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Objective: To compare mental distress and COVID‐19‐related family environment changes among pregnant women before and during the pandemic. Methods: In a survey‐based study in Lishui City, Zhejiang, China, pregnant women were recruited before (March–December, 2019; n = 2657) and during (January–August, 2020; n = 689) the COVID‐19 pandemic. They completed the Symptom Check List‐90 Revised (SCL90‐R) questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and were asked about their families via the Family Environment Scale (FES). Results: Higher SCL90‐R scores of somatization (P = 0.003), depression (P = 0.043), anxiety (P = 0.041), hostility (P = 0.009), and others (P = 0.025) were reported by women during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Sleep disorder also occurred more frequently among pregnant women during the pandemic (P = 0.002). Social environmental characteristics of families showed impaired family cohesion, and increased levels of conflict and independence during the pandemic (all P < 0.05). The FES score for family cohesion was negatively related with obsessive–compulsive, depression, anxiety, and hostility symptoms, whereas that for conflict was positively related with these symptoms (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: The mental health, sleep, and family environment of pregnant women was impaired during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Potential protective factors including increased social support might help to mitigate long‐lasting negative consequences. The mental health and sleep of pregnant women was impaired during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and they experienced more stressful family events over the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hostility, anger, and aggression are conceptually related but unique constructs found to occur more often among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than among civilians or veterans without PTSD. However, the pathways between PTSD, depression, hostility, anger, and aggression have not been comprehensively characterized. Therefore, drawing on a sample of returning Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veterans ( N = 175; 95% male; mean age 30 years), this study sought to examine the direct and indirect relationships among PTSD, depression, hostility, anger, and four types of aggression: verbal, and physical toward self, others, and objects. Functional modeling of direct effects was done using multiple least-squares regression and bootstrapped mediation analyses were carried out to test indirect effects. Results indicate that PTSD is not the overall direct contributor to different forms of aggression, supporting the mediating role of depression and trait anger. Depression symptoms explain part of the relationships between PTSD and verbal aggression, physical aggression toward objects, and physical aggression toward self and trait anger explains part of the relationships between PTSD and verbal aggression, physical aggression toward objects, and physical aggression toward others. Our findings support the importance of assessing for anger, depression, and different types of aggression among veterans presenting for PTSD treatment to develop individualized treatment plans that may benefit from early incorporation of interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of an individual stepped-care stress-management intervention for cancer patients on cancer-related stress reactions (intrusion/avoidance), and secondarily on psychological distress (anxiety/depression) and emotional reactivity (impatience/hostility).Methods: Consecutively 291 cancer patients were included in a randomized controlled intervention study. Patients randomized to the intervention who did not report clinically significant stress levels (n = 72) after the first counseling session participated in only one counseling session and a follow-up (Step 1). The remaining patients (n = 66) received an additional three to eight sessions, depending on individual needs (Step 2). The intervention used techniques derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) such as daily registration of events and behaviors as well as scheduled behavioral and physical activity, along with short relaxation exercises. The intervention was completed within 26 weeks of inclusion. The Impact of Event Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Everyday Life Stress Scale were used to evaluate effects for 2 years.Results: The linear mixed effects model analysis showed a difference between the randomization groups in favor of the intervention for avoidance and intrusion after the first 6 weeks (P = 0.001 and P = 0.003) and for emotional reactivity after 17 weeks (P = 0.007). There were no differences in psychological distress. Decreases in cancer-related stress reactions and depression were noted for the Step 2 intervention.Conclusions: An individual stepped-care stress-management intervention for cancer patients, performed by specially educated health professionals using techniques derived from CBT, seems beneficial for cancer patients and may therefore be a realistic complement to routine cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Negative emotions are linked to the onset and development of coronary heart diseases ( CHD), whereas positive emotions are associated with better health and lower mortality rates among patients with these diseases. The objective of this randomised trial was to improve cardiac patients' emotional states using a Programme to Improve Well-being ( PIW) based exclusively on positive interventions (those that promote intentional behaviours and thoughts to improve well-being). Methods Cardiac patients ( n = 108) were randomly assigned to two parallel groups. In the control group, they participated in only a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme ( CRP group), whereas the intervention group also participated in the PIW ( CRP+ PIW group). Physical functional capacity, depressive symptoms, hostility, and negative and positive affect were assessed at T1 (baseline) and T2 (8 weeks later). Results At T2, after controlling for functional capacity, the CRP+ PIW group reported a significantly less negative affect than the CRP group. Moreover, the CRP group did not change from T1 to T2, whereas the CRP+ PIW group reported more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions and hostility at T2 than at T1. Conclusions Positive interventions effectively improve the emotional state of cardiac patients. We suggest that specific modules should be included in the CRP to improve well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To explore differences in sociodemographic and psychological correlates of institutional trust in health care in an aging population of African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Design Cross-sectional survey data from the longitudinal Chicago Health and Aging Project. Setting Population-based study of three communities in the Chicago area. Participants African