Showing papers by "Romuald Brunner published in 2019"

Bi-directional longitudinal associations between different types of bullying victimization, suicide ideation/attempts, and depression among a large sample of European adolescents

Abstract: Background The association between bullying victimization and depression, suicide ideation and suicide attempts has been studied mainly in cross-sectional studies. This study aims to test the bidirectional effect and the chronicity versus sporadic effect of physical, verbal, and relational bullying victimization on suicidal ideation/attempts and depression. Methods Longitudinal assessments with an interval of 3- and 12-months were performed within a sample of 2,933 adolescents (56.1% females; mean age 14.78, SD = .89) from 10 European countries, participating in the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) school-based multicenter control sample. Multilevel Structural Equation Models were used, controlling for sociodemographic variables. Victimization was considered chronic when a student was victimized in the first two time points and sporadic when it was reported only at one point but not in another. Results Bidirectional prospective association between all types of victimization and depression were found. Among participants, who reported victimization once (but not twice), physical victimization, but not verbal and relational, was associated with later suicidal ideation and attempts. Chronic victimization of any type increased likelihood for later depression compared with sporadic and no-victimization. Chronic relational victimization increased the likelihood of later suicidal ideation, and chronic physical victimization increased the likelihood for suicidal attempts. Conclusions The results support the bidirectional effect of victimization and depression and indicate that there are complex longitudinal associations between victimization and suicidal ideation/attempts. Physical victimization may especially carry effect on suicidal risk over time. Interventions should focus on victimization as a cause of distress but also aim to prevent vulnerable adolescents from becoming targets of victimization.

Impact of Maternal Early Life Maltreatment and Maternal History of Depression on Child Psychopathology: Mediating Role of Maternal Sensitivity?

Abstract: The study addresses the impact of maternal early life maltreatment (ELM) and maternal history of depression (HoD) on offspring's mental health. Maternal sensitivity was examined as a potential mediator explaining the relationship between maternal ELM, maternal HoD and child psychopathology. Participants were 194 mothers with and without HoD and/or ELM as well as their children between 5 and 12 years. Maternal sensitivity was assessed using the Emotional Availability Scales. Parent and teacher ratings were utilized to assess child psychopathology. Path analyses showed an indirect effect of maternal HoD on parents' ratings of child psychopathology with maternal sensitivity as mediating variable. In contrast, maternal ELM was directly linked to teachers' ratings of child psychopathology; this effect was not mediated by maternal sensitivity. Our results indicate that the impact of maternal HoD, maternal ELM, and maternal sensitivity on offspring psychopathology might vary depending on the context in which child psychopathology is assessed.

Longitudinal development of risk-taking and self-injurious behavior in association with late adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms.

Abstract: Self-injurious behavior and risk-taking behaviors are associated with adolescent borderline personality disorder (BPD). Developmental trajectories of self-injurious and risk-taking behavior in predicting BPD have not been fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine self-injurious and risk-taking behavior development and their prospective influence on BPD symptoms in adolescence. Data (n = 506; 62.06 % females, 14.53 years) from the German Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe cohort were analyzed. Self-injurious and risk-taking behaviors were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up. BPD symptoms were assessed at two-year follow-up. In fully adjusted stepwise binominal regression analyses, recent onset, termination and maintenance of risky alcohol use and self-injurious behavior remained as significant predictors of BPD. Highest ORs were found for alcohol termination and maintenance of self-injurious behavior. Other facets of risk-taking behavior were not associated with increased ORs of BPD symptoms at two-year follow-up. These findings highlight the importance of self-injurious behavior and specific facets of risk-taking behavior in the development of adolescent BPD. Clinicians should focus on efforts in preventing adolescents from risk-taking and self-injurious behavior, since engaging in young age and therefore in potentially longer periods of these behaviors is associated with the highest risk of BPD.

A Biobehavioral Validation of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in Female Adolescents.

Abstract: This research assessed the behavioral, emotional, endocrinological and autonomic reactivity to the laboratory Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) in a sample of healthy female adolescents. Twenty participants were induced with the TAP to behave aggressively (aggression group) and 20 age-matched participants were not induced to behave aggressively (control group). Regression analysis revealed that the aggression group displayed significant higher levels of aggressive behavior compared to the control group (χ2 (2) = 255.50, p < 0.0001). Aggressive behavior was not related to self-reported measures of trait aggression, impulsiveness or psychopathy features. Regarding the biological responses, regression analysis on cortisol, missed the set level of significance (χ2 (1) = 3.73, p = 0.054), but showed significant effects on heart rate as a function of aggression induction (χ2 (1) = 5.81, p = 0.016). While aggression induction was associated with increased autonomic arousal (heart rate), the interpretation of the effects on cortisol warrant caution, given existing differences between groups at baseline and overly elevated cortisol attributable to the general experimental procedures and not the TAP per se. No differences were found with respect to testosterone. In summary, the present study lends preliminary support for the validity of the TAP and its use in female adolescents on a behavioral and autonomic level.

Facilitators and barriers in anorexia nervosa treatment initiation (FABIANA): study protocol for a mixed-methods and multicentre study.

Abstract: Background Anorexia nervosa is a serious disorder, which often takes a chronic course. Early treatment leads to a significantly better prognosis and prevents chronicity. However, existing evidence on facilitators and barriers in anorexia nervosa treatment initiation is scarce. Aims Against this background, the FABIANA study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03713541) aims to (a) identify potentially modifiable facilitators and barriers from the perspectives of adolescent and adult patients with anorexia nervosa, carers and physicians, (b) develop and test an instrument for the combined assessment of multiple key facilitators and barriers, and (c) quantify the effect of potentially modifiable versus non-modifiable key facilitators and barriers on the duration of untreated illness (DUI) in patients with anorexia nervosa. Method FABIANA is an observational, mixed-method-study divided into three consecutive substudies each corresponding to one of the study aims. All three substudies will include female patients with anorexia nervosa aged 14 years and older at the beginning of their first psychotherapeutic anorexia nervosa treatment. The qualitative substudy I and the quantitative substudy III will additionally include carers and involved physicians. The recruitment will take place at 20 cooperating study centres throughout Germany, which provide in-patient or out-patient anorexia nervosa specialist care. The DUI will be calculated based on the month of illness onset as determined in validated interviews on lifetime anorexia nervosa symptoms and the therapist-reported date of treatment initiation. Conclusions Strengths and limitations of the retrospective assessment of the DUI will be discussed. The findings of the FABIANA study will contribute to the development of evidence-based early-intervention approaches and the prevention of a chronic course of illness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03713541. Declaration of interest None.