Journal of Affective Disorders Reports最新文献

{"title":"Insights from deep learning models on new-onset anxiety in patients following bariatric metabolic surgery","authors":"Hongyi Zou ,&nbsp;Chen Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiguang Qi ,&nbsp;Oshin Miranda ,&nbsp;Tianyi Xie ,&nbsp;Anita P. Courcoulas ,&nbsp;LiRong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Due to its long-term effectiveness in weight control and cost-efficiency, bariatric metabolic surgery (BMS) has emerged as a promising treatment option for patients with severe obesity. However, its impact on certain mental health disorders remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to utilize a deep learning (DL) model, DeepBiomarker2, which integrates social determinants of health (SDoH) and electronic health records (EHR), to identify clinical features associated with new-onset anxiety disorder following BMS.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a case-control study using longitudinal EHR data from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Jan 2004–Oct 2019) on patients who underwent bariatric surgery. DeepBiomarker2, a DL model integrating diagnoses, medications, lab tests, and neighborhood socioeconomic status, predicted new-onset anxiety. Perturbation-based contribution analysis identified key predictive features.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 14,856 eligible patients who underwent BMS without a prior history of anxiety disorder were identified. DL models outperformed traditional logistic regression in predicting post-BMS anxiety, yielding area under the curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.89. Key features associated with post-BMS anxiety included abnormal urine and blood lab results, opioid and psychiatric medication use, frequent emergency department (ED) visits, and pre-existing mental health conditions. Potential protective indicators included omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, calcium citrate, and pravastatin. Inclusion of nSES data led to marginal improvements in model performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our DL models successfully identified clinical features potentially associated with new-onset anxiety following BMS, offering valuable insights to support early intervention and personalized mental health strategies for postoperative care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101061"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147599959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Loneliness and mental health across family constellations in Germany: Evidence of a stable burden","authors":"Sabine Diabaté ,&nbsp;Pauline Kleinschlömer ,&nbsp;Lisa Kriechel ,&nbsp;Leonie Kleinschrot ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Mohr ,&nbsp;Helena Ludwig-Walz","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Loneliness is a pressing public health issue associated with adverse mental health outcomes, yet its distribution across family constellations and its links to mental health symptoms over time remain understudied. Using longitudinal data from the German Family Demography Panel Study (FReDA; <em>N</em> = 15,994 individuals, respondents aged 18 to 49 in 2020), this study examines how loneliness, as well as depressed and anxious moods, vary across five family constellations over three waves (autumn/winter 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24). Our results first indicate that loneliness remained high in Germany in 2023/2024, with approximately one-third of respondents reporting loneliness. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness has declined on average, whereas depressed mood has increased and anxious mood has slightly decreased. This pattern is consistent across family constellations, and women score consistently higher than men. However, singles - both with and without children - reported the highest levels of loneliness, depressed and anxious mood. These findings suggest that cohabitation with a partner may act as a protective factor. Linear regression analyses suggest a persistent association between loneliness and mental health symptoms across all family constellations. The strength of these associations stays stable over time, particularly between loneliness and depressed mood. The first-difference regressions indicate that within-person increases in loneliness are associated with increases in affective symptoms across all family structures, with particularly strong effects among single parents and stronger associations for depressed than for anxious mood. These findings underscore the need for nuanced public health strategies that consider family constellations when addressing loneliness and mental health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101033"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What makes good expectation-violating interventions? - A mixed methods exploration of social interactions in the context of bereavement","authors":"Caroline Wanza ,&nbsp;Winfried Rief ,&nbsp;Bettina K. Doering","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Expectations regarding social interactions shape how individuals experience and express grief following the loss of a significant person. When these expectations are negative or dysfunctional, they can impede coping and contribute to prolonged distress. Expectation-violating experiences (i.e., positive social interactions) may promote psychological recovery, but their role in bereavement remains underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study qualitatively examined written accounts of grief-related expectation violations in social interactions, exploring how situational factors influence these experiences and identifying parameters relevant for grief-specific psychotherapy.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>We conducted mixed methods analyses using data from an online controlled trial of an imagery-based expectation violation intervention. Qualitative data were collected from 47 bereaved participants (M_age = 30.69 years, SD=11.32; range=18–55; 87.2 % female) who described situations where their grief-related social expectations were disconfirmed. Responses were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and linked to quantitative demographic and symptom measures.