•A meta-analysis of prebiotic and probiotic trials for depression and anxiety.•Prebiotics did not differ from placebo for depression or anxiety.•Probiotics yielded small but significant effects for ...depression and anxiety.•Probiotic effects were larger for clinical than community samples for depression.•More studies of clinical samples are needed fully to evaluate therapeutic potential.
With growing interest in the gut microbiome, prebiotics and probiotics have received considerable attention as potential treatments for depression and anxiety. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of 34 controlled clinical trials evaluating the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on depression and anxiety. Prebiotics did not differ from placebo for depression (d = −.08, p = .51) or anxiety (d = .12, p = .11). Probiotics yielded small but significant effects for depression (d = −.24, p < .01) and anxiety (d = −.10, p = .03). Sample type was a moderator for probiotics and depression, with a larger effect observed for clinical/medical samples (d = −.45, p < .001) than community ones. This effect increased to medium-to-large in a preliminary analysis restricted to psychiatric samples (d = −.73, p < .001). There is general support for antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of probiotics, but the pooled effects were reduced by the paucity of trials with clinical samples. Additional randomized clinical trials with psychiatric samples are necessary fully to evaluate their therapeutic potential.
The current review presents a meta-analysis of the existing empirical literature on the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, ...as well as on correlates of NSSI within sexual and gender minority populations. Eligible publications (n = 51) were identified through a systematic search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Embase, supplemented by a search of references of prior reviews on this topic. NSSI prevalence rates were quite elevated among sexual (29.68% lifetime) and gender (46.65% lifetime) minority individuals compared to heterosexual and/or cisgender peers (14.57% lifetime), with transgender (46.65% lifetime) and bisexual (41.47% lifetime) individuals being at greatest risk. Even among these group findings, sexual minority youth emerged as an especially vulnerable population. Moreover, current evidence suggests these rates and differences between LGBT and heterosexual and/or cisgender peers have not declined over time. These findings may in some measure be due to the existence of LGBT-specific risk correlates combined with general risk correlates being more severe among sexual and gender minority populations. Additional research, particularly employing a longitudinal design, is needed in this area to advance efforts to reduce risk for NSSI among sexual and gender minority individuals.
•We conducted a meta-analysis of the association between LGBT status and NSSI•Sexual and gender minorities are at elevated risk for NSSI•Transgender and bisexual individuals are at greatest risk for NSSI•General and LGBT-specific factors likely account for this greater risk•Longitudinal and treatment studies are needed
Considerably less is known about self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in preadolescence than older age groups, owing partly to the common view that young children are incapable of suicidal ...thoughts. Yet, preadolescent suicide has increased in recent years and is now the fifth leading cause of death in this age group, leading the National Institute of Mental Health to identify it as a priority for research and intervention.
To assess prevalence estimates of preadolescent SITBs, identify correlates of these outcomes, and conduct head-to-head comparisons of preadolescent and adolescent SITBs in terms of associated characteristics.
MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase were systematically searched from inception through December 23, 2021, for studies on the prevalence and correlates of preadolescent SITBs. The search was restricted to English language publications and peer-reviewed journals.
Two reviewers independently identified studies providing data on prevalence and correlates of preadolescent SITBs.
Two reviewers independently extracted data from each study, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies was used to assess study quality. Pooled prevalence and Cohen d were derived from random-effects meta-analyses. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline was followed.
Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, suicide deaths, and nonsuicidal self-injury among preadolescents.
Fifty-eight studies with 626 486 590 individuals were included. Lifetime prevalence of suicide in the general population was 0.79 per 1 million children. Prevalence for lifetime suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury among preadolescents were 15.1%, 2.6%, and 6.2%, respectively, in community samples. These data suggest that approximately 17.0% of preadolescents with suicidal ideation transition to attempting suicide. Across several analyses, male individuals appear more likely to have SITBs in preadolescence than adolescence. Correlate data were modest for SITBs other than suicidal ideation, but among specific disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (suicidal ideation: d = 0.54 95% CI, 0.34-0.75) and depression (suicidal ideation: d = 0.90 95% CI, 0.71-1.09; suicide attempts: d = 0.47 95% CI, 0.26-0.68) emerged as the strongest correlates. Among interpersonal factors, child maltreatment (suicidal ideation: d = 2.62 95% CI, 1.56-3.67) and parental support (suicidal ideation: d = -0.34 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.22) yielded the largest effect sizes.
In this systematic review anda meta-analysis, although preadolescent suicide deaths were rare, other SITB types occur with concerning frequency. Male individuals were at greater risk for SITBs in preadolescence relative to adolescence. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, child maltreatment, and parental support were especially relevant to suicidal ideation, as well as depression for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, in this age group. Further study, especially of SITBs other than suicidal ideation, is needed.
