Project description:BackgroundGender-diverse individuals are at increased risk for mental health problems, but it is unclear whether this is due to shared environmental or genetic factors.MethodsIn two SPARK samples, we tested for associations of 16 polygenic scores (PGSs) with quantitative measures of gender diversity and mental health. In study 1, 639 independent adults (59% autistic) reported their mental health with the Adult Self-Report and their gender diversity with the Gender Self-Report (GSR). The GSR has 2 dimensions: binary (degree of identification with the gender opposite that implied by sex designated at birth) and nonbinary (degree of identification with a gender that is neither male nor female). In study 2 (N = 5165), we used a categorical measure of gender identity.ResultsIn study 1, neuropsychiatric PGSs were positively associated with Adult Self-Report scores: externalizing was positively associated with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder PGS (β = 0.10 [0.03-0.17]), and internalizing was positively associated with the PGSs for depression (β = 0.07 [0-0.14]) and neuroticism (β = 0.10 [0.03-0.17]). Interestingly, GSR scores were not significantly associated with any neuropsychiatric PGS. However, GSR nonbinary was positively associated with the cognitive performance PGS (β = 0.11 [0.05-0.18]), with the effect size comparable in magnitude to the associations of the neuropsychiatric PGSs with the Adult Self-Report. Additionally, GSR binary was positively associated with the nonheterosexual sexual behavior PGS (β = 0.07 [0-0.14]). In study 2, the cognitive performance PGS effect replicated; transgender and nonbinary individuals had higher PGSs (t316 = 4.16).ConclusionsWe showed that while gender diversity is phenotypically positively associated with mental health problems, the strongest PGS associations with gender diversity were with the cognitive performance PGS, not the neuropsychiatric PGSs.
Project description:In this article, we conducted the first meaningful study of irrational beliefs (IBs) in a German sample of athletes. Moreover, we investigated associations between IBs and potential general as well as sport-specific markers of mental health in German athletes. As general markers, we considered psychological distress and wellbeing in addition to IBs, and as sport-specific markers, we considered anxiety, perfectionism, and athletic identity. To achieve this, our first step was to translate and validate a specific measure of irrational beliefs, namely the Irrational Performance Beliefs Inventory (iPBI). The iPBI is a performance-relevant measure that captures specific IB, taking into account the situational circumstances of the target population, namely operators in different performance context (academia, sports, business, medicine, etc.). Its theoretical basis is largely Ellis' work on rational and irrational beliefs. We developed a short and a long version of the iPBI, which both capture four core IBs (i.e., demandingness, awfulization, low frustration tolerance, and depreciation). Factorial validity was confirmed by a confirmatory factor analysis (comparative fit index = 0.92) with data from 234 athletes. Both versions of the newly developed iPBI showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.77) and retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients >0.71). Results of the correlational analyses indicated low positive relationships between IBs and athletes' psychological distress, and low negative relations between IBs and wellbeing. In terms of sport-specific markers, there were low to moderate correlations with IBs. This study also examined the differences in IBs between females and males, individual and team sport athletes, and across three different performance levels. Implications of these findings are discussed along with approaches for future research and applied work.
Project description:BackgroundOver the past decades, media use has become a key aspect of young people's daily lives, significantly shaping their social interactions, learning processes, and recreational pursuits. At the same time, healthcare professionals and researchers are increasingly concerned about the impact of media use on young people's mental health. This concern is particularly relevant for gender diverse youth who may have distinct experiences with media that could impact their mental health uniquely compared to their peers, such as increased exposure to cyberbullying and negative content regarding their gender identity. This study aims to explore the associations between media use and depressive symptoms among youth and examine if gender moderates this association.MethodsThis study utilized a cross-sectional design involving a school-based sample of 8158 participants (Mage = 14.05 years, SD = 2.45, Ndiverse = 144) from Austria. Participants completed a survey assessing their media use and depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Media use was measured by asking participants to report their daily usage in hours and minutes across various categories, including smartphone use, streaming services, social networks, and other media types. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between different forms of media use and depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS to explore the role of gender.ResultsFor gender diverse youth, multiple regression analysis identified streaming services (β = 0.265, p = .005) and social networks (β = 0.189, p = .037) as significant predictors of depressive symptoms in gender diverse youth. Moderation analyses conducted with the entire sample showed that gender moderates the relationship between depressive symptoms and smartphone use (B = - 0.008, p = .014), with the effect being the most negative for gender diverse individuals.ConclusionThe findings underscore the complex relationship between media use and depressive symptoms among gender diverse youth, emphasizing the moderating role of gender. These results underline the need for gender-sensitive approaches in media literacy and mental health interventions. Stakeholders should be aware of risks and benefits of different media types to foster healthy media engagement.
