Minding the Context
Civil Society Participation and Suicide Rates: A Cross-National Analysis
Lance Hunter
Cross-Cultural Research, December 2024, Pages 447-473
Abstract:
Previous valuable research has examined the effect individual-level social and psychological factors have on suicidality. However, scholarship has yet to investigate the role civil society participation plays in suicide rates cross-nationally. Thus, this study examines the effect civil society participation has on suicide rates in 156 countries from varying levels of development from 2000-2019 from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. When including standard controls and controlling for potential endogeneity, the findings indicate that civil society participation, both political and non-political, has a negative and statistically significant effect on suicide rates. The results suggest that both political and non-political forms of civil society participation may produce positive social and psychological benefits that are associated with lower suicide rates.
Diverse Social Media Experiences and Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Neurobiological Responsivity to Rejected Peers
Jolien Trekels et al.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, October 2024
Abstract:
Adolescents' experiences with social media are complex and can impact their mental well-being differently. Our study aimed to understand how neurobiological sensitivities may moderate the association between different social media experiences and depressive symptoms. In a multi-wave study, 80 adolescents (Mage = 13.06, SD = .58) took part in an fMRI task designed to gauge the neural responses when viewing accepted and rejected peers within their own social networks (wave 1). We also collected self-reported measures of positive (digital social connection) and negative (digital pressure) experiences on social media and depressive symptoms (waves 2 and 3). Our findings revealed that there were no significant associations between digital social connection, digital pressure, and depressive symptoms one year later. However, the association between digital social connection and depressive symptoms was moderated by neural responsivity. Specifically, for adolescents with reduced sensitivity to their rejected peers in the VS, rTPJ, and vmPFC, digital social connection was associated with reduced depressive symptoms one year later. These results emphasize the importance of individual differences in how adolescents' brains respond to rejected peers in shaping the impact of online experiences on their mental well-being.
Psilocybin-assisted neurofeedback for the improvement of executive functions: A randomized semi-naturalistic-lab feasibility study
Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert et al.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences, 2 December 2024
Abstract:
Executive function deficits, common in psychiatric disorders, hinder daily activities and may be linked to diminished neural plasticity, affecting treatment and training responsiveness. In this pioneering study, we evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted frontal-midline theta neurofeedback (NF), a neuromodulation technique leveraging neuroplasticity, to improve executive functions (EFs). Thirty-seven eligible participants were randomized into an experimental group (n = 18) and a passive control group (n = 19). The experimental group underwent three microdose sessions and then three psilocybin-assisted NF sessions, without requiring psychological support, demonstrating the approach's feasibility. NF learning showed a statistical trend for increases in frontal-midline theta from session to session with a large effect size and non-significant but medium effect size dynamical changes within sessions. Placebo effects were consistent across groups, with no tasks-based EF improvements, but significant self-reported gains in daily EFs -- working memory, shifting, monitoring and inhibition -- showing medium and high effect sizes. The experimental group's significant gains in their key training goals underscored the approach's external relevance. A thorough study with regular sessions and an active control group is crucial to evaluate EFs improvement and their specificity in future. Psilocybin-enhanced NF could offer significant, lasting benefits across diagnoses, improving daily functioning.
The Mental Health of the Young in Latin America
David Blanchflower & Alex Bryson
NBER Working Paper, November 2024
Abstract:
We examine the mental wellbeing of the young in 18 Latin American countries using data from five cross-country comparative studies plus cross-sectional and quarterly time series data for a single country, Mexico. We examine whether there has been a decline in youth mental health and, if so, whether it has removed the U-shape in happiness and the hump-shape in unhappiness in Latin America as it has done in the United States and elsewhere. In the Global Minds data, the mental health of the young is poorer than that of older age groups. The Enbiare surveys for Mexico indicate that declining wellbeing of the young has changed the age profile of (un)happiness in that country. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data show a decline in the mental health of school children in Latin America, and that mental ill-health is more pronounced among those who have early access to, or spend excessive time spent on, digital devices. However, in both the Gallup World Poll and the Latinobarometers the young remain happier than older age groups, even though the wellbeing of the young has declined in some Latin American countries. We speculate as to why there may be differences in trends across surveys.
Brain encoding during perceived control as a prospective predictor of improvement in quality of life
Rotem Dan et al.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, October 2024
Abstract:
Perceived control is strongly related to mental health and well-being. Specifically, lack of perceived control has been associated with learned helplessness and stress-related disorders, such as depression and anxiety. However, it is unknown whether brain activation to control and its protective effect against stress can predict changes in quality of life. To address this gap, we examined the neural underpinning of controllability in healthy females (N=40) performing the Value of Control task in an fMRI scanner. Quality of life and perceived stress were assessed at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Increased brain activation for control was found within the putamen, insula, thalamus, mid-cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, and cerebellum. In contrast, increased brain activation for lack of control was found within the posterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices. In an exploratory analysis, an elastic-net algorithm was used to identify brain predictors of quality of life 6 months later. The right putamen's activation to control was selected as the best prospective predictor of improvement in life enjoyment and satisfaction and this association was mediated by changes in perceived stress. Our findings suggest that neural responsiveness to control may have utility as a potential marker of quality of life and resilience to adversity.