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Christopher F Sharpley,1 Vicki Bitsika,1 Mary E McMillan,1 Emmanuel Jesulola,2 Linda L Agnew11Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia; 2Emergency Department, Bathurst Base Hospital, Bathurst, NSW 2795, AustraliaCorrespondence: Christopher F SharpleyBrain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaTel +61 26 773 2596Email csharpl3@une.edu.auPurpose: Hormonal and inflammatory factors have been suggested as potentially influencing depressive state and depressive symptoms, but rarely compared for their relative contribution to these states and to specific depressive symptoms. This study examined cortisol:C-reactive protein (CRP) ratio, plus cortisol and CRP separately, as correlates of global depression and fatigue-related depression.Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty-six community volunteers from rural Australia provided saliva and serum samples, and also completed a depression inventory.Results: There was a significant correlation between cortisol:CRP ratio and depression-related fatigue, and this resolved to the effects of CRP rather than cortisol. Most of the variance in this association came from patients who were “depressed”, and there were no significant gender associations.Conclusion: Inflammation, rather than HPA-axis activity, was associated with depression-related fatigue, supporting a model that places inflammation as a contributor to one of the major symptoms and predictors of depression. Individualization of therapy for depression-related fatigue in chronically stressed or physically ill patients might benefit from future research into cytokine therapy.Keywords: depression, fatigue, CRP, cortisol

Christopher F Sharpley,1 Vicki Bitsika,2 Mary E McMillan,1 Emmanuel Jesulola,1 Linda L Agnew1 1Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia; 2Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Purpose: Depression remains difficult to treat in all cases, and further investigation of the role of genetic and environmental factors may be valuable. This study was designed to investigate the association between the short (s) versus non-short (non-s) 5HTTLPR variants, presence of childhood stressors and recent life stressors, and depression, and to do so at two levels that would expose the associations between total depression scores and also individual depression items.Materials and methods: Two hundred and forty-nine volunteers from one of the Australian Electoral Office electorates covering a large rural land area completed a series of questionnaires about childhood and recent life stress and depression, and provided a buccal cell sample for genotyping the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism into s versus non-s carriers.Results: Although there were no significant differences in the depression scores of the s-carriers versus the non-s carriers, each subtype of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism showed different patterns of association between childhood stress and depression symptoms, and between recent life stress and depression symptoms.Conclusion: Individualization of therapy for depression may be achieved through consideration of the specific associations that patients exhibit between life stress, 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, and depression symptomatology. Keywords: genes, mental health, life experiences

Vicki Bitsika,1 Christopher F Sharpley2 1Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia; 2Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia Background: Although there have been suggestions that central coherence may be associated with eating disturbances (EBD) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), relatively little attention has been given to specific aspects of IQ and EDB. Methods: The association between total IQ, perceptual and verbal composite scores and subtests was explored in a sample of 50 high-functioning girls with ASD (mean age = 9.7 years, SD = 2.4 years, range = 6 years to 14 years). Self-reports and mothers’ reports were collected about the girls’ EDB. Results: There were only isolated associations between mothers’ data and the girls’ IQ. Selected aspects of the girls’ self-reported EDB were significantly associated with matrix reasoning. Conclusion: The role of IQ, particularly matrix reasoning, in the assessment and treatment of EDB in girls with ASD, is highlighted by these findings. Keywords: autism, eating disturbance, IQ, global processing

