The benefits of physical exercise on older adults' cognitive function: A cohort study exploring potential mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Despite existing studies showing that physical exercise improves cognitive function in older adults either concurrently or in a delayed manner, studies examining these associations simultaneously are rare. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms in these associations remain incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the concurrent and delayed (two years later) associations between physical exercise and older adults' cognitive function. This study also investigates the mediating roles of three negative physical, psychological, and social resources: limitations in daily abilities, depressive mood, and isolation from friends, as well as the moderating roles of cognitive reserve on these associations. DESIGN: A cohort sample of 6646 Chinese older adults (Mean age = 69.28, SD = 7.03) is obtained from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Regression analysis was employed to test the concurrent and delayed associations between physical exercise and cognitive function. The bootstrap method was utilized to examine the mediating roles of limitations in daily activities, depression mood, and isolation from friends. Interaction terms were generated to investigate the moderating roles of cognitive reserve. RESULTS: Physical exercise presents concurrent and delayed positive associations with cognitive function. Limitations in daily activities, depressive mood and isolation from friends mediate the above associations. Moreover, cognitive reserve plays a significant role in buffering the concurrent and delayed negative links between depressive mood, isolation from friends, and cognitive function, with larger negative relationships observed for older adults with lower rather than higher levels of cognitive reserve. CONCLUSIONS: This study validates the concurrent and delayed benefits of physical exercise on older adults' cognitive function while elucidating the underlying mechanisms. These findings offer practical implications for health policies and intervention programs aimed at enhancing older adults' cognitive function.

Relationship between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and depressive mood in Korean primary care patients.

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure variability (BPV) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and may be better prognostic factor than blood pressure. Depressive mood is a common symptom among patients visiting primary care. This study aimed to investigate the association between depressive mood and high BPV among Korean primary care patients. METHODS: The Family Cohort Study in Primary Care (FACTS), conducted from April 2009 to November 2017, utilized a prospective cohort of Korean primary care patients, with a median follow-up period of 7.25 years. Depressive mood was assessed as a score of 21 points or more on the Korean-type Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. BP was measured at the initial visit and first and second follow-up visit. Visit-to visit SBP variability was analyzed using four metrics: intra-individual standard deviation, coefficient of variation, variation independent of mean, and average real variability. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association of high BPV with depressive mood and other variables. RESULTS: Among 371 participants, 43 (11.6%) had depressive mood based on depression scores. Older age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.07) were associated with high SBP variability regardless of taking antihypertensive medication. Among participants taking antihypertensive medication, those with depressive mood had twice the risk of high SBP variability compared with those who did not (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.06-8.20). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive mood was associated with high visit-to-visit SBP variability in primary care patients taking antihypertensive medication, potentially indicating increased cardiovascular risk. Primary care physicians should therefore closely monitor BPV in patients with depressive symptoms and provide appropriate interventions.

The Impact of Mobile Social Media Use on Depressive Mood Among College Students: A Chain Mediating Effect of Upward Social Comparison and Cognitive Overload.

Background: The 18-24 age group has a much higher rate of depression risk than other age groups, and this age group has the highest proportion among users of mobile social media. The relationship between the use of mobile social media and depressive mood is inconsistent and the mechanism of action is controversial. Purpose: This study explored the relationship among the intensity of social media use, upward social comparison, cognitive overload and depressive mood. Methods: In this research, we used the Brief Self-rating Depression Scale (PHQ-9), the Social Media Usage Intensity Questionnaire, the Social Comparison Scale on Social Networking Sites and the Social Networking Site Cognitive Overload Scale to investigate the depressive mood and mobile social media use of 568 college students. Results: The intensity of mobile social media use, social networking site upward social comparison, and social networking site cognitive overload are all positively correlated with depressive mood. The intensity of mobile social media use has a positive predictive effect on depressive mood, with upward social comparison and cognitive overload acting as independent mediators in the relationship between mobile social media use intensity and depressive symptoms, as well as exhibiting a chained mediating effect of upward social comparison-cognitive overload. Conclusion: The upward social comparison and cognitive load that occur during the use of mobile social media are important predictive factors for the occurrence of depressive mood. This study is a supplement to the mechanism of the relationship between mobile social media use and depression, providing more evidence-based evidence and intervention directions for university teachers, mobile social media developers, and psychologists.

