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Im kognitiven Vulnerabilitäts-Stress-Modell der Depression von A.T. Beck (1967, 1976) spielen dysfunktionale Einstellungen bei der Entstehung von Depression in Folge von erlebtem Stress eine zentrale Rolle. Diese Theorie prägt seit Jahrzehnten die ätiologische Erforschung der Depression, jedoch ist die Bedeutung dysfunktionaler Einstellungen im Prozess der Entstehung einer Depression insbesondere im Kindes- und Jugendalter nach wie vor unklar. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich einigen in der bisherigen Forschung wenig behandelten Fragen. Diese betreffen u. a. die Möglichkeit nichtlinearer Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen, Auswirkungen einer Stichprobenselektion, Entwicklungseffekte sowie die Spezifität etwaiger Zusammenhänge für eine depressive Symptomatik.
Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen wurden Daten von zwei Messzeitpunkten der PIER-Studie, eines großangelegten Längsschnittprojekts über Entwicklungsrisiken im Kindes- und Jugendalter, genutzt. Kinder und Jugendliche im Alter von 9 bis 18 Jahren berichteten zweimal im Abstand von ca. 20 Monaten im Selbstberichtsverfahren über ihre dysfunktionalen Einstellungen, Symptome aus verschiedenen Störungsbereichen sowie über eingetretene Lebensereignisse.
Die Ergebnisse liefern Evidenz für ein Schwellenmodell, in dem dysfunktionale Einstellungen unabhängig von Alter und Geschlecht nur im höheren Ausprägungsbereich eine Wirkung als Vulnerabilitätsfaktor zeigen, während im niedrigen Ausprägungsbereich keine Zusammenhänge zur späteren Depressivität bestehen. Eine Wirkung als Vulnerabilitätsfaktor war zudem nur in der Subgruppe der anfänglich weitgehend symptomfreien Kinder und Jugendlichen zu beobachten. Das Schwellenmodell erwies sich als spezifisch für eine depressive Symptomatik, es zeigten sich jedoch auch (teilweise ebenfalls nichtlineare) Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen auf die Entwicklung von Essstörungssymptomen und aggressivem Verhalten. Bei 9- bis 13-jährigen Jungen standen dysfunktionale Einstellungen zudem in Zusammenhang mit einer Tendenz, Stress in Leistungskontexten herbeizuführen.
Zusammen mit den von Sahyazici-Knaak (2015) berichteten Ergebnissen aus der PIER-Studie weisen die Befunde darauf hin, dass dysfunktionale Einstellungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter – je nach betrachteter Subgruppe – Ursache, Symptom und Konsequenz der Depression darstellen können. Die in der vorliegenden Arbeit gezeigten nichtlinearen Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen und die Effekte der Stichprobenselektion bieten eine zumindest teilweise Erklärung für die Heterogenität früherer Forschungsergebnisse. Insgesamt lassen sie auf komplexe – und nicht ausschließlich negative – Auswirkungen dysfunktionaler Einstellungen schließen. Für eine adäquate Beurteilung der „Dysfunktionalität“ der von A.T. Beck so betitelten Einstellungen erscheint daher eine Berücksichtigung der betrachteten Personengruppe, der absoluten Ausprägungen und der fraglichen Symptomgruppen geboten.
Web-based bereavement care
(2020)
Background:
Web-based interventions have been introduced as novel and effective treatments for mental disorders and, in recent years, specifically for the bereaved. However, a systematic summary of the effectiveness of online interventions for people experiencing bereavement is still missing.
Objective:
A systematic literature search was conducted by four reviewers who reviewed and meta-analytically summarized the evidence for web-based interventions for bereaved people.
Methods:
Systematic searches (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, Medline, and CINAHL) resulted in seven randomized controlled trials (N= 1,257) that addressed adults having experienced bereavement using internet-based interventions. We used random effects models to summarize treatment effects for between-group comparisons (treatmentvs.control at post) and stability over time (postvs.follow-up).
Results:
All web-based interventions were based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In comparison with control groups, the interventions showed moderate (g= .54) to large effects (g= .86) for symptoms of grief and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), respectively. The effect for depression was small (g= .44). All effects were stable over time. A higher number of treatment sessions achieved higher effects for grief symptoms and more individual feedback increased effects for depression. Other moderators (i.e.dropout rate, time since loss, exposure) did not significantly reduce moderate degrees of heterogeneity between the studies.
