Editorial Perspective: A parable for climate collapse?

War and Children

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with young people’s criminal legal system involvement, but the extent to which distinct types of ACEs and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) differentially relate to arrests and convictions for youth is unknown. We identified childhood exposures that remain independently associated with arrests and convictions by age 26 among a broad set of ACEs and PCEs. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from two components of the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We examined the occurrence and number of arrests and convictions by age 26 and constructed ACE- and PCE-type indicator variables and overall scores. Weighted, covariate-adjusted logistic and negative binomial regression models estimated associations between ACE types and arrests and conviction outcomes, controlling for PCE score. Similarly, we estimated PCE-type outcome associations controlling for ACE score. Finally, we examined sex differences and stratified results by race. Of 7,200 participants, 14.9% were arrested by age 26. Controlling for PCE score, physical abuse and parental divorce/separation were associated with both arrests and convictions. Arrests were also associated with sexual abuse and parental substance use. Convictions were also associated with emotional abuse and parental mental health problems. Experiencing more PCEs was protective against arrest. We found sex differences for children experiencing sexual abuse. Certain ACEs appear more closely linked to young people’s risk of arrests and convictions, while combined PCE types may be protective. Interventions and policies that target these specific ACEs and boost PCEs may help disrupt pathways into the criminal legal system.

Amygdala Activity, Fear, and Anxiety: Modulation by Stress

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder in a large community sample of Chinese adults

The 11th revision of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) proposed two sibling diagnoses, namely post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD). We aimed to synthesize studies that evaluated the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and PTSD or CPTSD. Systematic search of 7 databases identified 24 studies (282 effect sizes; 17,075 participants). Separate three-level random effects meta-analyses were conducted to examine the associations between ACEs and the ratio of PTSD to no diagnosis, CPTSD to no diagnosis, and CPTSD to PTSD. Moderator analyses were conducted with different types, numbers, dimensions, causes, intentions, locations, victims of ACEs, and the co-occurrence of different causes and locations of ACEs. ACEs contributed to higher ratios of PTSD (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.38–1.77) and CPTSD (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.86–3.61) compared to no diagnosis and a higher ratio of CPTSD to PTSD (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.24–2.34). Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, household dysfunction, and broader composite measures of ACEs characterized increased risks for PTSD and CPTSD. The association between ACEs and PTSD was moderated by the type and intention of ACEs. The association between ACEs and CPTSD was moderated by type, number, location, and the co-occurrence of different causes and locations of ACEs. The association between ACEs and the ratio of CPTSD to PTSD was moderated by type and the co-occurrence of different causes and locations of ACEs. These findings highlight that ACEs distinguish risk for PTSD and CPTSD.

The impact of chronic psychoemotional stress disrupts various vital physiological functions, which can accelerate the development of age-related pathology. The aim of our study was to study a complex of markers of post-traumatic stress associated with war in men and women of different ages. 127 people (the main group) who were in the city of Kyiv or the Kyiv region during active hostilities in February and March 2022 were examined. The data of 122 people examined before the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war (control group) were used for comparison. An analysis of the psychoemotional state was carried out according to the results of the PLC-5 scale, the Beck depression scale, the Spielberger-Hanin test, as well as the determination of the concentration of cortisol in the blood plasma of autonomic nervous regulation by the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis method. Chronic war-related stress is characterized by greater changes in stress markers in women compared to men. The incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder, situational anxiety and depression is highest in young women. During the war, the cortisol levels in the blood are likely to increase in women of all age groups and middle-aged men. With chronic stress in both men and women, the influence of the sympathetic increases and the influence of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system weakens, such changes prevail in young people and the elderly. Thus, we found that chronic psycho-emotional stress associated with war is characterized by more significant changes in stress markers in women compared to men. At the same time, the frequency of the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, situational anxiety and depression is highest among young women. The basis of these changes is probably an increase in cortisol levels in the blood and an increase in the influence of the sympathetic and weakening of the parasympathetic departments of the autonomic nervous system.