Implications of depressive mood in OSAHS patients: insights from event-related potential.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a chronic breathing disorder characterized by recurrent upper airway obstruction during sleep. Although previous studies have shown a link between OSAHS and depressive mood, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mood disorders in OSAHS patients remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the emotion processing mechanism in OSAHS patients with depressive mood using event-related potentials (ERPs). METHODS: Seventy-four OSAHS patients were divided into the depressive mood and non-depressive mood groups according to their Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores. Patients underwent overnight polysomnography and completed various cognitive and emotional questionnaires. The patients were shown facial images displaying positive, neutral, and negative emotions and tasked to identify the emotion category, while their visual evoked potential was simultaneously recorded. RESULTS: The two groups did not differ significantly in age, BMI, and years of education, but showed significant differences in their slow wave sleep ratio (P = 0.039), ESS (P = 0.006), MMSE (P < 0.001), and MOCA scores (P = 0.043). No significant difference was found in accuracy and response time on emotional face recognition between the two groups. N170 latency in the depressive group was significantly longer than the non-depressive group (P = 0.014 and 0.007) at the bilateral parieto-occipital lobe, while no significant difference in N170 amplitude was found. No significant difference in P300 amplitude or latency between the two groups. Furthermore, N170 amplitude at PO7 was positively correlated with the arousal index and negatively with MOCA scores (both P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: OSAHS patients with depressive mood exhibit increased N170 latency and impaired facial emotion recognition ability. Special attention towards the depressive mood among OSAHS patients is warranted for its implications for patient care.

Association between Depressive Mood, Antidepressant Therapy and Neuropsychological Performances: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study on Elderly Patients.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the global demographic landscape is undergoing a transformative shift towards an increasingly aging population. This leads to an increase in chronic pathologies, including depression and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to evaluate the association between depressive mood, whether in treatment or not, and cognitive capacities, assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). METHODS: This study included 259 subjects, aged 65 years or older, evaluated at the Geriatric Outpatient Service of the University Hospital of Monserrato, Cagliari, between July 2018 and May 2022, who experienced subjective depressive mood and/or cognitive deficits. RESULTS: Only 25.1% of the sample showed no cognitive impairment on the RBANS. Education was a significant regressor of the RBANS Total Scale scores (p < 0.0001) and was negatively associated with mood deflection (r = -0.15, p = 0.0161). Subjects with depressive mood had more impaired attention and visuospatial/constructional abilities compared to untreated euthymic patients. Post-hoc analysis, conducted with the Conover test, showed that untreated euthymic patients (GDS-15 ≤ 5, group 2) had a higher score on the RBANS total scale than patients with mood deflection (GDS-15 > 5, group 1), and treated euthymic patients (GDS-15 ≤ 5, group 3). Finally, different logistic regression analyses revealed a significant negative coefficient for GDS as a regressor of the RBANS total scale (coefficient: -0.04, p = 0.0089), visuospatial/constructional abilities (coefficient: -0.03, p = 0.0009), language (coefficient: -0.05, p = 0.0140), and attention (coefficient: -0.05, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis demonstrated that "naturally" euthymic people show better cognitive performances than people with depressive mood and subjects with acceptable mood due to antidepressants. Furthermore, the gender-based difference observed in the language domain suggests the potential utility of incorporating an alternative category for male patients in the Semantic Fluency test.

Identity Fusion and Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Freshmen: The Chain Mediating Role of Depressive Mood and Sleep Quality.