Americans (n = 2,284) and non-Hispanic whites (1,354) with a mean age of 79.3. Measurements Demographic factors, socioeconomic status ( SES), healthcare access, cynical hostility, perceived discrimination, depression, and institutional trust in health care. Results African Americans reported substantially lower healthcare trust than non-Hispanic whites ( P < .001). After adjustment for demographic variables and SES, only race ( P < .001) and age ( P = .008) were significantly associated with healthcare trust scores. The association between race and healthcare trust was slightly attenuated after adjusting for cynical hostility, depressive symptoms, and perceived discrimination ( P < .001). Each of these variables was negatively associated with healthcare trust, and together these accounted for approximately 15% of racial differences in healthcare trust. Conclusion Psychological factors, not demographic characteristics, SES, or healthcare factors, appear to contribute the most to disparities in healthcare trust between older African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to investigate the development of mother–adolescent hostile aggressive conflict (MHAC) from late adolescence to young adulthood. The role of child' depressive and delinquency problems and family characteristics, as well as the relation of level and change in MHAC to adolescents' delinquency and depression in early adulthood will be investigated. From the Genzano Longitudinal study 385 adolescents (51% males) participated in this study and completed self report measures. Latent growth curve modeling, separately by gender, indicated that the overall level MHAC exhibited a modest decline over time. For both males and females, depressive problems were associated to higher initial levels of MHAC and early maternal age predicted less decline of MHAC. Starting levels of MHAC were associated with Delinquency in males and with Depression in females, while the growth of MHAC was associated to delinquency in males and females and to depression in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Disruption in the parent-child relationship is a commonly hypothesized risk factor through which maternal depression may increase risk for offspring psychopathology. However, maternal depression is commonly accompanied by other psychopathology, including antisocial behaviour. Few studies have examined the role of co-occurring psychopathology in depressed mothers. Using a longitudinal study of offspring of mothers with recurrent depression, we aimed to test whether maternal warmth/hostility mediated links between maternal depression severity and child outcomes, and how far direct and indirect pathways were robust to controls for co-occurring maternal antisocial behaviour. Methods Mothers with a history of recurrent major depressive disorder and their adolescent offspring (9-17 years at baseline) were assessed three times between 2007 and 2010. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing their own depression severity and antisocial behaviour at Time 1 (T1). The parent-child relationship was assessed using parent-rated questionnaire and interviewer-rated 5-min speech sample at Time 2 (T2). Offspring symptoms of depression and disruptive behaviours were assessed using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment at Time 3 (T3). Results Maternal hostility and warmth, respectively, mediated the association between maternal depression severity and risk for offspring psychopathology. However, the effects were attenuated when maternal antisocial behaviour was included in the analysis. In tests of the full theoretical model, maternal antisocial behaviour predicted both maternal hostility and low warmth, maternal hostility predicted offspring disruptive behaviour disorder symptoms, but not depression, and maternal warmth was not associated with either child outcome. Conclusions Parenting interventions aimed at reducing hostility may be beneficial for preventing or reducing adolescent disruptive behaviours in offspring of depressed mothers, especially when depressed mothers report co-occurring antisocial behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.- Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an idiopathic and chronic pain condition for which patients may experience high levels of pain, anxiety, and depression. So far, it has not yet been well investigated whether specific psychiatric features (anxious traits, personality disorder, or somatization) may play a role in the BMS pathogenesis or whether some BMS symptoms, or BMS itself, may cause secondary psychiatric symptoms. Objective.- The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pain, depression, and anxiety in BMS and healthy patients in order to hypothesize a possible underlying pathogenetic model. Methods.- Fifty-three patients with BMS and 51 healthy volunteers matched for sex and age were enrolled. All patients underwent a physical examination, laboratory screening tests, and psychiatric assessment with the following instruments: Visual Analog Scale, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y 1-2 (STAI Y1-Y2), and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Results.- BMS patients and healthy volunteers showed a statistically significant difference in psychiatric features: Regression analysis showed that pain is affected by depression ( R = 0.373; R2 corrected = 0.123; F = 8.563; P < .005), and depression is affected by anxiety ( R = 0.512; R2 corrected = 0.248; F = 18.519; P < .001). BMS patients have statistically significant higher scores of anxiety (STAI Y1, P = .026 and STAI Y2, P = .046) and depression ( P < .001), and higher SCL-90-R scores on somatization ( P = .036) and hostility dimensions ( P = .028) than the control group. Conclusions.- We may hypothesize that anxiety could determine a secondary demoralization in BMS patients (depression) and depressive symptoms could contribute to pain, accordingly. Therefore, pain could be a somatic feature of depression. Our findings provide an example of a possible pathogenetic model for BMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed at examining predictors of hostility among university students in Jordan. Methods: Two-step multiple hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between hostility, perceived stress, perceived social support, depression, moral commitment, life satisfaction and optimism utilizing data collected from 428 university students were recruited from six different universities in Jordan. Results: Life satisfaction, depression and perceived stress were significant predictors of hostility among university students (p < 0.05). Life satisfaction was inversely related, whereas depression and perceived stress were positively related to hostility. Male and female university students were not different in their hostility scores. Conclusion: Assessment of psychosocial well being is an important component to manage hostility among university students. The importance of psychosocial well being is highlighted and implications for mental health nurses and professionals