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The association between negative attention biases and symptoms of depression in a community sample of adolescents.

ABSTRACT: Adolescence is a vulnerable time for the onset of depression. Recent evidence from adult studies suggests not only that negative attention biases are correlated with symptoms of depression, but that reducing negative attention biases through training can in turn reduce symptomology. The role and plasticity of attention biases in adolescent depression, however, remains unclear. This study examines the association between symptoms of depression and attention biases, and whether such biases are modifiable, in a community sample of adolescents. We report data from 105 adolescents aged 13-17 who completed a dot-probe measure of attention bias before and after a single session of visual search-based cognitive bias modification training. This is the first study to find a significant association between negative attention biases and increased symptoms of depression in a community sample of adolescents. Contrary to expectations, we were unable to manipulate attention biases using a previously successful cognitive bias modification task. There were no significant effects of the training on positive affect and only modest effects of the training, identified in post-hoc analyses, were observed on negative affect. Our data replicate those from the adult literature, which suggest that adolescent depression is a disorder associated with negative attention biases, although we were unable to modify attention biases in our study. We identify numerous parameters of our methodology which may explain these null training effects, and which could be addressed in future cognitive bias modification studies of adolescent depression.

SUBMITTER: Platt B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4631462 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The association between negative attention biases and symptoms of depression in a community sample of adolescents.

Platt Belinda B Murphy Susannah E SE Lau Jennifer Y F JY

PeerJ 20151029

Adolescence is a vulnerable time for the onset of depression. Recent evidence from adult studies suggests not only that negative attention biases are correlated with symptoms of depression, but that reducing negative attention biases through training can in turn reduce symptomology. The role and plasticity of attention biases in adolescent depression, however, remains unclear. This study examines the association between symptoms of depression and attention biases, and whether such biases are mod ...[more]

PMID: 26539335

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Project description:ObjectiveDepressive symptoms can be assessed with self-reported questionnaires, such as the Patient Health Questionary-9 (PHQ-9). Previous studies have suggested that the PHQ-9 items can be grouped into somatic and non-somatic clusters. However, the classification of the PHQ-9 item "concentration difficulties" into somatic or non-somatic is still controversial. This controversy may be explained by difficulties experienced by subjects in accurately evaluating their attention problems. The primary objective of this study was to determine the correlation between objective attentional performance and the two clusters of depressive symptoms in hospital employees working in stressful conditions.MethodsThe participants filled out the PHQ-9 to identify their depressive symptoms. Based on the PHQ-9, the somatic or non-somatic symptoms were measured without considering the question about subjective concentration difficulties. Then, a brief version of the Continuous Visual Attention Test (CVAT) was applied to assess four attentional subdomains. The CVAT is a Go/No-go task that measures number of correct responses (focused attention), number of incorrect responses (behavior-inhibition), average reaction time of correct responses (RT-alertness), and variability of reaction time (VRT-sustained attention). The entire task lasted 90 s. Correlation analyses assessed the relationships between attentional performance and the two dimensions of depressive symptoms.ResultsAfter applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 359 individuals were selected. Their age ranged from 20 to 70 years (mean = 40.5, SD = 10.37), and the majority was female (67.6%). A predominance in somatic depressive symptoms was present in 231 (64%) participants, whereas 59 (16%) showed a predominance of non-somatic symptoms. Sixty-nine participants (20%) did not show any predominance. Higher somatic scores were associated with higher RTs, whereas higher non-somatic scores were related to an increase in the number of incorrect responses.ConclusionThe predominance of the somatic cluster was related to lower alertness, whereas the predominance of non-somatic cluster was associated with impulsivity/hyperactivity. This result may explain the difficulties associated with correctly classifying the item concentration difficulties. A brief attentional task can be used as an auxiliary tool to correctly identify the different dimensions of attention that are associated with different clusters of depressive symptoms.

Project description:BackgroundChildren of chronic pain patients run greater risk for developing chronic pain themselves. Exposure to chronic pain of the parent might install cognitive (e.g., pain catastrophizing, interpretation and attentional bias) and affective (e.g., pain anxiety) vulnerability which increase the risk for the development of chronic pain complaints in offspring. This study examines whether pain-free offspring of parents with chronic pain complaints make more health-threatening interpretations and display a stronger pain-related attentional bias compared to the offspring of pain-free parents. We furthermore examined differences between both groups on pain catastrophizing, pain anxiety and somatic symptoms and explored the relations between parental pain catastrophizing and aforementioned pain vulnerability measures in offspring.MethodsOffspring of parents with chronic pain complaints (n = 24) and pain-free parents (n = 27) completed measures of attentional bias (i.e., pictorial dot probe), interpretation bias (i.e., ambiguous word association task), pain catastrophizing, pain anxiety and somatic symptoms. Parents completed measures of pain catastrophizing and psychological distress.ResultsNo differences between offspring of parents with and without pain complaints were observed on pain catastrophizing, pain anxiety and somatic symptoms. Both groups of healthy adolescents predominantly showed benign, non-health-threatening interpretations. Children of pain-free parents showed an attention bias for pain stimuli, while offspring of parents with pain complaints showed no such bias.ConclusionsFuture research is needed to further elucidate the precise role of parental pain in the development of pain-related biases and the significance of these biases in the onset and/or maintenance of a chronic pain condition in children and adolescents.SignificanceParental chronic pain may install psychological vulnerability for developing chronic pain and associated complaints in offspring. This study did not show differences in pain-directed attentional and interpretation bias between offspring of parents with chronic pain complaints and offspring of pain-free parents. Further (longitudinal) research is needed to elucidate the precise role of parental pain factors in the development of pain-related vulnerability in offspring of chronic pain parents, thereby identifying important targets for the prevention and early intervention of chronic pain.

