The validity of a developmentally based life-stress model of depression was evaluated in 88 clinic-referred youngsters. The model focused on (a) the role of child–environment transactions, (b) the specificity of stress–psychopathology relations, and (c) the consideration of both episodic and chronic stress. Semistructured diagnostic and life-stress interviews were administered to youngsters and their parents. As predicted, in the total sample child depression was associated with interpersonal episodic and chronic stress, whereas externalizing disorder was associated with noninterpersonal episodic and chronic stress. However, the pattern of results differed somewhat in boys and girls. Youngsters with comorbid depression and externalizing disorder tended to experience the highest stress levels. Support was obtained for a stress-generation model of depression, wherein children precipitate stressful events and circumstances. In fact, stress that was in part dependent on children's contribution distinguished best among diagnostic groups, whereas independent stress had little discriminative power. Results suggest that life-stress research may benefit from the application of transactional models of developmental psychopathology, which consider how children participate in the construction of stressful environments.

The effects of depression and Axis I comorbidity on subsequent self-generated life stress were examined in a longitudinal sample of 134 late adolescent women. The results indicated that specific forms of psychopathology constitute a risk factor for future self-generated episodic stress, even when controlling for prior chronic stress. Comorbid depression had a particularly salient effect in the prediction of stress related to interpersonal conflicts. The effects of family psychopathology and sociotropy were mediated through participant psychiatric status, whereas autonomy made an independent contribution to the prediction of episodic stress. These results support C. Hammen's (1991b) stress generation model in a community sample, demonstrating how individuals with depression play a role in the creation of stress, and also refine prior work by showing that only the comorbid form of depression is associated with subsequent conflict-related stress.

Background The LIFE study is a two-phase randomized clinical trial comparing two approaches to maintaining weight loss following guided weight loss. Phase I provided a nonrandomized intensive 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention to 472 obese (BMI 30–50) adult participants. Phase II is the randomized weight-loss maintenance portion of the study. This paper focuses on Phase I measures of sleep, screen time, depression, and stress. Methods The Phase I intervention consisted of 22 group sessions led over 26 weeks by behavioral counselors. Recommendations included reducing dietary intake by 500 calories per day, adopting the DASH dietary pattern, and increasing physical exercise to at least 180 minutes per week. Measures reported here are sleep time, insomnia, screen time, depression, and stress at entry and post weight loss intervention follow up. Results The mean weight loss for all participants over the intensive Phase I weight loss intervention was 6.3 kg (SD 7.1). Sixty percent (N=285) of participants lost at least 4.5 kg (10 lbs) and were randomized into Phase II. Participants (N=472) attended a mean of 73.1 % (SD 26.7) of sessions, completed 5.1 (SD 1.9) daily food records/week, and reported 195.1 (SD 123.1) minutes of exercise per week. Using logistic regression, sleep time (quadratic trend, p=.030) and lower stress (p=.024) at entry predicted success in the weight loss program, and lower baseline stress predicted greater weight loss during Phase I (p=.021). In addition, weight loss was significantly correlated with declines in stress (p=.048) and depression (p=.035). Conclusion Results suggest that clinicians and investigators might consider targeting sleep, depression, and stress as part of a behavioral weight loss intervention.

In the United States, ethnic minorities are overrepresented among the overweight and obese population, with Hispanic individuals being among the groups most at risk for obesity and obesity-related disease and disability. Most weight-loss interventions designed for the general population have been less successful with individuals from ethnic minorities and there is a pressing need to develop more effective interventions for these groups. This paper examines the importance of culture in the development of “culturally competent” weight-loss interventions for ethnic minority populations, and discusses specific culturally mediated factors that should be considered in the design and implementation of treatment interventions. While specifically focusing on Hispanic populations, we also address issues of relevance to other multiethnic societies.

Objective The objective of this study is to characterize racial/ethnic variation in mental health diagnoses and treatments in large not-for-profit healthcare systems. Method Participating systems were 11 private, not-for-profit healthcare organizations constituting the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) and had a combined 7,523,956 patients aged 18 years or older, who received care during 2011. Rates of diagnoses, psychotropic medications, and formal psychotherapy sessions received were obtained from insurance claims and electronic medical record databases across all healthcare settings. Results Of the 7,523,956 patients in the study, 1,169,993 (15.6%) received a mental health diagnosis in 2011. This varied significantly by race/ethnicity with Native American/Alaskan Native patients having the highest rates of any diagnosis (20.6%) and Asians having the lowest rates (7.5%). Among patients with a mental health diagnosis, 73% (n = 850,585) received a psychotropic medication. Non-Hispanic white patients were significantly more likely (77.8%) than other racial/ethnic groups (range 61.5% to 74.0%) to receive medication. In contrast, only 34% of patients with a mental health diagnosis (n = 548,837) received formal psychotherapy. Racial/ethnic differences were most pronounced for depression and schizophrenia where non-Hispanic blacks were 20% more likely to receive formal psychotherapy for their depression and 2.64 times more likely to receive formal psychotherapy for their schizophrenia when compared to whites. Conclusions There were significant racial/ethnic differences in diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions across 11 U.S. healthcare systems. Further study is needed to understand underlying causes of these observed differences and whether processes and outcomes of care are equitable across these diverse patient populations.