Objective: To psychometrically refine a standardized scale for identifying those lifestyle changes that were most likely to contribute to anxiety and depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients.Methods: Three hundred and eighty-one PCa patients who had received their initial diagnosis between one and 96 months completed a survey of background variables, anxiety and depression inventories and the 36-item Effects of Prostate Cancer upon Lifestyle Questionnaire (EPCLQ).Results: Levels of anxiety (24%) and depression (26%) were similar to those previously reported for PCa patients. The EPCLQ was shown to have satisfactory psychometric properties and significantly predicted anxiety and depression scores and the presence of psychological clinicity among this sample. Factor analysis of the EPCLQ showed that adverse emotions and social withdrawal, plus loss of cognitive ability, were the most powerful predictors of fear, physiological arousal, discomfort and pain factors underlying anxiety; these factors also predicted pessimism and fatigue factors underlying depression.Conclusions: The EPCLQ was shown to be a reliably sound and valid instrument for assessing important lifestyle changes that predict anxiety and depression among PCa patients. In addition, links between receiving a diagnosis and treatment for PCa and development of psychosocial disturbance via emotional negativity, decreased cognitive performance and withdrawal from others appear to warrant further investigation. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-related diseases have been predicted to become major contributors to the Global Disease Burden within the next 20 years. Of these, depression is one of the principal identifiable sources of concern for public mental health, and has been hypothesized to be an outcome of prolonged stress. Examination of the hyper-responsiveness of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, consequent elevated serum cortisol, plus the effects of this upon brain structure and function, provides a model for understanding how chronic stress may be a causal vector in the development of depression. Evidence from studies of the effectiveness of antidepressants aimed at reducing cortisol within depressed patients supports this model and suggests avenues for future research and treatment of stress-induced depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With nearly one fifth of the population experiencing depression sometime during their lives, plus the recent finding that depression rivals smoking in its association with mortality, the search for effective pharmacological treatments for depression remains urgent. However, despite this heavy disease burden upon society, the various waves of antidepressants developed in the last 40 years have shown significant side effects and little specific efficacy over placebo. One potential treatment may be via re-establishment of glutamate and GABA neurotransmitter systems that have been shown to malfunction in depressed patients. The literature describing possible causal links between GABA and/or glutamate malfunction and depression is reviewed, plus those studies which provide experimental data to confirm this hypothesis. While there is plausible support for the links between malfunction of these neurotransmitters and depression, few data exist yet regarding development of effective antidepressant medications based upon these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to overcome the potential invalidity of response shift present in pre-test versus post-test designs, 197 breast cancer patients completed self-reports about their current anxiety and depression states about 2 years after diagnosis, and also for how they felt at the time of their diagnosis. Current and previous states of anxiety and depression, item analyses and factor analyses of these results, plus MANOVA across all items to test for changes over time (termed 'actual change' in the literature) were conducted. In addition, the combined anxiety and depression scores were analysed as a single unit to determine overlap of symptomatology and suggest possible treatments. As well as showing decreases in the proportion of participants who were experiencing clinically significant anxiety and depression from the time of diagnosis to the time of the survey, results indicated changes in the underlying anxiety symptomatology experienced by participants, moving from somatic complaints of fatigue to feelings of loss of control and inability to cope. The predominant symptomatology of depression remained consistently related to an inability to cope or make decisions, feelings of helplessness and loss. Suggestions for helping clinicians to deal with patients' symptomatology are discussed. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of 219 parents of children with autism was administered on a confidential and anonymous basis. As well as tapping information about the nature of the child's disorder, parental well-being (anxiety, depression), parents' daily level of stress arising from parenting, their confidence in handling their child's major difficulty, and the frequency of being stretched beyond their limits were included as dependent variables. Independent variables were: gender of parents, age of child and age of onset, parental health, access to other family members, and level of understanding of those family members of the child's problems. Data indicated that, although social support has previously been posited as an alleviating factor for parental stress, this may be a result of the perceived expertise of the family member who provides respite care for the parents. Issues of self-efficacy, training in behaviour management, and provision of home-based care for parents are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little attention has been given to mixed anxiety and depression in autistic youth, particularly how this differs between males and females. This study investigated sex-based differences in the prevalence and correlates of mixed anxiety and depression in a sample of 51 autistic males ( M age = 10.16 yr, SD = 2.81 yr, and range = 6 yr to 17 yr) and 51 autistic females (M age = - 10.07 yr, SD = 2.76 yr, and range = 6 yr to 17 yr), matched for age, IQ, and autism severity. Self-reports on generalised anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, morning salivary cortisol, ADOS-2 scores, and WASI-II full-scale scores were collected from these autistic youth, and data on the ASD-related symptoms of these youth were collected from their parents. The data were analysed for total anxiety-depression score levels, for the underlying components of this scale, and for the individual items used in the scale. The results indicate no significant sex differences for the prevalence of mixed anxiety and depression total scores or the underlying components of anxiety and depression or for the individual items of the mixed anxiety-depression scale. There were sex differences in the significant correlates of mixed anxiety and depression: morning cortisol and ASD-related difficulties in social interaction for females, and ASD-related behaviour for males. Males' feelings of being restless or edgy were correlated with their social interaction and repetitive and restricted behaviour. Females' difficulties in social interaction were correlated with their concerns about their abilities and their sleeping problems. Females' sleeping problems, their tendency to talk about dying, and feeling worthless, were correlated with their morning cortisol. These findings suggest that, while mixed anxiety and depression is experienced similarly by autistic males and females at the global, component, and individual item levels, specific aspects of the symptomatology of mixed anxiety and depression are differently associated with aspects of their ASD-related symptomatology and their levels of chronic physiological stress for males and females., Competing Interests: Conflicts of InterestNone of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2024 by the authors.)

Psychological resilience (PR) is known to be inversely associated with depression. While there is a growing body of research examining how depression alters activity across multiple functional neural networks, how differences in PR affect these networks is largely unexplored. This study examines the relationship between PR and functional connectivity in the alpha and beta bands within (and between) eighteen established cortical nodes in the default mode network, the central executive network, and the salience network. Resting-state EEG data from 99 adult participants (32 depressed, 67 non-depressed) were used to measure the correlation between the five factors of PR sourced from the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and eLORETA-based measures of coherence and phase synchronisation. Distinct functional connectivity patterns were seen across each resilience factor, with a notable absence of overlapping positive results across the depressed and non-depressed samples. These results indicate that depression may modulate how resilience is expressed in terms of fundamental neural activity.

