Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia, linked to morbidity and mortality among elderly patients. Recently, several clinical studies suggested that depression is a potential risk factor for cognitive decline and AD. A review of meta-analyses was performed, calculating pooled odds ratios to estimate the risk of AD in people with a prior diagnosis (or clinically significant symptoms) of depression. A total of six meta-analyses which represented 28 individual studies were analyzed. A significant association between depression and AD was found (OR = 1.54, 95% CI [1.02–2.31]; p = 0.038). The results showed that heterogeneity across studies was substantial. We found a significant positive effect size for clinical measures of depression, but not for symptomatic rating scales, in the association of depression with risk of AD. The type of rating scale used to assess depression and the cut-off criteria selected also moderated the relationship between depression and AD risk. We found that studies that used clinically significant criteria for diagnosis of depression had more consistent and significant results than studies that used symptomatic scales.

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common subtype of dementia. In the last ten years, the relationship between cholesterol and AD has been investigated. Evidence suggests that cholesterol is associated with AD and represents promising targets for intervention. However, the causality of these associations is unclear. Therefore, we sought to conduct a meta-meta-analysis to determine the effect of cholesterol on the development AD. Then, we assessed the effect of serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), on AD risk. Methods: A systematic search of meta-analyses was conducted. Scopus, Web of Science, Science direct, PubMed and Google academic system databases were reviewed. Results: We found 100 primary studies and five meta-analyses to analyze the relationships between cholesterol and AD. The total effect of cholesterol on risk of AD was significant and heterogeneous. Subgroup analysis shows that LDL-C levels influence the development of AD. However, non-significant effects of HDL-C, TC and TG levels on AD were found. Conclusions: These results strengthen the evidence that LDL-C cholesterol levels increase risk for AD. More initiatives to investigate the relationship between cholesterol and AD are needed.

This study summarizes the results of meta-analyses about risk and protective factors related to dating violence (DV). Fifteen studies were included from 1997 to 2018, N = 1784018. The results were classified according to ecological theory. The Zr’s were calculated for each factor and level of analyses, including the differences between victimization and perpetration effect sizes. According to the level of analysis, results showed that the effect sizes were greater for: (1) individual level: cigarette smoking, adolescent pregnancy (victimization) and sex (perpetration/victimization); (2) microsystem: peer sexual harassment, (victimization), peer DV, deviant peers and family violence (perpetration/ victimization); (3) Exosystem: age (victimization) and violent neighborhoods (perpetration/ victimization), and (4) macrosystem: cultural minority and disadvantaged neighborhoods (perpetration / victimization). DV protective factors which had lowest effect sizes were: parental and peers support; and highest effect sizes were in the exo and macro-level, and then in individual and micro-level. Furthermore, statistically significant differences between total effect sizes were found, being higher to victimization than perpetration. Delimiting the most important risk and protective factors on DV have important implications for prevention and intervention.

The aim of this study was to conduct a complementary to current and recent meta-analysis of risk factors to intimate partner violence literature review. This work confirms that on community-level, low economic development and democracy, lack of social rights, culture of honor and masculine culture – characterized by sexist attitudes and tolerance to violence- are risk factors. On contextual and individual level, being younger, having a low income and low education level, having more than one child, using violence reciprocally against ones partner, depression, fear and alcohol consumption are associated with increased risk of being a victim of intimate violence. Less consistency, are risk factors, situations of war, religious fundamentalism, being in a long term relationship, lower relationship satisfaction, emotions such as guilt, shame and other factors such as pregnancy.

The COVID-19 disease has caused thousands of deaths worldwide and required the rapid and drastic adoption of various protective measures as main resources in the fight to reduce the spread of the disease. In the present study we aimed to identify socio cognitive factors that may influence adherence to protective measures toward COVID-19 in a Spanish sample. This longitudinal study analyzes the predictive value of perceived severity and vulnerability of infection, self-efficacy, direct exposure to the virus, and instrumental focused coping style for adhering to infection protection behaviors during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also tests sex and age differences in these factors and changes over time. A two-wave longitudinal study (N = 757) was conducted in March and April 2020 starting the day after a strict national lockdown was decreed in Spain. A path analysis was used to test direct and indirect effects between vulnerability and the adherence to protective behaviors. Results suggest that individuals' perceived severity and vulnerability to COVID-19 and instrumental coping strategies are related to the use of more protective behaviors. This coping strategy mediates the effect of perceived vulnerability on engaging in protective behaviors, and this effect depends on direct exposure to COVID-19 and perceived self-efficacy moderators. Results suggest that recognizing one's own abilities to engage in instrumental actions may facilitate adherence to protective measures in people who had not been directly exposed to COVID-19. Therefore, adopting instrumental coping strategies to manage an individual's perceived vulnerability to infection may positively impact the adherence to protective behaviors, especially during the onset of an unexpected threat and when there is no prior direct experience with the situation.

Dating violence (DV) is a public health problem among young people, especially women. It involves violent acts towards one’s partner and occurs face-to-face (offline) or through the Internet (online). Offline DV is linked to suicidal ideation and attachment to parents and peers. Fewer studies analyze the psychological and social consequences of online DV. This study tests the link between young women’s DV victimization (off- and online), suicide risk (SR), and parent and peer support in a sample of young Spanish females (N = 1227) (Mage=19, SD = 2.82; range = 13–28). Results confirm that compared to non-victims off- and online DV increase suicidal thoughts and attempts. This effect is stronger for victims of both types of DV (thoughts: OR offline DV = 3.11; CI95% 2.06, 4.69; OR online DV = 2.37; CI95% 1.69, 3.32; OR off-online DV = 4.19 CI95% 2.44, 7.17) (attempts: OR offline DV = 4.02; CI95% 1.83, 8.81; OR online DV = 3.69; CI95% 1.96, 7.01; OR off-online DV = 10.55 CI95% 2.56, 44.43). Mediation and moderation models were used to assess the effect of perceived attachment of parents and friends in DV victims and SR. Mediation analyses indicated that perceived attachment and proximity to parents and peers reduces the impact of DV on SR. Moderation analyses showed that a high level of perceived peer attachment reduces the effect of offline DV on SR. Regarding off-online DV, a high level of perceived parent attachment mitigates suicide risk. Loneliness, lack of care from loved ones, and thwarted belongingness increase suicidal thoughts in DV victims. Peers and parents’ proximity may prevent risk behaviors in DV victims.