Chronic dysregulation of peripheral lipids has been found to be associated with depression and cognition, but their interaction has not been investigated. Growing evidence has highlighted the association between peripheral lipoprotein levels with depression and cognition with inconsistent results. We assessed the association between peripheral lipids, depression, and cognition while evaluating their potential interactions using robust clinically relevant predictors such as lipoprotein levels and chronic medical disorders that dysregulate lipoproteins. We report an association between peripheral lipids, depression, and cognition, suggesting a common underlying biological mechanism driven by lipid dysregulation in two independent studies. Analysis of a longitudinal study of a cohort at high or low familial risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 526) found metabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases, were associated with MDD and cognitive outcomes. Investigating a cross-sectional population survey of adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2014 (NHANES) (n = 2377), depression was found to be associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) and cognitive assessments. In the familial risk study, medical conditions were found to be associated with chronic lipid dysregulation and were significantly associated with MDD using the structural equation model. A positive association between chronic lipid dysregulation and cognitive scores was found in an exploratory analysis of the familial risk study. In a complementary study, analysis of NHANES revealed a positive association of HDL levels with cognition. Further analysis of the NHANES cohort indicated that depression status mediated the interaction between HDL levels and cognitive tests. Importantly, the protective effect of HDL on cognition was absent in those with depressive symptoms, which may ultimately result in worse outcomes leading to cognitive decline. These findings highlight the potential for the early predictive value of medical conditions with chronic lipid dyshomeostasis for the risk of depression and cognitive decline.

Objectives: Previously, authors found high personal importance of religion/spirituality (R/S) in early adulthood to predict a 75% decreased risk of recurrence of major depression in middle adulthood. Here, the authors follow up the original study sample to examine the association between R/S and major depression from middle adulthood into midlife. Method: Participants were 79 of 114 original adult offspring of depressed and non-depressed parents. Using logistic regression analysis, three measures of R/S from middle adulthood (personal importance, frequency of religious service attendance, and denomination) were used to predict Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in midlife. Results: High R/S importance in middle adulthood was prospectively associated with risk for an initial onset of depression during the period of midlife. Frequency of attendance in middle adulthood was associated with recurrence of depression at midlife in the high-risk group for depression, as compared to the low-risk group. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the relation between R/S and depression may vary across adult development, with risk for depression associated with R/S at midlife potentially revealing a developmental process.

Several studies have shown protective effects between health outcomes and subjective reports of religious/spiritual (R/S) importance, as measured by a single self-report item. In a 3-generation study of individuals at high or low familial risk for depression, R/S importance was found to be protective against depression, as indicated by clinical and neurobiological outcomes. The psychological components underlying these protective effects, however, remain little understood. Hence, to clarify the meaning of answering the R/S importance item, we employed a comprehensive set of validated scales assessing religious beliefs and experiences and exploratory factor analysis to uncover latent R/S constructs that strongly and independently correlated with the single-item measure of R/S importance. A Varimax-rotated principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in a 23-factor solution (Eigenvalue > 1; 71.5% explained variance) with 8 factors that, respectively, accounted for at least 3% of the total variance. The first factor (15.8%) was directly related to the R/S importance item (r = .819), as well as personal relationship with the Divine, forgiveness by God, religious activities, and religious coping, while precluding gratitude, altruism, and social support, among other survey subscales. The corresponding factor scores were greater in older individuals and those at low familial risk. Moreover, Spearman rank-order correlations between the R/S importance item and other subscales revealed relative consistency across generations and risk groups. Taken together, the single R/S importance item constituted a robust measure of what may be generally conceived of as “religious importance,” ranking highest among a diverse latent factor structure of R/S. As this suggests adequate single-item construct validity, it may be adequate for use in health studies lacking the resources for more extensive measures. Nonetheless, given that this single item accounted for only a small fraction of the total survey variance, results based on the item should be interpreted and applied with caution.

Relatively few studies have prospectively examined the effects of known protective factors, such as religion, on pandemic-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pre- and post-pandemic trajectories and psychological effects of religious beliefs and religious attendance. Male and female adults (N = 189) reported their beliefs in religious importance (RI) and their religious attendance (RA) both before (T1) and after (T2) the pandemic’s onset. Descriptive and regression analyses were used to track RI and RA from T1 to T2 and to test their effects on psychological outcomes at T1 and T2. The participants who reported a decrease in religious importance and attendance were greater in number than those who reported an increase, with RI (36.5% vs. 5.3%) and RA (34.4% vs. 4.8%). The individuals with decreased RI were less likely to know someone who had died from COVID-19 (O.R. =0.4, p = 0.027). The T1 RI predicted overall social adjustment (p < 0.05) and lower suicidal ideation (p = 0.05). The T2 RI was associated with lower suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). The online RA (T2) was associated with lower depression (p < 0.05) and lower anxiety (p < 0.05). Further research is needed to evaluate the mechanisms driving decreases in religiosity during pandemics. Religious beliefs and online religious attendance were beneficial during the pandemic, which bodes well for the use of telemedicine in therapeutic approaches.

Natural disasters pose an increasing threat to individuals and their well-being. Although much is known about the short-term effects of a disaster, there has been much less work on how disasters affect individuals over long periods. Additionally, disaster research has traditionally focused either on the mental outcome or economic impacts, limiting the understanding of the link between disaster-induced changes (i.e., transition) and mental health. Thus, this exploratory study aimed to measure the long-term transitional impacts of the Southern Alberta flood of 2013 and the relationship between this disaster-specific transition and well-being. In this follow-up, conducted six years after the flood, 65 participants were re-assessed on the 12-item Transitional Impact Scale (TIS-12) and their ratings were compared across two-time points (2013 vs. 2019). Additionally, the 21-item DASS and the 8-item PCL-5 were introduced in the follow-up to assess these participants’ mental health states. Paired T-tests of the material and psychological subscale of the TIS demonstrated significantly lower ratings in 2019 than in 2013. After six years, PTSD had a high correlation with the material and psychological subscale of the TIS and DASS. However, depression and anxiety were reliably related to psychological TIS only. Overall, the findings suggest that individuals’ well-being is largely determined by the level of disaster-related material and psychological life changes experienced over time. These findings might be useful to take note of the short-term and long-term impact of disaster-specific transitions while assisting professionals and policymakers in formulating interventions to preserve people’s well-being during the disaster and promote resilience following it.