Recent theoretical models have posited that increases in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) during adolescence may be linked to failures in biological stress regulation in contexts of social stress. However, there is a lack of data examining this hypothesis during the transition to adolescence, a sensitive period of development characterized by changes across socioaffective and psychophysiological domains. Building on principles from developmental psychopathology and the RDoC framework, the present study used a longitudinal design in a sample of 147 adolescents to test whether interactions among experiences of social (i.e., parent and peer) conflict and cardiac arousal (i.e., resting heart rate) predicted adolescents’ engagement in SITBs (i.e., nonsuicidal self-injury, NSSI; and suicidal ideation; SI) across 1-year follow-up. Prospective analyses revealed that adolescents experiencing a combination of greater peer, but not family, conflict and higher cardiac arousal at baseline showed significant longitudinal increases in NSSI. In contrast, social conflict did not interact with cardiac arousal to predict future SI. Findings indicate that greater peer-related interpersonal stress in adolescents may increase risk for future NSSI among youth with physiological vulnerabilities (i.e., higher resting heart rate) that may be markers of maladaptive stress responses. Future research should examine these processes at finer timescales to elucidate whether these factors are proximal predictors of within-day SITBs.

Male laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus; Wistar, Alderley Park) were housed as singletons or groups of three in units of two joined, but divided cages. Units were divided by different types of barrier that allowed different degrees of social contact across the barrier. Singletons were established either with another singleton as a neighbour on the other side of the barrier, or with a group of three as neighbours. Relative to group-housed animals, singly-housed rats showed reduced activity and a greater incidence of self-directed behaviours and behaviours apparently related to escape or seeking social information. Pathophysiological evidence was consistent with Baenninger's (1967) suggestion that tail manipulation in singletons is a surrogate social response, but was also consistent with an overall increase in self-directed activity, reflecting elasticity in time budgeting. Variation in the degree of increase in self-directed activity among singletons and the negative correlation between self-directed activity and organ pathology may have reflected differences in the ability of individuals to avoid an activity limbo. While reduced corticosterone concentration and organ pathology compared with grouped rats implied that separation may remove social stress, responses to contact with neighbours, and correlations between behaviours and organ pathology suggested that rats may actively seek social interaction. Broad differences in stress responses between single and grouped housing conditions may therefore be an inadequate yardstick to the animals’ welfare. However, exposure to neighbours reduced the aggressiveness of singly-housed males when they were eventually introduced into an unfamiliar group, suggesting that a degree of exposure to neighbours (separation, but not isolation) may have some welfare benefits for laboratory-housed rats, depending on procedures.

Although genetic selection for certain characteristics has compromised the well-being of domestic animals, selective breeding could and probably should be used to improve welfare. Three of the major behavioural problems facing the poultry industry are fear, feather pecking and social stress. However, these and many other behavioural traits respond readily to genetic selection. The present paper reports the results of selective breeding studies in which underlying fearfulness, sociality, feather pecking, adrenocortical responsiveness, and growth rate were manipulated in Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, or in chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus. The apparent benefits of selection for appropriate levels of these characteristics are discussed, as are the ethical issues involved. The ultimate aims of the selection programmes and the studies described here are to improve the birds ‘ welfare and productivity by increasing their ability to interact successfully with their physical environment, with one another, and with human beings.

The current unsustainable growth of the world economy is largely a consequence of the crisis of social capital experienced by much of the world’s population. Declining social capital leads economies towards excessive growth, because people seek, in economic affluence, compensation for emotional distress and loss of resources caused by scarce social and affective relationships. To slow down economic growth requires an increase in social capital that is a fundamental contributor to happiness. From a wide range of possible approaches to increasing present happiness, this article suggests policies that would shift the economy to a more sustainable path. It focuses on a more politically sustainable set of proposals for a green ‘new deal’ than some of those currently under discussion.

