BACKGROUND: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) has been identified as a biomarker for neurologic diseases. However, sNfL remains unknown to be responsible for depression.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between sNfL levels and depression in US adults.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey of the general population, we investigated representative data involving 10,175 participants from the 2013-2014 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Depression was diagnosed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The effect of related factors on depression was analyzed by conducting a univariate analysis. Stratified analysis was utilized to detect the stability and sensitivity of the relationship. After adjusting for race, education, marital status, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), sleep duration, income, and a history of hypertension, sedentary behavior and stroke, multivariable linear regression was performed to demonstrate the correlation between sNfL and depression.
RESULTS: A total of 1301 individuals between the ages of 20 and 75 were involved in this investigation, of which 108 (8.3%) were diagnosed with depression. A significant positive correlation between sNfL and depression among adults in the US was observed by conducting univariable analyses. After adjusting for confounding factors, the multivariate analyses indicated that elevated sNfL levels might play a pivotal role in the development of depression (odds ratio (OR) = 3.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.5, 6.1), P = 0.002).
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that sNfL is closely linked to depression in a nationally representative individual. However, further studies are needed to confirm the biological mechanism as well as the clinical implications of sNfL and depression.

UNASSIGNED: To investigate the prevalence of subthreshold depression among Chinese college students and to explore the related factors.
UNASSIGNED: The research subjects were Chinese college students participating in the \"2022 Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR-2022)\". Data on respondents\' general characteristics, quality of life, perceived pressure, family communication, perceived social support, self-efficacy, and depression status were gathered. To investigate the association between each variable and the risk of subthreshold depression, statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and rank sum tests were conducted. Furthermore, a binary stepwise logistic regression was employed to establish the regression model of the factors related to subthreshold depression among Chinese college students.
UNASSIGNED: A prevalence of subthreshold depression of about 39.7 % was found among the 8934 respondents. Logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents who are female, have chronic diseases, are in debt, experience significant impacts from epidemic control policies, have lower self-assessed quality of life, experience challenges in family communication, perceive lower social support, have lower self-efficacy, and feel higher perceived pressure are more likely to develop subthreshold depression compared to the control group. (P < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: The prevalence rate of subthreshold depression among Chinese college students was found to be approximately 40 %. Female college students suffering from chronic diseases, with households in debt, greatly impacted by epidemic control policies, and experiencing high perceived stress, may be at risk for subthreshold depression among Chinese college students. On the other hand, strong family communication, perceived social support, and self-efficacy were identified as potential protective factors. In order to facilitate timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment of subthreshold depression in Chinese college students, it is crucial for the government, local communities, colleges, and families to prioritize the mental health of college students and implement targeted measures accordingly.

The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of mental health on the academic performance of junior and senior students studying in a university setting during the 2022-2023 academic year, in the post-COVID period. The study was conducted in Beijing, China, with the participation of 600 students, including 300 first-year students and 300 fifth-year students. DASS (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) questionnaires were employed to measure mental health. The DASS assesses symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, while the PHQ-9 specifically evaluates depression severity. Academic performance was evaluated using a 12-point scale, which incorporated various criteria such as exam scores, coursework performance, and participation in extracurricular activities. The research was conducted across five faculties of the university from 2022 to 2023. In the study, fifth-year students demonstrated a higher level of mental health compared to first-year students, with an average DASS score of 27.1 and 24.2, respectively. Interestingly, despite this, first-year students achieved higher academic performance indicators, with an average score of 8.2 compared to 9.8 in fifth-year students. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between stress, depression, and anxiety levels with academic performance (stress: r = -0.25, p < 0.001; depression: r = -0.20, p = 0.003; anxiety: r = -0.18, p = 0.008). These findings highlight the critical importance of addressing students\' mental well-being, particularly in later academic years. Recommendations include implementing support programs and developing online resources for students.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women faced great challenges and psychological and physiological changes of varying degrees during the omicron epidemic outbreak. It is important to recognize the potential impact of these challenges on the mental health of pregnant women and to provide appropriate resources and support to mitigate their effects.
METHODS: By using the convenience sampling approach, a total of 401 pregnant women from two hospitals of different grades in two cities were included in the survey. The cross-sectional survey was conducted by basic characteristics, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and self-made questionnaire.
RESULTS: Insomnia affected 207 participants (51.6%), depression affected 160 participants (39.9%) and anxiety affected 151 participants (37.7%). Moreover, pregnant women in provincial capital city were more likely to experience anxiety, depression and insomnia than those in county-level city (P < 0.01). Pregnant women\'s anxiety, depression and insomnia were positively correlated with the severity of COVID-19 infection (P < 0.05). However, COVID-19 infection had no appreciable impact on maternal demand for termination of pregnancy and cesarean section (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women frequently suffer from anxiety disorder, depression and insomnia as a result of the omicron pandemic in China. During this period, the community and medical professionals should provide more psychological counseling, conduct health education and offer virtual prenatal care to pregnant women (particularly in the provincial capital city).

