The present study examined the intergenerational transmission of internalizing and externalizing symptom severity, which indexes comorbidity, and symptom directionality, which indicates differentiation toward externalizing versus internalizing problems. Data are from 854 male and female, same-sex adult twin pairs born between 1926 and 1971 (32–60 years old, M = 44.9 years, SD = 4.9 years) from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden and their adolescent offspring (11–22 years old, M = 15.7 years, SD = 2.4 years, 52% female). Children-of-twins models revealed additive (9%) and dominant (45%) genetic and nonshared environmental (47%) influences on twins’ symptom severity, and additive genetic (39%) and nonshared environmental (61%) influences on twins’ symptom directionality. Both comorbid problems and preponderance of symptoms of a particular – internalizing versus externalizing – spectrum were correlated across parent and child generations, although associations were modest especially for directionality (i.e., transmission of specific symptom type). By interpreting findings alongside a recent study of adolescent twins, we demonstrate that the intergenerational transmission of symptom severity and symptom directionality are both unlikely to be attributable to genetic transmission, are both likely to be influenced by direct phenotypic transmission and/or nonpassive rGE, and the intergenerational transmission of symptom severity is also likely to be influenced by passive rGE.

Recent years have witnessed extensive research examining the influences of positive psychological factors in foreign language learning. Building on these endeavors, the current study was specifically designed to examine how positive psychological factors including trait emotional intelligence (TEI), academic self-efficacy, and foreign language anxiety (FLA) exert influences on foreign language performance in college students who are learning a foreign language. To this end, 203 Chinese college students (141 women), recruited through snowball sampling, completed three validated questionnaires to measure their TEI (Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form), academic self-efficacy (the Chinese version of the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire), and FLA levels (the Chinese version of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale). Additionally, an in-house self-rating questionnaire assessed their self-perceived foreign language performance. Mediation analysis was used to determine whether and how academic self-efficacy and FLA levels contribute separately and interactively to the relationship between TEI and foreign language performance. The results showed that: (a) there were moderate to strong associations between TEI, academic self-efficacy, FLA levels, and self-perceived foreign language performance; and (b) academic self-efficacy and FLA levels played separate and sequential mediating roles between TEI and self-perceived foreign language performance. Together, these findings highlight how TEI, academic self-efficacy, and FLA levels contribute to foreign language performance in college students. They also suggest the potential application of these positive psychological factors in mitigating anxiety elicited by learning a foreign language and improving language performance.

Objectives: Investigate adverse birth outcomes in the United States (US) from 1989–2013 in relation to paternal and maternal race/ethnicity. Design: We used US natality data for singleton births to women 15–44 with information on birthweight, gestational age, and covariates (n = 90,771,339). We calculated unadjusted and adjusted probabilities of preterm birth (PTB, < 37 weeks gestation) and small for gestational age (SGA, < 10^th percentile) among all combinations of maternal and paternal race/ethnicity: non-Hispanic black (NHB), non-Hispanic white (NHW), Hispanic, and Asian, and where paternal race/ethnicity was missing. Results: Missing, followed by NHB, paternal race/ethnicity had the two highest risks of PTB within each maternal racial/ethnic group. Asian, followed by NHW, paternal race/ethnicity had the two lowest risks of PTB. For SGA, however, Asian, followed by missing, paternal race/ethnicity had the two highest risks, and NHW race/ethnicity had the lowest risk. Our findings also demonstrate effect modification on the additive scale, with missing and NHB paternal race/ethnicity conferring a larger increase in risk of PTB for NHB women compared to women of other race/ethnicity groups. Conclusions: These data confirm US disparities in adverse birth outcomes by maternal and paternal race/ethnicity and argue for increased resources and interventions in response.

Previous studies have suggested that stereotypes towards suicide, including endorsement of suicide and stigma toward suicide, may contribute to suicidal ideation and behaviors. However, this has not been examined directly. In this study, we examined whether endorsement of suicide and stigma toward suicide are involved in the pathway from suicidal ideation to suicide attempts among college students. To this end, we used the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and the Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS) to assess suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, endorsement of suicide, and stigma toward suicide, respectively, in a sample of 944 Chinese college students (mean age, 20.97 years). Using mediation analysis, we found that suicidal ideation partially mediated the relationship between endorsement of suicide and suicide attempts and between stigma toward suicide and suicide attempts. These findings provide novel evidence that endorsement of suicide and stigma toward suicide are closely associated with suicide attempts, but partially through the influences of suicidal ideation. Future studies should elaborate on their longitudinal relationships. Implications of these findings for clinical practices are discussed with reference to the ideation-to-action framework of suicide, aiming to reduce suicidal behaviors.

People with aphantasia exhibit the inability to voluntarily generate or form mental imagery in their minds. Since the term “aphantasia” was proposed to describe this, it has gained increasing attention from psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and clinicians. Previous studies have mainly focused on the definition, prevalence, and measurement of aphantasia, its impacts on individuals’ cognitive and emotional processing, and theoretical frameworks synthesizing existing findings, which have contributed greatly to our understanding of aphantasia. However, there are still some debates regarding the conclusions derived from existing research and the theories that were constructed from various sources of evidence. Building upon existing endeavors, this systematic review emphasizes that future research is much needed to refine the definition and diagnosis of aphantasia, strengthen empirical investigations at behavioral and neural levels, and, more importantly, develop or update theories. These multiple lines of efforts could lead to a deeper understanding of aphantasia and further guide researchers in future research directions.