•Microbiome characteristics were compared in young adults with and without depression.•Phylogenetic diversity of the microbiome is reduced in young adults with depression.•The depressed group has ...fewer anti-inflammatory bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium.•The magnitudes of many microbiome changes align with symptom severity.
We assessed the gut microbiota of 90 American young adults, comparing 43 participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 47 healthy controls, and found that the MDD subjects had significantly different gut microbiota compared to the healthy controls at multiple taxonomic levels. At the phylum level, participants with MDD had lower levels of Firmicutes and higher levels of Bacteroidetes, with similar trends in the at the class (Clostridia and Bacteroidia) and order (Clostridiales and Bacteroidales) levels. At the genus level, the MDD group had lower levels of Faecalibacterium and other related members of the family Ruminococcaceae, which was also reduced relative to healthy controls. Additionally, the class Gammaproteobacteria and genus Flavonifractor were enriched in participants with MDD. Accordingly, predicted functional differences between the two groups include a reduced abundance of short-chain fatty acid production pathways in the MDD group. We also demonstrated that the magnitude of taxonomic changes was associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in many cases, and that most changes were present regardless of whether depressed participants were taking psychotropic medications. Overall, our results support a link between MDD and lower levels of anti-inflammatory, butyrate-producing bacteria, and may support a connection between the gut microbiota and the chronic, low-grade inflammation often observed in MDD patients.
Abstract Introduction As suicide remains a global public health concern, recent work has sought to characterize mechanisms underlying the transition from suicidal ideation to action. Acquired ...capability for suicide, or fearlessness about death, has been identified as one key factor underlying this transition; however, understanding how this capability emerges remains limited. This study sought to extend previous work on the correlates of fearlessness about death by examining its relationship with painful and provocative events and emotional reactivity. Methods We tested the extent to which trait emotional reactivity and past self‐injurious behavior moderated the relationship between assaultive trauma exposure and fearlessness about death in a diverse sample of 273 community adults (aged 18–55, M/SD = 32.77/10.78). Results A three‐way interaction emerged, such that among individuals with heightened emotional reactivity and a history of self‐injurious behavior (suicide attempt or non‐suicidal self‐injury), assaultive trauma was associated with increased fearlessness about death. In contrast, among adults with low emotional reactivity and a history of self‐injurious behavior, assaultive trauma was associated with reduced fearlessness about death. Conclusions Results suggest that emotional reactivity may be a key dispositional factor that influences how trauma exposure and self‐injurious behavior impact fearlessness about death.
Suicide represents a major public health concern, as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Links between perseverative thinking (PT) and suicidal ideation have previously been ...examined, while their biological underpinnings remain understudied. The present study had two aims: 1) investigate whether cortical thickness varied as a function of PT, and 2) examine whether variation in thickness partially explained associations between PT and lifetime history of ideation. We hypothesized that cortical thickness would vary as a function of PT and PT would be positively associated with lifetime history of ideation.
A community sample of 73 adults (ages 18–55; 42.5% female) completed self-report measures examining PT and ideation, as well as a neuroimaging protocol. Mean scores on the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire were entered as the explanatory variable in the analysis of cortical thickness clusters related to PT. The indirect effect of PT on ideation through thickness was tested cross-sectionally.
PT was positively associated with i) thickness in three clusters bilaterally in the parietal cortex and ii) suicidal ideation. Follow-up analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of PT on suicidal ideation through left superior parietal thickness.
Limitations of the study include the use of cross-sectional data and a modest sample size.
PT is associated with variations in cortical thickness, and increased thickness in the left parietal region may partially explain the link between PT and suicidal ideation, identifying a novel neurobiological mechanism of ideation.
•PT is positively associated with greater thickness in the parietal cortex.•PT is positively associated with increased frequency of suicidal ideation.•Left superior parietal thickness mediated the relationship between PT and ideation.•This work provides insight into biological mechanisms underlying PT and ideation.
Abstract
The present study evaluated sociodemographic and diagnostic predictors of suicidal ideation and attempts in a nationally representative sample of preadolescent youth enrolled in the ...Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Rates and predictors of psychiatric treatment utilization among suicidal youth also were examined. Eleven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five 9- and 10-year-old children residing in the United States were assessed. Children and their parents/guardians provided reports of children’s lifetime history of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and psychiatric disorders. Parents also reported on sociodemographic characteristics and mental health service utilization. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate sociodemographic and diagnostic correlates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts among youth with suicidal ideation, and treatment utilization among youth with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Lifetime prevalence rates were 14.33% for suicidal ideation and 1.26% for suicide attempts. Youth who identified as male, a sexual minority, or multiracial had greater odds of suicidal ideation, and sexual minority youth and youth with a low family income had greater odds of suicide attempts. Comorbid psychopathology was associated with higher odds of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. In youth, 34.59% who have suicidal ideation and 54.82% who had attempted suicide received psychiatric treatment. Treatment utilization among suicidal youth was lower among those who identified as female, Black, and Hispanic. Suicidal ideation and attempts among preadolescent children are concerningly high and targeted assessment and preventative efforts are needed, especially for males, racial, ethnic, and sexual minority youth, and those youth experiencing comorbidity.
