Genetically informative twin studies have consistently found that individual differences in anxiety and depression symptoms are stable and primarily attributable to time-invariant genetic influences, with non-shared environmental influences accounting for transient effects.

We explored the etiology of psychological and somatic distress in 2279 Australian twins assessed up to six times between ages 12–35. We evaluated autoregressive, latent growth, dual-change, common, and independent pathway models to identify which, if any, best describes the observed longitudinal covariance and accounts for genetic and environmental influences over time.

An autoregression model best explained both psychological and somatic distress. Familial aggregation was entirely explained by additive genetic influences, which were largely stable from ages 12 to 35. However, small but significant age-dependent genetic influences were observed at ages 20–27 and 32–35 for psychological distress and at ages 16–19 and 24–27 for somatic distress. In contrast, environmental influences were predominantly transient and age-specific.

The longitudinal trajectory of psychological distress from ages 12 to 35 can thus be largely explained by forward transmission of a stable additive genetic influence, alongside smaller age-specific genetic innovations. This study addresses the limitation of previous research by exhaustively exploring alternative theoretical explanations for the observed patterns in distress symptoms over time, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic and environmental factors influencing psychological and somatic distress across this age range.

Given the US population concentration near coastal areas and increased flooding due to climate change, public health professionals must recognize the psychological burden resulting from exposure to natural hazards.

We performed a systematic search of databases to identify articles with a clearly defined comparison group consisting of either pre-exposure measurements in a disaster-exposed population or disaster-unexposed controls, and assessment of mental health, including but not limited to, depression, post-traumatic stress (PTS), and anxiety.

Twenty-five studies, with a combined total of n =616 657 people were included in a systematic review, and 11 studies with a total of 2012 people were included in a meta-analysis of 3 mental health outcomes. Meta-analytic findings included a positive association between disaster exposure and PTS (n = 5, g = 0.44, 95% CI 0.04, 0.85), as well as depression (n = 9, g = 0.28, 95% CI 0.04, 0.53), and no meaningful effect size in studies assessing anxiety (n = 6, g = 0.05 95% CI −0.30, 0.19).

Hurricanes and flooding were consistently associated with increased depression and PTS in studies with comparison groups representing individuals unaffected by hazards.

Adolescence is a critical period for preventing substance use and mental health concerns, often targeted through separate school-based programs. However, co-occurrence is common and is related to worse outcomes. This study explores prevention effects of leading school-based prevention programs on co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress.

Data from two Australian cluster randomized trials involving 8576 students in 97 schools were harmonized for analysis. Students received either health education (control) or one of five prevention programs (e.g. Climate Schools, PreVenture) with assessments at baseline and 6, 12, 24, and 30 or 36 months (from ages ~13–16). Multilevel multinomial regressions were used to predict the relative risk ratios (RRs) of students reporting co-occurring early alcohol use and psychological distress, alcohol use only, distress only, or neither (reference) across programs.

The combined Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis and Climate Schools: Mental Health courses (CSC) as well as the PreVenture program reduced the risk of adolescents reporting co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress (36 months RRCSC = 0.37; RRPreVenture = 0.22). Other evaluated programs (excluding Climate Schools: Mental Health) only appeared effective for reducing the risk of alcohol use that occurred without distress.

Evidence-based programs exist that reduce the risk of early alcohol use with and without co-occurring psychological distress, though preventing psychological distress alone requires further exploration. Prevention programs appear to have different effects depending on whether alcohol use and distress present on their own or together, thus suggesting the need for tailored prevention strategies.

The relationship between adolescent alcohol use and emotional problems remains unclear and contradictory. These inconsistencies may in part be due to differences in the measurement and operationalization of alcohol use and emotional problems across studies, as well as confounder selection and missing data decisions. This study explores the associations between common specifications of adolescent alcohol use and emotional problems in a large sample of adolescents.

A multiverse analysis (also known as specification curve analysis or vibration of effects) was done with 7680 unique model specifications in a large longitudinal sample of 6639 Australian adolescents (aged ~14.7–15.7, 2021–2022).

While alcohol use and emotional problems nearly universally co-occurred in minimally adjusted cross-sectional models (98–99%), the operationalization of emotional problems, temporality of prospective relationships, and choice of confounders substantially impacted findings. Emotional problems appeared to predict later alcohol use more-so than the reverse, depression-focused measures yielded more consistent associations with alcohol use than anxiety-focused measures, and certain confounders (i.e. conduct, ADHD, smoking) explained most of the associations between adolescent alcohol use and emotional problems. Missing data decisions and whether outcomes were modelled continuously v. dichotomously had minimal impact on findings.

