1.Decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder and its relationship with depressive and anxiety symptoms
Yuxiang WANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Maomao ZHANG ; Juan DENG ; Yanjie PENG ; Xiaotong CHENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(1):22-27
BackgroundPatients with depressive disorder often exhibit impaired decision-making functions. However, the relationship between decision-making abilities and depressive and anxiety symptoms in these patients remains unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder, and to analyze its relationship with clinical symptoms. MethodsA total of 48 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) were recruited from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from October 2020 to May 2023. Concurrently, 52 healthy individuals matched for age and gender were recruited from Luzhou as the control group. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used for assessment, and decision-making behavior was evaluated using Probabilistic Reversal Learning (PRL) task. Indicators assessed included the number of trials to criterion, perseverative errors, win-stay rate and lose-shift rate. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between BDI and BAI scores and PRL task indicators. ResultsThe depression group showed a significantly higher lose-shift rate compared with the control group (t=3.684, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in trials to criterion, perseverative errors and win-stay rate (t=0.329, 0.132, 0.609, P>0.05). In depression group, BDI and BAI scores were positively correlated with the win-stay rate(r=0.450, 0.398, P<0.01). ConclusionPatients with depressive disorder are more likely to change their decision-making strategies following negative outcomes. Furthermore, the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms is associated with a greater propensity to maintain existing decisions after receiving positive feedback. [Funded by 2019 Joint Project of Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University (number, 2019LZXNYDJ39]
2.Relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among secondary vocational health school students: the chain mediating role of positive mental health and social media addiction
Houyi LI ; Chun XU ; Shasha HU ; Bo XIANG ; Kezhi LIU
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(2):159-165
BackgroundStudents in secondary vocational health school are at the age of puberty and prone to depressive symptoms. Peer victimization and social media addiction are found to be crucial in influencing the development of depression, and positive mental health has been proven to alleviate depressive symptoms, whereas there remains a striking lack of research on the mediating role of positive mental health and social media addiction in the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among secondary vocational health school students. ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms and investigate the mediating role of positive mental health and social media addiction, so as to provide references for the prevention of depression among secondary vocational health school students. MethodsFrom October to December 2020, a cluster sampling framework was utilized to recruit 7 307 students from a secondary vocational health school in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province. Assessments were performed using Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item (PHQ-9). Spearman correlation analysis was calculated to determine correlations between scores of scales, Process 4.0 was employed to test the mediation effect, and the bias-corrected Bootstrap procedure was used to test the significance of the mediation effect. ResultsA total of 7 044 (96.40%) valid questionnaires were collected. And 4 391(62.34%)students were found to have depressive symptoms. Correlation analysis revealed that PHQ-9 score was positively correlated with BSMAS score and MPVS score (r=0.404, 0.506, P<0.01). WEMWBS score was negatively correlated with PHQ-9 score, BSMAS score and MPVS score (r=-0.587, -0.259, -0.358, P<0.01). BSMAS score was positively correlated with MPVS score (r=0.328, P<0.01). Positive mental health played a mediating role in the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms, with an indirect effect value of 0.130 (95% CI: 0.119~0.141), accounting for 30.81% of the total effect. Social media addiction also mediated the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms, with an indirect effect value of 0.052 (95% CI: 0.045~0.059), accounting for 12.34% of the total effect. Positive mental health and social media addiction exhibited a chained mediation effect on the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms, with an indirect effect value of 0.012 (95% CI: 0.010~0.014) and accounting for 2.84% of the total effect. ConclusionPeer victimization can affect the presence of depressive symptoms among secondary vocational health school students both directly and indirectly through either separate or chained mediation of positive mental health and social media addiction.
