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In the context of bereavement, little is known about the mechanisms that differentiate normative adjustment patterns from those that may indicate potential psychopathology. This study aimed to replicate and extend previous work by (1) characterizing the trajectories of depressive symptoms from 3 to 12 months after the loss of a spouse, (2) examining whether (a) childhood maltreatment and attachment style predicted distinct depression trajectories, and (b) different depression trajectories were associated with the risk of prolonged grief at 12 months post‐loss. Recently bereaved individuals (N = 175) completed self‐report assessments at 3, 4, 6, and 12‐months post‐loss. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were estimated using group‐based trajectory modelling. Four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: (1) resilience (minimal/no depression across time points; 45%), (2) moderate depression‐improved (alleviated to 'mild' by 12 months; 31%), (3) severe depression‐improved (alleviated to 'moderate' by 12 months; 15%), and (4) chronic depression ('severe' symptoms across time points; 9%). Higher childhood maltreatment predicted a greater likelihood of belonging to the 'severe depression‐improved' and 'chronic depression' groups than the 'resilient' and 'moderate depression‐improved' groups. Widow(er)s with higher attachment anxiety were more likely to belong to the 'severe depression‐improved' and 'chronic depression' groups than the 'resilient' group. The trajectory groups with persistent levels of depressive symptoms up until 6 months were more likely to exhibit prolonged grief at 12 months post‐loss. Changes from pre‐loss functioning cannot be estimated. Our findings provide insight into the early identification of post‐loss prolonged grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of a spouse is a highly stressful event. Better executive functioning has been shown to benefit men to a greater degree than women during stress. We evaluated potential sex differences in stress and immune dysregulation among control and bereaved participants who completed a self‐report measure of perceived stress, neuropsychological measures of inhibition and updating/monitoring of information in working memory, and a blood draw to measure Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) antibody titres. Moderation analyses were conducted to test the hypothesis that better inhibition would be associated with less stress and immune dysregulation among male bereaved participants compared with female bereaved participants. Bereaved females demonstrated greater EBV antibody titres than bereaved males. Male bereaved participants benefited from better inhibition, as evidenced by fewer EBV antibody titres, whereas bereaved female participants did not. In the control group, males with high inhibition reported lower stress than males with low inhibition. Present study results are an important step towards identifying those at greatest risk of stress and poor health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inhibition is the ability to stop one's self from responding, or paying attention, to tempting/distracting stimuli or thoughts. Those with poor inhibition are at greater risk of depression and a variety of diseases of older adulthood than those with better inhibition. Inflammation may be a mechanism underlying these links. A total of 840 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed a neuropsychological measure of inhibition, a self‐report measure of depressive symptoms, and a blood draw. Results indicated that poor inhibition was associated with high interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). Inhibition was indirectly associated with metabolic syndrome incidence and depressive symptoms through IL‐6. Findings suggest that IL‐6 may be a mechanism linking inhibition with metabolic syndrome and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to develop a further understanding of the relationship between early-life socio-economic status (SES) and adult health disparities. This was accomplished through evaluation of state indicators of positive and negative affect as mechanisms through which early-life SES was associated with susceptibility to a rhinovirus (i.e. the common cold). Analyses were conducted among 286 adults in a viral challenge study in which participants were exposed to a rhinovirus via nasal drops and cold symptoms were evaluated over a period of 5 days. Participant age, body mass index, sex, education, ethnicity, pre-challenge virus-specific antibody titres and subjective adult SES, along with virus type and season of participation, were included as covariates. Early-life SES was associated with cold incidence through state positive affect, but not state negative affect. In addition, contrast analysis indicated that the indirect effect through state positive affect was stronger than the indirect effect through state negative affect. Findings provide further support for early-life SES being an important variable associated with adult health, and that state self-reported positive affect may be an underlying mechanism associated with susceptibility to rhinoviruses. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]