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Two themes of negative social expectations emerged: expectations about others’ behavior and expectations about one’s own experience. Expectation violations also comprised two themes: behaviors of others and their impact on the bereaved. Most participants described both aspects of expectation violation, which was linked to a greater reduction in negative social expectations. Qualitative themes were not significantly associated with demographic or loss-related variables.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Interactions that are validating and reciprocal may foster connectedness and support recovery after loss. The findings underscore the importance of interpersonal interactions and self-awareness for changing expectations. Behavioral experiments should consider how the disconfirming behavior of others impacts the bereaved person’s self-perception.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101056"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147599956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing professional competencies to tackle depression and suicidal ideation: outcomes of the EAAD 4-level intervention across seven European countries","authors":"Evelien Coppens ,&nbsp;Chantal Van Audenhove ,&nbsp;Piotr Toczyski ,&nbsp;Panagiota Fexi ,&nbsp;Rainer Mere ,&nbsp;Peeter Värnik ,&nbsp;Eva Claeys ,&nbsp;András Székely ,&nbsp;Saiko Allende Leal ,&nbsp;Ella Arensman ,&nbsp;Anvar Sadath Vakkayil ,&nbsp;Albena Drobachka ,&nbsp;Katharina Schnitzspahn ,&nbsp;Kahar Abdulla ,&nbsp;Simge Celik ,&nbsp;Ulrich Hegerl","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Training primary care workers, mental health professionals, and community facilitators is a common strategy to enhance their knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in managing depression and suicidality. This study evaluates the impact of two standardized training programs within the EAAD 4-level intervention on participants’ attitudes, perceived competence, and behavioural intentions across seven European countries.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A single-group pre-post-test study was conducted as part of the EU-funded EAAD-Best project. A cohort of 696 primary care and mental healthcare professionals (Level 1) from five countries and 519 community workers (Level 3) from five countries participated in tailored training. A bespoke questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour assessed attitudes, perceived competence, and behavioural intention before and immediately after training.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Linear mixed models showed significant improvements in <strong>perceived competence</strong> (Level 1: +14.7 %; Level 3: +26.7 %) and <strong>behavioural intention</strong> (Level 1: +25.7 %; Level 3: +53.9 %). Attitudes were already positive at baseline but improved slightly (Level 1: +1.7 %; Level 3: +2.2 %). Positive effects were observed across multiple countries, regardless of group size and training delivery mode. In one country, where training was delivered online to large groups due to the COVID-19 lockdown, training effects were still observed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our results suggest that the EAAD training program may enhance professionals’ competencies and intentions to apply learned skills. An online version of the training, which enabled training of large groups, also showed promising results, highlighting potential for scalability. Future initiatives should focus on engaging harder-to-reach professionals and considering more robust evaluation designs to better assess impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101026"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychosocial characteristics and daily impairment in women with persistent perinatal depressive symptoms: A large-scale cohort study","authors":"Haruna Irino ,&nbsp;Satoko Sasagawa ,&nbsp;Chika Yokoyama ,&nbsp;Aiko Okatsu ,&nbsp;Ayako Kanie ,&nbsp;Chika Kubota ,&nbsp;Yasue Mitamura ,&nbsp;Sayaka Aoyama ,&nbsp;Miyuki Makino ,&nbsp;Aiichiro Nakajima ,&nbsp;Yaeko Kataoka ,&nbsp;Masaru Horikoshi ,&nbsp;Hironori Kuga ,&nbsp;Masaya Ito","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the prevalence of persistent perinatal depressive symptoms and to identify the psychosocial characteristics associated with persistent symptoms among Japanese women. While persistent perinatal depression significantly impact both mothers and children, evidence from Japan remains limited.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A longitudinal online survey was conducted at three time points: during pregnancy, 1-month postpartum, and 6-month postpartum. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and daily impairment was measured using the difficulty item of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The EPDS cutoff score was 13 during pregnancy and 9 for postpartum. Group differences were examined using chi-square tests and one-way ANOVAs, followed by multivariable logistic regression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the 1039 participants (31.85±4.31 years), those who scored over cutoff during pregnancy, 1-month postpartum, and 6-month postpartum were 9.5%, 12.5%, and 11.3%, respectively. Depressive symptoms remained consistently high at all three-time points for 41 women (3.9%), fluctuated for 238 (22.9%), and remained low for 760 (73.2%). Persistent perinatal depressive symptoms were associated with greater daily impairment and were predicted by lower household income, personal psychiatric history, fewer sleeping hours at 1-month postpartum, and fear of COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Data were self-reported via the internet, and daily impairment was assessed using a single item.