Project description:BackgroundCurrent evidence suggests that precarious employment is a risk factor for poor mental health. Although the mechanisms underpinning this relationship are unclear, poor sleep has been proposed to have a role in this relationship. This study explored the mediating effects of poor sleep quality and duration on the relationship between precarious employment and mental health.MethodsData were obtained from wave 17 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. A novel precarious employment score (PES) was developed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in 8127 workers (4195 female, aged 18-65). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to evaluate the mediating effect of sleep quality and duration on the relationship between precarious employment and mental health (SF-36 mental health subscale).ResultsThe PES identified 650 workers with a high level of precariousness, 2417 with a moderate level of precariousness, and 5060 workers with a low level of precariousness out of 8127 in total. There was a significant direct association between precarious employment and mental health; with higher precarity increasing the likelihood of poor mental health. The SEM results revealed that sleep quality partially mediated the association between precarious employment and mental health (Coefficient = 0.025, 95 % CI [0.015, 0.034], P ≤ 0.001). However, a mediation effect was not found for sleep duration.ConclusionEncouraging precarious employees to improve sleep quality may mitigate the adverse effects of precarious work on their mental health. Further objective measurement of sleep duration warrants a more accurate insight into this mediating effect in this group.
Project description:ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to disentangle the mediating effect of sleep disorder between mental health literacy (MHL) and depressive symptoms in Chinese medical students, especially focusing on the impact of gender and grade.MethodsPooled longitudinal data of 5,504 medical students was collected between November 2019 and June 2020 to assess the MHL, sleep disorder and mental health of medical students in Anhui province, China. Mediation analyses were tested by using bootstrapping procedures.ResultsSleep disorder were negatively correlated with adequate MHL, but positively correlated with depressive symptoms. The relationships between MHL and depressive symptoms were mediated by sleep disorder in total samples and the indirect effect accounted for 13.59% of the total effect. However, the ratio was 20.82% in female students, whereas no mediating effect was found in the male students. Moreover, the ratio was found higher in freshmen (15.11%) than that in sophomores (11.56%).ConclusionImproving the sleep disorder by enhancing MHL is an effective way to reduce depressive symptoms in Chinese medical students. Further investigations elaborately considered by using more gender-balanced population with higher grade and lower level of education.
Project description:PurposeAdolescence is a phase when young people begin to explore their gender identity. Adolescents who identify as a gender minority are vulnerable to experiencing mental health problems due to stigmatization of their identity.MethodsA population-wide study compared gender minority and cisgender students (aged 13-14 years) self-reported symptoms of probable depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder, and auditory hallucinations, including the distress and frequency of hallucinations.ResultsGender minority students compared to cisgender students had four times the odds of reporting a probable depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, auditory hallucinations, but not conduct disorder. Of those who reported a hallucination, gender minority students were more likely to report hearing them daily but were no more likely to find them distressing.DiscussionGender minority students experience a disproportionate burden of mental health problems. Services and programming should be adapted to better support gender minority high-school students.
Project description:Employed women persistently suffer in mental health despite more family-friendly workplaces. The job demand-control theory argues that employed women's mental health depends on their job autonomy, while sociological research on the gender division of household labor locates the cause in how much they are expected by husbands to contribute to housework. The article integrates the two streams of literature by arguing that employed women's job autonomy and their spousal gender ideology interact to shape their mental health. Using nationally representative household-level panel survey and fixed effects models, the study showed that job autonomy improved employed women's mental health, but the benefits depended on their spousal gender ideologies. Specifically, women suffered a "double jeopardy" in mental health when they lacked job autonomy and had traditional husbands. In contrast, when women's husbands had an egalitarian gender ideology, they enjoyed mental health regardless of job autonomy. In addition, women's self-gender ideology did not predict their own or their husbands' mental health. The results point to a societal-level change in men's gender ideology as a fundamental way to improve employed women's family well-being.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-022-10090-8.
Project description:Lower power during marital interactions predicts greater aggression by men, but no research has identified women's response to lower power. We tested whether women who experienced lower situational power during conflict exhibited greater submission, especially if they held traditional gender role beliefs and thus accepted structural gender differences in power. Newlywed couples (Time 1 N = 204 couples) completed questionnaires and discussed an area of conflict 3 times over 3 years. Individuals who perceived lower power during couples' discussions evidenced greater submission, but this effect was more pronounced for wives, especially wives who held traditional gender role beliefs. Among those with traditional gender role beliefs, greater submission together with lower power predicted lower marital adjustment over time. These results highlight that the low power-submission link, and associated implications for marital adjustment, need to be evaluated in the context of power-relevant situations, gender, and broader power-related beliefs about gender roles.