Background:Chronic stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Chronic stress can cause structural alterations like grey matter atrophy in key emotion-related areas such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). To identify biological pathways affected by chronic stress in the PFC, researchers have performed transcriptional profiling (RNA-sequencing, microarray) to measure gene expression in rodent models. However, transcriptional signatures in the PFC that are shared across different chronic stress paradigms and laboratories remain relatively unexplored.Methods:We performed a meta-analysis of publicly available transcriptional profiling datasets within the Gemma database. We identified six datasets that characterized the effects of either chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on gene expression in the PFC or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mice (n=117). We fit a random effects meta-analysis model to the chronic stress effect sizes (log(2) fold changes) for each transcript (n=21,379) measured in most datasets. We then compared our results with two other published chronic stress meta-analyses, as well as transcriptional signatures associated with psychiatric disorders.Results:We identified 133 genes that were consistently differentially expressed across chronic stress studies and paradigms (false discovery rate (FDR)<0.05). Fast Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (fGSEA) revealed 53 gene sets enriched with differential expression (FDR<0.05), dominated by glial and neurovascular markers (e.g., oligodendrocyte, astrocyte, endothelial/vascular) and stress-related signatures (e.g., major depressive disorder, hormonal responses). Immediate-early gene markers of neuronal activity (Fos, Junb, Arc, Dusp1) were consistently suppressed. Many of the identified effects resembled those seen in previous meta-analyses characterizing stress effects (CSDS, early life stress), despite minimal overlap in included samples. Moreover, some of the differential gene expression resembled previous observations from stress-related psychiatric disorders, including alcohol abuse disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.Conclusion:Our study demonstrates that chronic stress induces a robust, cross-paradigm PFC signature characterized by down-regulation of glia/myelin and vascular pathways and suppression of immediate-early gene activity, highlighting cellular processes linking chronic stress exposure, PFC dysfunction, and the onset of psychiatric disorders.

A pilot study to understand the presence of ACE in adults with post-traumatic stress disorders at a well-being centre in India

The hypothalamus is critical for regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and response to stress. Adverse childhood experience (ACE) can affect brain structure, which may contribute to development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after subsequent adult trauma. It is unclear, however, if ACE history is particularly associated with aspects of hypothalamic structure which contribute to development of PTSD. To address this issue, the present study longitudinally assessed hypothalamic volumes and their associations with ACE and early post-trauma stress symptoms in subjects who did or did not develop PTSD during 12 months after adult trauma. 109 subjects (18–60 years, F/M = 75/34) completed the PTSD Checklist (PCL) questionnaire for post-trauma stress symptoms, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) for ACE assessment, and an initial MRI brain scan for hypothalamic volume measurement, within 2 weeks after adult trauma. At post-trauma 12 months, subjects underwent a subsequent PTSD diagnosis interview using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and a follow-up MRI scan. Left and right hypothalamus volumes at 2 weeks after adult trauma negatively correlated with CTQ scores. Right hypothalamus volume at this early time mediated an association between ACE and PTSD symptoms 12 months later. Right hypothalamus volumes also remained persistently smaller from 2 weeks to 12 months after trauma in survivors who developed PTSD. These results suggest that smaller right hypothalamus volume may be related to ACE history in ways that contribute to PTSD development after trauma in adulthood.

COVID-19 and Stress-Related Disorders.

Evidence suggests that when presented with novel acute stress, animals previously exposed to chronic homotypic or heterotypic stressors exhibit normal or enhanced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response compared with animals exposed solely to that acute stressor. The molecular mechanisms involved in this effect remain unknown. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is one of the key pathways regulated in the hippocampus in both acute and chronic stress. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of prior chronic stress, using the chronic variable stress model (CVS), with exposure to a novel acute stressor (2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethyl thiazoline; TMT) on ERK activation, expression of the downstream protein BCL-2, and the glucocorticoid receptor co-chaperone BAG-1 in control and chronically stressed male rats. TMT exposure after chronic stress resulted in a significant interaction of chronic and acute stress in all 3 hippocampus subregions on ERK activation and BCL-2 expression. Significantly, acute stress increased ERK activation, BCL-2 and BAG-1 protein expression in the dentate gyrus (DG) of CVS-treated rats compared with control, CVS-treated alone, and TMT-only animals. Furthermore, CVS significantly increased ERK activation in medial prefrontal cortex, but acute stress had no significant effect. Inhibition of corticosterone synthesis with metyrapone had no significant effect on ERK activation in the hippocampus; therefore, glucocorticoids alone do not mediate the molecular effects. Finally, because post-translational modifications of histones are believed to play an important role in the stress response, we examined changes in histone acetylation. We found that, in general, chronic stress decreased K12H4 acetylation, whereas acute stress increased acetylation. These results indicate a molecular mechanism by which chronic stress-induced HPA axis plasticity can lead to neurochemical alterations in the hippocampus that influence reactivity to subsequent stress exposure. This may represent an important site of dysfunction that contributes to stress-induced pathology such as depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Developing research demonstrates that correctional officers (CO's) are at a higher risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than the general population, less is known about the relationship between how CO's cope with stress. Most CO's will be exposed to chronic stress and trauma while working in prisons, with approximately one-third of CO's eventually suffering from PTSD. It is important to explore the relationship between coping and PTSD because if certain coping styles are associated with different levels of PTSD, this could be used to inform training and programming for officers. This study examines officer coping and whether they impact the severity of PTSD symptoms among a group of approximately 245 correctional officers across seven adult state institutions from one Southern state. While controlling for exposure to violence and trauma experienced while on the job and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), this study explores whether multiple problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms are associated with the level of PTSD symptoms experienced by CO's. Results indicated multiple problem- and emotion-focused coping mechanisms were significantly related to PTSD symptoms, even when controlling for exposure to violence and trauma, ACEs, and other controls. Implications these findings have for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.

