The impact of childhood trauma and psychophysiological reactivity on at-risk women's adjustment to parenthood

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have an impact on women's adaptation to parenthood, but mechanisms are poorly understood. Autonomic nervous system reactivity was tested as a potential mediating mechanism in a sample of 193 at-risk primiparous women. ACEs were measured retrospectively during pregnancy. A baby cry-response task was administered during pregnancy while indicators of sympathetic reactivity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) were recorded. Parenting self-efficacy, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were measured during pregnancy and 1 year after giving birth. Harsh discipline was measured 2 years after giving birth. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether baseline PEP and RSA and reactivity mediated links between ACEs and postnatal outcomes, adjusted for prenatal variables. High ACEs predicted less RSA reactivity (p =.02), which subsequently predicted increases in depressive symptoms (p =.03). The indirect effect was not significant (p =.06). There was no indirect link between high ACEs and harsh parenting through PEP nor RSA (n = 98). The parasympathetic nervous system may be involved in negative affective responses in the transition to parenthood among women exposed to childhood trauma

Measuring presence with verbal versus pictorial scales: a comparison between online- and ex post-ratings

In this study, we compare subjective online- and post-immersion measures. Although its relevance appears obvious from a theoretical and applied research perspective, this question has not yet been addressed in previous studies. In addition, we also compare verbally and pictorially anchored scales. These factors were measured in different contents using a 2×2×2 design. We manipulated time of measure (online vs. ex post), type of measure (verbal vs. visual), and content (language vs. language-free). Participants (N=162) evaluated two video clips in terms of presence. No differences between averaged online- and post-immersion measures were found and online judgments did not interfere with the sensation of presence. In line with findings from other areas of research, the use of pictorially anchored items has major advantages. Our results suggest that those items require less mental workload and assess the sensation of presence more directly than verbally anchored items. We discuss the theoretical implications of our finding

Functional food science and behaviour and psychological functions

The impact of ingesting various foods on psychological and behavioural functions is a topic of both interest and concern to the general public. In this article, the scientific literature concerning demonstrated cause-and-effect relationships is reviewed, beginning with methodological considerations specific to the quantification of particular behaviours and psychological events. The essential function of food is to satisfy hunger and the need for essential nutrients. The contributions of macronutrients to appetite and satiety are described, as well as their impact on metabolism and energy balance. Functional properties of macronutrient substitutes (high intensity sweeteners, fat replacers) and flavour enhancers are examined in relation to their contribution to hunger, satiety, and energy balance. The effects of foods and individual nutrients on the performance of diverse psychomotor tasks are studied with consideration given to the various validated quantitative tools used to assess behaviour. The effects of food components on activation, sedation, and affective states such as dysphoria are also reviewed, with special attention given to brain function and neuroactive substances such as serotonin and the endorphins. The case of hyperactivity in children is given special emphasis with reference to the potential influence of sugar and food additives. Safety issues related to food constituents and additives are discussed. Finally, a set of criteria is proposed for the evaluation and elaboration of studies in the behavioural and psychological fields, along with suggestions for future researc

Measuring allostatic load in an urban adolescent sample: The profile and role of biomarker dysregulation in depression outcomes

