A better diet helps beat depression in young men

May 9, 2022

Science Daily/University of Technology Sydney

Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new study shows.

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects approximately 1 million Australians each year. It is a significant risk factor for suicide, the leading cause of death in young adults.

The 12-week randomised control trial, conducted by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, was recently published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lead researcher Jessica Bayes, a PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of Health, said the study was the first randomised clinical trial to assess the impact of a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in young men (aged 18-25).

"We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet," Bayes said. "Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of a nutritionist, over a short time frame."

"It suggests that medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression," she said.

The study contributes to the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry, which aims to explore the effect that specific nutrients, foods and dietary patterns can have on mental health. The diet used in the study was rich in colourful vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, oily fish, olive oil and raw, unsalted nuts.

"The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods while reducing the intake of 'fast' foods, sugar and processed red meat," Bayes said.

"There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects mood. For example, around 90 per cent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis.

"To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables," she said.

Roughly 30 per cent of depressed patients fail to adequately respond to standard treatments for major depressive disorder such as cognitive behaviour therapy and anti-depressant medications.

"Nearly all our participants stayed with the program, and many were keen to continue the diet once the study ended, which shows how effective, tolerable and worthwhile they found the intervention."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220509112049.htm

Shielding children from food insecurity -- no protection from psychological problems

Large-scale Canadian study also suggests mental health of adults suffers when unable to shield children

May 4, 2022

Science Daily/McGill University

New research found that in families where adults sacrifice their own nutritional needs so that their offspring are fed first, the mental health of both groups is less severely affected, although it is nevertheless affected

It's easy to imagine the emotional distress of both parents and children in families where there isn't enough to eat. Especially if it happens regularly. An increasing number of studies have shown an association between food insecurity and adverse mental health outcomes. Now, new research from McGill University has looked at the impacts of food insecurity on the mental health of both parents and children separately. The researchers found that in families where adults sacrifice their own nutritional needs so that their offspring are fed first, the mental health of both groups is less severely affected. Although it is affected, nevertheless.

The researchers used data from three cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) between 2007-2018 (with about 100,000 respondents in each cycle, approximately ¼ of whom were children or youth). Because family members responded separately to questions about mental health and well-being, and food security, it was possible to look at how food insecurity affected parents and children differently.

Shielding children from food insecurity has only limited effect on their mental health

"Although it is known that feeding children first protects them from malnutrition, how this practice affects family mental health has been unclear," says Frank Elgar, the senior author on the recent paper in the Canadian Journal of Public Health and a professor in McGill's School of Population and Global Health and the Canada Research Chair in Social Inequalities in Child Health. "We found that, for the one in eight households in Canada that is food-insecure, the ability to shield children and youth was associated onlywith reduced risks of mood disorder in youth, though it was also associated improved mental health outcomes more generally in adults."

There was no evidence to suggest that shielding was associated with a reduction in the risks of anxiety disorder or having poor health or mental health in youth. Shielding aside, the results of the study clearly show that food insecurity is associated with poor mental health and lower well-being in both youth and adults.

"When children and youth are affected by food insecurity during a formative stage in their brain development, even if their parents do their best to shield them, there is no evidence that it significantly improves their psychological outcomes," adds Elgar. "These findings underline the importance of policies that look at food security and mental health at the same time. People at food banks don't just need food, they may also need mental health supports, especially to ensure that children and youth are not affected over the long term."

Detailed findings

• Approximately 84.5 % of the households in the sample were food-secure

• Approximately 15.5 % of the households in the sample were food-insecure to differing degrees (marginal, moderate, or severe)

• The more severe the degree of food insecurity in a household, the lower the level of shielding of youth and children on the part of parents. (Shielding occurred in about 65% of households with marginal food insecurity, 34% of the households with moderate food insecurity, and in just 11% of households with severe food insecurity).

• Approximately 6.3 % of households were food-insecure and shielding youth and children and approximately 9.1 % were food-insecure and not shielding youth.

Comparing youth and adult mental health in food-secure vs. food-insecure households

• Youth and children in food-insecure households where the young were not shielded, showed elevated risks of mood disorder, anxiety disorder, fair or poor mental health, fair or poor general health and low life satisfaction compared to those in food-secure households.

• Youth and children in food-insecure households where the young were shielded, showed elevated risks of only anxiety disorder and fair or poor mental health, and did not differ significantly from youth in food-secure households with respect to other mental health and well-being outcomes.