Background/Objectives: Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relies on the observation of difficulties in social communication and interaction, plus the presence of repetitive and restrictive behaviors. The identification of neurological correlates of these symptoms remains a high priority for clinical research, and has the potential to increase the validity of diagnosis of ASD as well as provide greater understanding of how the autistic brain functions. This study focused on two neurological phenomena that have been previously associated with psychiatric disorders (alpha- and theta-wave asymmetry across the frontal region of the brain), and tested for their association with the major diagnostic criteria for ASD. Methods: A total of 41 male autistic youth underwent assessment with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and 3 min of eyes-closed resting EEG to collect alpha- and theta-wave data from right and left frontal brain sites. Results: Different associations were found for theta versus alpha asymmetry and the ADOS-2 subscales, across different brain regions responsible for a varying range of cognitive functions. In general, theta asymmetry was associated with conversation with others, sharing of enjoyment, and making social overtures, whereas alpha asymmetry was linked with making eye contact, reporting events to others, and engaging in reciprocal social communication. Specific brain regions involved are identified, as well as implications for clinical practice. Conclusions: Specific autism symptoms may be associated with selected brain region activity, providing a neurological basis for diagnosis and treatment.

Melancholia is a major and severe subtype of depression, with only limited data regarding its association with neurological phenomena. To extend the current understanding of how particular aspects of melancholia are correlated with brain activity, electroencephalographic data were collected from 100 adults (44 males and 56 females, all aged 18 y or more) and investigated for the association between symptoms of melancholia and the ratios of alpha/beta activity and theta/beta activity at parietal-occipital EEG sites PO1 and PO2. The results indicate differences in these associations according to the depressive status of participants and the particular symptom of melancholia. Depressed participants exhibited meaningfully direct correlations between alpha/beta and theta/beta activity and the feeling that "Others would be better off if I was dead" at PO1, whereas non-depressed participants had significant inverse correlations between theta/beta activity and "Feeling useless and not needed" and "I find it hard to make decisions" at PO1. The results are discussed in terms of the relative levels of fast-wave (beta) versus slow-wave (alpha, theta) activity exhibited by depressed and non-depressed participants in the parietal-occipital region and the cognitive activities that are relevant to that region.

Purpose: A high incidence of psychosocial problems in prostate cancer patients has been reported including anxiety, depression and distress. These can add to the patients' disease burden and have been associated with unfavorable cancer treatment outcomes. Interventions designed to address them have found limited success, but psychological resilience (PR) training has never been formally tested. The measurement of PR in prostate cancer patients has been described and has been associated with more favorable psychosocial outcomes in these patients but it has never been systematically reviewed. The aim of this study was to conduct the first systematic review of those studies that have measured it using standardized scales and to determine the potential for resilience training to help overcome the significant psychosocial problems faced by prostate cancer patients., Materials and Methods: We searched the literature to identify articles that measured PR among prostate cancer patients., Results: Of 384 articles identified by the search criteria, there were 19 studies suitable for inclusion regarding 5,417 patients. The most commonly-used scale was the original Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, or an abbreviated version of it. Possible scores range from 0 to 100, mean scores from these studies ranged from 72.9 to 87.1 (standard deviations varied between 13.2 and 16.3). PR was consistently associated with improved psychological outcomes including depression, anxiety and distress, although these were measured with a wide variety of methods making it difficult to quantify the effects. There was also evidence of PR mediating the physical effects of prostate cancer and treatment including urinary symptoms, fatigue and insomnia., Conclusions: As resilience training has been successful in other cancer settings, it seems likely that it could improve the significant adverse psychosocial outcomes that have been reported in prostate cancer patients and trials designed to objectively test it should be encouraged., Competing Interests: The authors have no nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology.)

Objectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) patients often experience depression. One possible buffer against stress-related depression is psychological resilience (PR), which has been described as heterogeneous in structure, like major depressive disorder (MDD). Although both of these constructs are central to understanding and assisting distressed PCa patients, no data have been reported on how they connect via network arrays at a component and symptom level. Such information has the potential to inform clinical practice with depressed PCa patients., Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 555 PCa patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Connor-Davison Resilience Scale (CDRISC). Data were analysed via network analysis., Results: Network analysis indicated that various CDRISC factors interacted with different PHQ-9 symptoms. For example, trust in one's instincts, tolerance of negative affect, and strengthening effects of stress (CDRISC) was associated with concentration problems and suicidal ideation (PHQ-9); positive acceptance of change, and secure relationships (CDRISC) was linked to low self-worth, anhedonia, fatigue/lethargy, motor problems, depressed mood, and concentration and appetite problems (PHQ-9). Similarly heterogeneous associations were found between individual CDRISC items and PHQ-9 symptoms. Network analytic figures depict both these sets of associations., Conclusions: As well as confirming the heterogeneous nature of PR and MDD in PCa patients, these findings argue for the further development of 'individualised' medicine approaches when working with PCa patients and their experiences of depression., (© 2023 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Depression is associated with frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and Psychological Resilience (PR), although in different ways. Only cursory attention has been given to how these three constructs interact despite the possible clinical and research implications of those associations. One limitation of recent research into these associations has been conceptualising PR as a unitary construct, whereas it has been shown to be multi-component. This study investigated the underlying components of PR, their correlations with FAA, and the effect that participants' depressive status had upon those correlations in a community sample of 54 males and 46 females aged between 18 yr and 75 years. Results confirmed the overall inverse association between total PR and depression for four of the original five PR components and for one of the two components found in this sample. Similarly, there were differences between the ways that FAA and PR components were associated, depending upon the depressive status of participants. Source localisation data indicated that the PR components were not uniformly correlated with alpha activity in the same brain regions. These findings of content, efficacy, and neurophysiological differences between the five components of PR and their associations with FAA argue against consideration of PR as a unitary construct.

