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Variant connective tissue (joint hypermobility) and its relevance to depression and anxiety in adolescents: a cohort-based case-control study

Eccles, JA; Quadt, L; McCarthy, H; Davies, KA; Bond, R; David, AS; Harrison, NA; (2022) Variant connective tissue (joint hypermobility) and its relevance to depression and anxiety in adolescents: a cohort-based case-control study. BMJ Open , 12 (12) , Article e066130. 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066130. Green open access

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test whether variant connective tissue structure, as indicated by the presence of joint hypermobility, poses a developmental risk for mood disorders in adolescence. DESIGN: Cohort-based case-control study. SETTING: Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were interrogated. PARTICIPANTS: 6105 children of the ALSPAC cohort at age 14 years old, of whom 3803 also were assessed when aged 18 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In a risk analysis, we examined the relationship between generalised joint hypermobility (GJH) at age 14 years with psychiatric symptoms at age 18 years. In an association analysis, we examined the relationship between presence of symptomatic joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) and International Classification of Diseases-10 indication of depression and anxiety (Clinical Interview Schedule Revised (CIS-R), Anxiety Sensitivity Index) at age 18 years. RESULTS: GJH was more common in females (n=856, 28%) compared with males (n=319, 11%; OR: 3.20 (95% CI: 2.78 to 3.68); p<0.001). In males, GJH at age 14 years was associated with depression at 18 years (OR: 2.10 (95% CI: 1.17 to 3.76); p=0.013). An index of basal physiological arousal, elevated resting heart rate, mediated this effect. Across genders, the diagnosis of JHS at age 18 years was associated with the presence of depressive disorder (adjusted OR: 3.53 (95% CI: 1.67 to 7.40); p=0.001), anxiety disorder (adjusted OR: 3.14 (95% CI: 1.52 to 6.46); p=0.002), level of anxiety (B=8.08, t(3278)=3.95; p<0.001) and degree of psychiatric symptomatology (B=5.89, t(3442)=5.50; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Variant collagen, indexed by joint hypermobility, is linked to the emergence of depression and anxiety in adolescence, an effect mediated by autonomic factors in males. Recognition of this association may motivate further evaluation, screening and interventions to mitigate development of psychiatric disorders and improve health outcomes.

Type: Article
Title: Variant connective tissue (joint hypermobility) and its relevance to depression and anxiety in adolescents: a cohort-based case-control study
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066130
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066130
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Anxiety disorders, child & adolescent psychiatry, depression & mood disorders, mental health, paediatric rheumatology, pain management, Child, Humans, Adolescent, Female, Male, Case-Control Studies, Joint Instability, Longitudinal Studies, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Anxiety, Connective Tissue
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry > Institute of Mental Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10161639
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