are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative influences of genetic and environmental factors in the development of human behavior have been a long-term topic for an intense debate. Recent behavioral genetic studies suggest focusing on the joint effect of genes and environment, and especially on the life-course developmental interplay between nature and nurture. Vulnerability to environmental adversities and sensitivity to its benefits may be conditional on genetic background, and regarding psychological outcomes, these kinds of gene × environment interactions may be of higher importance than direct gene–trait associations. In our recent series of studies, we have shown that different variants of serotonergic and dopaminergic genes may moderate the influence of environmental conditions on a range of psychological outcomes, i.e. temperament, depression, hostility, and educational attainment. These studies suggest that depending on their genotype, people may be differentially sensitive to the environmental conditions they encounter. In the light of these results it seems highly plausible that the effects of genes may become evident only when studied in the context of environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of the present study was to compare psychiatric symptoms between adolescents with and without Internet addiction, as well as between analogs with and without substance use. Methods: A total of 3662 students (2328 male and 1334 female) were recruited for the study. Self-report scales were utilized to assess psychiatric symptoms, Internet addiction, and substance use. Results: It was found that Internet addiction or substance use in adolescents was associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms. Hostility and depression were associated with Internet addiction and substance use after controlling for other symptoms. Conclusions: This result partially supports the hypothesis that Internet addiction should be included in the organization of problem behavior theory, and it is suggested that prevention and intervention can best be carried out when grouped with other problem behaviors. Moreover, more attention should be devoted to hostile and depressed adolescents in the design of preventive strategies and the related therapeutic interventions for Internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used data from the national Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies (DATOS) to investigate the associations that pre-treatment depression and hostility have with drug use and criminal behavior at 1 year and 5 year follow-up in patients with and without additional treatment involvement in the year prior to each follow-up. Following a naturalistic, non-experimental evaluation design, admissions to methadone treatment were followed up approximately 1 and 5 years later. Data analysis was conducted using multiple logistic regression. Eighteen programs from DATOS were included. An analytic sample consisting of 727 patients at 1 year follow-up and 432 patients at 5 year follow-up was included. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that greater depression predicted less drug use in the year preceding each follow-up, whereas greater hostility predicted increased drug use and more arrests at each follow-up. Furthermore, these predictive relationships appeared only among individuals not involved in additional treatment. Depression and hostility showed opposite associations with outcomes, underscoring the need to assess these psychological conditions separately and tailor treatment plans appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the impact of torture on symptomatology among mass displaced adults. Method: A sample (total 131; 70 females, 61 males) of mass displaced adults from Kosovo, in Sweden, completed 3 months after a baseline study on trauma experiences and perceived symptoms, self-rated instruments measuring psychiatric symptoms, aggression and coping. Results: Torture is associated with poor coping (manageability); depression, anxiety and aggression are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. All psychiatric symptoms and poor coping (but not aggression) are associated with being female. Limitations of the study include a relatively small sample. Ongoing trauma and stress before repatriation may also influence the responses. Several lessons learnt for prevention are discussed. Conclusion: Anger and hostility are important consequences of torture. Further research is necessary to understand the associations among coping strategies, psychiatric symptoms, aggression, torture experience and gender over time after repatriation or applying for asylum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity and level of anxiety, depression, and aggression in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures compared with those in patients with somatoform disorders and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-three patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) and 23 age- and sex-matched patients with somatoform disorders (SDs) underwent a clinical and a semistructured psychiatric interview (MINI) and filled in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Twenty-three sex- and age-matched controls without psychopathology also underwent a clinical interview and completed the HAD and AQ. Results: PNES reported more minor head injuries in the past than did the two comparison groups, and more unspecific EEG dysrhythmias were observed on EEG. Twenty-one PNES patients and 18 with SDs had comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. However, the mean number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses was higher in the PNES group (1.9 ± 0.3 compared with 1.5 ± 0.5 in the SD group; p = 0.003). Ten PNES patients additionally had a somatoform pain disorder, and seven had an undifferentiated somatoform disorder. Both patient groups reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and anger than did the healthy controls, but the PNES patients had significantly higher level of hostility than both comparison groups. Conclusions: Increased psychiatric comorbidity is known to be associated with poorer response to regular interventions, and hostility is associated with more hostile coping patterns, often interfering with treatment compliance. Thus the increased prevalence of soft neurologic signs and comorbid psychiatric disorders and increased hostility as well in the PNES group, emphasizes that assessment and treatment of patients with PNES referred to a tertiary center requires an integrated approach involving both neurologic and psychiatric resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstracts that will be presented in the poster session of the Society for Psychophysiological Research conference. "Prepulse Inhibition and the Psychological Refractory Period," by Melissa L. Rawley; "Sex Differences in Event Related Brain Responses in Semantic Priming," by Jerome Daltrozzo and Boris Kotchoubey; "Neuroelectric Assessment of Ecstasy Use in Young Adults," by Brian A. Lopez and John Polich.