The current study examined racial/ethnic differences in utilization of mental health services in a nationally representative sample of suicidal adults. Data were extracted from the National Survey on ...Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2009 to 2016. Participants consisted of adults with severe suicidal ideation and/or behavior in the past 12 months (unweighted n = 17,338). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess racial/ethnic differences in mental health treatment utilization after adjusting for health insurance status, family income, age, sex, and major depression. Analyses were conducted separately for suicidal ideators with no attempts (i. e., “pure” ideators; unweighted n = 14,578) and for suicide attempters (unweighted n = 2760) for psychiatric inpatient and outpatient care, respectively. Racial/ethnic disparities in mental health treatment utilization were less apparent for inpatient care and most evident for outpatient care. For inpatient care, no racial/ethnic differences were observed among suicidal ideators with no attempts. Among suicide attempters, only Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to receive inpatient care. In contrast, for outpatient care, treatment use was lower for all racial ethnic minorities, except Native American and multiracial individuals, relative to non-Hispanic whites among suicidal ideators with no attempts. Outpatient service use was also lower for non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and multiracial individuals relative to non-Hispanic whites among suicide attempters. This pattern of findings is consistent with the possibility that suicidal racial/ethnic minorities may delay use of mental health services until clinical severity becomes such that elevated clinical care (i.e., inpatient treatment) is required. Future research accounting for these disparities is warranted.
In this study, we determined trends in prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual youth from 1995 to 2017 using population-based surveillance data.
...Data were drawn from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 1995 to 2017 (unweighted
= 41 636). The annual percent change (APC) in prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts was stratified by sexual orientation as indexed by sexual identity and sexual behavior.
Among sexual minority youth, prevalence rates declined over the entire study period for suicidal ideation (APC
= -1.25; APC
= -1.83), plans (APC
= -1.88; APC
= -1.95), and attempts (APC
= -2.64; APC
= -2.47). Among heterosexual youth, prevalence rates declined from 1995 to 2007 for suicidal ideation (APC
= -6.67; APC
= -6.77) and plans (APC
= -5.73; APC
= -6.25). These declines in ideation and plans were steeper than those for sexual minority youth. Prevalence of suicide attempts declined across the entire study period among heterosexual youth (APC
= -3.66; APC
= -4.01). Prevalence of all 3 outcomes remained markedly high among sexual minority youth across the 23-year study period.
Although suicidal thoughts and behavior have generally declined among sexual minority and heterosexual youth, disparities in these outcomes persist, and their prevalence among sexual minority youth has remained consistently elevated. Prioritized screening for risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in this vulnerable population is imperative to reduce disparities and prevalence of these outcomes.
Introduction
Given increasing concern in suicide in preadolescent children, this study aimed to characterize and identify potential indicators of risk for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts ...(SAs) in this population.
Methods
Data were drawn from two population‐based samples of preadolescents: the 2007 and 2010 Minnesota Student Survey and analyses were restricted to 11‐ and 12‐year‐olds. Sociodemographic characteristics, childhood maltreatment, parental relations, peer relations, and school climate were examined in relation to past‐year SI and SA. To examine correlates of SI, unconfounded by risk for SA, individuals with a history of SA were excluded from SI analyses. Correlates of SA were examined among individuals with past‐year SI. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with past‐year SI and SA as criterion variables.
Results
Results from the 2007 and 2010 data sets were highly consistent. The prevalence of past‐year SI was 9.28% and 9.25% in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Of the total sample, 1.90% and 1.87% reported a past‐year SA (17.00% and 16.78% of those with past‐year SI). Overall, effect sizes were generally modest to medium. The strongest effects were observed for sexual and physical abuse, parental support, and perceived safety at school (ps < .001). In multivariate analyses of SI and SA, sexual and physical abuse had the largest effect sizes (ORSI = 2.18 95% CI = 1.90–2.51 to 2.96 95% CI = 2.69–3.26; ORSA = 1.55 95% CI = 1.29–1.86 to 2.26 95% CI = 1.82–2.80).
Conclusions
SI and SA occur at a concerning rate among preadolescent children. Screening for childhood sexual and physical abuse may be important for identifying those at risk for these clinical outcomes.
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