• Adults in food-insecure households, especially in non-shielding households, showed consistently greater risks of poor mental health and well-being compared with adults in food-secure households.

Comparing youth and adult mental health in shielded vs. unshielded households

• The only significant impact on youth in shielding households compared to unshielded households was a reduced risk of mood disorders. All other mental health risks were similar for youth in shielded and unshielded households.

• Adults had a 22-37% higher risk of their mental health being affected if they were unable to shield their children from food insecurity and showed a greater risk of mood disorders.

"While this study found that shielding children and youth from food insecurity is associated with better psychological outcomes in both adults and youth, further work is needed to isolate the costs and benefits of this protective behaviour," adds Elgar.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220504100943.htm

Acute sleep loss may alter the way we see others

May 3, 2022

Science Daily/Uppsala University

A new study from Uppsala University shows that young adults when sleep-deprived evaluate angry faces as less trustworthy and healthy-looking. Furthermore, neutral and fearful faces appear less attractive following sleep loss. The findings are published in the scientific journal Nature and Science of Sleep.

Using eye-tracking, a sensor technology that can detect what a person is looking at in real time, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden performed an experiment on 45 young men and women to examine how acute sleep loss affects the way humans explore and evaluate happy, fearful, angry and neutral faces. The participants spent one night with no sleep at all and one night with an eight-hour sleep opportunity. Their eye movements were measured in the mornings following both nights.

"When sleep-deprived, our research subjects spent less time fixating on faces. Since facial expressions are crucial to understanding the emotional state of others, spending less time fixating on faces after acute sleep loss may increase the risk that you interpret the emotional state of others inaccurately or too late," says Lieve van Egmond, first author and PhD student in the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University.

"The finding that sleep-deprived subjects in our experiment rated angry faces as less trustworthy and healthy-looking and neutral and fearful faces as less attractive indicates that sleep loss is associated with more negative social impressions of others. This could result in less motivation to interact socially," says senior author Christian Benedict, Associate Professor of Neuroscience.

"Our participants were young adults. Thus, we do not know whether our results are generalisable to other age groups. Moreover, we do not know if similar results would be seen among those suffering from chronic sleep loss," says Lieve van Egmond.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503102900.htm

Study finds children with vegetarian diet have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat

Children with a vegetarian diet also had higher odds of underweight weight status

May 2, 2022

Science Daily/St. Michael's Hospital

A study of nearly 9,000 children found those who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. The study, published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, also found that children with a vegetarian diet had higher odds of underweight weight status, emphasizing the need for special care when planning the diets of vegetarian kids.

The findings come as a shift to consuming a plant-based diet grows in Canada. In 2019, updates to Canada’s Food Guide urged Canadians to embrace plant-based proteins, such as beans and tofu, instead of meat.

“Over the last 20 years we have seen growing popularity of plant-based diets and a changing food environment with more access to plant-based alternatives, however we have not seen research into the nutritional outcomes of children following vegetarian diets in Canada,” said Dr. Jonathon Maguire, lead author of the study and a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto.

“This study demonstrates that Canadian children following vegetarian diets had similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets. Vegetarian diet was associated with higher odds of underweight weight status, underscoring the need for careful dietary planning for children with underweight when considering vegetarian diets.”

Researchers evaluated 8,907 children age six months to eight years. The children were all participants of the TARGet Kids! cohort study and data was collected between 2008 and 2019. Participants were categorized by vegetarian status – defined as a dietary pattern that excludes meat – or non-vegetarian status.

Researchers found children who had a vegetarian diet had similar mean body mass index (BMI), height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels compared to those who consumed meat. The findings showed evidence that children with a vegetarian diet had almost two-fold higher odds of having underweight, which is defined as below the third percentile for BMI. There was no evidence of an association with overweight or obesity.

Underweight is an indicator of undernutrition, and may be a sign that the quality of the child’s diet is not meeting the child’s nutritional needs to support normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, the researchers emphasized access to healthcare providers who can provide growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their growth and nutrition.

International guidelines about vegetarian diet in infancy and childhood have differing recommendations, and past studies that have evaluated the relationship between vegetarian diet and childhood growth and nutritional status have had conflicting findings.

“Plant-based dietary patterns are recognized as a healthy eating pattern due to increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and reduced saturated fat; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on childhood growth and nutritional status. Vegetarian diets appear to be appropriate for most children,” said Dr. Maguire, who is also a scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital.