Project description:BackgroundPhysical and sedentary activities have been identified as potentially modifiable risk factors for many diseases, including mental illness, and may be effective targets for public health policy and intervention. However, the relative contribution of physical activity versus sedentary behaviour to mental health is less clear. This study investigated the cross-sectional association between physical activity, sedentary activity and symptoms of depression and anxiety at age 14-15 in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY).MethodsRespondents aged 14-15 years between 1996 and 2009 who reported on symptoms of depression in the NLSCY were included (n=9702). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between physical and sedentary activity and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Joint models including both physical and sedentary activity were also explored. Models were adjusted for sex, ethnicity, immigration status, family income, parental education, recent major stressful life events and chronic health conditions.ResultsThe odds of having moderate and severe symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with no symptoms was 1.43 (1.11 to 1.84) and 1.88 (1.45 to 2.45) times higher, respectively, in physically inactive youth relative to physically active youth. The odds of having moderate and severe symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with no symptoms was 1.38 (1.13 to 1.69) and 1.31 (1.02 to 1.69) times higher, respectively, in sedentary youth relative to non-sedentary youth. In joint models including both physical and sedentary activity, sedentary activity was not consistently associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety.ConclusionsBoth physical inactivity and sedentary activity appear to be significantly related to symptoms of depression and anxiety. The importance of distinguishing these two behaviours has relevance for research as well as policies targeting physical activity and mental health in youth.

Project description:ImportanceModern digital platforms are easily accessible and intensely stimulating; it is unknown whether frequent use of digital media may be associated with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).ObjectiveTo determine whether the frequency of using digital media among 15- and 16-year-olds without significant ADHD symptoms is associated with subsequent occurrence of ADHD symptoms during a 24-month follow-up.Design, setting, and participantsLongitudinal cohort of students in 10 Los Angeles County, California, high schools recruited through convenience sampling. Baseline and 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-up surveys were administered from September 2014 (10th grade) to December 2016 (12th grade). Of 4100 eligible students, 3051 10th-graders (74%) were surveyed at the baseline assessment.ExposuresSelf-reported use of 14 different modern digital media activities at a high-frequency rate over the preceding week was defined as many times a day (yes/no) and was summed in a cumulative index (range, 0-14).Main outcomes and measuresSelf-rated frequency of 18 ADHD symptoms (never/rare, sometimes, often, very often) in the 6 months preceding the survey. The total numbers of 9 inattentive symptoms (range, 0-9) and 9 hyperactive-impulsive symptoms (range, 0-9) that students rated as experiencing often or very often were calculated. Students who had reported experiencing often or very often 6 or more symptoms in either category were classified as being ADHD symptom-positive.ResultsAmong the 2587 adolescents (63% eligible students; 54.4% girls; mean [SD] age 15.5 years [0.5 years]) who did not have significant symptoms of ADHD at baseline, the median follow-up was 22.6 months (interquartile range [IQR], 21.8-23.0, months). The mean (SD) number of baseline digital media activities used at a high-frequency rate was 3.62 (3.30); 1398 students (54.1%) indicated high frequency of checking social media (95% CI, 52.1%-56.0%), which was the most common media activity. High-frequency engagement in each additional digital media activity at baseline was associated with a significantly higher odds of having symptoms of ADHD across follow-ups (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.16). This association persisted after covariate adjustment (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.15). The 495 students who reported no high-frequency media use at baseline had a 4.6% mean rate of having ADHD symptoms across follow-ups vs 9.5% among the 114 who reported 7 high-frequency activities (difference; 4.9%; 95% CI, 2.5%-7.3%) and vs 10.5% among the 51 students who reported 14 high-frequency activities (difference, 5.9%; 95% CI, 2.6%-9.2%).Conclusions and relevanceAmong adolescents followed up over 2 years, there was a statistically significant but modest association between higher frequency of digital media use and subsequent symptoms of ADHD. Further research is needed to determine whether this association is causal.

Dataset Information

The association between negative attention biases and symptoms of depression in a community sample of adolescents.

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The association between negative attention biases and symptoms of depression in a community sample of adolescents.

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