Limitations:
The number of includable studies was low in this review resulting to lower power for moderator analyses in particular.
Conclusions:
Overall, the results of web-based bereavement interventions are promising, and its low-threshold approach might reduce barriers to bereavement care. Nonetheless, future research should further examine potential moderators and specific treatment components (e.g.exposure, feedback) and compare interventions with active controls.
Satisfaction and frustration of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as assessed with the 24-item Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), have been found to be crucial indicators of individuals’ psychological health. To increase the usability of this scale within a clinical and health services research context, we aimed to validate a German short version (12 items) of this scale in individuals with depression including the examination of the relations from need frustration and need satisfaction to ill-being and quality of life (QOL). This cross-sectional study involved 344 adults diagnosed with depression (Mage (SD) = 47.5 years (11.1); 71.8% females). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the short version of the BPNSFS was not only reliable, but also fitted a six-factor structure (i.e., satisfaction/frustration X type of need). Subsequent structural equation modeling showed that need frustration related positively to indicators of ill-being and negatively to QOL. Surprisingly, need satisfaction did not predict differences in ill-being or QOL. The short form of the BPNSFS represents a practical instrument to measure need satisfaction and frustration in people with depression. Further, the results support recent evidence on the importance of especially need frustration in the prediction of psychopathology.
Satisfaction and frustration of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as assessed with the 24-item Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), have been found to be crucial indicators of individuals’ psychological health. To increase the usability of this scale within a clinical and health services research context, we aimed to validate a German short version (12 items) of this scale in individuals with depression including the examination of the relations from need frustration and need satisfaction to ill-being and quality of life (QOL). This cross-sectional study involved 344 adults diagnosed with depression (Mage (SD) = 47.5 years (11.1); 71.8% females). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the short version of the BPNSFS was not only reliable, but also fitted a six-factor structure (i.e., satisfaction/frustration X type of need). Subsequent structural equation modeling showed that need frustration related positively to indicators of ill-being and negatively to QOL. Surprisingly, need satisfaction did not predict differences in ill-being or QOL. The short form of the BPNSFS represents a practical instrument to measure need satisfaction and frustration in people with depression. Further, the results support recent evidence on the importance of especially need frustration in the prediction of psychopathology.
Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the general population. Despite a large demand for efficient treatment options, the majority of older depressed adults does not receive adequate treatment: Additional low-threshold treatments are needed for this age group. Over the past two decades, a growing number of randomized controlled trials (RCT) have been conducted, testing the efficacy of physical exercise in the alleviation of depression in older adults. This meta-analysis systematically reviews and evaluates these studies; some subanalyses testing specific effects of different types of exercise and settings are also performed. In order to be included, exercise programs of the RCTs had to fulfill the criteria of exercise according to the American College of Sports Medicine, including a sample mean age of 60 or above and an increased level of depressive symptoms. Eighteen trials with 1,063 participants fulfilled our inclusion criteria. A comparison of the posttreatment depression scores between the exercise and control groups revealed a moderate effect size in favor of the exercise groups (standardized mean difference (SMD) of –0.68, p < .001). The effect was comparable to the results achieved when only the eleven trials with low risk of bias were included (SMD = –0.63, p < .001). The subanalyses showed significant effects for all types of exercise and for supervised interventions. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that physical exercise may serve as a feasible, additional intervention to fight depression in older adults. However, because of small sample sizes of the majority of individual trials and high statistical heterogeneity, results must be interpreted carefully.