Aggressive behavior is considered one of the indicators of maladjustment and increases during the transition to college. Previous studies have demonstrated that having identity fusion with particular social groups significantly predicts college adjustment among freshmen. However, the relationship between identity fusion and aggressive behavior in college freshmen has rarely been studied. Thus, guided by the frustration-aggression theory, this study aimed to explore the association between identity fusion with class and aggressive behavior among Chinese college freshmen and examine the potential mediating roles of depressive mood and sleep quality. A cross-sectional survey study was carried out among 1,037 Chinese college freshmen (Mage = 19.56, SD = 1.068, 29.12% males). Class identity fusion, depressive mood, sleep quality, and aggressive behavior were measured via four self-reported questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation model. Analyses showed that identity fusion was negatively related to depressive mood and aggressive behavior and positively correlated with sleep quality. The results also revealed that the direct effect of identity fusion on aggressive behavior was significant, and identity fusion can indirectly affect aggressive behavior not only through the mediation effect of depressive mood but also through the chain mediation effect of depressive mood and sleep quality. Moreover, the mediating effect of depressive mood varied by gender. These findings suggest that strategies that help freshmen promote identity fusion and those that alleviate depressive mood and sleep problem may help reduce aggressive behavior.

Association between depressive mood and body image and menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Perimenopausal is the period when women's ovarian function begins to decline before and after menopause. During this period, women experience a series of mental state changes, such as decreased hormone levels, decreased libido, and even female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in severe cases, which reduces their quality of life. Factors affecting the occurrence of FSD include physiological and non-physiological factors, among which physiological factors are uncontrollable. Therefore, it is particularly important to ascertain the related non-physiological factors that affect the occurrence of FSD for improving the quality of sexual life of perimenopausal women. AIM: To investigate the mediating effect of depressive mood and body image on menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 186 perimenopausal women were enrolled between January 2019 and January 2021 and divided into the FSD (134 cases) and control (52 cases) groups based on the presence and absence of FSD. Clinical data were compared between the two groups. FSD-related factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scores were compared among women with different FSD scores. The correlation of the MRS score with the BIS and HAMD scores and the mediating effect of the BIS and HAMD scores on the MRS score and female sexual function index (FSFI) were analyzed. RESULTS: The HAMD and BIS scores were higher in the FSD group than in the control group, and the difference in monthly income between the two groups was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Monthly income of < 2000 yuan [odds ratio (OR) = 26.586, P = 0.000], BIS score (OR = 1.590, P = 0.000), and HAMD score (OR = 1.884, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for FSD. MRS scores were positively correlated with BIS and HAMD scores (r = 0.358 and 0.244, P = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively) and negatively correlated with FSFI scores (r = -0.433, P = 0.000). Body image and depressive mood had partial mediating effects, accounting for 39.90% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Depression and body image play mediating roles between menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.

Exploration of related factors of suicide ideation in hospitalized older adults.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid aging of the population structure, and the suicide ideation rate also increasing year by year, the ratio of people over 65 to the total number of deaths is increasing yearly. The study provides a reference for researchers interested in older adults' care to explore SI further affecting older adults in the future and provide a reference for qualitative research methods or interventional measures. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore the influence of mental health status, life satisfaction, and depression status on suicidal ideation (SI) among hospitalized older adults. METHODS: In a cross-sectional correlation study, taking inpatients over 65 years old in a regional teaching hospital in eastern Taiwan, and the BSRS-5 ≧ 5 points of the screening cases, a total of 228 older adults agree to conduct data analysis in this study. Mainly explore the influence of personal characteristics, mental health status, life satisfaction, and depressed mood on SI among the hospitalized older adults. The basic attributes of the cases used in the data, mental health status, cognitive function, quality of life, depression, and suicide ideation, the data obtained were statistically analyzed with SPSS 20/Windows, and the descriptive statistics were average, standard deviation, percentage, median, etc. In the part of inference statistics, independent sample t-test, single-factor analysis of variance, Pearson performance difference correlation, and logistic regression analysis were used to detect important predictors of SI. RESULTS: Research results in (1) 89.5% of hospitalized older adults have a tendency to depression. 2.26.3% of the older adults had SI. (2) Here are significant differences in the scores of SI among hospitalized older adults in different economic status groups and marital status groups. (3) The age, marital status, and quality of life of the hospitalized older adults were negatively correlated with SI; economic status, self-conscious health, mental health, and depression were positively correlated with SI. (4) The results of the mental health status and SI is (r = .345, p < .001), higher the score on the BSRS-5 scale, the higher the SI. The correlation between the depression scale score (SDS-SF) and SI was (r = .150, p < .05), the higher the depression scale score, the higher the SI. CONCLUSION: The results of the study found that there was a statistically significant correlation between SI in older adults and age, marital status, economic status, mental health, quality of life, and depression, and also showed that they might interact with each other; the older adults in BSRS-5, GDS-SF, quality of life scale scores have statistically significant differences as essential predictors of SI. The results of this study suggest that medical staff can use the BSRS-5 scale to quickly screen and evaluate the mental health status of older adults, hoping to detect early and provide preventive measures, thereby improving the quality of life of older adults.

