Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (Hapi-Infant): Assessing Infant Anhedonia And Its Prospective Association With Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Jessica L. Irwin, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist.

Methods

We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). …

Experiences Of Covid-19-Related Racism And Impact On Depression Trajectories Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents, Sabrina R. Liu, Elysia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Hal S. Stern, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

In 2020, racially/ethnically minoritized (REMD) youth faced the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism, both significant stressors with potential for adverse mental health effects. The current study tested whether short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic differed between REMD adolescents who did and did not endorse exposure to COVID-19-era-related racism (i.e., racism stemming from conditions created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

Methods

A community sample of 100 REMD adolescents enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of mental health was assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 51% girls, mean …

Contribution Of Early-Life Unpredictability To Neuropsychiatric Symptom Patterns In Adulthood, Andrea D. Spadoni, Meghan Vinograd, Bruna Cuccurazzu, Katy Torres, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia P. Davis, Tallie Z. Baram, Dewleen G. Baker, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Victoria B. Risbrough

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Recent studies in both human and experimental animals have identified fragmented and unpredictable parental and environmental signals as a novel source of early-life adversity. Early-life unpredictability may be a fundamental developmental factor that impacts brain development, including reward and emotional memory circuits, affecting the risk for psychopathology later in life. Here, we tested the hypothesis that self-reported early-life unpredictability is associated with psychiatric symptoms in adult clinical populations.

Methods

Using the newly validated Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood, we assessed early-life unpredictability in 156 trauma-exposed adults, of which 65% sought treatment for mood, anxiety, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) …

The Acute And Persisting Impact Of Covid-19 On Trajectories Of Adolescent Depression: Sex Differences And Social Connectedness, Sabrina R. Liu, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The COVID-19 era is a time of unprecedented stress, and there is widespread concern regarding its short- and long-term mental health impact. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the emergence of latent psychopathology vulnerabilities, often activated by environmental stressors. The present study examined COVID-19′s impact on adolescent depression and possible influences of different domains of social connectedness (loneliness, social media use, social video game time, degree of social activity participation).

Methods

A community sample of 175 adolescents (51% boys, mean age = 16.01 years) completed questionnaires once before and twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Piecewise growth modeling examined the …

Assessment Of Major Depressive Disorders Through Neuroimaging Studies And Their Treatment Methods, Jevetha Vijayadasan, Diksha Raghunathan, Sivakumar Rajagopal, Rahul Soangra

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Many mental disorders are caused due to improper regulation of the brain and depression is one such. It affects both children and adults and is very common among teenagers. There are many challenges clinicians face regarding the management of this disease. These challenges have prompted the development of various neuroimaging techniques that effectively diagnose the condition. The main techniques are Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Positron emission tomography (PET) which have gained momentum over the years. Advanced MRI techniques help study certain regions of the brain such as hippocampus and amygdala. Effective treatments for depression include antidepressant medications and brain …

Patterns Of Cilia Gene Dysregulations In Major Psychiatric Disorders, Wedad Alhassen, Siwei Chen, Marquis Vawter, Brianna Kay Robbins, Henry Nguyen, Thant Nyi Myint, Yumiko Saito, Anton Schulmann, Surya M. Nauli, Olivier Civelli, Pierre Baldi, Amal Alachkar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Primary cilia function as cells' antennas to detect and transduce external stimuli and play crucial roles in cell signaling and communication. The vast majority of cilia genes that are causally linked with ciliopathies are also associated with neurological deficits, such as cognitive impairments. Yet, the roles of cilia dysfunctions in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders have not been studied. Our aim is to identify patterns of cilia gene dysregulation in the four major psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia (SCZ), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BP), and major depressive disorder (MDD). For this purpose, we acquired differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the …

The Influence Of Unpredictable, Fragmented Parental Signals On The Developing Brain, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Mental illnesses originate early in life, governed by environmental and genetic factors. Because parents are a dominant source of signals to the developing child, parental signals - beginning with maternal signals in utero - are primary contributors to children’s mental health. Existing literature on maternal signals has focused almost exclusively on their quality and valence (e.g. maternal depression, sensitivity). Here we identify a novel dimension of maternal signals: their patterns and especially their predictability/unpredictability, as an important determinant of children’s neurodevelopment. We find that unpredictable maternal mood and behavior presage risk for child and adolescent psychopathology. In experimental models, fragmented/unpredictable …

Economic And Health Predictors Of National Postpartum Depression Prevalence: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis And Meta-Regression Of 308 Studies From 56 Countries, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Taylor Cornwell-Hinrichs, Itzel Anaya

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) poses a major global public health challenge. PPD is the most common complication associated with childbirth and exerts harmful effects on children. Although hundreds of PPD studies have been published, we lack accurate global or national PPD prevalence estimates and have no clear account of why PPD appears to vary so dramatically between nations. Accordingly, we conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the global and national prevalence of PPD and a meta-regression to identify economic, health, social, or policy factors associated with national PPD prevalence.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of all papers reporting …

Relationship Of Optimism And Suicidal Ideation In Three Groups Of Patients At Varying Levels Of Suicide Risk, Jeff C. Huffman, Julia K. Boehm, Scott R. Beach, Eleanor E. Beale, Christina M. Dubois, Brian C. Healy

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Optimism has been associated with reduced suicidal ideation, but there have been few studies in patients at high suicide risk. We analyzed data from three study populations (total N=319) with elevated risk of suicide: (1) patients with a recent acute cardiovascular event, (2) patients hospitalized for heart disease who had depression or an anxiety disorder, and (3) patients psychiatrically hospitalized for suicidal ideation or following a suicide attempt. For each study we analyzed the association between optimism (measured by the Life-Orientation Test-Revised) and suicidal ideation, and then completed an exploratory random effects meta-analysis of the findings to synthesize this data. …