Alpha wave asymmetry inconsistently correlates with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). One possible reason for this inconsistency is the heterogeneity of MDD, leading to study of depressive 'subtypes', one of which is Melancholia. To investigate the correlation between Melancholia and alpha-wave asymmetry, 100 community participants (44 males, 56 females; aged at least 18 yr) completed the Zung self-rated Depression Scale, and underwent 3 min of eyes closed EEG recording from 24 scalp sites. There was no significant correlation between EEG data and Melancholia total score for the entire sample, but there was for those participants who had clinically significant depression (n = 33). When examined at the level of individual Melancholia scale items, significant EEG data correlations were found for some of the items but not for others. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for the Melancholia scale, only one of which exhibited significant correlations with EEG AA data. Further exploration of those data identified two subcomponents of that Melancholia factor, one which was inversely correlated with frontal alpha asymmetry, and another which was directly correlated with parietal-occipital alpha wave asymmetry. These findings suggest that Melancholia may itself be heterogeneous, similarly to MDD, and rely upon different aspects of cognitive function., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Although depression is widespread carries a major disease burden, current treatments remain non-universally effective, arguably due to the heterogeneity of depression, and leading to the consideration of depressive "subtypes" or "depressive behavior subtypes." One such model of depressive behavior (DB) subtypes was investigated for its associations with frontal lobe asymmetry (FLA), using a different data analytic procedure than in previous research in this field., Methods: 100 community volunteers (54 males, 46 females) aged between 18 yr. and 75 years ( M  = 32.53 yr., SD = 14.13 yr) completed the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and underwent 15 min of eyes closed EEG resting data collection across 10 frontal lobe sites. DB subtypes were defined on the basis of previous research using the SDS, and alpha-wave (8-13 Hz) data produced an index of FLA. Data were examined via network analysis., Results: Several network analyses were conducted, producing two models of the association between DB subtypes and FLA, confirming unique neurophysiological profiles for each of the four DB subtypes., Discussion: As well as providing a firm basis for using these DB subtypes in clinical settings, these findings provide a reasonable explanation for the inconsistency in previous FLA-depression research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Sharpley, Bitsika, Arnold, Shadli, Jesulola and Agnew.)

Purpose: Caring for an autistic child is associated with elevated stress, anxiety and depression. Although some data suggest that 'child' or 'carer' factors may moderate the severity of carer distress, relatively few international comparisons have been made, limiting the generalizability of previous findings. This study aimed to address this issue., Method: A survey-based comparison was made of carers from three nations (Australia, Denmark, Greece), and the effects of demographic, child, and carer variables upon carer anxiety and depression were investigated., Results: Only limited cross-nation consistency was found for nation, child, or carer variables and their effects upon carer anxiety or depression., Conclusion: The application of universal treatment models for carer anxiety and depression may be of differing value across nations., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© The British Society of Developmental Disabilities 2023.)

To investigate possible contributors to the inconsistent association between frontal lobe asymmetry (FLA) and depression, EEG data were collected across five frontal sites, and examined for their associations with four subtypes of depression (Depressed mood, Anhedonia, Cognitive depression, Somatic depression). One hundred community volunteers (54 males, 46 females) aged at least 18 yr completed standardized scales for depression and anxiety, and gave EEG data under Eyes Open and Eyes Closed conditions. Results indicated that, although there was no significant correlation between the differences in EEG power across each of the five pairs of frontal sites and total depression scores, there were several meaningful correlations (accounting for at least 10% of the variance) between specific EEG site differences data and each of the four depression subtypes. There were also different patterns of association between FLA and the depression subtypes according to sex, and total depression severity. These findings help to explain the apparent inconsistency in previous FLA-depression results, and argue for a more nuanced approach to this hypothesis., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Many prostate cancer patients also suffer from depression, which can decrease their life satisfaction and also impede recovery from their cancer. This study described the network structure of depressive symptomatology in prostate cancer patients, with a view to providing suggestions for clinical interventions for depressed patients., Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 555 prostate cancer patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)., Results: Network analysis and multidimensional scaling indicated that anhedonia was the most central symptom for these men, and that several sets of depression symptoms were closely associated with each other. These included anhedonia-depressed mood; sleeping problems-fatigue/lethargy; and suicidal ideation-low self-worth-depressed mood. Other depression symptoms such as appetite problems, concentration problems, and motor problems, were less well-related with the remainder of the network. Patients receiving treatment for reocurring prostate cancer (PCa) had significantly higher PHQ9 scores than patients undergoing their initial treatment, but no major differences in their network structures. Implications for clinical practice were derived from the relationships between individual depression symptoms and the overall depression network by examining node predictability., Conclusions: The use of total depression scores on an inventory does not reflect the underlying network structure of depression in PCa patients. Identification and treatment of the central symptom of anhedonia in PCa patients suggests the need to adopt specific therapies that are focussed upon this symptom., (© 2022 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aristotle is often named as the first zoologist or biologist because of his writings on animals. Although Aristotle's major intention in these books was to illustrate his ideas of how knowledge and understanding might advance, at least one modern biologist (C. Darwin) has recognized Aristotle's depth and breadth as being of surviving merit. Of greater surprise is the ongoing attention that his works continue to receive, including publications in contemporary scientific journals. This review identifies 38 peer-reviewed papers on various topics from Aristotle's biological writings that have been published during the last 50 years. These papers are described according to content (genetics, population biology, anatomy, brain, movement), specific creatures (fish, scorpions, elephants, insects, birds), publication outlet, distribution over the fifty year period surveyed, and visible trends in the topics studied. It is concluded that, in the highly-competitive field of peer-reviewed scientific publication and citation, Aristotle's biology continues to excite the interest of scientists and remains salient to modern science itself., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of psychological resilience on sleep-deterioration-related depression among patients with prostate cancer, in terms of the total score and individual symptoms. From a survey of 96 patients with prostate cancer, 55 who reported a deterioration in their sleep quality since diagnosis and treatment completed the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Moderation analysis was conducted for the scale total scores and for the 'core' symptoms of each scale within this sample, based on data analysis. Interaction analysis was used to identify key associations. The moderation analysis suggested that psychological resilience moderated the depressive effect of sleep deterioration that patients reported occurred after their diagnosis and treatment and did so at the total and 'core' symptom levels of being able to see the humorous side of things and to think clearly when under pressure, but there was an interaction between this moderating effect, the strength of psychological resilience, and severity of sleep deterioration. Although it appears to be a successful moderator of depression arising from sleep deterioration that was reported by patients with prostate cancer, the effectiveness of psychological resilience is conditional upon the severity of patients' sleep difficulties and the strength of their psychological resilience. Implications for the application of resilience training and concomitant therapies for patients with prostate cancer with sleep difficulties and depression are discussed.

