Perceived stress, coping, and adjustment in adolescents

Good parent-child relationship protects against alcohol use in maltreated adolescent females carrying the MAOA-uVNTR susceptibility allele

Introduction

Risk-allele carriers of a Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, short-allele (MAOA-S) in males and long-allele (MAOA-L) in females, in the presence of a negative environment, are associated with alcohol misuse. Whether MAOA-S/L alleles also present susceptibility to a positive environment to mitigate the risk of alcohol misuse is unknown. Thus, we assessed the association of the three-way interaction of MAOA, maltreatment, and positive parent-child relationship with alcohol consumption among adolescents.

Methods

This prospective study included 1416 adolescents (females: 59.88%) aged 16 - 19 years from Sweden, enrolled in the "Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland" in 2012. Adolescents self-reported alcohol consumption, maltreatment by a family (FM) or non-family member (NFM), parent-child relationship, and left saliva for MAOA genotyping.

Results and discussion

We observed sex-dependent results. Females carrying MAOA-L with FM or NFM and a good parent-child relationship reported lower alcohol consumption than those with an average or poor parent-child relationship. In males, the interactions were not significant. Results suggest MAOA-L in females, conventionally regarded as a "risk", is a "plasticity" allele as it is differentially susceptible to negative and positive environments. Results highlight the importance of a good parent-child relationship in mitigating the risk of alcohol misuse in maltreated individuals carrying genetic risk. However, the interactions were not significant after adjusting to several environmental and behavioural covariates, especially parent's alcohol use, negative parent-child relationship, and nicotine use (smoking and/or snus), suggesting predictor and outcome intersection. Future studies and frameworks for preventive strategies should consider these covariates together with alcohol consumption. More studies with larger sample sizes are needed to replicate the findings.

Threat- and reward-related brain circuitry, perceived stress, and anxiety in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal investigation

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to heightened anxiety in adolescents. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) are implicated in response to stress and may contribute to anxiety. The role of threat- and reward-related circuitry in adolescent anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is not clear. Ninety-nine adolescents underwent resting-state fMRI ∼1 year before the pandemic. Following shelter-in-place orders, adolescents reported their perceived stress and, 1 month later, their anxiety. Generalized multivariate analyses identified BLA and NAcc seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity maps with perceived stress. In the resulting significant clusters, we examined the association between seed-based connectivityand subsequent anxiety. Perceived stress was associated with bilateral BLA and NAcc connectivity across distributed clusters that included prefrontal, limbic, temporal, and cerebellar regions. Several NAcc connectivity clusters located in ventromedial prefrontal, parahippocampal, and temporal cortices were positively associated with anxiety; NAcc connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus was negatively associated. BLA connectivity was not associated with anxiety. These results underscore the integrative role of the NAcc in responding to acute stressors and its relation to anxiety in adolescents. Elucidating the involvement of subcortical-cortical circuitry in adolescents' capacity to respond adaptively to environmental challenges can inform treatment for anxiety-related disorders.

Gender dysphoria in adolescence: examining the rapid-onset hypothesis

The sharp rise in the number of predominantly natal female adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria and seeking treatment in specialized clinics has sparked a contentious and polarized debate among both the scientific community and the public sphere. Few explanations have been offered for these recent developments. One proposal that has generated considerable attention is the notion of "rapid-onset" gender dysphoria, which is assumed to apply to a subset of adolescents and young adults. First introduced by Lisa Littman in a 2018 study of parental reports, it describes a subset of youth, primarily natal females, with no childhood indicators of gender dysphoria but with a sudden emergence of gender dysphoria symptoms during puberty or after its completion. For them, identifying as transgender is assumed to serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for underlying mental health issues and is linked to social influences from peer groups and through social media. The purpose of this article is to analyze this theory and its associated hypotheses against the existing evidence base and to discuss its potential implications for future research and the advancement of treatment paradigms.