3.Biomechanical effects of postural and cognitive loads on trunk of workers performing assembly tasks at hand functional height
Huishuan WU ; Yu JIN ; Yan LIU ; Siyi ZENG ; Cunwen QIAN ; Kezhi JIN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(4):392-399
Background The neck, shoulders, and lower back are the primary affected areas of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. In manual tasks, combinations of hand functional height (defined as working height below the waist), awkward postures, and cognitive load are common risk factors. However, there is limited literature documenting how these factors specifically alter biomechanical load on the neck, shoulders, and lower back when working at hand functional height. Objective To explore quantitative differences in biomechanical load on the neck, shoulders, and lower back of workers performing manual tasks at hand functional height under different postures and cognitive load combinations. Methods A 3x2 within-subject design was implemented, with three postures (squat, kneeling, and stoop) and two levels of cognitive load (with cognitive load induced by a 2back task and without cognitive load). Ten male university students were recruited to perform a predetermined assembly task (a sequence of loosening and tightening screws) at hand functional height. Surface electromyography (sEMG) and 3D motion capture system were employed to assess the participants’ trunk biomechanical load in executing the tasks. Additionally, subjective perception, including fatigue, muscle pain, and cognitive load, were evaluated using scales. Results Significant variations in biomechanical load were observed across the three postures (P<0.05). The stoop posture exhibited the lowest muscle activation in most target muscles, except for the sternocleidomastoid, and showed the fastest decline in instantaneous median frequency (IMF) of the erector spinae, with a rate of (-0.050±0.008) Hz per unit time (0.128 s), and the greatest trunk flexion angle (35.14°±4.40°). Performing the task by squatting resulted in the highest muscle activation, especially in the upper trapezius, where maximum voluntary contraction percentage reached 20.07%±1.26%. In addition, the squatting posture also resulted in larger joint angles in the sagittal plane for the neck (−7.03°±2.70°), shoulders (60.20°±7.89°), and lower back (34.42°±4.20°). The kneeling posture showed intermediate muscle activation, the slowest IMF decline for the erector spinae in the lower back (−0.005±0.008) Hz per unit time (0.128s), and the joint angles were closest to neutral. The task performance results were also superior in the kneeling posture. Regarding cognitive load, no significant differences were found for most biomechanical indicators, except for subjective cognitive load scores, neck flexion, and shoulder external rotation angles. Conclusion In assembly tasks performed at hand functional height, kneeling results in moderate biomechanical load on the neck, shoulders, and lower back while also improves task performance compared to squatting and forward bending. Additionally, no significant effects of cognitive load under the 2back condition on biomechanical load are observed.
4.Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Revealed an Unidirectional Causal Relationship Between Left Caudal Middle Frontal Surface Area and Cigarette Consumption
Hongcheng XIE ; Anlin WANG ; Minglan YU ; Tingting WANG ; Xuemei LIANG ; Rongfang HE ; Chaohua HUANG ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN ; Youguo TAN ; Kezhi LIU ; Bo XIANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2025;22(3):279-286
Objective:
Previous studies have discovered a correlation between cigarette smoking and cortical thickness and surface area, but the causal relationship remains unclear. The objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the causal association between them.
Methods:
To derive summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on cortical thickness, surface area, and four smoking behaviors: 1) age of initiation of regular smoking (AgeSmk); 2) smoking initiation (SmkInit); 3) smoking cessation (SmkCes); 4) cigarettes per day (CigDay). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was employed to examine genetic association analysis. Furthermore, for traits with significant genetic associations, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted.
Results:
The LDSC analysis revealed nominal genetic correlations between AgeSmk and right precentral surface area, left caudal anterior cingulate surface area, left cuneus surface area, left inferior parietal surface area, and right caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as between CigDay and left caudal middle frontal surface area, between SmkCes and left entorhinal thickness, and between SmkInit and left rostral anterior cingulate surface area, right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, and right superior frontal thickness (rg=-0.36–0.29, p<0.05). MR analysis showed a unidirectional causal association between left caudal middle frontal surface area and CigDay (βIVW=0.056, pBonferroni=2×10-4).
Conclusion
Left caudal middle frontal surface area has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of smoking behavior.
5.Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Revealed an Unidirectional Causal Relationship Between Left Caudal Middle Frontal Surface Area and Cigarette Consumption
Hongcheng XIE ; Anlin WANG ; Minglan YU ; Tingting WANG ; Xuemei LIANG ; Rongfang HE ; Chaohua HUANG ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN ; Youguo TAN ; Kezhi LIU ; Bo XIANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2025;22(3):279-286
Objective:
Previous studies have discovered a correlation between cigarette smoking and cortical thickness and surface area, but the causal relationship remains unclear. The objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the causal association between them.
Methods:
To derive summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on cortical thickness, surface area, and four smoking behaviors: 1) age of initiation of regular smoking (AgeSmk); 2) smoking initiation (SmkInit); 3) smoking cessation (SmkCes); 4) cigarettes per day (CigDay). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was employed to examine genetic association analysis. Furthermore, for traits with significant genetic associations, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted.
Results:
The LDSC analysis revealed nominal genetic correlations between AgeSmk and right precentral surface area, left caudal anterior cingulate surface area, left cuneus surface area, left inferior parietal surface area, and right caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as between CigDay and left caudal middle frontal surface area, between SmkCes and left entorhinal thickness, and between SmkInit and left rostral anterior cingulate surface area, right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, and right superior frontal thickness (rg=-0.36–0.29, p<0.05). MR analysis showed a unidirectional causal association between left caudal middle frontal surface area and CigDay (βIVW=0.056, pBonferroni=2×10-4).