Objective: To estimate the prevalence and the type of antidepressant medication prescribed by German psychiatrists to patients with depression and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods: This study was a retrospective database analysis in Germany using the Disease Analyzer Database (IMS Health, Germany). The study population included 2,288 CVD patients between 40 and 90 years of age from 175 psychiatric practices. The observation period was between 2004 and 2013. Follow-up lasted up to 12 months and ended in April 2015. Also included were 2,288 non-CVD controls matched (1 : 1) to CVD cases on the basis of age, gender, health insurance coverage, depression severity, and diagnosing physician. Results: Mean age was 68.6 years. 46.2% of patients were men, and 5.9% had private health insurance coverage. Mild, moderate, or severe depression was present in 18.7%, 60.7%, and 20.6% of patients, respectively. Most patients had treatment within a year, many of them immediately after depression diagnosis. Patients with moderate and severe depression were more likely to receive treatment than patients with mild depression. There was no difference between CVD and non-CVD in the proportion of patients treated. Nonetheless, CVD patients received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors / serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs) significantly more frequently. Conversely, patients without CVD were more often treated with TCA. Conclusion: There was no association between CVD and the initiation of depression treatment. Furthermore, CVD patients received SSRIs/SNRIs more frequently.
The primary aim of the current study was to examine the unique contribution of psychological need frustration and need satisfaction in the prediction of adults’ mental well-being and ill-being in a heterogeneous sample of adults (N = 334; Mage = 43.33, SD = 32.26; 53% females). Prior to this, validity evidence was provided for the German version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The results of the validation analyses found the German BPNSFS to be a valid and reliable measurement. Further, structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that both need satisfaction and frustration yielded unique and opposing associations with well-being. Specifically, the dimension of psychological need frustration predicted adults’ ill-being. Future research should examine whether frustration of psychological needs is involved in the onset and maintenance of psychopathology (e.g., major depressive disorder).
While the role of and consequences of being a bystander to face-to-face bullying has received some attention in the literature, to date, little is known about the effects of being a bystander to cyberbullying. It is also unknown how empathy might impact the negative consequences associated with being a bystander of cyberbullying. The present study focused on examining the longitudinal association between bystander of cyberbullying depression, and anxiety, and the moderating role of empathy in the relationship between bystander of cyberbullying and subsequent depression and anxiety. There were 1,090 adolescents (M-age = 12.19; 50% female) from the United States included at Time 1, and they completed questionnaires on empathy, cyberbullying roles (bystander, perpetrator, victim), depression, and anxiety. One year later, at Time 2, 1,067 adolescents (M-age = 13.76; 51% female) completed questionnaires on depression and anxiety. Results revealed a positive association between bystander of cyberbullying and depression and anxiety. Further, empathy moderated the positive relationship between bystander of cyberbullying and depression, but not for anxiety. Implications for intervention and prevention programs are discussed.
While the role of and consequences of being a bystander to face-to-face bullying has received some attention in the literature, to date, little is known about the effects of being a bystander to cyberbullying. It is also unknown how empathy might impact the negative consequences associated with being a bystander of cyberbullying. The present study focused on examining the longitudinal association between bystander of cyberbullying depression, and anxiety, and the moderating role of empathy in the relationship between bystander of cyberbullying and subsequent depression and anxiety. There were 1,090 adolescents (M-age = 12.19; 50% female) from the United States included at Time 1, and they completed questionnaires on empathy, cyberbullying roles (bystander, perpetrator, victim), depression, and anxiety. One year later, at Time 2, 1,067 adolescents (M-age = 13.76; 51% female) completed questionnaires on depression and anxiety. Results revealed a positive association between bystander of cyberbullying and depression and anxiety. Further, empathy moderated the positive relationship between bystander of cyberbullying and depression, but not for anxiety. Implications for intervention and prevention programs are discussed.
Background:
Several standards have been developed to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews (SR). One widely used tool is the AMSTAR. A recent update -AMSTAR 2 -is a 16 item evaluation tool that enables a detailed assessment of SR that include randomised (RCT) or non-randomised studies (NRS) of healthcare interventions.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study of SR on pharmacological or psychological interventions in major depression in adults was conducted. SR published during 2012-2017 were sampled from MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of SR. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2. Potential predictive factors associated with quality were examined.
Results:
In rating overall confidence in the results of 60 SR four reviews were rated "high", two were "moderate", one was "low" and 53 were "critically low". The mean AMSTAR 2 percentage score was 45.3% (standard deviation 22.6%) in a wide range from 7.1% to 93.8%. Predictors of higher quality were: type of review (higher quality in Cochrane Reviews), SR including only randomized trials and higher journal impact factor.
Limitations:
AMSTAR 2 is not intended to be used for the generation of a percentage score.
