergence of depression during this life stage. Given that family context risk factors are modifiable, our findings suggest the potential utility of targeted parenting interventions for the prevention and treatment of adolescent depressive disorder.

The influence of stigma on first aid actions taken by young people for mental health problems in a close friend or family member: Findings from an Australian national survey of youth

BACKGROUND Young people are an important source of first aid for mental health problems in people they are close to, but their first aid skills remain inadequate. Research into the factors that influence mental health first aid skills are required to reveal targets for improving these skills. This study examined the influence of stigma on first aid actions taken by young people to help someone close to them with a mental health problem. METHODS Participants in a national telephone survey of Australian youth (aged 12-25 years) reported on their stigmatising attitudes based on one of three disorders in vignettes: depression, depression with alcohol misuse, and social phobia. At a two-year follow-up interview, they were asked if they knew a family member or close friend with a problem similar to the vignette character since the initial interview, and those who did reported on the actions taken to help the person. RESULTS Of the 1520 participants interviewed at follow up, 507 reported knowing someone with a similar problem. Young peoples stigmatising attitudes (weak-not-sick, social distance and dangerousness/unpredictability) influenced their first aid actions. LIMITATIONS Social desirability could have affected the assessment of stigma, we could not assess the severity of the first aid recipients problem or the benefit derived from the first aid provided, and the proportion of variance explained was modest. CONCLUSIONS Reducing stigma may help to improve the first aid that people with mental health problems can receive from young people who are close to them.