Vulnerability to depression and cognitive bias modification

Background and Aims. Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) has been found to be effective in promoting positive interpretations and mood in adults, including those with symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, only four studies have been conducted in adolescent populations. This study therefore aimed to further investigate the effects of CBM in adolescents, including those who have higher risk for developing depression by virtue of neuroticism. Method. This study adopted a between-groups experimental design across three time points. Seventy-four adolescents aged 16 – 18 were randomised into receiving either two sessions of CBM or control intervention. Their interpretation bias and mood were measured at baseline, immediately post-training and one week afterwards. Stress vulnerability was assessed using a novel experimental stressor; participants were also asked to report their daily mood and stressful events over one week. Feedback was collected. Results. The CBM group showed a greater reduction in negative affect than the control. In addition, the CBM group did not show the increase in state anxiety as seen in control participants. However, CBM did not show superior benefits in other outcome measures. Both groups displayed an increase in positive interpretations, a decrease in negative interpretations, and a reduction in depressive symptoms. The two groups did not differ in their responses to stress. Participants with higher scores on neuroticism showed higher levels of negative interpretation bias, mood symptoms and stress vulnerability. However, there was no evidence to suggest that neuroticism acts as a moderator of training effects. Feedback from participants was mostly positive. Conclusion. Overall, this study has not yielded strong supportive evidence for the use of CBM in healthy or vulnerable adolescents. Despite methodological limitations, this study has broadened the evidence base of CBM in adolescent populations. It also represents an important step in developing CBM as a preventive intervention for vulnerable adolescents

A CASE STUDY OF A CHINESE ‘HIKIKOMORIAN’ IN CANADA – THEORIZING THE PROCESS OF HIKIKOMORIZATION

The term ‘hikikomori’ originates from Japan and means ‘acute social withdrawal’. This study intends to investigate into the causes of hikikomori which is increasing worldwide phenomenon. The methodology is a case study approach located in an interpretive paradigm. The data was mainly collected through e-mails with the participant and phone conversations with his mother. The participant was a ‘hiki­ko­morian’ who was invited to investigate his own problem and further to be the co-author of this paper. The literature findings and this case study were then conceptualized into a more wide-ranging framework in compre­hen­ding the process of hikikomorization. The result appears to show that hikikomorization involves three processes: first, a predisposed introverted personality; second, the effects of multiple environmental factors such as family, school and society; and finally, the trigger point, such as the end of schooling or a stressful event. The study offers implications for other hiki­ko­mo­rians in better understanding of their problems and for practitioners working with reclusive ado­lescents and their families

Highly neurotic never-depressed students have negative biases in information processing

BACKGROUND: Cognitive theories associate depression with negative biases in information processing. Although negatively biased cognitions are well documented in depressed patients and to some extent in recovered patients, it remains unclear whether these abnormalities are present before the first depressive episode. METHOD: High neuroticism (N) is a well-recognized risk factor for depression. The current study therefore compared different aspects of emotional processing in 33 high-N never-depressed and 32 low-N matched volunteers. Awakening salivary cortisol, which is often elevated in severely depressed patients, was measured to explore the neurobiological substrate of neuroticism. RESULTS: High-N volunteers showed increased processing of negative and/or decreased processing of positive information in emotional categorization and memory, facial expression recognition and emotion-potentiated startle (EPS), in the absence of global memory or executive deficits. By contrast, there was no evidence for effects of neuroticism on attentional bias (as measured with the dot-probe task), over-general autobiographical memory, or awakening cortisol levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that certain negative processing biases precede depression rather than arising as a result of depressive experience per se and as such could in part mediate the vulnerability of high-N subjects to depression. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm that such cognitive vulnerabilities predict subsequent depression in individual subjects

Thai adolescent depression:Recurrence prevention in practice

This article aims to review the current practice of recurrence prevention and intervention of adolescent depressive disorder in Thailand. In particular, we assess the Clinical Practice Guideline of Major Depressive Disorder for General Practitioners (CPG-MDD-GP) for Thailand, which is now the official guideline for all depressive patients who are children, adolescents, and adults in Thailand. Although this current Thai clinical guideline was developed and derived from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of the United Kingdom and the recommendations and the practice parameters of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), it differs from these guidelines in a number of ways. Specifically, the main tool for the primary assessment of the Thai CPG-MDD-GP is called 9Q which categorizes the severity and follow-up of depressive symptoms by health care providers in a hospital setting, whereas the NICE guideline for depression in children and adolescents is based mainly on the community setting, and the AACAP parameter assesses patients by a direct interview method. Additionally, the Thai CPG-MDD-GP has no premise intervention for recurrence prevention of depression and lacks details regarding the importance of treatment engagement by family and community.</jats:p

Bioinformatics analysis of the ribosomal protein, Rpl27, Rpl37a and Rpl41:3-D protein modeling and protein-protein interaction prediction

Ribosomal proteins (RP) are constituents of ribosome that is important in protein biosynthesis and likely to have extraribosomal functions. Many RPs are related to various diseases and cancers. From previous studies, RPL27, RPL37a and RPL41 gene were reportedly downregulated in all cell lines derived from Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) tissues compared to the normal counterpart. Thus, present study aimed to understand the three genes in protein level and its interaction with other proteins. The methods used RPL27, RPL37a and RPL41 3-D (3-Dimension) protein models to search for structural neighbor in predicting protein-protein interaction. Subsequently, the structural neighbors and their partners were docked to predict functions. As a result, RPL27 revealed interaction with SYNJ2 and UBC9 in dock complex. RPL27 was predicted to mediate RNA binding protein and deregulate sumoylation. Additionally, RPL37a interacted with CTNNBI, SCMH I and ATBFI. RPL37a was predicted to deregulate Wnt degradation pathway and inhibit~­ C8tenin migration. RPL37a might also regulate homeotic transcription. Further studies such as alanine scanning mutagenesis can provide deeper insight on protein recognition mechanism and identification of hot spots for protein kinetic studies

Effectiveness of mindful walking intervention on nature on sleep quality and mood among university student during Covid-19:A randomised control study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this project was to conduct a randomised control study to examine whether outdoor mindful walking in nature can effectively improve university students’ sleep quality, mood, and mindfulness during the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.K. METHODS: Participants were measured at T(0) (pre-study baseline), T(1) (pre-intervention), T(2) (post-intervention), and T(3) (follow-up). A total of 104 participants (female = 94) who were experiencing sleep difficulties were randomly allocated to either an experimental (i.e., nature) or control (i.e., urban) walking environment. Participants in each walking condition independently undertook a daily 35-minute walk for a week (7 days). Subjective sleep quality, total mood disturbance, mindfulness, and degree of nature connectedness, and participants’ perspectives on the intervention, were collected. RESULTS: Findings suggest that both groups resulted in significant improvements in participants' trait mindfulness, sleep quality and mood after the intervention. However, mindful walking in nature did not bring additional mental health benefits to participants relative to those who walked an urban environment. Participants provided their perspectives about the intervention, which will assist with future intervention development. CONCLUSIONS: Findings contribute to the evidence-base on the effectiveness of outdoor mindful walking interventions for enhancing mental health. These findings contribute new knowledge on how mindful walking outdoors reduces university students’ mood disturbances and improves sleep quality and mindfulness level