UNASSIGNED:  Gallstone disease is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders. Despite extensive research exploring the risk factors associated with gallstones, the association between depressive symptoms and gallstones remains inadequately understood. This study aimed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and the prevalence of gallstones among adults in the United States.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, a cross-sectional design utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 2017 to 2020. The assessment of depressive symptoms was conducted through the utilization of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which assigns total scores ranging from 0 to 27. Participants with PHQ-9 scores equal to or exceeding 10 were categorized as having clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression and subgroup analysis were used to assess the association between depressive symptoms and gallstone prevalence.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 7,797 participants aged 20 years or older were enrolled in this study, of whom 835 had a self-reported history of gallstones. After multiple adjustments, each one-point increase in PHQ-9 scores was associated with a 5 % increase in the risk of gallstones (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.03, 1.07, P < 0.001). Compared to individuals with PHQ-9 scores < 10, participants with PHQ-9 total scores ≥ 10 exhibited a 79 % higher risk of gallstones (OR = 1.79, 95 % CI: 1.43, 2.23, P < 0.001).
UNASSIGNED: Depressive symptoms were associated with an elevated prevalence of gallstones. However, it is important to note that further validation through prospective cohort studies is warranted to confirm this finding.

OBJECTIVE: Overactive bladder (OAB) and depression are both common disorders and there is research suggesting an association between the two, but there is a lack of studies with large samples. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between OAB and depressive symptoms.
METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the period 2005 to 2018. OAB was characterized by the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS, score > 3) and depression was diagnosed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, score ≥ 10). There were three models employed in our analysis: (1) Crude model was unadjusted; (2) Model 1 was adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level, and marital status; (3) Model 2 was adjusted for factors in Model 1 plus the remained potential covariates. We used survey-weighted logistic regression models to assess the association between OAB and depression. Subsequently, subgroup analyses and smoothed curve analyses were used to evaluate the reliability of the findings.
RESULTS: Finally, a total of 6612 participants were included in our study, consisting of 1005 participants with diagnosis of OAB and 5607 participants without diagnosis of OAB. After adjusting for all covariates, there was a significant positive association between OAB and depression (OR: 2.89, 95 % CI: 1.91, 4.37). The severity of OAB was also positively associated with depression. Compared to participants without OAB, the fully adjusted ORs for depression were 2.76 (95 % CI: 1.64, 4.65) for those with mild OAB, 3.79 (95 % CI: 1.68, 8.55) for those with moderate OAB, and 5.21 (95 % CI: 1.39, 19.53) for those with severe OAB.
CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a strong association between OAB and depression and a progressive increase in the risk of depression as the severity of OAB (mild, moderate, and severe) increased. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to recognize the assessment of OAB symptoms in patients who are at risk for or have developed depressive symptoms, as well as the mental health of patients with OAB.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are serious public health issues that warrant increased attention, especially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with sleep disorders among urban adolescents in China.
METHODS: This study utilized an online survey to assess the demographic characteristics and mental health status of secondary school students in Lianyungang City. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate sleep disturbances in adolescents. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) assessed anxiety symptoms, and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) was used to measure perceived social support.
RESULTS: Among 3443 adolescents, the prevalence of sleep disorders were 10.8%, with significantly higher proportions of sleep disorders (13.7% VS 8.3%, P < 0.001) among female adolescents when compared to males. Binary regression analysis revealed that anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.305, 95% CI: 1.269-1.342, P < 0.001) was risk factor for sleep disturbances, and significant other support (OR = 0.944, 95% CI: 0.896-0.994, P = 0.028) and good annual household income (OR = 0.616, 95% CI: 0.394-0.963, P = 0.034) were protective factors. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, and anxiety symptoms were associated with an elevated risk of experiencing more frequent sleep disturbances (all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: We have found that 10.8% of adolescents experience sleep disorders, and it is evident that various factors can influence healthy sleeping. These results underscore the significance of addressing these factors to enhance sleep health among this population.