&lt;p&gt;War survivors encounter chronic stressors, which can negatively impact mental health above and beyond direct exposure to war-related trauma. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship of coping with chronic stressors and war exposure in post-conflict&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Northern Sri Lanka. Using a two study, mixed-method sequential exploratory design, the aim of study 1 (qualitative) was to explore how stressors are conceptualized and the impact of stressors on coping through interviews with adult war survivors (N=53). Using a phenomenological lens for analysis and grounded in the daily stressors framework and families of coping theory, a&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;social ecological model of stressors and coping is proposed. Participants shared that chronic and systemic stressors permeate daily life and impact on psychological wellbeing. Common coping strategies included support-seeking, problem-solving, helplessness, and escape. The goal of study 2 (quantitative) was to refine the social ecological model of stressors and coping with a sample of 1015 adult participants who were part of a larger epidemiological study. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from a demographic and displacement history questionnaire, the Stressful Life Events Checklist, and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to understand the relationship between stressors, trauma symptom severity (TSS), and the role of social support as a coping mechanism. The social ecological model of stressors and coping identified in study 1 was refined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in study 2, resulting in four stressor constructs: 1)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Personal Safety Concerns; 2) War Exposure Losses; 3) Financial Loss and Hardship, and 4) Personal Hardships. SEM results indicated that War Exposure Losses and Financial Loss and Hardship stressors were positively related to TSS whereas Personal Hardship was negatively&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;related to TSS, suggesting resilience in situations of chronic adversity. Findings from this study further highlighted that available social support may be less effective for individuals who have experienced particular stressors such as Financial Loss and Hardship. Findings from this study can inform a framework of traumatic stress that transcend the traditional emphasis on direct&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;exposure to war-related violence to also consider chronic stressors and coping mechanisms in post-conflict settings.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Keywords: chronic stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder, Sri Lanka, post-conflict, mixed-method research.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Keywords: chronic stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder, Sri Lanka, post-conflict, mixed-method research.&lt;/p&gt;

Introduction Poor sleep quality, a risk factor for many negative health outcomes, may result from physical or emotional disturbance including chronic stress. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with chronic stress, and may therefore be associated with poor sleep quality in adulthood. This study examines the longitudinal association between specific ACEs and the number of ACEs and sleep quality in adulthood. Methods Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examined the association between ACEs and trouble falling asleep or staying asleep (rarely or never, sometimes, frequently) in waves 1 (age 12–18), 4 (age 24–32), and 5 (age 33–43). We examined ten ACEs (physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; neglect; parental death, incarceration, alcoholism, divorce or separation; foster home placement; poverty; and exposure to community violence) and the number of ACEs (0, 1, 2–3, 4+), using weighted logistic regression to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals for each of the ACEs and ACE score and each of the outcomes after adjusting for relevant confounders. Results The analysis included 12,768 participants, 75.3% of whom experienced at least one ACE, including 14.7% who experienced 4 or more. Physical and emotional abuse were associated with frequent sleep complaints at waves 1, 4, and 5. Sexual abuse, neglect and community violence were associated with frequent complaints in two waves, while parental alcoholism, parental incarceration, and foster home placement were associated with frequent complaints in one wave. The number of ACEs experienced showed a dose-response association with frequent sleep complaints in wave 1 ([1 ACE: aOR=2.12 (1.16, 3.9), 2–3 ACEs: aOR=2.86 (1.70, 4.82), 4+ ACEs: aOR=4.17 (2.33, 7.48)], wave 4 [1 ACE: aOR=1.02 (0.77, 1.36); 2–3 ACEs: aOR= 1.66 (1.30, 2.10); 4+ ACEs: aOR=2.68 (1.99, 3.61) and in wave 5 [1 ACE: aOR=1.22 (0.93, 1.60)), 2–3 ACEs: aOR=1.42 (1.11, 1.81), 4+ ACEs: aOR=1.88 (1.40, 2.53)] Conclusion Certain adverse childhood experiences such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect have a lasting impact on sleep quality in adulthood, highlighting the need to mitigate their impact to prevent negative health outcomes associated with poor sleep quality Support (if any):

This study seeks to throw some light on child abuse worrisome social ill. The research focused on secondary data available of different countries, particularly Pakistan. Content analysis is carried out. Various forms of malpractices on children such as sexual abuse, neglect, physical and emotional harm were mentioned as some of the ills perpetrated against them by step mothers, uncles, non-relatives and sometimes their parents. Even though the most frequent forms of these abuses varied from one region to another, some of them such as neglect, sexual abuse and physical harm were reported in almost all the regions. Early and forced marriage was declared by some discussants in the northern regions especially among the Moslem community. The reported causes of these ill-treatments are jealousy from childless step mothers, ignorance, false accusation of witchcraft and stealing, polygamy, poverty, consumption of alcohol and substance abuse.