A limitation of the study is that researchers did not assess the quality of the vegetarian diets. The researchers note that vegetarian diets come in many forms and the quality of the individual diet may be quite important to growth and nutritional outcomes. The authors say further research is needed to examine the quality of vegetarian diets in childhood, as well as growth and nutrition outcomes among children following a vegan diet, which excludes meat and animal derived products such as dairy, egg, and honey.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220502094813.htm

Childhood abuse linked to higher risk for high cholesterol as an adult

April 27, 2022

Science Daily/American Heart Association

The likelihood of developing high cholesterol -- a risk factor for heart disease and stroke -- was higher among white men and white women who experienced abuse during childhood, according to a study of more than 5,000 Black and white adults in the U.S. In contrast, growing up in a well-managed household with family members who were involved and engaged in the child's life offset the higher risk of high cholesterol among white women and Black men who reported abuse during childhood.

A new study found risk factors for heart disease and stroke were higher among adults who said they experienced childhood abuse and varied by race and gender. However, those who described their family life as well-managed and had family members involved in their lives during childhood were less likely to have increased cardiovascular risk factors as adults, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Although cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke, is more common among older people, the risks often begin much earlier in life. Previous research confirms physical and psychological abuse and other adverse experiences in childhood increase the risk of developing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which, in turn, increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases, as detailed in the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Childhood and Adolescent Adversity and Cardiometabolic Outcomes.

Conversely, healthy childhood experiences -- nurturing, loving relationships in a well-managed household, including having family members who are involved and engaged in the child's life -- may increase the likelihood of heart-healthy behaviors that may decrease the cardiovascular disease risks. In this study, researchers explored whether nurturing relationships and well-managed households may offset the likelihood of higher cardiovascular risk factors.

"Our findings demonstrate how the negative and positive experiences we have in childhood can have long-term cardiovascular consequences in adulthood and define key heart disease risk disparities by race and sex," said study lead author Liliana Aguayo, Ph.D., M.P.H., social epidemiologist and research assistant professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta.

Researchers examined information from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, an ongoing, long-term study among 5,115 Black and white adults enrolled from 1985-1986 to 2015-2016. Study enrollment occurred in four U.S. cities: Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago; Minneapolis; and Oakland, California. More than half of the study participants were women, and nearly half were Black adults. At the start of the study, participants were 25 years old, on average. All participants received initial clinical examinations and eight additional examinations every few years to assess cardiovascular risks over 30 years.

At ages 33 to 45, participants completed a survey of questions to assess areas of their family life during childhood. For this analysis, three areas were examined:

• Abuse: how often a parent or adult in their home pushed, grabbed, shoved or hit them so hard that they were injured; and how often a parent or adult in their home swore at them, insulted them or made them feel threatened.

• Nurturing: how often a parent or adult made them feel loved, supported or cared for; and how often a parent or adult in the family expressed gestures of warmth and affection.

• Household organization: did they feel the household was well-managed, and did their family know where they were and what they were doing most of the time. (No definitions or criteria were provided for the term "well-managed;" study participants were instructed to determine if the term described their childhood family experience.)

Participants were categorized based on their responses to the survey questions:

• Roughly 30% of participants reported experiencing "occasional/frequent abuse," which included those who responded, "occasionally or moderate amount of time" or "most or all of the time" to questions related to abuse.

• About 20% of participants reported they experienced abuse "some or little of the time," which was categorized as "low abuse."

• About half of the participants reported no childhood abuse and described their family life during childhood as nurturing and well-managed.

Among the adults who reported experiencing abuse during childhood, the risk of Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol -- but not obesity and high blood pressure -- was higher, compared to the adults who reported no abuse in childhood. The increase in risk, however, appeared to vary depending on gender and race.

Researchers noted:

• The risk of high cholesterol was 26% higher among white women and 35% higher among white men who reported low levels of abuse in childhood, compared to same sex and race adults who reported no abuse in childhood.

• The risk of Type 2 diabetes was 81% higher among white men who reported occasional/frequent abuse during childhood, compared to adults who reported no abuse in childhood.

• Black men and white women who said they experienced abuse and grew up in a dysfunctional household were more than 3.5 times as likely to develop high cholesterol as those who reported no abuse during childhood. In contrast, among people who reported growing up in a well-managed household, the risk of high cholesterol decreased by more than 34%.

