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The relationship between independent and dependent life events and depression symptoms in Sri Lanka: a twin and singleton study.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:Life events have been associated with a variety of mental health conditions including depression. There is a scarcity of research in South Asia exploring the aetiology of independent and dependent life events and their relationship with depression symptoms. This study aimed, in a Sri Lankan population, to identify the socio-demographic correlates and genetic and environmental influences on independent and dependent life events and their relationship with depression. METHODS:Questionnaire data came from the Colombo Twin and Singleton Follow-up Study, CoTaSS-2 (N?=?3969), a population study of Sri Lankan twins and singletons. Lifetime-ever independent and dependent life events were measured using a questionnaire and depressive symptoms using the Revised Beck's Depression Inventory. Structural Equation Model-fitting analyses explored the genetic and environmental influences on life events and depression. RESULTS:Living in a rural environment and financial hardship were associated with greater reporting of independent and dependent life events. Sex differences were evident in the aetiology of life events and depression symptoms. Independent and dependent life events, but not depression symptoms, were heritable in males. Independent life events and depression symptoms, but not dependent life events, were heritable in females. Non-shared environmental influences explained phenotypic associations between independent life events and depression symptoms in both males and females. Genetic and non-shared environmental influences explained the phenotypic associations between dependent life events and depression symptoms in males. Only non-shared environment explained the covariation between dependent life events and depression symptoms in females. CONCLUSIONS:Socio-demographic correlates of independent and dependent life events were similar to those reported in Western populations. Life events were associated with increased depression symptoms. Contrary to research in Western populations, we found that non-shared environmental, rather than genetic, influences explained much of the covariation between life events and depression symptoms. This suggests that whilst independent LEs may be heritable, the relationship is unlikely to be confounded by genetic influences and has significant implications for possible interventions for depression.

SUBMITTER: Zavos HMS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7024056 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The relationship between independent and dependent life events and depression symptoms in Sri Lanka: a twin and singleton study.

Zavos Helena M S HMS Dalton Bethan B Jayaweera Kaushalya K Harber-Aschan Lisa L Pannala Gayani G Adikari Anushka A Hatch Stephani L SL Siribaddana Sisira S Sumathipala Athula A Hotopf Matthew M Rijsdijk Frühling V FV

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 20190903 2

<h4>Purpose</h4>Life events have been associated with a variety of mental health conditions including depression. There is a scarcity of research in South Asia exploring the aetiology of independent and dependent life events and their relationship with depression symptoms. This study aimed, in a Sri Lankan population, to identify the socio-demographic correlates and genetic and environmental influences on independent and dependent life events and their relationship with depression.<h4>Methods</h ...[more]