Stress, Mental Health, and Risk-Taking: Associations among a Sample of Agricultural Adolescents

Farm stress and mental health research has largely focused on adult producers, even though youths live and work on farms. The purpose of this study is to describe the stress and mental health experience of agricultural youths and describe participation in risk-taking behaviors. Farm families in the U.S. were invited to participate in an online survey that inquired about farm economics, stress (ASQ-S), mental health (PHQ-A and SCARED), parenting, social support, and risk-taking behaviors during the summers in 2021 and 2022. This analysis is limited to adolescent respondents (N = 298). Just over 70% of the farm adolescent sample met the criteria for at least mild symptoms of depression (PHQ-A score ≥ 5). Among anxiety disorders, 62.8% of the farm adolescent sample met the criteria for probable panic disorder, and 70.5% met the criteria for probable separation anxiety disorder. Adolescents reported the most stress around future uncertainty and school performance. The stress scores were significantly associated with more symptoms of depression. Over a quarter (27.7%) of the participants reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day in the past month, and 22.5% reported carrying a weapon on school property at least 1 day in the past month. Violence-related risk-taking behaviors were also associated with increased symptoms of depression. The results underscore the need for community- and school-based stress and mental health interventions in rural and agricultural communities.

Effects of three prophylactic interventions on French middle-schoolers' mental health: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Adolescence is a strategic developmental stage in terms of preventing later difficulties and ensuring good mental health. Prophylactic interventions, which are conducted before the onset, prolongation, or worsening of difficulties, and aim to prevent or reduce symptoms or to promote wellbeing, therefore appear particularly appropriate for adolescents. However, existing prophylactic interventions conducted with adolescents have several weaknesses, including sparse theoretical frameworks, ambivalent evidence of their efficacy, and implementation and dissemination difficulties. In addition, no data are currently available on the effectiveness of such interventions in France. To fill this gap, a four-arm randomized controlled trial will be performed to assess the effectiveness of three prophylactic interventions targeting reactive, proactive and interpersonal adaptation in fourth-grade middle-school students, together with participants' experience and perception of the interventions. Based on existing knowledge about adolescents, their learning mechanisms, and field constraints, these three interventions have been designed to promote their learning and receptiveness to interventions. Compared with baseline (i.e., before the intervention), we expect to observe a significant decrease in the level of distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and psychosocial difficulties) and a significant increase in the level of wellbeing after the intervention, across the three intervention groups, but not in the control group. In addition, we expect to observe post-intervention improvements in the processes targeted by the reactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as coping strategy use and flexibility), those targeted by the proactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as the tendency to engage in committed actions and general self-efficacy), and those targeted by the interpersonal adaptation intervention (operationalized as assertiveness in interactions), but only in the corresponding groups, with no change in any of these processes in the control group. The results of this research will not only enrich our knowledge of the processes involved in adolescents' distress and wellbeing, but also provide clues as to the best targets for intervention. Moreover, the material for these interventions will be freely available in French on request to the corresponding author, providing access to innovative and fully assessed interventions aimed at promoting adolescents' mental health in France.This clinical trial is currently being registered under no. 2023-A01973-42 on https://ansm.sante.fr/ . This is the first version of the protocol.

A cross-sectional study of variations in schoolwork stress in academic upper secondary school classes in Mid-Norway

AIMS

This paper investigates stress related to schoolwork among students in academic upper secondary schools. The research questions asked are: 1. To what degree does students' schoolwork stress vary between academic classes?; And 2. are perceptions of classroom goal orientation, academic achievement, sex and parental education related to schoolwork stress?

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was done in the final year of upper secondary school in 71 school classes from 13 schools. A total of 1955 students in academic education programs were invited to participate in the survey, and 1511 completed the survey; the response rate was 77%. The outcome measure was a composite measure of schoolwork stress (alpha = 0.81). Multilevel modeling was used to estimate school class-level effects.

RESULTS

The mean value of schoolwork stress was 4.0, on a scale of 1 (very little schoolwork stress) to 6 (very high schoolwork stress). About half of the students reported a score of 4 or higher. The analysis showed that individual characteristics explained most of the variation in schoolwork stress. Girls experienced a much higher level of schoolwork stress than boys (mean values of 4.3 and 3.6, respectively). There was also a significant class-level effect, estimated to 6% of the variance. Students' perceptions of classroom goal orientation was also associated with schoolwork stress.