Conclusions:
According to AMSTAR 2 the overall methodological quality of SR on the treatment of adult major depression needs improvement. Although there is a high need for summarized information in the field of mental health, this work demonstrates the need to critically assess SR before using their findings. Better adherence to established reporting guidelines for SR is needed.
Background:
Recent studies have identified a Child Behavior Checklist profile that characterizes children with severe affective and behavioral dysregulation (CBCL-dysregulation profile, CBCL-DP). In two recent longitudinal studies the CBCL-DP in childhood was associated with heightened rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders, among them bipolar disorder, an increased risk for suicidality, and marked psychosocial impairment at young-adult follow-up. This is the first study outside the US that examines the longitudinal course of the CBCL-DP.
Methods:
We studied the diagnostic and functional trajectories and the predictive utility of the CBCL-DP in the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk, an epidemiological cohort study on the outcome of early risk factors from birth into adulthood. A total of 325 young adults (151 males, 174 females) participated in the 19-year assessment.
Results:
Young adults with a higher CBCL-DP score in childhood were at increased risk for substance use disorders, suicidality and poorer overall functioning at age 19, even after adjustment for parental education, family income, impairment and psychiatric disorders at baseline. Childhood dysregulation was not related to bipolar disorder in young adulthood. The CBCL-DP was neither a precursor of a specific pattern of comorbidity nor of comorbidity in general.
Conclusions:
Children with high CBCL-DP values are at risk for later severe, psychiatric symptomatology. The different developmental trajectories suggest that the CBCL-DP is not simply an early manifestation of a single disease process but might rather be an early developmental risk marker of a persisting deficit of self-regulation of affect and behavior.
Background:
Pruritus often accompanies chronic skin diseases, exerting considerable burden on many areas of patient functioning; this burden and the features of pruritus remain insufficiently characterized.
Objective:
To investigate characteristics, including localization patterns, and burden of pruritus in patients with chronic dermatoses.
Methods:
We recruited 800 patients with active chronic skin diseases. We assessed pruritus intensity, localization, and further characteristics. We used validated questionnaires to assess quality of life, work productivity and activity impairment, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality.
Results:
Nine out of every 10 patients had experienced pruritus throughout their disease and 73% in the last 7 days. Pruritus often affected the entire body and was not restricted to skin lesions. Patients with moderate to severe pruritus reported significantly more impairment to their sleep quality and work productivity, and they were more depressed and anxious than control individuals and patients with mild or no pruritus. Suicidal ideations were highly prevalent in patients with chronic pruritus (18.5%) and atopic dermatitis (11.8%).
Conclusions:
Pruritus prevalence and intensity are very high across all dermatoses studied; intensity is linked to impairment in many areas of daily functioning. Effective treatment strategies are urgently required to treat pruritus and the underlying skin disease. ( J Am Acad Dermatol 2021;84:691-700.)
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes using the hospital anxiety and depression scale
(2018)
Elite young athletes have to cope with multiple psychological demands such as training volume, mental and physical fatigue, spatial separation of family and friends or time management problems may lead to reduced mental and physical recovery. While normative data regarding symptoms of anxiety and depression for the general population is available (Hinz and Brahler, 2011), hardly any information exists for adolescents in general and young athletes in particular. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess overall symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes as well as possible sex differences. The survey was carried out within the scope of the study "Resistance Training in Young Athletes" (KINGS-Study). Between August 2015 and September 2016, 326 young athletes aged (mean +/- SD) 14.3 +/- 1.6 years completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale). Regarding the analysis of age on the anxiety and depression subscales, age groups were classified as follows: late childhood (12-14 years) and late adolescence (15-18 years). The participating young athletes were recruited from Olympic weight lifting, handball, judo, track and field athletics, boxing, soccer, gymnastics, ice speed skating, volleyball, and rowing. Anxiety and depression scores were (mean +/- SD) 4.3 +/- 3.0 and 2.8 +/- 2.9, respectively. In the subscale anxiety, 22 cases (6.7%) showed subclinical scores and 11 cases (3.4%) showed clinical relevant score values. When analyzing the depression subscale, 31 cases (9.5%) showed subclinical score values and 12 cases (3.7%) showed clinically important values. No significant differences were found between male and female athletes (p >= 0.05). No statistically significant differences in the HADS scores were found between male athletes of late childhood and late adolescents (p >= 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing questionnaire based indicators of symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes. Our data implies the need for sports medical as well as sports psychiatric support for young athletes. In addition, our results demonstrated that the chronological classification concerning age did not influence HAD Scale outcomes. Future research should focus on sports medical and sports psychiatric interventional approaches with the goal to prevent anxiety and depression as well as teaching coping strategies to young athletes.
