About this paper symposium

---

Panel information
Panel 6. Developmental Psychopathology

Paper #1
Childhood maltreatment patterns are prospectively linked to adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury via diurnal cortisol
Author information	Role
Qianqian Gao, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Presenting author
Li Niu, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Jianing Sun, Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA, United States	Non-presenting author
Wei Wang, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Qinglin Xu, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Mental Health Education and Counseling Center, Beijing Wuzi University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Shiyuan Xiang, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Danhua Lin, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Purpose: Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function might underlie the relation between childhood maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) (Kaess et al., 2021 et al., 2021; Reichl et al., 2016). This study examines how co-occurring patterns of maltreatment types affect adolescent NSSI and the mediating role of diurnal cortisol, using a longitudinal design. Three indicators depicting diurnal cortisol rhythm (i.e., waking cortisol, CAR, and diurnal cortisol slope) were investigated. Figure 1 displays the conceptual model of the current study. Methods: The sample included 295 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 10.79 years, SD = 0.84 years; 67.1% males). Adolescents completed self-report questionnaires about childhood maltreatment experiences and a 3-day salivary sampling protocol at baseline, and reported their NSSI engagement about 6 months later. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify patterns of childhood maltreatment, and path analysis was performed to examine the causal mediation mechanism. Results: Four maltreatment patterns were identified: Low Maltreatment (67.8%), High Neglect (15.6%), Moderate Maltreatment (10.2%), and High Abuse with Moderate Neglect (6.4%). Furthermore, compared to the Low Maltreatment profile, adolescents in the High Neglect profile were at increased risk for subsequent NSSI through higher waking cortisol levels, and those in the High Abuse with Moderate Neglect profile were at increased risk for subsequent NSSI through a steeper diurnal cortisol slope. Discussion: Disturbances in diurnal cortisol rhythm serve as a physiological pathway through which childhood maltreatment leads to adolescent NSSI. Various maltreatment patterns have distinct pathways in predicting NSSI. For adolescents in the High Neglect profile, their waking cortisol levels may be elevated in anticipation of strain (i.e., neglect exposures). However, increased waking cortisol alone cannot fully exert their protective function, but they can exert effects on molecular mechanisms, resulting in subsequent onset of depression. Thus, adolescents with high waking cortisol levels might engage in NSSI as a maladaptive strategy to cope with aversive emotions (Klonsky & Glenn, 2009). For adolescents in the High Abuse with Moderate Neglect profile, exposure to various forms of abuse and neglect disrupts adaptive development of social architecture, putting them in a more stressful social context. In such cases, a steeper diurnal cortisol slope in combination with a blunted CAR might indicate a lack of biological capacity in approaching and managing daily demands, contributing to short-term poor problem-solving and intense negative emotions (Schuler et al., 2017), which ultimately leads to subsequent NSSI. These findings offer promise for identifying maltreated youth at risk for NSSI and inspiring more targeted preventive strategies.

Paper #2
Depressive Symptoms Over 24 Years in Suicide-Bereaved Individuals: From Adolescence to Adulthood
Author information	Role
Ruqian Ma, College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, United States	Presenting author
Xi Pan, Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, United States	Non-presenting author
Kaiwen Bi, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, China	Non-presenting author
Mark Shuquan Chen, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA, United States	Non-presenting author
George A Bonanno, Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Background: Adolescents who experience the loss of a family member or friend to suicide are at an increased risk for adverse psychological outcomes, including depression. However, there is limited research on the heterogeneity of depressive symptom trajectories among this population and the factors that may predict these trajectories. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms over an extended 24-year period among adolescents bereaved by suicide and to investigate baseline psychosocial variables that differentiate these trajectories. Method: The study utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which followed a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n=236) who reported losing a family member or friend to suicide. Latent Growth Mixture Modeling (LGMM) was employed to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms across five waves of data collection spanning 24 years. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine predictors of trajectory group membership. Results: LGMM identified three distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms: stable low symptoms (resilience, 77.5%), initially high but gradually declining symptoms (recovery, 16.9%), and initially low but gradually increasing symptoms (delayed depression, 5.5%). Race, neuroticism, sleep quality, and age were significant predictors that differentiated membership among the three trajectory groups. Conclusion: The findings highlight the heterogeneity in depressive symptom trajectories among adolescents bereaved by suicide and underscore the importance of considering individual and environmental factors in understanding the long-term developmental impact of suicide loss. The identification of the delayed depression trajectory emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring and support for bereaved adolescents. The study has implications for developing personalized and adaptive interventions that cater to the diverse needs of adolescents bereaved by suicide, promoting resilience, and mitigating the long-term mental health consequences of suicide loss.

