Objectives: To explore differences in regional cortical morphometric structure between adolescents at risk for depression or with current depression. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional structural neuroimaging data from a sample of 150 Brazilian adolescents classified as low-risk (LR) (n=50) or high-risk (HR) for depression (n=50) or with current depression (n=50) through a vertex-based approach with measurements of cortical volume (CV), surface area (SA), and cortical thickness (CT). Differences between groups in subcortical volume and in the organization of networks of structural covariance were also explored. Results: No significant differences in brain structure between groups were observed in whole-brain vertex-wise CV, SA, or CT. Also, no significant differences in subcortical volume were observed between risk groups. In relation to the structural covariance network, there was an indication of an increase in the hippocampus betweenness centrality index in the HR group network compared to the LR and current depression group networks. However, this result was only statistically significant when applying false discovery rate correction for nodes within the affective network. Conclusion: In an adolescent sample recruited using an empirically based composite risk score, no major differences in brain structure were detected according to the risk and presence of depression.

Objective: The Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Score (IDEA-RS) was recently developed in Brazil using data from the Pelotas 1993 Birth Cohort to estimate the individualized probability of developing depression in adolescence. This model includes 11 sociodemographic variables and has been assessed in longitudinal studies from four other countries. We aimed to test the performance of IDEA-RS in an independent, community-based, school-attending sample within the same country: the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort. Methods: Standard external validation, refitted, and case mix-corrected models were used to predict depression among 1442 youth followed from a mean age of 13.5 years at baseline to 17.7 years at follow-up, using probabilities calculated with IDEA-RS coefficients. Results: The area under the curve was 0.65 for standard external validation, 0.70 for the case mix-corrected model, and 0.69 for the refitted model, with discrimination consistently above chance for predicting depression in the new dataset. There was some degree of miscalibration, corrected by model refitting (calibration-in-the-large reduced from 0.77 to 0). Conclusion: IDEA-RS was able to parse individuals with higher or lower probability of developing depression beyond chance in an independent Brazilian sample. Further steps should include model improvements and additional studies in populations with high levels of subclinical symptoms to improve clinical decision making.

Objective: To explore associations between self-reported weekly physical activity and depressive symptomatology among adolescents in a school-based sample from Brazil. Methods: We surveyed 7,405 adolescents aged 14 to 16 years in 101 public schools in Porto Alegre, Brazil. We assessed physical activity using an adapted version of the Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise Plus Nutrition – Adolescent Physical Activity Measure (PACE+), and depressive symptoms using the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire – Adolescent Version. We compared the depressive symptom scores among adolescents with varying levels of physical activity. Results: Of the overall sample, 84.4% exercised less than the recommended frequency of 60 minutes/day, at least 5 days/week, of moderate to intense physical activity (PACE+ score ≥ 5). Adolescents whose physical activity levels fell below that threshold had higher median depression scores (8 [IQR = 10] vs. 7 [IQR = 9], W = 4060461, p < 0.001). A similar pattern was observed for depression scores in those with PACE+ < 1 (median of 10 [IQR = 11]) and ≥ 1 (7 [IQR = 9], W = 7457608, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In this large sample of Brazilian adolescents, those who exercised less frequently and vigorously than their peers reported more depressive symptoms.

This mixed-method study explored the social world of Haitian migrants, examining forms of social support and social stress, as well as their relationship to mental health. Among six Haitian migrant communities in the Cibao Valley of the Dominican Republic, a community-based survey (n = 127) was conducted to assess migration experiences, current stressors, mental health, and functioning. In addition, to explore perceptions and experiences of migration, social interactions, and mental health, the study drew upon in-depth interviews and free-listing activities among Haitian migrants, as well as cognitive interviews with select survey participants. Depressive, anxiety, and mental distress survey scores were associated with 1) negative social interactions (including interrogation or deportation, perceived mistreatment by Dominicans, and overcrowding) and 2) lack of social support, including migrating alone. Mental distress scores were higher among women, and being married was associated with higher anxiety scores, potentially reflecting unmet social expectations. In qualitative data, participants emphasized a lack of social support, often referred to as tèt ansanm (literally meaning "heads together" in Haitian Creole or Kreyòl and roughly defined as solidarity or reciprocal social collaboration). The authors of the study propose that the practice of tèt ansanm-also termed konbit, and, in the Dominican Republic, convite-could be used as a means of facilitating positive-contact events among Haitians and Dominicans. These interactions could help counteract social stress and build social capital in settings similar to those of the study.

Este estudio de método mixto exploró el mundo social de los migrantes haitianos, mediante el análisis de las formas de apoyo social y el estrés social, así como su relación con la salud mental. Se llevó a cabo una encuesta comunitaria (n = 127) en seis comunidades migratorias haitianas del Valle de Cibao de la República Dominicana para evaluar las experiencias de migración, los factores estresantes actuales, la salud mental y el desempeño. Además, con objeto de explorar las percepciones y las experiencias de migración, las interacciones sociales, y la salud mental, el estudio se basó en entrevistas exhaustivas y actividades de enumeración libre por parte de los migrantes haitianos, así como en entrevistas cognoscitivas dirigidas a algunos participantes seleccionados. Las puntuaciones de la encuesta correspondientes a depresión, ansiedad y aflicción mental se asociaron con 1) las interacciones sociales negativas (incluidos los interrogatorios o la deportación, el tratamiento por parte de los dominicanos percibido como inadecuado, y el hacinamiento) y 2) la falta de apoyo social, incluida la migración en solitario. Las puntuaciones correspondientes a aflicción mental fueron mayores en las mujeres, mientras que la condición de casado se asociaba con puntuaciones mayores de ansiedad, lo que podría reflejar la existencia de expectativas sociales no satisfechas. En cuanto a los datos cualitativos, los participantes recalcaron la falta de apoyo social, a menudo denominado tèt ansanm (que literalmente significa "cabezas juntas" en criollo haitiano o Kreyòl y se define aproximadamente como solidaridad o colaboración social recíproca). Los autores del estudio proponen que la práctica del tèt ansanm (también denominada konbit y, en la República Dominicana, convite) podría usarse como un medio para facilitar los acontecimientos de contacto positivo entre haitianos y dominicanos. Estas interacciones podrían ayudar a contrarrestar el estrés social y promover el capital social en entornos similares a los del estudio.