CONCLUSIONS

The main contribution was the discovery of significant variations in schoolwork stress between school classes. We also found that higher mastery climate was linked to lower schoolwork stress, whereas higher performance climate was linked to higher schoolwork stress.

A Six-Year Longitudinal Study of Parenting and Depressive Symptoms among Taiwanese Adolescents

This study investigated the associations between early parental warmth, harsh discipline, and adolescent depressive symptoms from early to late adolescence, with attention to gender differences in these associations. The sample was drawn from a longitudinal study, the Taiwan Youth Project, including 2,690 Taiwanese adolescents from wave 1 in 2000 (first year in junior high school) to wave 6 (third year in high school) in 2005. The results showed a nonlinear developmental trajectory of adolescent depressive symptoms during the middle- to high-school period. Harsh discipline was associated with the significantly higher initial presence and faster growth rate of depressive symptoms, while parental warmth and monitoring were associated with the significantly lower initial presence of depressive symptoms. In addition, female adolescents displayed a higher initial level of depressive symptoms than males when parents exercised higher levels of monitoring and harsh discipline. Finally, we provided suggestions for practice and research.

Relationships Between Family Connectedness and Stress-Triggering Problems Among Adolescents: Potential Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationships between family connectedness, coping strategies, and stress-triggering problems in adolescents. To this end, it longitudinally examined the relationships between these three phenomena in a sample of New Zealand adolescents. Data were the three waves of the Youth Connectedness Project, in which 1,774 adolescents aged 10-17 completed a self-report survey three times at one-year intervals. Using random intercept longitudinal mediation path models, we tested whether and to what extent different coping strategies at T2 functioned as mediators between family connectedness at T1 and stress-triggering problems at T3. As predicted, statistical analyses indicated that family connectedness negatively predicted stress-triggering problems over time, and we found that maladaptive coping, but not adaptive coping, significantly mediated this relationship. This result suggests that family connectedness predicted a reduction in maladaptive coping one year later, and this lower level of maladaptation predicted a reduction in stress-triggering problems a subsequent year later. These and other related findings are important as they highlight several mechanisms shaping unfolding problematic situations experienced by adolescents. Contributions of the results to the existing body of knowledge about adolescents' stress and coping strategies are discussed, as well as their clinical implications for the prevention or reduction of stress experienced by adolescents.

Mental health, gender, and higher education attainment

We compared the mental health of higher education students with that of nonstudents. Moreover, we examined whether the mental health of students predicts their probability of obtaining a higher education degree, and whether the extent to which mental health affects educational attainment varies by gender. Drawing on a risk and resilience framework, we considered five facets of mental health that may be implicated in distinct ways in the educational attainment process: positive attitude towards life, self-esteem, self-efficacy, negative affectivity, and perceived stress. We used data from a nationally representative panel study from Switzerland (Nstudents = 2070, 42.8% male; Nnonstudents = 3755, 45.9% male). The findings suggest that overall, the mental health of higher education students was relatively similar to that of nonstudents, although students exhibited slightly higher self-esteem, slightly weaker self-efficacy, greater negative affectivity, and higher levels of perceived stress. The effects of different facets of mental health on higher education degree attainment were mostly statistically and/or practically insignificant. However, positive attitudes towards life had a substantial positive effect on the probability of being awarded a higher education degree. Mental health was equally important for male and female students' educational attainment.

Supplementary Information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s11618-023-01187-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Stress, mental health and sociocultural adjustment in third culture kids: exploring the mediating roles of resilience and family functioning

Introduction

This cross-sectional study explores the contributions of personal and contextual factors in the adjustment process of a sample of internationally mobile children and adolescents having relocated to Switzerland. Based on evolutionary developmental theories and recommendations by Research Domain Criteria and The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology theoretical frameworks, we hypothesized and tested a heuristic model of TCK adjustment, aiming to identify prevention and treatment targets tailored for our sampled population.