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Persistent perinatal depressive symptoms are associated with greater daily impairment and specific psychosocial vulnerabilities. Given their potential adverse effects on both mothers and children, continuous monitoring and support for depressive symptoms throughout the perinatal period are essential from a public health perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101032"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Peripartum psychiatric admissions in Israel: A retrospective cohort study","authors":"V. Bar ,&nbsp;Y. Bilu ,&nbsp;R. Walfisch ,&nbsp;G. Amit ,&nbsp;L. Azani ,&nbsp;R. Yoffe ,&nbsp;M. Weiser","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To characterize peripartum psychiatric admissions in Israel and identify risk factors associated with postpartum admissions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 828,374 births between 2016 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed using Israeli maternal-child health clinics’ data, representing 62% of nationwide births during the study period. Psychiatric admissions before, during and after pregnancy were identified through a national registry. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine risk factors, including: prior psychiatric admissions, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores, employment status, marital status, and socioeconomic status.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Admission rate spikes in the first month postpartum, and gradually returns to baseline levels after 6 months. Postpartum admissions were considerably more likely among women who had previous psychiatric admissions (OR = 149), and more so due to psychotic disorders (OR = 104) than bipolar disorder (OR = 5.1). However, first time admissions compose 62% of six-months postpartum admissions. Among mothers screened with EPDS a high score was associated with elevated risk for admission (OR = 5.6), especially when considering only mothers with no prior admissions (OR = 8.9).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Perinatal psychiatric admissions’ characteristics in Israel resemble those reported elsewhere, both temporally and in associated risk factors. The large number of first-time admissions highlights the need and challenge in identifying mothers at risk. EPDS screening was found useful in identifying mothers at risk for admissions, even beyond those due to postpartum depression and in the postpartum period. Incorporating a more detailed clinical history is likely required to better identify mothers at risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101028"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot study of brain correlates of long-term treatment with transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in posttraumatic stress disorder","authors":"J. Douglas Bremner ,&nbsp;Matthew T. Wittbrodt ,&nbsp;Nil Z. Gurel ,&nbsp;Jonathon A. Nye ,&nbsp;Md Mobashir H. Shandhi ,&nbsp;Asim H. Gazi ,&nbsp;Amit J. Shah ,&nbsp;Victoria Amorim ,&nbsp;Bradley D. Pearce ,&nbsp;Viola Vaccarino ,&nbsp;Omer T. Inan","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2025.101014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2025.101014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent condition, and current treatments have limitations. Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is a new approach that potentially has promise for PTSD. Understanding the neurobiology of treatment response is important for developing new treatments. The purpose of this study was to assess neural correlations of long-term transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) in patients with PTSD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Patients with PTSD underwent randomization to active tcVNS (<em>N</em> = 6) or sham stimulation (<em>N</em> = 5) twice daily for three months. High-Resolution Positron Emission Tomography scanning with radiolabeled water was used to measure brain blood flow measurements before and after treatment during exposure to personalized traumatic scripts paired with active or sham stimulation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three months of active tcVNS resulted in activation in response to traumatic scripts in the sham stimulation group not seen in the tcVNS group in brain areas mediating the fear response, including posterior cingulate, thalamus, temporal and parietal cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus, with an increase in medial prefrontal cortex with tcVNS, in patients with PTSD.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>TcVNS affects brain areas mediating fear and emotion which may underlie a therapeutic effect for PTSD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101014"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A longitudinal study exploring paternal stress and well-being, maternal depressive symptoms, and the offspring’s later psychosocial functioning in adolescence and young adulthood","authors":"Marie Korhonen ,&nbsp;Raili Salmelin ,&nbsp;Mika Helminen ,&nbsp;Ilona Luoma ,&nbsp;Mirjami Mäntymaa ,&nbsp;Kaija Puura","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The influence of the father’s well-being on child development has been increasingly studied, but longitudinal studies remain few. This study explores how paternal stress and well-being in the offspring’s middle childhood is associated with the child’s internalizing and externalizing problems and competence in adolescence and young adulthood. In addition, it explores the combined effect of paternal stress and maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) trajectories, on child outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The longitudinal study started in 1989 in Tampere, Finland, and included 351 normal population primiparous mothers. MDS were screened prenatally, postnatally at 2 and 6 months, and when the index child was 4–5, 8–9, 16–17, and 27 years old. Fathers participated at the 8–9 years follow-up. The children completed questionnaires when they were 16–17 and 27 years old. Complete data were available from 106 adolescents and 81 young adults.