Accumulated, chronic stress exposure is well established as a precursor for allostatic load (AL). Both stress exposure and AL have been associated with depression in the existing literature. While many studies have focused on biomarkers representative of various physiological systems, a clear understanding of how physiological AL results in depression is yet unclear. Further, variability of hypo- and hypercortisolemic profiles have been associated with depression. A review of the existing literature supports hypocortisolemic profiles in relation to female depression and hypercortisolemic profiles in male depression across both adolescent and adult populations. The function of alpha-amylase (AA) dysregulation within the context of depression is even less well established. Previous research (Ali & Pruessner, 2012) has suggested a ratio of AA area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) over cortisol (CORT) AUCg, termed AOCg, as an indicator of the asymmetry between CORT and AA, and therefore, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Research supports an imbalance between these two systems may be representative of AL. AOCg has been correlated with major event exposure and depression in an adult sample. Adolescence is a sensitive biological period, perhaps posing even greater risk for the development of depressive symptoms within the context of AL. This provides rationale for use of the AOCg metric in an adolescent sample. A review of theory on stress research by Grant and colleagues (2003) posits a model for the etiology of psychopathology from stress exposure through the examination of potential biological mediators and moderators. The current study sought to further existing information on stress accumulation, AL, and depression by testing a path model with AUCg and area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi) metrics of AA and CORT as mediators of the relationship between major events (ME), daily hassles (DH), and violent crime exposure (VC) with self-reported depression symptoms at two time points. We hypothesized that increased AUCg/AUCi of both CORT and AA would mediate the relationship between stressors and depression symptoms. We also hypothesized biological sex and parent depression severity would moderate the relationship between the physiological stress response and depression symptoms. In addition, the current study sought to replicate findings from the Ali & Pruessner study in an adolescent sample by running multiple regression analyses to identify associations between AOCg, stress, and depression symptoms. Results of the analyses indicate AUCg/AUCi metrics of AA and CORT do not mediate the relationship between stressors and depression symptoms. Regarding sex differences, female adolescents in the current sample exhibited a blunted response to the acute stressor task compared with males and presented with significantly more depression symptoms. AOCg was not significantly associated with depression symptoms in our adolescent sample but was significantly and positively associated with VC. Follow-up analyses indicate more VC is associated with lower COAg and that more COAg predicts less depression in adolescents. In addition, the use of more disengagement coping (DC) in response to more DH led to more depression symptoms at time one and lower AUCg AA values. Greater AUCg AA values in the current study were associated with less depression symptoms at time one and greater depression symptoms at time two. These results parallel previous studies demonstrating more SNS reactivity over time with failure to habituate contributes to changes in neurobiological processes that create vulnerability for increased depression symptoms (McCarty, 2016). The current study provided further support for the need to utilize multiple measures of the stress response to elucidate associations between specific stressor types and specific parts of the stress response system that may be most impacted. In addition, the current study added to the topic of AA measurement in adolescents by identifying an association between AA with a chronic, uncontrollable distal stressor (VC) and identifying a positive association between AA and depression symptoms over time in a community sample of adolescent

The Psychology of Driving on Rural Roads: Development and Testing of a Model

Rural roads constitute the most dangerous road category with regard to the number of fatal accidents. In order to increase traffic safety on rural roads it is necessary to take into account not only their inherent properties but also their effect on behaviour. Gert Weller develops a psychological model for driving on rural roads which is validated in three empirical steps: laboratory, simulator and driving experiments. His results provide insight into the possibilities of how driving behaviour on rural roads can be influenced and give practical guidance for the enhancement of rural road safety. The book is written for psychologists in the fields of traffic psychology and human factors research, traffic engineers, road planners as well as for political decision makers in traffic planning departments.:1. Driving on Rural Roads: The Current Situation 2. Applying Existing Models to Driving on Rural Roads 2.1. A Framework 2.2. Individual Differences: Traits and Demographic Variables 2.3. Driving as a Self-Paced Task: Motivational Models 2.4. Perception and Information-Processing 3. A Psychological Model for Driving on Rural Roads 4. Empirical Validation 4.1. Overview and General Course of Events 4.2. The Laboratory Study: The Role of Perceived Road Characteristics 4.3. The Simulator Study: The Role of Cues and Affordances 4.4. On-the-Road Driving Tests: Behaviour and Accidents 5. Empirical Validation: Summary and Conclusion

Stress: Putting the Brain Back Into Medicine

Throughout the life course stress plays a major role in health and disease. Although it has long been known that the brain orchestrates the many ways that the body responds to these experiences, a gap exists between health care providers who focus from the head up and those who focus on the head down

Is workaholism associated with inflammatory response? The moderating role of work engagement

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between two different forms of heavy work investment, namely workaholism and work engagement, and serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17), a possible biomarker of stress. Given the different motivational underpinnings and outcomes of workaholism and work engagement and drawing on the allostatic load and the effort-recovery models, we hypothesized that workaholism is positively associated with IL-17, and that work engagement buffers this association. Workers in an Italian healthcare organization (88 females and 31 males) completed a self-report questionnaire, and then underwent blood sample collection. Data were analysed using moderated multiple regression. Results showed that workaholism was positively associated with IL-17, controlling for the effect of gender, age, and body mass index. Work engagement buffered this association, which was nonsignificant when work engagement was high. To reduce the risk of future health complaints, interventions should be aimed at preventing workaholism and promoting work engagement