UNASSIGNED: Depression is associated with greater functional impairment and high societal costs than many other mental disorders. Research on the association between plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) levels and depression have yielded inconsistent results.
UNASSIGNED: To evaluate whether plasma n-3 and n-6 PUFAs levels are associated with depression in American adults.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional study included 2053 adults (aged ≥20 y) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2012. The level of plasma n-3 and n-6 PUFAs were obtained for analysis. Self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to identify the depression status. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between quartiles of plasma n-3 and n-6 PUFAs and depression after adjustments for confounders.
UNASSIGNED: The study of 2053 respondents over 20 years of age with a weighted depression prevalence of 7.29% comprised 1,043 men (weighted proportion, 49.13%) and 1,010 women (weighted, 50.87%), with a weighted mean (SE) age of 47.58 (0.67) years. Significantly increased risks of depression over non-depression were observed in the third quartiles (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.05-2.62) for arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4n-6); the third quartiles (OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.20-4.05) for docosatetraenoic acid (DTA; 22:4n-6); the third (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.34-4.07), and highest quartiles (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.03-3.26) for docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-6; 22:5n-6); and the third (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.18-4.03) and highest quartiles (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.31-4.68) for docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-3; 22:5n-3); the second (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.24-3.66), third (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.28-4.50), and highest quartiles (OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.08-4.69) for AA/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) ratio compared with the lowest quartile after adjusting for confounding factors.
UNASSIGNED: Higher plasma levels of AA, DTA, DPAn-6, DPAn-3 PUFAs, and AA/DHA ratio may be potential risk factors for depression in US adults.

BACKGROUND: The association between diabetes and depressive symptoms is well recognized. However, the impact of depressive symptoms on prediabetes remains unclear. This study aims to explore the specific correlation between depressive symptoms and prediabetes.
METHODS: A total of 7467 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in this study, spanning five rounds of surveys conducted between 2007 and 2016. Weighted logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms and prediabetes.
RESULTS: Compared with the normoglycemic population, individuals with prediabetes had a significantly higher probability of experiencing trouble sleeping (P = 0.020). After adjusting for non-glucose factors, there was no significant correlation between PHQ-9 and prediabetes; however, severe depressive symptoms were positively associated with abnormal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels (OR = 1.093 [95 % CI 1.002, 1.192]). There was a positive correlation between trouble concentrating and FPG abnormalities (OR = 1.065 [95 % CI 1.004, 1.129]).
CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with depressive symptoms, especially severe cases, should be targeted for prediabetes prevention and management efforts. The diverse symptom presentations may have distinct impacts on glucose, necessitating personalized prevention and management strategies.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between anemia and depression remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between hemoglobin (Hb) levels and depressive symptoms. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
METHODS: This study was conducted using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2005-2018. Hb levels were obtained from laboratory files, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Multivariable logistic regression analysis and smoothing plots were performed to examine the relationship between anemia and depression, including potential nonlinear associations.
RESULTS: The study included 6008 male adults. Multivariable analysis revealed that anemia was associated with an increased odds ratio for mild (OR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.10) and moderate (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.14-3.70) anemia. Additionally, each additional g/dL of Hb was significantly inversely associated with developing depression (OR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.96). A nonlinear relationship was detected between Hb and depression, with an inflection point at 15 g/dL. Below this threshold, there was a significantly negative association between Hb and depression (OR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.79, 0.98); no significant relationship was observed above it (OR=1.05, 95% CI: 0.84, 1.31).
CONCLUSIONS: Anemia was positively associated with depression in non-White American men. A nonlinear relationship between Hb and depression was detected, and it had a saturation effect. A significant negative correlation with depression was observed when the Hb level was below 15 g/dL.