Methods

We assessed the relationships in the hypothesized models, particularly how perceived and acculturative stress influence TCK adjustment and whether the relationship between the predictors of TCK stress and the outcomes of TCK adjustment are mediated by resilience and family functioning. A total of 143 participants aged 7-17, having relocated internationally with their working parent(s), recruited in local and international schools in Switzerland, were included in this study. Data were collected using an online survey after we collected consent. We assessed factors of adjustment using validated questionnaires: perceived stress and acculturative stress and the potential mediating roles of family functioning and resilience. We measured the outcome of adjustment through mental health difficulties and sociocultural adjustment. We used path analysis to test the model.

Results

Results highlight the contributions of perceived stress and acculturative stress to TCK mental health and sociocultural adjustment. We also we found a mediation effect for resilience in the relationship between perceived stress and mental health. Family functioning was not a significant mediator in any relationship that we assessed.

Discussion

We discuss implications for future research, promoting TCK adjustment and preventative psychotherapeutic interventions.

Measuring effects of height on the autonomic nervous system in middle-aged adolescents using the very low frequency band of heart rate variability

Previous studies have revealed the association between falling accidents and stress, measured via heart rate variability (HRV). However, none have studied this association using the very low frequency (VLF) band of HRV in adolescent populations. This study aimed to fill this gap by recruiting 90 adolescents to perform a light physical task at varying heights. Heart rates were used to calculate short-term HRV. The results showed a positive correlation between VLF bands and parasympathetic indices and a negative correlation with sympathetic indices, demonstrating the balancing effects of the autonomic modulation associated with height. The lowest VLF bands were obtained as 79.25 ms² at 10 m (p < 0.001) and 62.87 ms² at 9 m (p < 0.001) for the experienced and non-experienced male groups, respectively, and 28.09 ms² at 6 m (p = 0.001) for the female group. The results also suggested the need for a relatively lower height restriction for female adolescents than for males.Practitioner summary: Increased working heights can cause stress, which leads to falling accidents. The very low frequency band was shown to be associated with parasympathetic and sympathetic indices. Furthermore, the results suggested that the height limit necessary for providing a safe working environment may be lower for female adolescents than for males.Abbreviations: HRV: heart rate variability; VLF: very low frequency; ms2: absolute power; ANS: autonomic nervous system; PNS: parasympathetic nervous system; SNS: sympathetic nervous system; RR: intervals between two successive peaks of R waves; RMSSD: root mean square of successive RR interval differences; SD1: Poincaré plot index of standard deviation 1; SD2: Poincaré plot index of standard deviation 2; HF: high frequency; LF: low frequency; BMI: body mass index; ECG: electrocardiography; HR: heart rate; FFT: fast Fourier transformation; IQR: interquartile range; r: non-parametric partial correlation coefficient; η2: eta-squared; EM: experienced males; NM: non-experienced males; NF: non-experienced females; EEG: electroencephalogram.

Exploring the perception of stress in childhood and early adolescence

Stressful life experiences may jeopardize the healthy development of children. To improve interventions, more knowledge is needed on the perception of stress by children. In adults, stress is regarded as a state of low valence and high arousal. It is unclear whether children perceive stress similarly. In the current study, 35 children of the general population completed three tasks aiming to provide insight into their knowledge of the concept stress. In the first task, participants were asked about their verbal knowledge of the concept stress. In the second task, they rated the valence and arousal of eight emotion-evoking vignettes. In the final task, participants completed an experience sampling survey for at least 1 day, consisting of a stress thermometer and pictorial scales of valence and arousal. Participants' perception of stress was found to be mainly valence focused. Age and sex were found to play a role in the degree of arousal focus. Older participants differentiated more in arousal levels than younger participants, as did girls in comparison with boys. Because the perception of stress depends on developmental and other individual factors, using stress as a single measurement dimension in a survey is not recommended.