Housing is a significant determinant of health and is widely accepted as a key solution to address some of the health disparities that exist among the homeless. It is estimated that 150 million people worldwide are homeless, and approximately 1.8 billion lack adequate housing. However, understanding of how housing has a positive impact on the health of the homeless remains unclear and underdeveloped. This systematic review investigates intervention studies that report on the physical and mental health effects of housing homeless persons. A search of PubMed, PsycINFO, EBSCOHost-Academic Search Complete and the Cochrane Library was conducted for peer-reviewed articles published in English from 1999 to 2020 that had a combination of at least one housing intervention and health outcome, with a homeless sample. Three previous reviews and 24 studies were included for analysis. Most of the studies (n = 20) encompassed permanent supportive housing interventions that emphasised placing homeless people with mental illness directly into affordable housing with access to support services. The primary health outcomes reported were general physical and mental health, well-being, and quality of life. Despite inconsistent findings and significant issues identified in the reviewed literature, housing (in the short term) improves some aspects of health in homeless populations with human immunodeficiency virus, anxiety and depression., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Autistic youth are often bullied at school, which may lead to school refusal (SR). Currently, there is little research on factors that may help prevent SR among autistic youth. To advance theory-driven preventative interventions, this study examined associations between psychological resilience and emerging SR (ESR) among autistic youth bullied at school., Methods: Fifty-eight autistic boys in elementary school (grades 1-6; n = 36) or secondary school (grades 8-11; n = 22) who were bullied at school responded to an online survey, as did their mothers. Boys reported on the experience of being bullied, psychological resilience (via the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scale), and ESR. Their mothers provided information regarding the boys' Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis., Results: Fifty-six percent of this sample of bullied autistic youth displayed ESR. For the secondary school boys there was a significant inverse relationship between psychological resilience and ESR, principally via two characteristics of psychological resilience: 'controlling negative thoughts' and 'remaining calm when angry'. No significant relationship was found between psychological resilience and ESR among elementary school boys., Conclusion: Longitudinal research is needed to determine whether psychological resilience serves as a factor protecting against the emergence of SR among autistic youth who have been bullied., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to evaluate the effects of specific forms of childhood maltreatment (CM) upon adult C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, and to further describe the potentially confounding role that recent life stress and depression hold in that relationship, 221 participants from rural Australia ( M age = 44yr, SD = 17.8yr) completed self-report questionnaires and provided a blood sample. There were no sex differences in any variables across the 91 males and 130 females, but depression status did confound the association between global CM and CRP. The specific aspect of CM was identified as physical and mental health abuse, and this was significantly associated with CRP level in participants with depressive symptoms and those without. There was no significant confound from recent life stressors. Results hold implications for the diagnosis of CM-related CRP elevation and (potentially) depression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Bitsika, Sharpley, McMillan, Jesulola and Agnew.)

Autism Spectrum Disorder and depression are often co-occurring in young people. However, despite the association between these two disorders, and the fact that females have a higher prevalence of depression than males in the general population, there is little reported evidence regarding the correlates of depression in young autistic females. Several physiological (age, menarche, HPA-axis responses), psychological (social anxiety), and environmental or genetic (mothers' depression) factors were tested for their contribution to depression severity in a sample of 53 autistic girls aged 6 yr to 17 yr. Depression scores were collected from the girls' self-ratings and also from the ratings their mothers gave them. Regression results indicated that girls' social anxiety, age, and mothers' depression were common significant contributors to both sets of depression scores, but with different effects. Autistic girls' self-reports of their depression were significantly associated with their HPA-axis responses but not with their menarche status. Implications for research and clinical settings are discussed., (© 2021 International Society for Developmental Neuroscience.)