• An unexpected finding: The risk for cardiovascular disease risk factors was not higher among Black women who reported experiencing abuse in childhood.

Several limitations may have affected the study's results. This study was a retrospective analysis of data collected in the CARDIA study in 2015-2016; no new surveys were conducted with the CARDIA study participants. The questionnaires about childhood family experiences were completed when the participants were adults, relying on memories, which may include some inaccuracies or incomplete recollections. In addition, participants' BMI (body mass index), which is a measurement of weight according to height, was recorded only in adulthood, with no data on BMI during childhood for comparison.

"Further research is needed to better understand the potential mechanisms linking childhood abuse and family environment to higher heart disease risk factors, as well as the impact of structural racism and social determinants of health, which likely influenced the differences we found by race and sex," Aguayo said. "This information is critical to strengthening cardiovascular disease prevention interventions and policies, particularly those that focus on people who experienced abuse or other trauma during childhood."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220427100503.htm

Tree-filled spaces are more favorable to child development than paved or grassy surfaces

Areas with tree cover may provide greater mitigation of air pollution, noise and heat than more open green spaces

April 21, 2022

Science Daily/Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)

A study recently published in Environment International has found that living in a tree-filled environment is associated with better early childhood development than living in an environment where vegetation takes the form of grass cover. The analysis -- led by Matilda van den Bosch, senior researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation -- also found that both varieties of green space are associated with better child development outcomes than areas dominated by paved surfaces.

The study reinforces the notion -- supported by a growing body of research -- that green spaces are associated with better attention and memory in early childhood, higher academic achievement, and fewer emotional and behavioural problems. However, the research team wanted to go further and explore whether the type of vegetation makes a difference in these positive associations. All green spaces appear to promote health, but tree-filled areas may mitigate air pollution, noise and heat better than more open green spaces, while also doing more to support restoration from mental fatigue and the capacity for directed attention. Grassy spaces, in contrast, may do more to encourage group activities and therefore foster social well-being. Paved surfaces, meanwhile, are associated with more heat exposure and traffic-related air and noise pollution.

How the Study Was Conducted

The analysis was carried out in the Vancouver metropolitan area (Canada) and was based on a large birth cohort containing data on 27,539 children. These data were collected between 2000 and 2005 by various government bodies, including the British Columbia Ministry of Health. The children were followed from birth to age five years, at which time their kindergarten teachers rated their physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, communication skills and general knowledge. The teachers performed this assessment using a tool known as the Early Development Instrument (EDI).

The researchers used a high-spatial-resolution land cover map to determine whether the areas where the children lived were vegetated or non-vegetated and whether the vegetated land consisted of grass or trees (predominantly deciduous). The mean percentage of total vegetation exposure was found to be 36%, while the mean percentage of paved surfaces exposure was slightly lower at 32.2%.

Conclusion

Children with the greatest exposure to vegetation (either trees or grass) had the highest developmental scores. This positive association was especially notable for exposure to tree-filled areas. In contrast, early-life exposure to paved surfaces was associated with poorer child development.

"Because we assessed different types of vegetation, our findings contribute to an improved understanding of associations between exposure to green spaces and early childhood development," commented Ingrid Jarvis, researcher at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and first author of the study.

Although more research is needed, these findings may be useful to urban planners. "Taken together, our findings suggest that converting paved surfaces to green spaces and, in particular, increasing the amount of trees in neighbourhoods may have positive effects on early childhood health and development," noted ISGlobal researcher Matilda van den Bosch who led the research. Such efforts would not only reap the benefits associated with green spaces, but potentially also "reduce the adverse effects associated with urbanisation and impervious environments," she added. Although the observed associations between environmental exposure and childhood development were relatively small, "even minor individual gains in childhood could lead to important public health benefits across the life course," she concluded.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220421141608.htm

Micronutrients (vitamins + minerals) show benefit for children with ADHD and emotional dysregulation

Evidence from a randomized clinical trial shows broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation with all known vitamins and essential minerals resulted in global improvement of attention and mood based on blinded clinician ratings

April 26, 2022

Science Daily/Elsevier

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that children with ADHD and emotional regulation randomized to take a micronutrient formula were three times more likely to show symptomatic improvement on blinded clinician ratings, compared to those in the placebo group (54% versus 18%). The micronutrient formula, consisting of all known vitamins and essential minerals, was administered for eight weeks.