Conclusion
Left caudal middle frontal surface area has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of smoking behavior.
6.Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Revealed an Unidirectional Causal Relationship Between Left Caudal Middle Frontal Surface Area and Cigarette Consumption
Hongcheng XIE ; Anlin WANG ; Minglan YU ; Tingting WANG ; Xuemei LIANG ; Rongfang HE ; Chaohua HUANG ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN ; Youguo TAN ; Kezhi LIU ; Bo XIANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2025;22(3):279-286
Objective:
Previous studies have discovered a correlation between cigarette smoking and cortical thickness and surface area, but the causal relationship remains unclear. The objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the causal association between them.
Methods:
To derive summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on cortical thickness, surface area, and four smoking behaviors: 1) age of initiation of regular smoking (AgeSmk); 2) smoking initiation (SmkInit); 3) smoking cessation (SmkCes); 4) cigarettes per day (CigDay). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was employed to examine genetic association analysis. Furthermore, for traits with significant genetic associations, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted.
Results:
The LDSC analysis revealed nominal genetic correlations between AgeSmk and right precentral surface area, left caudal anterior cingulate surface area, left cuneus surface area, left inferior parietal surface area, and right caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as between CigDay and left caudal middle frontal surface area, between SmkCes and left entorhinal thickness, and between SmkInit and left rostral anterior cingulate surface area, right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, and right superior frontal thickness (rg=-0.36–0.29, p<0.05). MR analysis showed a unidirectional causal association between left caudal middle frontal surface area and CigDay (βIVW=0.056, pBonferroni=2×10-4).
Conclusion
Left caudal middle frontal surface area has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of smoking behavior.
7.Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Revealed an Unidirectional Causal Relationship Between Left Caudal Middle Frontal Surface Area and Cigarette Consumption
Hongcheng XIE ; Anlin WANG ; Minglan YU ; Tingting WANG ; Xuemei LIANG ; Rongfang HE ; Chaohua HUANG ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN ; Youguo TAN ; Kezhi LIU ; Bo XIANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2025;22(3):279-286
Objective:
Previous studies have discovered a correlation between cigarette smoking and cortical thickness and surface area, but the causal relationship remains unclear. The objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the causal association between them.
Methods:
To derive summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on cortical thickness, surface area, and four smoking behaviors: 1) age of initiation of regular smoking (AgeSmk); 2) smoking initiation (SmkInit); 3) smoking cessation (SmkCes); 4) cigarettes per day (CigDay). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was employed to examine genetic association analysis. Furthermore, for traits with significant genetic associations, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted.
Results:
The LDSC analysis revealed nominal genetic correlations between AgeSmk and right precentral surface area, left caudal anterior cingulate surface area, left cuneus surface area, left inferior parietal surface area, and right caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as between CigDay and left caudal middle frontal surface area, between SmkCes and left entorhinal thickness, and between SmkInit and left rostral anterior cingulate surface area, right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, and right superior frontal thickness (rg=-0.36–0.29, p<0.05). MR analysis showed a unidirectional causal association between left caudal middle frontal surface area and CigDay (βIVW=0.056, pBonferroni=2×10-4).
Conclusion
Left caudal middle frontal surface area has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of smoking behavior.
8.Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Revealed an Unidirectional Causal Relationship Between Left Caudal Middle Frontal Surface Area and Cigarette Consumption
Hongcheng XIE ; Anlin WANG ; Minglan YU ; Tingting WANG ; Xuemei LIANG ; Rongfang HE ; Chaohua HUANG ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN ; Youguo TAN ; Kezhi LIU ; Bo XIANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2025;22(3):279-286
Objective:
Previous studies have discovered a correlation between cigarette smoking and cortical thickness and surface area, but the causal relationship remains unclear. The objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the causal association between them.
Methods:
To derive summary statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on cortical thickness, surface area, and four smoking behaviors: 1) age of initiation of regular smoking (AgeSmk); 2) smoking initiation (SmkInit); 3) smoking cessation (SmkCes); 4) cigarettes per day (CigDay). Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was employed to examine genetic association analysis. Furthermore, for traits with significant genetic associations, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted.
Results:
The LDSC analysis revealed nominal genetic correlations between AgeSmk and right precentral surface area, left caudal anterior cingulate surface area, left cuneus surface area, left inferior parietal surface area, and right caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as between CigDay and left caudal middle frontal surface area, between SmkCes and left entorhinal thickness, and between SmkInit and left rostral anterior cingulate surface area, right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, and right superior frontal thickness (rg=-0.36–0.29, p<0.05). MR analysis showed a unidirectional causal association between left caudal middle frontal surface area and CigDay (βIVW=0.056, pBonferroni=2×10-4).