This paper analyzes suicides committed in Podgorica during the 2000-2005 period divided according to gender, age and the way these have been performed. In 2000 we have 25 suicides on 100.000 habitants, and in next five years there is a growth in trend thus in 1999, there are 17.3 suicides on 100.000. Comparing to 1989 when suicide rate was 7.89, and 2003 rate which was 35.74, we can notice that significant social stresses, lead to a rise in rate of suicides so average rate for period of 2000-2005 is 28,29 which puts Podgorica into area with high suicide rate. The male/female ratio was 2.8:1. The largest number of people who killed themselves are between 35 and 44 years old. The way that people use to perform suicide is mostly by firearm (40.78%) and hanging themselves (38.03%) which is near to average numbers in the world. This research shows that there is significant rise in suicide rate. As a conclusion, on the basis of cited literature, the authors lined up all moments which can explain why have happen significance rise in suicide rate.

Our current understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying depressive disorders is not only based on behavioral, neuroendocrine and pharmacological studies in depressed humans, but also on experimental studies in a wide variety of animal models of depression. Ideally, the two approaches should operate in close interaction, each providing additional information to the other approach. However, in practice the animal model approach seems to be rather independent from the human studies. In a critical evaluation of the available animal models of depression, Willner concluded that none of the models fulfilled the criteria of a sufficient face, construct and predictive validity. Although this evaluation was made ten years ago, we feel that the situation has improved very little since that time. Most animal models fail to sufficiently mimic both the etiology and the symptomatology of human depressive disorders. With respect to the etiology, stress and major life events are generally considered to be an important factor in the development of depression. Most of the animal models however use stressors which bear little or no relationship to the biology of the species, i.e. to the situations an animal may meet in its everyday life in a natural habitat. Moreover, these models do not pay attention to the temporal dynamics of the disease. In humans, the disease is characterized by its gradual onset, which is often preceded by symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, a relatively large number of patients suffers from recurrent episodes of depression, which tend to occur with decreasing intervals and increasing duration and severity. If we want to improve our knowledge of the causal mechanisms of depression, animal models which allow an experimental analysis of the temporal dynamics of the disease are essential.

Pregnant sows are exposed to various stressors in intensive pig husbandry that may have negative consequences on their health, reproductive performances and welfare. Social stress is one of these challenges, because gestating sows have to be housed in groups according to EU guidelines (2001/88/CE). The purpose of this study was to determine the consequences of repeated social stress in pregnant female pigs on their behavioural, endocrine and immunological responses and on pregnancy outcome. Pregnant gilts were submitted to a repeated social stress procedure induced by housing unfamiliar gilts in pairs changed twice a week between days 77 and 105 of gestation (S group, n = 18). Control gilts were housed in stable pairs during the same period (C group, n = 18). Agonistic behaviour was observed during the first 3 h after each grouping. Skin lesions were numbered 2 h after each grouping. Salivary cortisol was measured before and repeatedly during the 4 weeks of grouping. Gilts were immunized against keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) on days 81 and 95 of gestation. Immunoglobulins G against KLH, proliferative responses to concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide, pokeweed mitogen and KLH and peripheral blood leukocyte numbers were evaluated 1 week before the first grouping and 3 days after the last one. Agonistic interactions and skin lesions were observed in S gilts at each grouping, although there was a decline between the first and the last grouping (P < 0.05). The repeated social stress induced a sustained endocrine response as shown by elevated salivary cortisol levels from 1 to 48 h after grouping in S gilts compared to C gilts. The cellular as well as the humoral immunity and the leukocyte numbers were not influenced by social stress. Gestation length tended to be shorter in S gilts (P = 0.09), but litter size, piglet weight or mortality at birth were not affected. Variability of the response of S gilts to groupings was partly explained by their average success value determined according to the outcome (defeat or win) of all the groupings. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the application of repeated social stress to pregnant gilts during the last third of their gestation repeatedly activates their hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis but does not impair their immune function and pregnancy outcome.