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The father’s long term health problems were associated with the child’s poorer competence in adolescence. The simultaneous high maternal depressive symptoms trajectory increased the risk. In young adulthood, the father’s poorer health and life satisfaction were associated with the offspring having a lower level of internalizing problems and better adaptive functioning. The MDS trajectory was not associated with the young adult’s outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The sample size was moderate, and high-symptomatic cases were more common among drop-outs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Exposure to paternal stress and poor well-being in middle childhood should be considered as an important risk factor for child development. On the other hand, (mild) childhood adversity may enhance psychosocial functioning in young adulthood.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101035"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The self-reported positive and negative effects of electroconvulsive therapy: an international survey","authors":"John Read ,&nbsp;Sue Cunliffe ,&nbsp;Sarah Hancock ,&nbsp;Christopher Harrop ,&nbsp;Lucy Johnstone ,&nbsp;Lisa Morrison","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2025.101008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2025.101008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>When assessing the efficacy and safety of any medical procedure the experiences of patients need to be considered. This paper adds to the growing body of studies asking recipients of electroconvulsive therapy about their treatment experiences.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Open questions about the positive and negative effects of ECT, in an online international survey, were responded to by 776 ECT recipients, from 41 countries.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>About half (48.8 %) spontaneously reported one or more positive effects and almost all (96.9 %) spontaneously reported one or more negative effects. About half (51.2 %) reported only negative effects, 45.6 % reported a mixture of positive and negative effects and 3.2 % reported only positive outcomes. Content analysis found that the most reported positive effects were: ‘Improved Mood’ (23.2 %), ‘Reduced Suicidality’ (12.6 %) and ‘Reduced Psychosis’ (3.1 %). The most reported negative effects were: ‘Memory Loss’ (81.6 %), ‘Cognitive Decline’ (29.0 %), ‘Headache’ (11.1 %), ‘Abused/Violated/Traumatised’ (7.9 %), ‘Fear/Anxiety’ (6.8 %), ‘Impaired Relationships’ (5.4 %), ‘Brain Damage’ (5.0 %), ‘Can’t Work’ (4.9 %) and ‘Pain’ (4.9 %).</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>This convenience sample may have been biased towards those with negative or positive attitudes about ECT. Some of the negative and positive effects attributed to ECT may have been the result of other factors (such as illness and age, or placebo, respectively).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results, in conjunction with previous studies, suggest the need for new, more robust, independent research into safety and efficacy. The safety component of such studies should probably include adverse effects beyond memory loss and cognitive decline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101008"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PTSD symptoms, loneliness, and amygdala volumes during pandemic social distancing associated with risk of suicidal ideation in trauma survivors with and without pre-pandemic PTSD","authors":"Mak E Guenther ,&nbsp;Jackson Lewis ,&nbsp;Juvet Ashu Ebai ,&nbsp;Jon D Elhai ,&nbsp;Qin Shao ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Hong Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The prolonged social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to worsen loneliness, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and suicidal thought, though the negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic-related isolation on survivors with previous traumatic experiences remain largely unexplored. The present study investigated how pandemic-related social isolation relates to PTSD symptoms, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, loneliness, and amygdala volumes in pre-pandemic trauma survivors with and without PTSD diagnosis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Sixty-two participants from a previous PTSD study were recruited during the pandemic to complete online surveys, including the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) for thwarted belongingness (INQ-TB) and perceived burdensomeness (INQ-PB) to assess perceived social isolation and risk of suicidal ideation, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL) for PTSD symptoms, the virtual PTSD diagnostic interview, and a structural MRI (sMRI) scan to measure amygdala and nuclei volumes. Pre-pandemic PTSD diagnosis record was also obtained.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Pandemic PCL were positively associated with UCLA loneliness and INQ-PB scores. INQ-TB and UCLA loneliness scores were inversely associated with post-pandemic amygdala volumes, specifically in left basolateral, central and cortical nuclei. Pre-pandemic PTSD diagnosis was associated with higher INQ-PB scores and smaller volumes of right amygdala and its centromedial nuclei post pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings suggest severe PTSD symptoms and smaller amygdala were associated with high loneliness and potential risk of suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic in trauma survivors. Pre-pandemic PTSD diagnosis can predict potential risk of suicidal ideation and reduced amygdala and its nuclei volumes when individuals are exposed to further stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52768,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Affective Disorders Reports","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 101030"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}