Class climate, adolescent financial and academic strain, and depressive symptoms

Understanding the risk and protective factors that influence the trajectory of depressive symptoms may help schools better support students in adolescence. The present study used a multilevel framework to examine the effects of adolescent perceptions of financial strain, academic strain, and class climate on their depressive symptoms in the context of Confucian collectivism and an exam-centered culture. The study also investigated the multi-level moderating effects of students' perceptions of class climate and gender on the association between perceptions of strains and depressive symptoms. Drawing on a sample of 13,087 adolescents aged 12-18 years (mean age = 14.53, SD = 1.228) from 28 counties/districts in China, multilevel analysis was conducted, with demographic factors controlled for. The results revealed that the perceptions of financial strain and academic strain were significantly and positively associated with adolescent depressive symptoms, while class climate was significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Notably, the association between financial strain and depressive symptoms was moderated by class climate at the class level, the association was weaker in classes with a more positive class climate. Furthermore, the results revealed that academic strain was more positively associated with depressive symptoms among female adolescents than male adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of cultivating adolescents in a class climate with the aim of alleviating the financial strain and academic strain; they also indicate the importance of applying gender-specific efforts in programs with an academic strain and depression focus.

The negative association of perceived stress with adolescents’ life satisfaction during the pandemic period: The moderating role of school community support

Purpose

To analyze the association of perceived stress on the life satisfaction of Chilean adolescents during the recent pandemic, and to evaluate the moderating role that school community support provides.

Methods

A total of 1337 adolescents in Chile (56.6% females), aged 14 through 19 (M = 15.99; SD = 1.3) participated. Descriptive statistics, a multiple linear regression model, and moderation analysis were all employed.

Results

Females were associated with lower levels of Life Satisfaction (B = -0.19, p = .042), which was not the case for the Age variable (p = .160). The level of Perceived Stress was shown to have a negative association on Life Satisfaction (B = -1.93, p < .001). The moderation analysis revealed an interaction factor between Perceived Stress and School Community Support as predictors of Life Satisfaction (B = 0.37, t = 4.91, p < .001), showing that higher levels of School Community Support moderated the negative effect of Perceived Stress on Life Satisfaction.

Conclusions

Perceived stress during the pandemic had a negative association on life satisfaction. School community support was a protective factor for this negative effect, even in the case of online classes due to school closures. Strengthening the connection between adolescents and their school communities along with providing additional tools and resources in support of such a connection are both essential.

COVID-19 Stressors and Aggression among Chinese College Students: The Mediation Role of Coping Strategies

Although college students experienced excessive stressors (COVID-19 disease and negative COVID-19 news) during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have been aimed at coping strategies used by college students to deal with stress caused by the pandemic. Coping strategies are efforts to deal with anxiety in the face of a perceived threat or stress. Aggression is harmful social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or harm upon another individual. In the present study, we aimed to examine the direct effect of stressors resulting from the pandemic on college students' aggression, as well as the indirect effect via their coping strategies. Through a cross-sectional survey of 601 Chinese college students (M-age = 20.28), we tested the proposed framework. We first found that information stressors of COVID-19 ranked highest among the four stressors of the pandemic. Results also indicated that college students' stressors of COVID-19 were directly and positively associated with their aggressive behavior. For the indirect effect, college students would adopt both adaptive coping strategies (self-help strategy) and maladaptive coping strategies (avoidance strategy and self-punishment strategy) with the stressors of COVID-19. Furthermore, adaptive coping strategy (approach strategy) was negatively related to their aggression, whereas maladaptive coping strategy (avoidance strategy and self-punishment strategy) was positively related to their aggressive behavior. The present research extends the general strain theory in the COVID-19 context. Practical implications are also discussed.

Perceived Information Overload and Intention to Discontinue Use of Short-Form Video: The Mediating Roles of Cognitive and Psychological Factors

The current study investigated the effects of Chinese young adult users' perceived information overload (i.e., the daily perception of exposure to excessive information) on their intention to stop using short-form video applications. Specifically, this study accomplished this by measuring the direct and indirect effects of social media fatigue, maladaptive coping, and life dissatisfaction in relation to users' intention to discontinue their use of short-form video applications. The data were collected using a web-based survey and validated questionnaire, with a sample of 340 young adult (18-26 years old) respondents. The results indicated that perceived information overload had a direct effect on the intention to discontinue the use of short-form video applications. Moreover, short-form video fatigue, maladaptive coping, and life dissatisfaction all played mediating roles in the relationship between perceived information overload and the intention to discontinue the use of short-form video applications among young adults in China.