Young people with autism are often bullied at school, a potential direct correlate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This may be compounded by their difficulties in social interaction. Alternately, some of these young people may develop 'coping strategies' against bullying that may have an inverse association with PTSD. As a vulnerable population for PTSD, a sample of 71 young males with autism were surveyed for their self-reported experiences of being bullied at school, their coping strategies for dealing with this bullying, and their own evaluations of the severity of two of the key diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Their mothers also provided a rating of the severity of the three major diagnostic criteria for autism for these boys. Over 80% of this sample had been bullied, and there was a significant direct correlation between this and PTSD score, and between their mother-rated severity of the boys' social interaction difficulties, but also a significant inverse correlation between their coping strategies and PTSD score. There were differences in these relationships according to whether the boys attended elementary or secondary school. These findings hold implications for the identification, assessment and support of autistic youth at risk of PTSD.

Background: Although it has been reported for some time that parenting an autistic child is associated with elevated anxiety and depression, no direct comparison has been published regarding the relative anxiety and depressive states of parents of an autistic son versus an autistic daughter., Aims: To investigate the presence of differences in anxiety and depression in parents of autistic girls and boys, and to identify if there were any meaningful child-based correlates of those states., Methods and Procedures: A sample of 51 parents of young autistic males (M age = 10.2 yr, SD = 2.8 yr, range to 6-17 yr) and 51 parents of autistic females (M age = 10.1 yr, SD = 2.7 yr, range to 6-17 yr) completed the GAD7 and PHQ9. Autistic children were assessed for IQ and autism severity., Outcomes and Results: Although there were no significant differences between the two sets of parents' GAD7 or PHQ9 total scores, there were significant and meaningful differences at the individual GAD7 and PHQ9 item level. Moreover, when examined at the within-child-sex subgroup level, different aspects of the autistic sons' and daughters' age and IQ were correlated with specific items from the GAD7 and PHQ9., Conclusions and Implications: Because these items were somatic in nature, implications are discussed for possible treatment strategies with these parents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The experience of being bullied is widespread among autistic youth. Relatively little empirical work has been done on the relationship between the bullying of these youth and school refusal (SR). This study of 67 school-age autistic boys (M = 11.7 years, SD = 2.3 years) examined several factors that may contribute to SR. Data regarding boys' age, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), key ASD diagnostic criteria, and frequency of being bullied were collected. Results indicated that, while boys displaying emerging SR also had significantly higher GAD and MDD than boys without emerging SR, only the frequency of being bullied made a significant contribution to emerging SR. Implications for prevention and treatment of SR among autistic youth are discussed.

Men who suffer from prostate cancer (PCa) need to make important decisions regarding their treatment options. There is some evidence that these men may suffer from sleep difficulties due to their cancer or its diagnosis and treatment. Although sleep difficulties have been associated with cognitive depression in other samples of men, they have not been examined in PCa patients, despite the importance of decision-making for these men. This study was designed to investigate the association between sleep difficulties and cognitive depression in PCa patients. A sample of 96 PCa patients completed a background questionnaire, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Comparison was made between sleep difficulty scores from before the patients received their diagnosis of PCa to the time of survey, allowing use of a "retrospective pretest" methodology. Just over 61% of the sample reported a deterioration in sleep quality, and this was significantly associated with cognitive depression ( r = .346, p = .007). At the specific symptom level, having a clear mind significantly contributed to the variance in difficulty falling asleep (R 2 change = .140, F for change = 9.298, p = .003). Sleeping difficulties, particularly falling asleep, are common and associated with depression-related to ability to think clearly in PCa patients. This has potentially adverse effects upon the ability of men with PCa to understand their treatment options and make decisions about them.

