Negative Life Events in Childhood Tied to Depressive Symptoms in Young Adulthood

TUESDAY, Dec. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Negative life events (NLE) in childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in young adulthood and may be identifiable before symptoms through structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study published online Dec. 6 in JCPP Advances.

Lea L. Backhausen, from the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, and colleagues examined whether NLE during childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in young adulthood through accelerated orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) thinning across adolescence. The analysis included longitudinal data from 321 participants with structural MRI at two sites across four time points from ages 14 to 22 years.

The researchers found that young adult depressive symptoms were predicted by a higher burden of NLE, a thicker OFC at the age of 14 years, and an accelerated OFC thinning across adolescence. There was no effect of NLE on OFC thickness nor OFC thickness mediating effects of NLE on depressive symptoms.

"Using a complete longitudinal design with four waves, we show that NLE in childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in the long term. Results indicate that an accelerated OFC thinning may precede depressive symptoms," the authors write. "Assessment of early additionally to acute NLEs and neurodevelopment may be warranted in clinical settings to identify risk factors for depression."

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text