The Potential of Chatbots for Emotional Support and Promoting Mental Well-Being in Different Cultures: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence chatbot research has focused on technical advances in natural language processing and validating the effectiveness of human-machine conversations in specific settings. However, real-world chat data remain proprietary and unexplored despite their growing popularity, and new analyses of chatbot uses and their effects on mitigating negative moods are urgently needed. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated whether and how artificial intelligence chatbots facilitate the expression of user emotions, specifically sadness and depression. We also examined cultural differences in the expression of depressive moods among users in Western and Eastern countries. METHODS: This study used SimSimi, a global open-domain social chatbot, to analyze 152,783 conversation utterances containing the terms "depress" and "sad" in 3 Western countries (Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and 5 Eastern countries (Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand). Study 1 reports new findings on the cultural differences in how people talk about depression and sadness to chatbots based on Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count and n-gram analyses. In study 2, we classified chat conversations into predefined topics using semisupervised classification techniques to better understand the types of depressive moods prevalent in chats. We then identified the distinguishing features of chat-based depressive discourse data and the disparity between Eastern and Western users. RESULTS: Our data revealed intriguing cultural differences. Chatbot users in Eastern countries indicated stronger emotions about depression than users in Western countries (positive: P<.001; negative: P=.01); for example, Eastern users used more words associated with sadness (P=.01). However, Western users were more likely to share vulnerable topics such as mental health (P<.001), and this group also had a greater tendency to discuss sensitive topics such as swear words (P<.001) and death (P<.001). In addition, when talking to chatbots, people expressed their depressive moods differently than on other platforms. Users were more open to expressing emotional vulnerability related to depressive or sad moods to chatbots (74,045/148,590, 49.83%) than on social media (149/1978, 7.53%). Chatbot conversations tended not to broach topics that require social support from others, such as seeking advice on daily life difficulties, unlike on social media. However, chatbot users acted in anticipation of conversational agents that exhibit active listening skills and foster a safe space where they can openly share emotional states such as sadness or depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the potential of chatbot-assisted mental health support, emphasizing the importance of continued technical and policy-wise efforts to improve chatbot interactions for those in need of emotional assistance. Our data indicate the possibility of chatbots providing helpful information about depressive moods, especially for users who have difficulty communicating emotions to other humans.