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
(2018)
Elite young athletes have to cope with multiple psychological demands such as training volume, mental and physical fatigue, spatial separation of family and friends or time management problems may lead to reduced mental and physical recovery. While normative data regarding symptoms of anxiety and depression for the general population is available (Hinz and Brahler, 2011), hardly any information exists for adolescents in general and young athletes in particular. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess overall symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes as well as possible sex differences. The survey was carried out within the scope of the study "Resistance Training in Young Athletes" (KINGS-Study). Between August 2015 and September 2016, 326 young athletes aged (mean +/- SD) 14.3 +/- 1.6 years completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale). Regarding the analysis of age on the anxiety and depression subscales, age groups were classified as follows: late childhood (12-14 years) and late adolescence (15-18 years). The participating young athletes were recruited from Olympic weight lifting, handball, judo, track and field athletics, boxing, soccer, gymnastics, ice speed skating, volleyball, and rowing. Anxiety and depression scores were (mean +/- SD) 4.3 +/- 3.0 and 2.8 +/- 2.9, respectively. In the subscale anxiety, 22 cases (6.7%) showed subclinical scores and 11 cases (3.4%) showed clinical relevant score values. When analyzing the depression subscale, 31 cases (9.5%) showed subclinical score values and 12 cases (3.7%) showed clinically important values. No significant differences were found between male and female athletes (p >= 0.05). No statistically significant differences in the HADS scores were found between male athletes of late childhood and late adolescents (p >= 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing questionnaire based indicators of symptoms of anxiety and depression in young athletes. Our data implies the need for sports medical as well as sports psychiatric support for young athletes. In addition, our results demonstrated that the chronological classification concerning age did not influence HAD Scale outcomes. Future research should focus on sports medical and sports psychiatric interventional approaches with the goal to prevent anxiety and depression as well as teaching coping strategies to young athletes.
Labor market policies, such as training and sanctions, are commonly used to bring workers back to work. By analogy to medical treatments, exposure to these tools can have side effects. We study the effects on health using individual-level population registers on labor market outcomes, drug prescriptions, and sickness absence, comparing outcomes before and after exposure to training and sanctions. Training improves cardiovascular and mental health, and lowers sickness absence. This is likely to be the result of the instantaneous features of participation, such as the adoption of a more rigorous daily routine, rather than improved employment prospects. Benefits sanctions cause a short-run deterioration of mental health.
Labor market policy tools such as training and sanctions are commonly used to help bring workers back to work. By analogy to medical treatments, the individual exposure to these tools may have side effects. We study effects on health using individual-level population registers on labor market events outcomes, drug prescriptions and sickness absence, comparing outcomes before and after exposure to training and sanctions. We find that training improves cardiovascular and mental health and lowers sickness absence. The results suggest that this is not due to improved employment prospects but rather to instantaneous features of participation such as, perhaps, the adoption of a more rigorous daily routine. Unemployment benefits sanctions cause a short-run deterioration of mental health, possibly due higher stress levels, but this tapers out quickly.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the moderating effect of perceived social support from friends in the associations between self-isolation practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and adolescents' mental health (i.e., depression, subjective health complaints, self-harm), measured six months later (Time 2). Participants were 1,567 7(th) and 8(th) graders (51% female; 51% white; M age = 13.67) from the United States. They completed questionnaires on perceived social support from friends, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm at Time 1, and self-isolation practices during COVID-19, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm at Time 2. The findings revealed that self-isolation practices during COVID-19 was related positively to Time 1 perceived social support from friends, and negatively to Time 2 depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm, while accounting for Time 1 mental health outcomes. Higher perceived social support from friends at Time 1 buffered against the negative impacts on adolescents' mental health outcomes at Time 2 when they practiced greater self-isolation during COVID-19, while lower perceived social support at Time 1 had the opposite effects on Time 2 mental health outcomes.