Parental Criticism and Depressive Symptoms: The Contribution of Active Coping Among African American Adolescents : Prairie View A&M University

The present study examined whether parental criticism, active coping, and peer support associated with depressive symptoms. Then using two mediation models, this study explored whether parental criticism related to depressive symptoms through active coping while controlling for peer support among African American Adolescents (N = 883). Results from a multiple regression analysis revealed that maternal and paternal criticism positively associated with depressive symptoms in contrast to active coping and peer support. In the first mediation analysis, active coping explained the relationship between maternal criticism and depressive symptoms. In the second mediation analysis, active coping did not explain the relationship between paternal criticism and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that mental health practitioners should consider incorporating coping techniques in therapy, specifically while treating African American adolescents. Clinical, family, and community implications are discussed.

Trust Beliefs in Significant Others, Interpersonal Stress, and Internalizing Psychopathology of Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders

This study examined relations between trust beliefs in significant others (TBSO), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology for adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Two hundred and thirty-four adolescents from an acute inpatient unit (154 females, M_age = 14.72 years, SD = 1.39 years) completed standardized scales/interviews that assessed TBSO (mother, father, teacher, peers and TBSO as a total score), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology. It was found that adolescents' TBSO and trust beliefs in each significant other were negatively associated with interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology. The findings confirmed that the relation between the adolescents' interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology was moderated by TBSO, trust beliefs in mother, and trust beliefs in peers. The findings supported the conclusion that holding elevated TBSO (particularly trust beliefs in mother and peers) by adolescents with psychiatric disorders promotes their psychosocial adjustment including their resilience to the effects of interpersonal stress on internalizing psychopathology.

The relationship between stress and health-related quality of life and the mediating role of self-efficacy in Norwegian adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

During the transitional phase from childhood to adulthood, adolescents encounter many changes and challenges. Stress is associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adolescents and, thus, impacts all aspects of their life. Adolescents' thoughts and beliefs in their capacity may be essential with regard to their subjective perception of stress and coping with it. Insights into the complexity of stress and exploration of the possible underlying mechanisms in adolescence are needed. We sought to describe stress, HRQOL, and self-efficacy and explore the association between stress and HRQOL by testing for self-efficacy as a possible mediator in adolescents.

METHODS

In total, 696 school-based adolescents aged 14-15 years participated in this study. Participants were recruited from 22 schools in the Eastern and Southern parts of Norway. All participants completed an electronic survey in their respective classrooms. The survey included demographic data, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire measuring HRQOL, and the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS Statistics software by Andrew Hayes model 4.

RESULTS

Descriptive analyses revealed overall low levels of stress with a score of 0.29 (SD, 0.15). Nevertheless, stress was negatively associated with all HRQOL subscales: physical well-being (B =  - 25.60), psychological well-being (B =  - 38.43), autonomy and parents (B =  - 28.84), social support and peers (B =  - 21.05), and school environment (B =  - 30.28). Furthermore, these respective associations were all mediated by self-efficacy, which explained approximately one-fifth of the reduction in HRQOL. The highest degree of mediation and, thus, the largest indirect effect was estimated for the HRQOL subscale physical well-being (31.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings extend prior research on the mechanisms underlying the relationship between perceived stress and HRQOL in adolescents. They demonstrated that perceived stress explained most of the reduction in the HRQOL after adjusting for the effect of self-efficacy. Hence, stress itself appears to be an important target for future interventions to enhance HRQOL, rather than purely focusing on increasing self-efficacy to enhance the HRQOL in adolescents. Our findings highlight the importance of a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms to develop strategic and accurate interventions for adolescents.

Community Violence Exposure and Stress Reactivity in African American and Non-Latino White Adolescents With Overweight/Obesity