Randomized controlled trial investigating potential effects of relaxation on mitochondrial function in immune cells: A pilot experiment.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a relaxation response induced by hypnosis on the mitochondrial energy production of immune cells compared to an everyday relaxing situation. Chronically stressed individuals (88% women) with at least moderate suggestibility were randomized to a hypnosis (20 min relaxation hypnosis; n = 20) or a control condition (20 min documentary; n = 22). Before and after intervention, peripheral blood was collected. The primary outcomes were mitochondrial respiration and density in immune cells measured by high-resolution respirometry and citrate synthase activity assays. As secondary outcome, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive mood were assessed. The intervention led to no significant Group × Time effects on mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters but a significant Time effect (ηp2 = .09 -.10). Thus, there were no differences in the experimental conditions concerning the measured parameters of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Exploratory subanalyses indicated that stress, anxiety, and depressive mood were linked to lower mitochondrial respiration. Individuals with higher anxiety had less decrease in routine respiration over time than those with lower anxiety (ηp2 = .09). This study explores the effects of relaxation in the form of hypnosis compared to watching a video on the energy metabolism of immune cells. Relaxation, whether in targeted (hypnosis) or untargeted (documentary) form, affected mitochondrial respiration. Further research should focus on the long-term effects of relaxation on bioenergetics. The trial was retrospectively registered on 07/12/2021, DRKS00027356, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00027356.

Examining factors affecting self-care-self-regulation among registered nurses using path analysis.

BACKGROUND: Practicing self-care is a requisite for nurses as they face the extreme physical, mental, and emotional challenges presented by the pandemic era. This study aimed to examine factors that contribute to self-care-self-regulation (SCSR) and investigate the mediation effect of psychological and physical health in the relationship between work stress and SCSR among registered nurses in the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the data collected from 386 registered nurses who completed an online survey over a 3-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 19 to May 6, 2020). The survey assessed demographic and work-related characteristics, work stress, depressive mood, self-rated health, and SCSR. The model was tested with depressive mood as the first mediator and self-rated health as the second mediator. The potential serial mediation effect was analyzed using PROCESS macros adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The sequential indirect effect of work stress on SCSR through depressive mood and self-rated health in series was significant, while its direct effect was not. CONCLUSION: The findings of the path analysis demonstrate that psychological and physical health status is important to promote self-care behaviors when nurses experience high work stress.

Effectiveness of Enhanced Self-Positivity Bias Training in Mitigating Depressive Mood following Negative Life Events.

The phenomenon of self-positivity bias refers to the common tendency for individuals to perceive themselves in a more positive light than is objectively warranted. The current study seeks to investigate the impact of enhanced self-positivity bias on depressive mood resulting from negative life events. The study included two experiments, a resistance experiment (exp. 1) and an improvement experiment (exp. 2), with 40 randomly selected college students randomly assigned to either a self-positive bias training group or a neutral training group in each experiment. In the resistance experiment, self-positive bias training was conducted before failure feedback, while in the improvement experiment, it was conducted after failure feedback. The results showed that failure feedback significantly increased depression levels among college students, and self-positive bias training improved the level of self-positive bias. In the resistance experiment, there was no significant difference between the self-positive bias training group and the neutral training group regarding depression. However, in the improvement experiment, being in the self-positive bias training group had a significantly greater effect on improving depression compared to the neutral training group. Overall, the findings suggest that while self-positive bias training cannot prevent depression caused by failure events, it has a positive effect on improving depression.

Association between neck circumference and depressive mood among Korean adults.

The relationship between central obesity and depression remains of debate. From the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, data of 3768 adults with available information on neck circumference and depressive mood were analyzed. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that a small neck circumference was significantly associated with depressive mood among men, but not among women. Our findings indicate that assessing neck circumference among men would help detect depression early.

Domains of the Kihon Checklist Associated with Prefrailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Various functions are involved in prefrailty. However, no studies have examined more relevant functions. Therefore, this study examined the domains of the Kihon Checklist (KCL) associated with prefrailty by comparing them to robustness measures, using the KCL to comprehensively assess life-related functions in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: The 194 (mean age, 75±6 years) participants were community-dwelling older adults. Their robustness and preferences were assessed using the Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. Comprehensive life-related functions were assessed using the KCL, and each physical function was measured. RESULTS: The main KCL characteristics associated with robustness and prefrailty were physical function (odds ratio [OR]=1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-2.88), nutritional status (OR=8.16; 95% CI, 2.96-22.48), and depressed mood (OR=3.46; 95% CI, 1.76-6.79). In particular, older adults had difficulty moving, including climbing stairs and getting up from a chair, which suggested a strong fear of falling. The participants also reported psychological characteristics such as low life fulfillment, a low sense of self-usefulness, and a strong sense of boredom. CONCLUSIONS: Prefrail individuals were characterized by poor physical function and nutritional status, as well as depressive mood. Prefrailty may be prevented or improved by approaches to improve physical function and fear of falling in addition to psychological interventions that encourage activity and a sense of self-usefulness.