"Supplementing with all known vitamins and essential minerals, at doses between Recommended Daily Allowance and Upper Tolerable Limit, may improve mood and concentration in children with ADHD and emotional dysregulation," said lead author Jeanette Johnstone, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University and Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine.

"These findings, replicating results of a previous randomized trial of micronutrients in children with ADHD conducted in New Zealand, confirm that supplementation with a broad range of nutrients may benefit some children. These findings may offer guidance to doctors and families seeking integrative treatments for their children with ADHD and related emotional dysregulation," Dr. Johnstone noted.

The triple-blinded study enrolled 135 medication-free children and their parents at three sites (Portland, Oregon; Columbus, Ohio; Alberta, Canada) and randomized participants to either micronutrient or placebo capsules for eight weeks. Three-quarters of the participants were adherent to the study protocol. The intervention was well-tolerated, with no significant differences in adverse events between the micronutrient and placebo groups, or safety concerns based on blood and urine tests. Parents, children and clinicians were blinded to treatment allocation and were not able to guess assignment better than chance.

In addition to behavioral and emotional benefits, children taking micronutrients grew 6mm more in height than those taking placebo after adjusting for baseline height. "The growth finding, also a replication from the previous child micronutrient study, is particularly encouraging, as height suppression is a concern with first-line ADHD medication," Dr. Johnstone added.

In contrast to clinician ratings, parents, who were also blinded to their child's treatment allocation, reported significantly improved behavior that was equal in both the micronutrient and placebo groups, with no significant between-group differences, highlighting the importance of blinded clinician ratings.

"No treatment is 100% effective for all with ADHD," commented L. Eugene Arnold, MD, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Ohio State University and one of the senior co-authors. "For example, about 2/3 respond to the first stimulant drug tried, which is an established first-line ADHD treatment despite emotional, appetite, and growth side effects. So, it's encouraging that a good half of the children responded to this relatively safe treatment."

"Future studies will focus on the micronutrients' mechanisms of action and subgroup responses to understand for whom and why this intervention works. Mechanistic hypotheses to be tested include changes in the gut microbiome and its metabolome, reductions in inflammatory markers (e.g. cytokines), replenishment of minerals, and optimization of neurotransmission. In order to increase parent sensitivity to child behavior changes, we plan to utilize real-time data reporting methods such as 'ecological momentary assessment' using a phone or other device to capture behaviors when they occur," added Dr. Johnstone.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220426101650.htm

Differences in children's behavior predict midlife health behaviors

April 21, 2022

Science Daily/University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto

A recent study by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä and the Gerontology Research Center (Finland) investigated the paths from childhood socioemotional behaviour to midlife health behaviour decades later. Socioemotional behaviour at age 8 predicted health behaviour both directly and indirectly through education.

There are a wide variety of factors behind health behaviour and one of them is personality. Differences in behaviour and response style between individuals are already visible in young children. A recent paper examined the role of socioemotional behaviour in children in relation to physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index assessed up to 42 years later.

Well-controlled behaviour in girls, indicating a tendency to behave kindly and constructively in conflicting situations, predicted more physical activity in middle age. Social activity, which was seen, for example, as an eagerness to talk and play with other children, predicted heavier alcohol consumption in girls and smoking in boys. 

“Well-controlled behaviour may appear as good self-discipline and the ability to follow the exercise plans in adulthood,” says postdoctoral researcher Tiia Kekäläinen. “Social activity, on the other hand, may have led later to social situations where smoking and alcohol consumption were started.”

The educational path matters

Some paths between childhood socioemotional behaviour and midlife health behaviours went through education. Social activity in girls and well-controlled behaviour in both girls and boys predicted better school success in adolescence and higher education in adulthood. High educational achievement was linked, in turn, to less smoking and alcohol use.

“The results are in line with previous results based on this same longitudinal data and other studies,” says Kekäläinen. “In particular, well-controlled behaviour has been found to contribute to school success and education. These may provide information and skills that help to make healthy choices. The results of this paper suggest that differences in individuals' behaviour already visible in childhood are reflected in adulthood both directly and through various mediating mechanisms.”

The study was part of the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) in which the same individuals have been followed since 1968 when they were 8 years old. This study used data on socio-emotional behaviour and parental socioeconomic status at age 8, school success at age 14, educational background at age 27, personality traits at age 33, and health behaviours at age 36, 42, and 50. The data collection in JYLS at various stages has been funded by the Academy of Finland (latest funding number 323541) and the writing of this publication was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture (PATHWAY-project).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220421181217.htm

Impact of family background on children's education unchanged in a century, research reveals

April 20, 2022

Science Daily/University of York

The family background of UK children still influences their educational achievements at primary school as much as it did nearly one hundred years ago, a major new study has revealed.