Adolescents who experience community violence are exposed to toxic stressors at a critical period of growth and development. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between community violence exposure and stress reactivity in African American and non-Latino white adolescents with overweight/obesity. Fifty-one adolescents (47% female, 55% African American; aged 14-19) participated in this study. Community violence was assessed using the Survey of Children's Exposure to Community Violence. Stress reactivity was assessed via salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase area under the curve (AUC) during a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Race was a significant predictor of alpha-amylase reactivity (β = 10740±3665, p = 0.0006), with a higher alpha-amylase AUC observed in African American compared to non-Latino white adolescents. There was also a significant difference in the relationship between community violence exposure and alpha-amylase AUC by race (β = -3561±1226, p = 0.007). At similar increases in violence exposure, African Americans demonstrated a significant decline in alpha-amylase AUC while non-Latino whites demonstrated a significant increase in alpha-amylase AUC. Neither race nor violence exposure were significant predictors of cortisol AUC and there were no significant differences in the relationship between community violence exposure and cortisol AUC by race (all p's > .05). These preliminary findings suggest exposure to community violence may act to exacerbate autonomic dysregulation in African American adolescents with overweight/obesity. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms by which community violence exposure differentially impacts stress responses by race.

Sense of Coherence and Ego-Resiliency as Predictors of Maladaptive Coping Among Juveniles With Different Levels of Delinquency

The purpose of the study is to determine the role of the sense of coherence and ego-resiliency as buffers for maladaptive coping among juveniles with different levels of delinquency. The study included 561 juveniles referred by a family court to youth education or probation centers throughout Poland. We used SEM to search for relations between variables and the critical ratio test for differences between groups. The results demonstrate that in both groups, the relationships between the components of the sense of coherence and the emotional style were negative. In both groups, the sense of comprehensibility was significantly associated with the search for social contacts. The impact of ego-resiliency on social-diversion coping was significantly stronger for the group with high compared with low demoralization. The study demonstrate that juveniles with a high degree of delinquency are more prone to emotion-oriented coping. Both groups of juveniles use two types of avoidance style to a similar extent. The results show that the stronger the sense of coherence, the less often juveniles cope with stress by reducing emotional tension and by escaping into substitute activities. Furthermore, our findings reveal the dark side of ego-resiliency.

Proactive coping and social-emotional adjustment among students with and without learning disabilities in Kerala, India

The current study compared the level of proactive coping and social-emotional adjustment of students with and without learning disabilities. In addition to the relationship, influence of proactive coping on social-emotional adjustment of students with and without learning disabilities was also explored. Using a multistage random sampling method researcher selected students with and without learning disabilities in the age group of 15-17 years; each group consists of 150 participants from different high schools in Kerala. The instruments employed in this study were the Proactive Coping Inventory and the Adjustment Inventory for School Students-AISS. Correlation, t-test, and regression analysis were used to analyses the data. The students with learning disabilities have found to have lower levels of proactive coping and social emotional adjustment than those without learning disabilities. Further, a positive correlation between social emotional adjustment and proactive coping was also observed. The regression analysis has revealed that proactive coping of students with and without learning disabilities was significantly predicting their adjustment. As students with learning disabilities showing lower proactive coping skills, the study emphasizes the need to enhance proactive coping among students with learning disabilities. Improving proactive coping in both students with and without learning disabilities may help to mitigate social emotional adjustment issues.

Stress and eating responses in adolescent females predisposed to obesity: A pilot and feasibility study

OBJECTIVE

To explore how chronic stress, reactivity to acute stress, and obesogenic eating are linked in adolescent females predisposed to obesity.

METHODS

Participants included 21 adolescent females (m_age = 14.57 years) and their biological mothers with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m²). The pilot and feasibility study involved adolescent self-report of chronic stress, an acute stress-induction paradigm (Trier Social Stress Task, TSST), salivary cortisol collection to assess stress reactivity, and both subjective (self-report) and objective (snack buffet) measures of obesogenic eating.

RESULTS

Adolescent females reporting high chronic stress were significantly more likely to engage in self-reported emotional and external eating and to have higher food cravings (p's < .05) compared to adolescents with low chronic stress. Effect size estimates suggested a blunting effect of cortisol in the high chronic stress group. Blunted cortisol reactivity significantly predicted higher self-reported food cravings for the high chronic stress group (p = .04). Associations among chronic stress, cortisol, and self-reported and objective obesogenic eating reflected medium to large effect sizes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study built on limited extant research on stress and eating to demonstrate that chronic stress was associated with self-reported obesogenic eating patterns in adolescent females predisposed to obesity. Different patterns of cortisol reactivity and eating emerged depending on chronic stress group (low versus high). Understanding these eating patterns in the context of chronic stress can inform interventions to reduce obesity risks in adolescence.