Reduced numbers of naïve CD4 + T cells and an altered CD4/CD8 balance in depressed common variable immune deficiency (CVID) patients. Is thymosin-α1 a possible treatment?

In the 1990's the macrophage-T-cell-theory of depression was posed stating that low grade inflammation and an abnormal T cell system destabilize the development and function of the emotional brain in such a way, that individuals become ultrasensitive to stress. Recently we gathered evidence that indeed higher frequencies of CD4+ memory T cells, lower frequencies of naive CD4 + T cells, higher frequencies of CD8 + T cells (the latter two in part elicited by Cytomegalovirus, CMV, infection) are a characteristic of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In MDD patients with a history of childhood trauma and severe depression monocytes are inflammatory activated. Low grade inflammation and T cell system defects have also been reported in patients with Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) (next to antibody production defects). CVID patients show a higher prevalence of mild depression. The aim of this study was to determine T cell frequencies and monocyte inflammatory activation in CVID patients with and without depression. This study confirms that CVID patients have CMV independent decreases in the frequency of naïve CD4 + T cells and it de novo shows a CMV dependent increase in the expression of inflammatory genes in monocytes. CVID patients with depression are additionally characterized by a CMV independent increase in the frequency of naïve CD8 + T cells, while lacking monocyte inflammatory activation. In conclusion, depressed CVID patients have T cell abnormalities comparable to that of patients with regular MDD. These abnormalities are presently targeted by thymosin α1 in an open-label proof of concept trial.

The effect of exogenous estrogen on depressive mood in women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Sex differences exist in the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD). Comparing with males, females are at a higher risk of depression, especially in some reproductive statuses with significant changes in sex hormones. Based on the positive effect on menopausal symptoms in human and on depression-like behaviors in animals, exogenous estrogen was considered as a potential therapeutic approach to the treatment of female depression, however, with inconsistent conclusions in previous studies. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, 14 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included to investigate the effect of exogenous estrogen on depressive mood in women. The results indicated that exogenous estrogens were superior to the control group either alone or in combination with progesterone or antidepressants. Female individuals in perimenopause are more sensitive to estrogen than those in other reproductive statuses, which might be the reason that depressive mood during this stage is more associated with estrogen fluctuations, and exogenous estrogen supplementation can moderate these drastic changes. The finding of meta-regressions that the effect of exogenous estrogen was associated with age in perimenopause and post-menopause rather than the dose or administration of exogenous estrogen, showed again that a stable level of estrogen is more beneficial than a high serum level. This study provides strong evidence of the important role of estrogen fluctuations but not estrogen levels in female depression.

Preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation: Links with maternal psychological distress and child behavior problems.

Maladaptive offspring emotion regulation has been identified as one pathway linking maternal and child psychological well-being in school-aged children. Whether such a pathway is present earlier in life still remains unclear. The present study investigated the role of preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation in the association between maternal psychological distress and child internalizing and externalizing problems. Children's emotion reactivity and regulation were assessed through both observed behavior and physiology. At 42 months of age, children (n = 251; 128 girls) completed a fear induction task during which their heart-rate variability was assessed and their behavior was monitored, and maternal self-reports on depressive mood and anxiety were collected. At 48 months mothers and fathers reported on their children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Higher maternal depressive mood was associated with lower child fear-related reactivity and regulation, as indexed by heart-rate variability. The latter mediated the association between higher maternal depressive mood and higher preschoolers' externalizing problems. Overall, our findings support the role of preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation in the relationship between maternal psychological distress and children's socio-emotional difficulties. This role may also depend on the discrete emotion to which children react or seek to regulate as, here, we only assessed fear-related reactivity and regulation.