The study, by the University of York, looked at data from 92,000 individuals born between 1921 and 2011 and revealed that the achievement gap between children from impoverished family backgrounds and their more privileged peers has remained stagnant.

This gap accounted for half a grade difference at primary school level, but the impact of family background persists and increases throughout the school years. Previous research suggests that by GCSE year, the effect of family background on school performance is more than three times worse, accounting for a 1.75 grade difference.

The enduring impact of family background on success in education perpetuates social and economic inequalities across generations, the researchers say. They are calling for educational policies which prioritise equality in learning outcomes for children over equality in opportunities.

Lead author of the study, Professor Sophie von Stumm from the Department of Education at the University of York, said: "Our study shows for the first time that despite the efforts of policy makers and educators, children from impoverished backgrounds, whether born in 1921 or the modern day, face the same prospect of earning lower grades and obtaining fewer educational opportunities than children from wealthier backgrounds.

"We are calling for educational interventions that ensure the weakest students get the most support, as policies promoting equal learning opportunities only work if all children are equally well prepared to take advantage of them.

"For example, we know that children from low socioeconomic family backgrounds tend to start school with poorer language skills than their better-off peers. This early disadvantage makes it more difficult for them to utilise the learning opportunities that that school offers. In turn, children from impoverished families earn lower grades in primary and secondary school, and ultimately, they earn fewer educational qualifications than children from wealthier backgrounds."

The study looked at data provided by large cohort studies up until 2016. The researchers caution that the pandemic is likely to have intensified the link between family socioeconomic status and children's school performance because it increased inequality in families' access to resources.

Co-author of the study, Professor Paul Wakeling from the Department of Education at the University of York said: "There was rightly much public scrutiny of inequalities in GCSE grades during the pandemic. However, our findings highlight how important it is to consider inequalities in earlier years of schooling. The impacts could be felt for years to come "

Professor von Stumm added: "Children growing up in low socioeconomic family homes during the pandemic were disproportionately affected by school closures, with a lack of access to online learning and suitable learning environments.

"Educational interventions that boost early-years and primary school learning for these children have never been more important. Even if such interventions have initially small effects, their long-term benefits are sizable. Tackling the persistent achievement gap highlighted by our study will be instrumental in reducing overall inequality and therefore hugely beneficial to society as a whole."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220420092124.htm

Study finds 48 percent of young adults struggled with mental health in mid-2021

April 13, 2022

Science Daily/University of California - San Francisco

About half of young adults had mental health symptoms during the pandemic and more than a third of those were unable to access mental health therapy, a new UC San Francisco study found.

The study, published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health, used Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression symptoms in a sample of 2,809 adults ages 18-25 years. The data, collected in June through early July 2021, also included rates of mental health service utilization and unmet need for mental health therapy.

Forty-eight percent of young adults reported mental health symptoms and, among those with symptoms, 39% used prescription medications and/or received counseling, while 36% reported unmet counseling need. Female, Hispanic and uninsured young adults had the greatest unmet need, though these trends were not statistically significant.

The "unmet need" figures were a bit surprising, said Sally Adams, PhD, RN, specialist in UCSF's Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine.

"Given that only about one third of those with symptoms received care, we might have expected to see closer to two-thirds reporting unmet need," said Adams. "It could be that the people with symptoms who didn't report unmet need either didn't think their symptoms were serious enough for treatment or feared the stigma of needing mental health services."

While the rates of mental health symptoms in this study are high, they are a decline from a CDC study that found 63% of young adults were experiencing depression or anxiety a year earlier in June 2020.

Nonetheless, the consistent findings of significant mental health struggles among young adults highlight the importance of addressing barriers to care for this group, such as cost, stigma and confidentiality concerns, the authors wrote.

There is also a need to improve the size, distribution, and capacity of the mental health workforce, noted Charles Irwin Jr., MD, UCSF professor of pediatrics.

"Despite the development of virtual platforms for providing mental health services, the current need for services far exceeds the capacity to provide them," he said

Identification and treatment of mental health symptoms are crucial for promoting young adults' present and future well-being across the life course, wrote the authors.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220413104206.htm