Cognitive Vulnerability To Depression-Stress Model In University Students

Objective(1) To investigate the roles of weakest link, as well as stress, in the development of depression symptoms in Chinese University Students, and to propose the weakest link Vulnerability to Depression-stress model. (2) To test the cross-cultural applicability of the weakest link hypothesis theory of depression in a large size of samples of University Students in China.Methods520 students from two universities in Changsha, Hunan (China) participated in the longitudinal study for half a year, with an interval of 1 month. All participants finished the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Cognitive Style Questionnaire, General Social and Academic Hassles Scale at Time 1, and questionnaires assessing depression symptoms as well as stress level at each follow-up. Hierarchical Lineal Modeling (HLM) was used in data analysis.ResultsIn the prediction of depressive symptom in the university students' sample, both the main effect of weakest link and the weakest link×stress level interaction on students'depression symptoms were significant.Conclusions(1) A weakest link represents a relatively stable individual difference variable in Chinese university students. Higher weakest link level was associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms over time. (2) In line with a weakest link of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression-stress framework in Chinese university samples, the association between the stress level and increases in depressive symptoms over time was moderated by weakest link level. (3) Weakest link level represents a vulnerability factor that confers independent risk for depression. (4) The results of the current study provide support for the cross-cultural applicability of the weakest link of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression theory in a sample of Chinese university students. ObjectiveUsing the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we examined the structural differences in regional gray matter density between a sample of weakest link of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression and healthy control participants in order to find the base of pathophysiologic mechanism in depression development.Methods35 people with Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression (according to weakest link theory) and 42 healthy subjects participated in the MRI scans. The voxel-based morphometry was used to test the deference of gray matter between the two groups, and find abnormal brain area in Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group.Results(1):The Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group had significantly lower gray density than the health control sample with the following areas:left middle frontal gyrus; left Precentral Gyrus, left Medial Frontal Gyrus; right Paracentral Lobule; right Inferior Temporal Gyrus; left Superior and middle Temporal Gyrus; Precuneus; Posterior Cingulate. And the Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group had significantly higher gray density with left Inferior Occipital Gyrus; Middle Occipital Gyrus and left Cuneus(2):There are significant differences in the Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group by gender. The female of the people with Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression had significantly lower gray density than male with the following areas:right Cingulate Gyrus; Middle and Superior Frontal Gyrus; Precentral Gyrus; right middle and Inferior Occipital Gyrus; Cuneus; left and right Inferior Temporal Gyrus; left Middle Temporal Gyrus. And the females in Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group had significantly higher gray density with left Medial Frontal Gyrus; Fusiform Gyrus; Caudate, and Extra-Nuclear.Conclusions(1) The results of the current study provide support for the people with Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression based on the weakest link theory have structural brain abnormalities before the depression development. These abnormalities may help to explain why weakest link prone to depression. And maybe the neuropathology base of depression development in the future. (2) The results reported that there is significant difference of gray density in Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression group by gender, and these results maybe one of the important explanations of why females are more prone to development of depression.