While adolescent alcohol use and emotional problems commonly co-occur, inconsistencies in the magnitude, direction, and significance of effects are closely tied to researcher decisions that are often made arbitrarily.

In the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexually minoritized and gender expansive (LGBTQ+) young adults are at increased risk for experiencing mental health inequities, including anxiety, depression and psychological distress-related challenges associated with their sexual and gender identities. LGBTQ+ young adults may have unique experiences of sexual and gender minority-related vulnerability because of LGBTQ+-related minority stress and stressors, such as heterosexism, family rejection, identity concealment and internalized homophobia. Identifying and understanding specific LGBTQ+-related minority stress experiences and their complex roles in contributing to mental health burden among LGBTQ+ young adults could inform public health efforts to eliminate mental health inequities experienced by LGBTQ+ young adults. Therefore, this study sought to form empirically based risk profiles (i.e., latent classes) of LGBTQ+ young adults based on their experiences with familial heterosexist experiences, LGBTQ+-related family rejection, internalized LGBTQ+-phobia and LGBTQ+ identity concealment, and then identify associations of derived classes with psychological distress.

We recruited and enrolled participants using nonprobability, cross-sectional online survey data collected between May and August 2020 (N = 482). We used a three-step latent class analysis (LCA) approach to identify unique classes of response patterns to LGBTQ+-related minority stressor subscale items (i.e., familial heterosexist experiences, LGBTQ+-related family rejection, internalized LGBTQ+-phobia and LGBTQ+ identity concealment), and multinomial logistic regression to characterize the associations between the derived classes and psychological distress.

Five distinct latent classes emerged from the LCA: (1) low minority stress, (2) LGBTQ+ identity concealment, (3) family rejection, (4) moderate minority stress and (5) high minority stress. Participants who were classified in the high and moderate minority stress classes were more likely to suffer from moderate and severe psychological distress compared to those classified in the low minority stress class. Additionally, relative to those in the low minority stress class, participants who were classified in the LGBTQ+ identity concealment group were more likely to suffer from severe psychological distress.

Familial heterosexist experiences, LGBTQ+-related family rejection, internalized LGBTQ+-phobia and LGBTQ+ identity concealment are four constructs that have been extensively examined as predictors for mental health outcomes among LGBTQ+ persons, and our study is among the first to reveal nuanced gradients of these stressors. Additionally, we found that more severe endorsement of minority stress was associated with greater psychological distress. Given our study results and the previously established negative mental health impacts of minority stressors among LGBTQ+ young adults, findings from our study can inform research, practice, and policy reform and development that could prevent and reduce mental health inequities among LGBTQ+ young adults.

Individuals with physical disabilities experience distress when faced with the threat of human-made and natural disasters, yet little is known about how to reduce that distress. This study used Protection Motivation Theory to longitudinally test the relationships between psychological distress and disaster-related cognitive appraisals, including perceived threat, emergency preparedness self-efficacy, and response efficacy, in a sample of individuals with physical disabilities.

A nationwide convenience sample of 106 adults completed 2 surveys approximately 5 years apart. Structural equation modeling was used to assess effects of perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy on psychological distress across the 2 waves.

Our results suggest that the associations of proximal perceived threat and self-efficacy with psychological distress remain stable across time, while the effect of response efficacy is variable and may be more context-specific. Importantly, individuals who reported an increase in self-efficacy over time also reported (on average) a decrease in psychological distress.

In addition to broadening our understanding of factors related to psychological distress, these results have potentially important intervention implications; for example, to the extent that self-efficacy is a malleable construct, one way of reducing disaster-related psychological distress may be to increase an individual’s self-efficacy.

Few population-based studies have compared the mental health of gender minority and cisgender adolescents.

To compare reports of psychological distress, behavioural and emotional difficulties, self-harm and suicide attempts between gender minority and cisgender adolescents.

Data came from the Millennium Cohort Study (n = 10 247), a large nationally representative birth cohort in the UK. At a 17-year follow-up, we assessed gender identity, psychological distress (Kessler K6 scale), behavioural and emotional difficulties (parent and child reports on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), self-harm in the previous year, suicide attempts, substance use, and victimisation including harassment and physical and sexual assaults. Multivariable modified Poisson and linear regression models were used. Attenuation after the inclusion of victimisation and substance use was used to explore mediation.

