Abstract / Description of output
Background
Affective dynamics have been identified as a correlate of a broad span of mental health issues, making them key candidate transdiagnostic factors. However, there remains a lack of knowledge about which aspects of affective dynamics – especially as they manifest in the course of daily life – relate to a general risk for mental health issues versus specific symptoms.
Methods
We leverage an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study design with four measures per day over a two-week period to explore how negative affect levels, inertia, lability, and reactivity to provocation and stress in the course of daily life relate to mental health symptoms in young adults (n= 256) in the domains of anxiety, depression, psychosis-like symptoms, behaviour problems, suicidality, and substance use.
Results
Dynamic structural equation modelling (DSEM) suggested that negative affect levels in daily life were associated with depression, anxiety, indirect and proactive aggression, psychosis, anxiety, and self-injury; negative affective lability was associated with depression, physical aggression, reactive aggression, suicidal ideation, and ADHD symptoms; negative affective inertia was associated with depression, anxiety, physical aggression, and cannabis use; and emotional reactivity to provocation was related to physical aggression.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design, the limited span of mental health issues included, and the convenience nature and small size of the sample are limitations.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that a subset of mental health symptoms have shared negative affective dynamics patterns. Longitudinal research is needed to rigorously examine the directionality of the effects underlying the association between affective dynamics and mental health issues.
Affective dynamics have been identified as a correlate of a broad span of mental health issues, making them key candidate transdiagnostic factors. However, there remains a lack of knowledge about which aspects of affective dynamics – especially as they manifest in the course of daily life – relate to a general risk for mental health issues versus specific symptoms.
Methods
We leverage an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study design with four measures per day over a two-week period to explore how negative affect levels, inertia, lability, and reactivity to provocation and stress in the course of daily life relate to mental health symptoms in young adults (n= 256) in the domains of anxiety, depression, psychosis-like symptoms, behaviour problems, suicidality, and substance use.
Results
Dynamic structural equation modelling (DSEM) suggested that negative affect levels in daily life were associated with depression, anxiety, indirect and proactive aggression, psychosis, anxiety, and self-injury; negative affective lability was associated with depression, physical aggression, reactive aggression, suicidal ideation, and ADHD symptoms; negative affective inertia was associated with depression, anxiety, physical aggression, and cannabis use; and emotional reactivity to provocation was related to physical aggression.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design, the limited span of mental health issues included, and the convenience nature and small size of the sample are limitations.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that a subset of mental health symptoms have shared negative affective dynamics patterns. Longitudinal research is needed to rigorously examine the directionality of the effects underlying the association between affective dynamics and mental health issues.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 808-817 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Affective Disorders (JAD) |
Volume | 351 |
Early online date | 4 Feb 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Apr 2024 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- affective dynamics
- ecological momentary assessment
- transdiagnostic
- mental health