Introduction: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetic patterns during neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy have been shown to predict unfavorable long-term outcomes., Objective: To investigate the effect of testosterone escape (TE) on these kinetic patterns, as this had not been previously reported., Methods: There were 50 consecutive prostate cancer patients who received 6 months of triptorelin prior to definitive radiotherapy (RT). Testosterone and PSA levels were measured at baseline and every 6 weeks. Clinical factors were tested for their ability to predict for TE and unfavorable PSA kinetic patterns. The effects of TE, at both 1.7 and 0.7 nmol/L levels, were analyzed., Results: TE occurred in at least one reading for 14% and 34% of the patients at the 1.7 and 0.7 nmol/L levels, respectively. No baseline factors predicted TE. The median PSA halving time was 25 days and the median pre-RT PSA level was 0.55 ng/mL. The only factor significantly associated with a higher pre-RT PSA level was a higher baseline PSA level. The only factor that significantly predicted a longer PSA halving time was TE at the 1.7 nmol/L level., Conclusions: TE and higher baseline PSA levels may adversely affect PSA kinetics and other outcomes for patients undergoing neoadjuvant hormone therapy prior to radiotherapy. Studies investigating the tailoring of neoadjuvant therapy by extending the duration in those patients with a higher baseline PSA level or by the addition of anti-androgens in those demonstrating TE, should be considered., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no financial conflict of interest with regard to the content of this report., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Depression continues to carry a major disease burden worldwide, with limitations on the success of traditional pharmacological or psychological treatments. Recent approaches have therefore focused upon the neurobiological underpinnings of depression, and on the "individualization" of depression symptom profiles. One such model of depression has divided the standard diagnostic criteria into four "depression subtypes", with neurological and behavioral pathways. At the same time, attention has been focused upon the region of the brain known as the "default mode network" (DMN) and its role in attention and problem-solving. However, to date, no review has been published of the links between the DMN and the four subtypes of depression. By searching the literature studies from the last 20 years, 62 relevant papers were identified, and their findings are described for the association they demonstrate between aspects of the DMN and the four depression subtypes. It is apparent from this review that there are potential positive clinical and therapeutic outcomes from focusing upon DMN activation and connectivity, via psychological therapies, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and some emerging pharmacological models., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Objective: To test the 'buffering' effect of psychological resilience (PR) upon depression in prostate cancer patients and to also investigate any effects that past or current treatment may have had upon patients' PR as a test of the 'steeling' hypothesis of past adversity upon future resilience., Methods: A total of 576 volunteer prostate cancer patients completed questionnaires about their demographic and treatment variables, and their psychological resilience and depression. Factor analysis was used to identify the underlying components of the resilience measure., Results: PR was confirmed as an inverse correlate of depression in these men. Additionally, some past and current treatments were found to be significantly associated with patients' psychological resilience in a way suggestive of 'steeling' effects., Conclusion: These data provide support for the model of PR as being influenced by past experiences of adversity and demonstrate that association for prostate cancer patients., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Many patients with prostate cancer experience severe levels of depression, which can negatively affect their treatment and disease course. Some prostate cancer treatments can increase the severity of a patient's depression, for example, by increasing anhedonia and erectile dysfunction. Depression is often thought of as a unitary phenomenon, but multiple subtypes can be distinguished. This variety of manifestations challenges the successful application of universal antidepressant treatment options and argues for a multi-symptom assessment process that considers a patient's disease burden and their particular form of depression. Inclusion of screening and detailed diagnosis of depression can be argued to be part of good practice, and clinicians are urged to consider when and how this might be accomplished within their urological practice.

To investigate possible correlates of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in young males with ASD, a test of the mediation effects of sensory features (SF) upon the association between ASD symptoms and GAD was conducted with 150 males aged 6 to 18 years. GAD data were obtained from parents of the boys and from the boys themselves; SF and ASD data were obtained from parents. Symptoms of ASD were found to influence elevated levels of parent-rated GAD indirectly through greater levels of sensory avoiding, and auditory-specific sensory behaviours correlated with parent-rated anxiety more strongly than other sensory modalities. There were no significant effects for the boys' self-rated GAD.

The tumour volume of a cancer within the prostate gland is commonly measured with multiparametric MRI. The measurement has a role in many clinical scenarios including focal therapy, but the accuracy of it has never been systematically reviewed. We included articles if they compared tumour volume measurements obtained by mpMRI with a reference volume measurement obtained after radical prostatectomy. Correlation and concordance statistics were summarised. A simple accuracy score was derived by dividing the given mean or median mpMRI volume by the histopathological reference volume. Factors affecting the accuracy were noted. Scores for potential bias and quality were calculated for each article. A total of 18 articles describing 1438 patients were identified. Nine articles gave Pearson's correlation scores, with a median value of 0.75 but the range was wide (0.42-0.97). A total of 11 articles reported mean values for volume while 9 reported median values. For all 18 articles, the mean or median values for MRI volumes were lower than the corresponding reference values suggesting consistent underestimation. For articles reporting mean and median values for volume, the median accuracy scores were 0.83 and 0.80, respectively. The accuracy was higher for tumours of greater volume, higher grade and when an endorectal coil was used. Accuracy did not seem to improve over time, with a 3 Tesla magnet or by applying a shrinkage factor to the reference measurement. Most studies showed evidence of at least moderate bias, and their quality was highly variable, but neither of these appeared to affect accuracy., (© 2020 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.)

Although EEG connectivity data are often used to build models of the association between overt behavioural signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and underlying brain connectivity indices, use of a large number of possible connectivity methods across studies has produced a fairly inconsistent set of results regarding this association. To explore the level of agreement between results from five commonly-used EEG connectivity models (i.e., Coherence, Weighted Phased Lag Index- Debiased, Phase Locking Value, Phase Slope Index, Granger Causality), a sample of 41 young males with ASD provided EEG data under eyes-opened and eyes-closed conditions. There were relatively few statistically significant and/or meaningful correlations between the results obtained from the five connectivity methods, arguing for a re-estimation of the methodology used in such studies so that specific connectivity methods may be matched to particular research questions regarding the links between neural connectivity and overt behaviour within this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Neo-adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy prior to radiotherapy (RT) causes shrinkage of the prostate gland, but the changes in volume have never been mapped over time in detail, nor have the associations between volume reduction and testosterone escape or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics been determined., Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with prostate cancer were treated with 6 months of triptorelin prior to definitive RT. The volume of the prostate gland was measured at the outset and every 6-7 weeks thereafter using MRI scans. The volumes were calculated using a planimetric method, and inter-rater reliability was checked. Factors associated with a large initial volume and greater reductions in it were assessed., Results: The median volume at the outset was 45 cc, and the median reductions every 6 weeks thereafter were 23, 18, 9 and 5%. The inter-rater agreement was high (r > 0.9, P < 0.001). There were no baseline clinical factors associated with a high initial prostate volume, but the initial volume was associated with greater volume reduction. Testosterone escape had no effect on the reduction, and changes in volume were not reflected in PSA response kinetics., Conclusions: Reductions in volume continue throughout a 6-month course of neo-adjuvant therapy but are greatest during the first 6 weeks. Although individualisation of the duration or intensity of the hormone treatment warrants further investigation, the role of prostate gland volume reduction remains uncertain. More detailed studies of tumour volume might be possible if the imaging required was acceptable and accessible to patients., (© 2020 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.)

