Bobak et al. investigated the frequency of long COVID diagnoses among patients with pre-existing psychiatric conditions versus those without. Among patients (n = 1,180,948) previously diagnosed with COVID-19, 17,990 (1.52%) were diagnosed with long COVID. Patients with any pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis had a 1.52 times greater prevalence of diagnosed long COVID within 180 days of infection than patients without pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses. Anxiety, mood, bipolar, major depressive, psychotic, and substance abuse diagnoses were associated with increased risk of diagnosis with long COVID after COVID-19 infection.

Pages 132–136; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001280

Suglia et al. examined whether stressors experienced across multiple domains and life course were associated with biological aging markers among adults (n = 359). Cumulative stressors were associated with accelerated epigenetic age, with differences by sex. No associations were noted with telomere length. In sex-stratified analyses, more childhood stress was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging among women but not men.

Pages 137–145; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001284

Childhood maltreatment is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of biological aging. Connor et al. examined whether cardiac vagal (parasympathetic) control, operationalized as heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and in response to stress, moderates or cross-sectionally mediates this relationship among older individuals with chronic disease (n = 1179). Although no evidence of mediation was found, childhood maltreatment predicted LTL attrition only in those with average or low baseline HRV or with blunted HRV responses to stress.

Pages 146–156; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001290

Structural forms of stigma shape the health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, but the biological mechanisms that account for this remain largely unknown. Juster et al. investigated the question using the United States 2001–2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (n = 21,174). Using ten state-level policies to index structural stigma, and controlling for established risk factors, sexual minority men living in states with low structural stigma had lower allostatic loads than those living in states with high structural stigma.

Pages 157–168; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001289

Higher allostatic load is associated with worse health outcomes, and levels increase with age. Studies often assume that allostatic load displays properties of measurement invariance across age groups. Holochwost et al. tested measurement invariance using data collected from a sample of children, adolescents, and young adults (n = 4260). Measurement invariance of an allostatic load index could not be established, suggesting that researchers should exercise caution before drawing conclusions about allostatic load and health across age groups.

Pages 169–180; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001292

Merritt et al. investigated associations among discrimination, inflammation, perceived control, and cardiovascular health in a sample of middle-aged Black Americans (n = 347). The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein mediated a link between discrimination and cardiovascular conditions, suggesting that discrimination may affect cardiovascular health through inflammation. Perceived control moderated this relationship, suggesting it could be protective. The findings highlight the importance of leveraging psychosocial factors, like beliefs about control, to mitigate ill effects of discrimination on cardiovascular health in Black Americans.

Pages 181–191; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001300

The effects of trauma exposure on depression risk and severity are well-established, but psychosocial and biological factors that affect or explain the relationships remain poorly understood. Magin et al. examined the effects of perceived control and inflammation in the relationship between trauma and depression. Moderation analyses and longitudinal mediation analyses on data from participants (n = 945) revealed that perceived control may be better characterized as an explanatory factor rather than a buffer in trauma-associated depression. Perceived constraints in particular may be a useful treatment target for trauma-associated depression.

Pages 192–201; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001282

Coexistence of major depressive disorder (MDD) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in clinical practice. Zhang et al. explored potential gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid MetS in first-episode and drug-naïve MDD patients (n = 1718). They found that suicide attempts were associated with MetS for both male and female MDD patients, while older age of MDD onset was correlated with MetS only in female MDD patients.

Pages 202–209; https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001293