PMID: 31482195

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Project description:IntroductionPrevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is a priority in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South Asia where these are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The metabolic syndrome is a tool to identify cardiometabolic risk, but the validity of the metabolic syndrome as a clinical construct is debated. This study tested the existence of the metabolic syndrome, explored alternative cardiometabolic risk characterisations, and examined genetic and environmental factors in a South Asian population sample.MethodsData came from the Colombo Twin and Singleton follow-up Study, which recruited twins and singletons in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2012-2015 (n = 3476). Latent class analysis tested the clustering of metabolic syndrome indicators (waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, medications, and diabetes). Regression analyses tested cross-sectional associations between the identified latent cardiometabolic classes and sociodemographic covariates and health behaviours. Structural equation modelling estimated genetic and environmental contributions to cardiometabolic risk profiles. All analyses were stratified by sex (n = 1509 men, n = 1967 women).ResultsThree classes were identified in men: 1) "Healthy" (52.3%), 2) "Central obesity, high triglycerides, high fasting plasma glucose" (40.2%), and 3) "Central obesity, high triglycerides, diabetes" (7.6%). Four classes were identified in women: 1) "Healthy" (53.2%), 2) "Very high central obesity, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, raised fasting plasma glucose" (32.8%), 3) "Very high central obesity, diabetes" (7.2%) and 4) "Central obesity, hypertension, raised fasting plasma glucose" (6.8%). Older age in men and women, and high socioeconomic status in men, was associated with cardiometabolic risk classes, compared to the "Healthy" classes. In men, individual differences in cardiometabolic class membership were due to environmental effects. In women, genetic differences predicted class membership.ConclusionThe findings did not support the metabolic syndrome construct. Instead, distinct clinical profiles were identified for men and women, suggesting different aetiological pathways.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Studies have found that although there are high rates of depression among university students, their help-seeking practices are poor. It is important to identify students who are less likely to seek the necessary help, to encourage better help-seeking among them. This study, which was conducted among undergraduates in Sri Lanka, examined the associations between personal characteristics of the undergraduates and their intentions to seek help for depression. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study in which 4461 undergraduates (Male: n = 1358, 30.4%, Female: n = 3099, 69.5%; Mean age = 22.18; SD = 1.47) indicated their intentions to seek help if personally affected by depression, which was described in a hypothetical vignette about a peer experiencing depression symptomatology. The predictors of the undergraduates' help-seeking intentions, including their sociodemographic characteristics, prior exposure to and recognition of the problem, and their stigma towards those with depression were examined using binary logistic regression analyses models. RESULTS:The undergraduates' ability to recognise the problem was one of the strongest predictors of their intentions to seek professional help. Those with higher levels of stigma were less likely to seek both professional and informal help. While females were less likely to consider professional help, they were more likely to consider the help of informal help-providers and to consider religious strategies. Medical undergraduates and those who had sought help for personal experiences of the problem were also more likely to consider informal help. However, all these associations resulted in small effect sizes, except for those between recognition of the problem and the undergraduates' intentions to seek professional help, where medium to very large effect sizes were observed in the case of some the associations examined. CONCLUSIONS:Improvement of problem-recognition may be a key strategy for improving help-seeking among these undergraduates. Reduction of stigma may also be associated with better depression-related help-seeking of undergraduates. Females and medical undergraduates need to be educated about the importance of seeking appropriate types of help, and their informal social networks must be educated about how best to help them.

Project description:BackgroundBurden of stroke is rising due to the demographic and epidemiological transitions in Sri Lanka. Assessment of success of stroke-management requires tools to assess the quality of life (QOL) of stroke survivors. Most of currently used QOL tools are developed in high-income countries and may not reflect characteristics relevant to resource-constrained countries. The aim was to develop and validate a new QOL tool for stroke survivors in Sri Lanka.MethodsThe COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist was referred. A conceptual framework was prepared. Item generation was done reviewing the existing QOL tools, inputs from experts and from stroke survivors. Non-statistical item reduction was done for the 36 generated items with modified-Delphi technique. Retained 21 items were included in the draft tool. A cross sectional study was done with 180 stroke survivors. Exploratory Factor Analysis was done and identified factors were subjected to varimax rotation. Further construct validity was tested with 6 a-priori hypothesis using already validated tools (SF-36, EQ-5D-3 L) and a formed construct. Internal consistency reliability was assessed with Cronbach alpha.ResultsFour factors identified with principal-component-analysis explained 72.02% of the total variance. All 21 items loaded with a level > 0.4. The developed tool was named as the Post-stroke QOL Index (PQOLI). Four domains were named as "physical and social function", "environment", "financial-independence" and "pain and emotional-wellbeing". Four domain scores of PQOLI correlated as expected with the SF-36, EQ-5D Index and EQ-5D-VAS scores. Higher domain scores were obtained for ambulatory-group than the hospitalized-group. Higher scores for financial-independence domain were obtained for the group without financial-instability. Five a-priori hypothesis were completely proven to be true. Cronbach-alpha level ranged from 0.682 to 0.906 for the four domains.ConclusionsThere is first evidence for sufficient construct validity of the PQOLI as a valid QOL tool for measuring the QOL of stroke survivors with satisfactory internal consistency reliability.

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The relationship between independent and dependent life events and depression symptoms in Sri Lanka: a twin and singleton study.

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The relationship between independent and dependent life events and depression symptoms in Sri Lanka: a twin and singleton study.

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