Of the 10 247 participants, 113 (1.1%) reported that they were a gender minority. Gender minority participants reported more psychological distress (coefficient 5.81, 95% CI 4.87–6.74), behavioural and emotional difficulties (child report: coefficient 5.60; 95% CI 4.54–6.67; parent/carer report: coefficient 2.60; 95% CI 1.47–3.73), self-harm including cutting or stabbing (relative risk (RR) 4.38; 95% CI 3.55–5.40), burning (RR 3.81; 95% CI 2.49–5.82), taking an overdose (RR 5.25; 95% CI 3.35–8.23) and suicide attempts (RR 3.42; 95% CI 2.45–4.78) than cisgender youth. These associations were partially explained by differences in exposure to victimisation.

Gender minority adolescents experience a disproportionate burden of mental health problems. Policies are needed to reduce victimisation and services should be adapted to better support the mental health of gender minority adolescents.

Patients with malignant wounds suffer from physical and psychological symptom burden. Despite psychological support being required, the impact of malignant wounds on patients’ psychological distress is poorly investigated. We evaluated psychological distress associated with malignant wounds for patients at their end of life.

This study used the secondary analysis of the results of a large prospective cohort study, which investigated the dying process among patients with advanced cancer in 23 palliative care units in Japan. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of moderate to severe psychological symptom burden, evaluated by the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS)-feeling at peace scores of 2–4. In addition, the factors affecting psychological symptoms were investigated. The quality of death was also evaluated upon death using the Good Death Scale score.

Out of the total 1896 patients, 156 had malignant wounds (8.2%). Malignant wounds were more common in female and young people. The breast, head, and neck were the most prevalent primary sites. More patients with malignant wounds had IPOS-feeling at peace scores of 2–4 than patients without malignant wounds (41.0% vs. 31.3%, p = 0.024). Furthermore, psychological distress was associated with moderate to severe IPOS-pain and the frequency of dressing changes. The presence of malignant wounds did not affect the quality of death.

This study showed increased psychological distress due to malignant wounds. Patients with malignant wounds require psychological support in addition to the treatment of physical symptoms for maintaining their quality of life.

Residents who lived near the Fukushima Power Plant accident were forced to change their lifestyle after the 2011 accident. This study aimed to elucidate the association of resident lifestyle and psychological factors with onset of hepatobiliary enzyme abnormalities (HEA) after the accident.

This longitudinal study included 15705 residents who underwent a comprehensive health check, as well as a mental health and lifestyle survey between June 2011 and March 2012. Follow-up surveys were conducted between June, 2012 and March 2018. Risk factors for new HEA onset were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model, moreover, population attributable risks for new HEA onset were calculated.

HEA developed in 29.7% of subjects. In addition to metabolic factors such as overweight, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia; there were differences in alcohol intake, evacuation, unemployment, educational background, and psychological distress between subjects with and without HEA onset. After we adjusted for potential confounding factors, an association of being overweight, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, as well as alcohol consumption, evacuation, and psychological distress with increased risk of HEA onset was realized. Among these identified risk factors, evacuation accounted for the greatest share.

Metabolic characteristics and disaster-related lifestyle aspects, including mental status, were risk factors for HAE onset after the Fukushima Power Plant accident.

The research on the role of father in the foetal programming of health and behaviour has received increasing attention. However, the influences of paternal depressive symptoms and couple relationship satisfaction during pregnancy – potentially mediated via maternal well-being – on the offspring's risk of infections in early life is still seldom assessed.

The aim was to investigate if paternal psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with elevated risk of recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) for offspring at 12 months of age, and whether maternal distress mediates the association between paternal distress and offspring RRIs.

The study population was drawn from the nested case–control cohort of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Children with RRIs (n = 50) were identified by maternal reports at the age of 12 months, whereas mothers did not report RRIs for the comparison group (n = 716). Parental depressive symptoms were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and couple relationship satisfaction was measured with the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale.

The association between paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and offspring RRIs was mediated by maternal prenatal depressive symptoms. Additionally, paternal poorer relationship satisfaction was associated with child RRIs independently of maternal distress.

The results suggest different pathways through which paternal distress during pregnancy may contribute to elevated risk of offspring RRIs, and more research is needed to study their underlying mechanisms. Paternal distress and couple relationship satisfaction during pregnancy should be assessed and screened as a contributor to offspring health.