Vitamin D, testosterone and depression in middle-aged and elderly men: a systematic review.

Depression is one of the common psychiatric disorders during elderly. This systematic review aims to present the relationship between vitamin D deficiency, depression and testosterone serum concentration in the middle-aged and elderly men. We performed a comprehensive search in the Google Scholar, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Cochrane, Science Direct, and Scopus databases to collect any relevant published studies. The data of the articles that had been investigated the relationship between depression and 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) serum concentration (nine studies), or testosterone and 25[OH]D (six studies), as the primary outcomes, were included in our review. The results of the cohort and cross-sectional studies have shown that vitamin-D deficiency is associated with the incidence of depression in older men. In addition, documents have reported the positive association between vitamin D and testosterone, and previous studies have shown that testosterone can involve in the mood. We have proposed scientific mechanisms that have shown vitamin D may also play a protective role in depression through its effect on the testosterone. Therefore, it is a low risk and safe recommendation for the middle-aged and elderly men to use the vitamin D supplement or exposure to the sunlight to prevent depression.

Cytokine level in patients with mood disorder, alcohol use disorder and their comorbidity.

OBJECTIVES: Because alcohol use disorder (AUD) is often accompanied by mood disorder (MD) and both alcoholism and depression result in activation of the immune system, this study compares serum cytokine levels in the presence of co-morbidity with those in either AUD or MD alone. METHODS: In this naturalistic prospective study the levels of 15 different cytokines were measured in serum samples of patients with MD (n = 43), participants with combined AUD-MD (n = 44) and AUD without MD (n = 42). The levels were compared cross-sectionally among themselves and with those in 50 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Pro-inflammatory IFN-2α levels were consistently significantly higher and anti-inflammatory IL-1RA significantly lower in all study groups in comparison to healthy volunteers. In the MD only group we found increased IL-6 (p = 0.001), IL-7 (p = 0.001) and IL-13 (p = 0.006) levels, and decreased TNFα (p = 0.0001), IL-1RA (p = 0.012), IL-10 (p = 0.002) compared with group MD + AUD. Patients with AUD only showed elevated levels of IL-1ß (p = 0.046), IL-2 (p = 0.004), IL-7 (p = 0.0001), IL-4 (p = 0.049) and IL-13 (p = 0.015) in contrast with MD + AUD group. CONCLUSIONS: Because the interactions of alcohol with peripheral and cerebral immune systems are multifaceted, the pertinent connection to the mechanism how alcohol consumption contributes to the development of mood disorders cannot be properly explored.

Associations between binge drinking experience, depressive mood, and suicidality in adolescents: Based on the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the associations between binge drinking experience (BDE), depressive mood, and suicidality among Korean adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed the 17th population-based and cross-sectional data from the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to compare BDE, depressive mood, and suicidality by sex. RESULTS: In 54,848 adolescents, the prevalence of BDE was 5.3 % in boys and 4.4 % in girls. The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts among girls was 7.8 %, 2.4 %, and 1.4 %, respectively. The prevalence of suicide attempts among girls with both BDE and depressive moods was higher than that among boys. Boys with both BDE and depressive mood had 12.60 times and 14.50 times higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of suicide ideation and plan, respectively, compared with the non-drinking/non-depressed group. Girls with both BDE and depressive mood had 22.06 times higher aOR of suicide attempts than the non-drinking/non-depressed group. LIMITATIONS: The study has few limitations including the use of self-report questionnaires, participants' response bias, and lack of diagnosis by mental health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: These findings represent the prevalence of suicidality among South Korean adolescents with BDE or depressive mood. Since adolescents with both BDE and depressive mood showed particularly high suicidality, it is necessary to establish mental health services, such as proper prevention strategies and targeted interventions.