Conclusion
Left caudal middle frontal surface area has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of smoking behavior.
9.Impact of childhood trauma on internet addiction in medical students: the mediating role of perceived stress
Xiaohong PENG ; Xiaoyuan LIAO ; Dantong WU ; Yanyin ZHOU ; Yelu LIU ; Yuxiang WANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Juan DENG ; Yanjie PENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Jing CHEN ; Wei LEI
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(3):267-272
BackgroundWith the rapid development of the networking technologies, internet addiction has increasingly become a serious mental health issue. Previous studies have revealed the link between childhood trauma and internet addiction, while the mediating role of perceived stress in this link is not yet clear. ObjectiveTo investigate the role of medical students' perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction, so as to provide references for the intervention of internet addiction. MethodsFrom February to March 2023, a random sampling technique was used to select 1 232 undergraduate students from the School of Clinical Medical Sciences of Southwest Medical University as research subjects. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) were used for assessment. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. The mediation effect of perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction was tested using Model 4 in the SPSS Process 4.1, and Bootstrapping procedure involving 5 000 replicates was employed to confirm the statistical significance. ResultsA total of 1 016 (82.47%) valid completed questionnaires were gathered. The CTQ-SF scores of medical students were positively correlated with PSS scores, IGD scores, and BSMAS scores (r=0.583, 0.474, 0.465, P<0.01). PSS scores were positively correlated with IGD scores and BSMAS scores (r=0.369, 0.479, P<0.01). Childhood trauma in medical students was found to positively predict perceived stress (β=0.191, P<0.01), social media addiction (β=0.160, P<0.01), and internet gaming disorder (β=0.106, P<0.01). Perceived stress played a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet gaming disorder, indirect effect value was 0.018 (95% CI: 0.009~0.027), accounting for 16.98%. Perceived stress also exhibited a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and social media addiction, indirect effect value was 0.063 (95% CI: 0.048~0.079), accounting for 39.38%. ConclusionChildhood trauma in medical students may affect internet gaming disorder and social media addiction through perceived stress. [Funded by 2022 Annual Research Project of Sichuan Applied Psychology Research Center,(number,CSXL-22102)]
10.Research hotspots and trends in railway workers' health at home and abroad: A bibliometric analysis
Yan LIU ; Yu JIN ; Xueling CAO ; Lin JIANG ; Kezhi JIN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(2):184-192
Background The development of railways has a long history, but there is limited research on the health of railway workers at home and abroad. China's high-speed railway development has attracted worldwide attention in recent years, and it is of great significance to study how to promote the health of this occupational population to ensure the safety of railway transportation. Objective To identify development trends and hotspots in the field of railway workers' health at home and abroad. Methods The research literature related to the health of railroad workers dated from January 1, 1973 to December 31, 2022 was searched using the China Knowledge Network Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) databases. After screening and cleaning, the included literature was subjected to bibliometric analysis by applying CiteSpace 6.1R6 software to visualize and analyze literature co-citation, keyword emergence, and keyword timeline graphs, and by VOSviewer 1.6.19 to visualize and analyze country/region collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, and keyword clustering. Results During the period from 1973 until 2022, a total of 273 Chinese literature and 165 English literature were found to report studies related to the health of railway workers. The Chinese literature began to grow rapidly in 2009 and peaked in 2015, and the number of English literature published in a relatively flat state over the studied period. The country with the most papers indexed by Science Citation Index (SCI) was the United States (58 papers), which also presented the richest international collaborations. The document with the highest domestic citation frequency was published in the Chinese Journal of Mental Health in 1994, and the document with the highest SCI citation frequency was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1994. The keyword co-occurrence analysis showed that the included Chinese literature mainly focused on health checkups, health management, hypertension, mental health, and chronic diseases and their prevalence; the included English literature focused on mortality, lung cancer, epidemiology, and diesel engine exhaust and its exposure. The analysis of emergent words showed that health management, frontline workers, and occupational stress were the topics of interest in Chinese literature in the last five years, while occupational stress, diesel exhaust emissions, and noise exposure were the topics of interest in English literature in the last ten years. The results of the timeline graph analysis suggested that the recent research directions in Chinese literature were health intervention, humanistic care, staff canteens, etc. There were few English-language articles related to this area after 2010. Conclusion The research hotspots of railroad practitioners' health will keep changing with the development of high-speed railways in countries around the world. The outstanding rise of Chinese literature issued in the last decade has been in striking contrast to the slow progress and decreasing of English literature. The Chinese literature has gradually expanded the hotspots from chronic diseases to health management, occupational stress, and sleep disorders.

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