Previous data have suggested that parents of boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may rate their sons' generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) more severely than the boys do themselves. However, no reports have been published to date which examine this issue in a girls-only sample. This study investigated the extent and nature of mother-daughter agreement on ratings of GAD in a sample of 53 girls with an ASD with mild impairment, aged 6 to 17 years. Mothers rated their daughters' GAD more severely than the girls did themselves, despite confounding effects from the girls' medication and menarche status. Suggestions are made for the valid assessment of GAD in girls with an ASD.

To determine if diagnostic severity of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affected sex differences in the detailed ASD-related behavioural profiles of young males and female, two samples of males and females with a diagnosis of ASD, aged between 6 and 17 years, were compared across the 65 items of the Social Responsiveness Scale (2nd ed.). Results are reported for a sample of males and females matched on age and IQ (n = 51 pairs) and a smaller sample matched on age, IQ and ADOS-2 severity (n = 32 pairs). ASD-related behaviours from the SRS-2 that were significantly and meaningfully different across sexes were identified for both samples. ADOS-2 diagnostic severity was associated with different sets of sex-based differences in SRS-2 item scores.

Although previous data indicate that dyadic coping is associated with Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA-axis and C-reactive protein (CRP) separately, no study has reported on the ratio between these two systems and dyadic coping, despite this index of physiological homeostasis being associated with physical health and depression. Forty-eight community volunteers who were either married (n = 36) or cohabiting (n = 12) provided saliva and serum samples, and also completed a dyadic coping inventory. There was a significant inverse correlation between cortisol:CRP ratio and dyadic coping, but only for married participants. One of the six dyadic coping items, related to being able to calmly discuss something within a dyad, was the key factor in the association between dyadic coping and cortisol:CRP ratio. These findings provide some initial support for the influence of the way that spouses interact to solve problems and the balance between their HPA and immune systems., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting about 1 in 100 children and is currently incurable. ASD represents a challenge to traditional methods of assessment and diagnosis, and it has been suggested that direct measures of brain activity and connectivity between brain regions during demanding tasks represents a potential pathway to building more accurate models of underlying brain function and ASD. One of the key behavioural diagnostic indicators of ASD consists of sensory features (SF), often characterised by over- or under-reactivity to environmental stimuli. SF are associated with behavioural difficulties that impede social and education success in these children as well as anxiety and depression. This review examines the previous literature on the measurement of EEG connectivity and SF observed in individuals with ASD.

Background: Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit distress when asked to transition from one task to another. This study aimed to determine if physiological stress during transition was due to ASD-related rigidity or to their preference for some tasks over others., Method: The effects of change of task alone versus a change in task 'preferedness' when undergoing forced activity transition were investigated in 29 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder., Results: Total sample data indicated a significant increase in heart rate (HR) during transition from a preferred to a non-preferred task, but not during transition from one preferred task to another preferred task, or from a non-preferred task to a preferred task. These data are suggestive of an effect due to the 'preferedness' of the task rather than just the change in task alone. Two subgroups of participants emerged, one which followed the 'expected' HR responsivity model to stress, and one which failed to follow that model., Conclusion: Transition-related distress may be confounded by preferredness of task when understanding transition stress in boys with ASD., (Copyright © 2019 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The measurement of the volume of the prostate gland can have an influence on many clinical decisions. Various imaging methods have been used to measure it. Our aim was to conduct the first systematic review of their accuracy., Methods: The literature describing the accuracy of imaging methods for measuring the prostate gland volume was systematically reviewed. Articles were included if they compared volume measurements obtained by medical imaging with a reference volume measurement obtained after removal of the gland by radical prostatectomy. Correlation and concordance statistics were summarised., Results: 28 articles describing 7768 patients were identified. The imaging methods were ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (US, CT, and MRI). Wide variations were noted but most articles about US and CT provided correlation coefficients that lay between 0.70 and 0.90, while those describing MRI seemed slightly more accurate at 0.80-0.96. When concordance was reported, it was similar; over- and underestimation of the prostate were variably reported. Most studies showed evidence of at least moderate bias and the quality of the studies was highly variable., Discussion: The reported correlations were moderate to high in strength indicating that imaging is sufficiently accurate when quantitative measurements of prostate gland volume are required. MRI was slightly more accurate than the other methods.