Polygenic risk, familial liability and stress reactivity in psychosis: an experience sampling study

Background There is evidence for a polygenic contribution to psychosis. One targetable mechanism through which polygenic variation may impact on individuals and interact with the social environment is stress sensitization, characterized by elevated reactivity to minor stressors in daily life. The current study aimed to investigate whether stress reactivity is modified by polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS) in cases with enduring non-affective psychotic disorder, first-degree relatives of cases, and controls. Methods We used the experience sampling method to assess minor stressors, negative affect, positive affect and psychotic experiences in 96 cases, 79 first-degree relatives, i.e. siblings, and 73 controls at wave 3 of the Dutch Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) study. Genome-wide data were collected at baseline to calculate PRS. Results We found that associations of momentary stress with psychotic experiences, but not with negative and positive affect, were modified by PRS and group (all pFWE<0.001). In contrast to our hypotheses, siblings with high PRS reported less intense psychotic experiences in response to momentary stress compared to siblings with low PRS. No differences in magnitude of these associations were observed in cases with high v. low level of PRS. By contrast, controls with high PRS showed more intense psychotic experiences in response to stress compared to those with low PRS. Conclusions This tentatively suggests that polygenic risk may operate in different ways than previously assumed and amplify reactivity to stress in unaffected individuals but operate as a resilience factor in relatives by attenuating their stress reactivity.

Association between Second-Time Mother’s Prenatal Depression and Firstborn’s Behaviour Problems: The Mediation Role of Parenting Daily Hassles

Background: With the relaxation of birth control policy in China in recent years, second-time mothers’ mental health has raised concerns. However, the impact of firstborn children’s behaviour problems on second-time mothers’ prenatal depression in families transitioning to siblinghood has received little attention from family psychologists. Aims: This research aims to investigate whether firstborn children’s behaviour problems affect second-time mothers’ prenatal depression and the mediation role of daily parenting hassles, i.e., minor stressors associated with parenting, on this relationship. Methods: Data about second-time mothers’ prenatal depression, parenting daily hassles, and firstborn children’s behaviour problems were collected from 105 families transitioning to two children families using mother-reported questionnaires. Regressions were used to analyze the data. Results: About half of the mothers in the sample have depressive symptoms. Firstborns’ behaviour problems did not have a direct effect on the mother’s prenatal depression, but the problems did have an indirect effect via parenting daily hassles. The mothers’ age was significantly associated with prenatal depression. Conclusions: The mediation role of parenting daily hassles in the association with firstborn’s behaviour problems and mother’s prenatal depression suggests the need for support that reduce the levels of daily parenting hassles from firstborn children.

Abstract 020: Stress and Achievement of Cardiovascular Health Metrics: The American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 TM in African-Americans of the Jackson Heart Study

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death for African-American (AA) adults. There is a low prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) (as defined by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 TM (LS7)), especially diet, physical activity and obesity among AAs placing them at a disproportionately high risk for CVD. The identification of psychosocial stress that may influence ideal CVH could assist in the development of more effective behavior change interventions among AAs. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the associations of multidimensional stressors (chronic stress, minor stressors, and major life events - MLEs) with the LS7 components (classified as poor, intermediate and ideal) in AAs. We hypothesize that stress is negatively associated with the likelihood of achievement of intermediate/ideal levels of the LS7 components and LS7 composite score after adjusting for traditional socio-demographic factors. Methods: Using the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a cohort of AAs based in Jackson, Mississippi (n=4383), we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the association of stress measures with LS7 components (smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose). This association was measured using logistic regression which assessed the odds ratios (OR, 95% confidence interval (CI)) of the achievement of intermediate/ideal levels of CVH with progressive adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral and biomedical factors. A composite LS7 score was calculated [range 0-14; categorized as 0 to 6 (poor), 7 to 8 (intermediate) and 9 to 14 (ideal)]. We also constructed a cumulative stress score as a summation of tertiles of each stress measure (range 3-9). Results: Fewer participants achieved intermediate or ideal CVH for the LS7 components including diet (39%), physical activity (51%) and BMI (47%). Higher chronic stress and minor stressors scores were associated a decreased likelihood of achievement of ideal/intermediate levels for smoking [OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.73-0.88 and OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.75-0.94, respectively). Higher MLE scores were associated decreased likelihood of achievement of ideal/intermediate levels for smoking (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.76-0.92) and glucose (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82-0.98). Those with higher minor stressors and MLE scores were less likely to achieve intermediate or ideal LS7 composite score categories (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.97 and OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.98, respectively). There was no statistically significant association between LS7 composite scores and cumulative stress scores. Conclusions: Our results suggest that key stress measures may contribute adversely to CVH among AAs. These findings provide support for future lifestyle interventions which integrate a focus on alleviating stressors in this high risk population to improve CVH.

Disadvantaged youth report less negative emotion to minor stressors when with peers

Previous Experience Sampling Method (ESM) studies demonstrate that adolescents’ daily emotional states are heavily influenced by their immediate social context. However, despite adolescence being a risk period for exposure to daily stressors, research has yet to examine the influence of peers on adolescents’ emotional responses to stressors encountered in their daily life. Adolescents ( N = 108) from a low-SES school completed ESM reports of their social context, minor stressors and emotions, 5 times a day for 7 days. Based on previous findings that the peer context is experienced as positive and rewarding, we expected being with peers would be associated with lower post-stress negative emotions and higher happiness, compared to being with family or alone. As expected, being with peers after a stressor was associated with lower sadness, worry and jealousy compared to being alone, and lower sadness compared to being with family. Gender differences emerged for the influence of peers on sadness, worry, jealousy and happiness. These findings highlight the salient influence of peers on adolescents’ emotional reactivity to stressors as they occur in their natural environment. Findings are discussed in reference to peers as important emotion socialization agents during adolescence and in terms of theories of coping and emotion regulation.

Genetic risk of depression and stress-induced negative affect in daily life

BackgroundA bias to develop negative affect in response to daily life stressors may be an important depression endophenotype, but remains difficult to assess.AimsTo assess this mood bias endophenotype, uncontaminated by current mood, in the course of daily life.MethodThe experience samping method was used to collect multiple appraisals of daily life event-related stress and negative affect in 279 female twin pairs. Cross-twin, cross-trait associations between daily life mood bias and DSM – IV depression were conducted.ResultsProbands whose co-twins were diagnosed with lifetime depression showed a stronger mood bias to stress than those with co-twins without such a diagnosis, independent of probands' current depressive symptoms and to a greater extent in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins.ConclusionsGenetic liability to depression is in part expressed as the tendency to display negative affect in response to minor stressors in daily life. This trait may represent a true depression endophenotype.