Paper #3
Short-term association between peer victimisation and suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence
Author information	Role
Dr. Xinxin Zhu, University of Edinburgh, UK, United Kingdom	Presenting author
Xiaofei Li, Faculty of Education, University of Macau, China, China	Non-presenting author
Tong Xie, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Qian Gao, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, China	Non-presenting author
Jianhua Zhou, School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, China, China	Non-presenting author
Aja Murray, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK, United Kingdom	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Background: Evidence suggests that peer victimisation is related to suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, there is limited understanding of the association at the within-person level over brief periods, representing the most proximal effects of peer victimisation. Methods: Using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) we explored the within-person reciprocal associations between various forms of peer victimisation—specifically physical, verbal, social manipulation, social rebuff, attacks on property, and electronic victimisation—and both active and passive suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI in adolescents over a brief (2 week) interval. Participants included 1,769 adolescents (46.0% male, 53.9% female, aged 13 to 18), recruited from academic and vocational high schools in China, participating in 3 measurement points. Results: Results indicated reciprocal within-person associations between verbal victimisation and subsequent active suicidal ideation and vice versa. Additionally, paths were observed from property victimisation to active suicidal ideation, from active suicidal ideation to social manipulation victimisation, from NSSI to verbal and social rebuff victimisation, as well as from suicide attempts to social rebuff victimisation. After adjusting for depression, several of the observed associations remained significant, including paths from both verbal and property victimisation to active suicidal ideation, from active suicidal ideation to verbal victimisation, and from NSSI to verbal victimisation. Conclusions: These findings underscore the complex, short-term dynamics between different forms of victimisation and suicidality/NSSI, highlighting the importance of short-term monitoring and interventions that target both victimisation and suicidality and are sensitive to their short-term interrelations to improve effectiveness. The findings also suggest the need for future research with shorter timescales to capture the proximal effects of victimisation and better understand short-term predictors and fluctuations in suicidality and NSSI.

Paper #4
Examining expressive writing as a potential strategy to reduce depression in high school students
Author information	Role
Dr. Lingjun Chen, School of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, China	Presenting author
Rui Gong, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Canada	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Background: According to the Report on the Mental Health of Chinese Citizens (2019-2020), 17.2% of Chinese adolescents experience mild depression, while 7.4% suffer from severe depression (Fu & Zhang, 2021). This high prevalence poses significant challenges for school-based mental health services. Expressive writing (EW), a brief psychological intervention where individuals write about personal thoughts and emotions, has been shown through meta-analyses to positively impact adolescents' academic performance and emotional regulation, particularly for those with emotional difficulties (Travagin et al., 2015). However, existing EW research often overlooks adolescents' developmental needs, such as requiring more scaffolding for emotional regulation and greater spacing between sessions to optimize effectiveness. This study introduces refined EW paradigms to pilot test the potential impact of EW on the psychological adjustment of Grade 10 students. Method: The study involved 89 participants from six Grade 10 classes at a high school in Shanghai. All students completed a baseline questionnaire before the intervention (T0). Over three weeks, participants engaged in three expressive writing sessions of two types: one group focused on sensory, mindful writing with new perspectives on their lives, while the second group combined cognitive reappraisal of stressful events with writing about future goals. Age-appropriate prompts were provided to support emotional processing. Each session lasted 20 minutes and was held weekly to ensure adequate spacing between sessions. Follow-up questionnaires were administered 1.5 months after the final session (T1) and again 3 months later (T2). Subjective feelings about the writing were collected at T1, and depression was assessed using the short-form Child Depression Inventory at all three time points. Data were organized using a time-nesting-within-person design and further analyzed using a multilevel regression model. Results: At T1, 70.84% of participants reported that the writing intervention improved their mood and was meaningful. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms significantly decreased at T1, indicating that the EW intervention may reduce depression. No significant differences were found between the two types of EW groups, showing engaging in both writing was associated with reduced depression at T1. For detailed results, please refer to Table 1. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that both forms of expressive writing may effectively enhance the psychological adjustment of first-year high school students, resulting in significant reductions in depressive symptoms. Future research should involve larger sample sizes and utilize comparison group designs to strengthen the findings. Moreover, these results underscore the potential of incorporating expressive writing into school-based mental health services as a preventative measure against adolescent depression.

⇦ Back to session