Background:
Using the internet to search for information or share images about self-harm is an emerging risk among young people. The aims of this study were (a) to analyze the prevalence of different types of self-harm on the internet and differences by sex and age, and (b) to examine the relationship of self-harm on the internet with intrapersonal factors (i.e., depression and anxiety) and interpersonal factors (i.e., family cohesion and social resources).
Method:
The sample consisted of 1,877 adolescents (946 girls) between 12 and 17 years old (Mage = 13.41, SD = 1.25) who completed self-report measures.
Results:
Approximately 11% of the participants had been involved in some type of self-harm on the internet. The prevalence was significantly higher among girls than boys and among adolescents older than 15 years old. Depression and anxiety increased the risk of self-harm on the internet, whereas family cohesion decreased the probability of self-harm on the internet.
Conclusions:
Self-harm on the internet is a relatively widespread phenomenon among Spanish adolescents. Prevention programs should include emotional regulation, coping skills, and resilience to reduce in this behavior.
BACKGROUND: The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in depression. The hypothesis investigated was whether the OFC sensitivity to reward and nonreward is related to the severity of depressive symptoms.
METHODS: Activations in the monetary incentive delay task were measured in the IMAGEN cohort at ages 14 years (n = 1877) and 19 years (n = 1140) with a longitudinal design. Clinically relevant subgroups were compared at ages 19 (high-severity group: n = 116; low-severity group: n = 206) and 14.
RESULTS: The medial OFC exhibited graded activation increases to reward, and the lateral OFC had graded activation increases to nonreward. In this general population, the medial and lateral OFC activations were associated with concurrent depressive symptoms at both ages 14 and 19 years. In a stratified high-severity depressive symptom group versus control group comparison, the lateral OFC showed greater sensitivity for the magnitudes of activations related to nonreward in the high-severity group at age 19 (p = .027), and the medial OFC showed decreased sensitivity to the reward magnitudes in the high-severity group at both ages 14 (p = .002) and 19 (p = .002). In a longitudinal design, there was greater sensitivity to nonreward of the lateral OFC at age 14 for those who exhibited high depressive symptom severity later at age 19 (p = .003).
CONCLUSIONS: Activations in the lateral OFC relate to sensitivity to not winning, were associated with high depressive symptom scores, and at age 14 predicted the depressive symptoms at ages 16 and 19. Activations in the medial OFC were related to sensitivity to winning, and reduced reward sensitivity was associated with concurrent high depressive symptom scores.
BACKGROUND: The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in depression. The hypothesis investigated was whether the OFC sensitivity to reward and nonreward is related to the severity of depressive symptoms.
METHODS: Activations in the monetary incentive delay task were measured in the IMAGEN cohort at ages 14 years (n = 1877) and 19 years (n = 1140) with a longitudinal design. Clinically relevant subgroups were compared at ages 19 (high-severity group: n = 116; low-severity group: n = 206) and 14.
RESULTS: The medial OFC exhibited graded activation increases to reward, and the lateral OFC had graded activation increases to nonreward. In this general population, the medial and lateral OFC activations were associated with concurrent depressive symptoms at both ages 14 and 19 years. In a stratified high-severity depressive symptom group versus control group comparison, the lateral OFC showed greater sensitivity for the magnitudes of activations related to nonreward in the high-severity group at age 19 (p = .027), and the medial OFC showed decreased sensitivity to the reward magnitudes in the high-severity group at both ages 14 (p = .002) and 19 (p = .002). In a longitudinal design, there was greater sensitivity to nonreward of the lateral OFC at age 14 for those who exhibited high depressive symptom severity later at age 19 (p = .003).
CONCLUSIONS: Activations in the lateral OFC relate to sensitivity to not winning, were associated with high depressive symptom scores, and at age 14 predicted the depressive symptoms at ages 16 and 19. Activations in the medial OFC were related to sensitivity to winning, and reduced reward sensitivity was associated with concurrent high depressive symptom scores.