Stress mindset and mental health status among Chinese high school students: The mediating role of exam stress appraisals

Exam stress is one of the main stressors for adolescents, which can trigger severe mental health problems and performance decline. As an alterable individual variable that influences stress consequences, stress mindset has attracted academic attention recently. However, the relationship between stress mindset and adolescents' responses toward exams has not been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate whether stress mindset affected pre-exam mental health status and exam performance, and whether appraisals of exam mediated such influence. We collected stress mindset, threat and challenge appraisals, pre-exam mental health status, and exam scores from 185 Chinese 11th-grade students. All of them would take an important and unified exam organized on the school level. Results showed that the stress-is-enhancing mindset negatively predicted students' symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, but had no direct effect on performance. Further mediation analysis showed that stress-is-enhancing mindset was positively associated with the challenging appraisal and was negatively associated with the threat appraisal, thus having better health status (including fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress) and performance. These results suggest that the stress mindset had an association with students' response toward exams, and how they appraised the upcoming exam would be an important indirect pathway. Future studies may benefit from changing students' mindsets to protect them from negative consequences of exam stress.

Understanding the relationship between distress intolerance and problematic Internet use: The mediating role of coping motives and the moderating role of need frustration

INTRODUCTION

There is emerging research interest in exploring the relationship between distress intolerance and problematic Internet use, yet most of the existing studies are limited by cross-sectional design, convenience sampling method, and poor understanding of the potential mediating and moderating factors involved. Based on the distress intolerance theory of addictive behavior and the theory of compensatory internet use, this study investigated a moderated mediation model to explain the impact of distress intolerance on problematic Internet use in adolescents.

METHODS

A three-wave longitudinal survey was conducted with 709 adolescents in Shanghai, China. The gender distribution was even, 50.2% were boys and 49.8% were girls. The mean age at T1 was 14.79 years (SD = 2.87).

RESULTS

Distress intolerance at Time 1 was found to positively predict problematic Internet use at Time 3. This prospective relation was mediated by adolescents' coping motives for Internet use at Time 2. Further, the mediation effect of coping motives for Internet use was moderated by need frustration at Time 2. The moderated mediation model was statistically equivalent for both genders.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this study contribute to new knowledge and have practical implications for prevention and intervention of adolescent problematic Internet use.

The Girls' Leadership Academy: A Promising, Empowerment-Based Approach to the Prevention of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence (SV) is a pernicious issue that disproportionally impacts girls and women. Although few initiatives have demonstrated effectiveness in leading to reductions in SV, global health organizations have identified empowerment-based programs as a promising approach to SV prevention. The purpose of this article is to discuss the Girls Leadership Academy (GLA), a program of the Nebraska's Women's Center for Advancement, which is a "homegrown," theoretically grounded, practice-based SV prevention program for adolescent girls. More specifically, we discuss previous research relevant to the GLA; the theoretical underpinnings of the GLA; and the history, context, and content of the GLA.

To Those Who Have, More Will Be Given? Effects of an Instructional Time Reform on Gender Disparities in STEM Subjects, Stress, and Health

Educational reformers all around the globe are continuously searching for ways to make schools more effective and efficient. In Germany, this movement has led to reforms that reduced overall school time of high track secondary schools from 9 to 8 years, which was compensated for by increasing average instruction time per week in lower secondary school (Grades 5-10). Based on prior research, we assumed that this reform might increase gender disparities in STEM-related outcomes, stress, and health because it required students to learn similar content in less amount of time. Therefore, we investigated how the school time reform affected gender disparities at the end of upper secondary school between 2011 and 2013. Specifically, we considered representative data of the last two cohorts who completed lower secondary school before the reform (N = 2,405) and the first two cohorts after the reform (N = 2,413) from the National Educational Panel Study. Potential differences in gender disparities were investigated for upper secondary school outcomes of subject-specific standardized test performance, self-concept, and interest in mathematics, biology and physics, as well as outcomes of school-related stress and health. Overall, we found substantial disparities between girls and boys, which seemed to change little after the reform. Exceptions were the statistically significant gender × reform interactions for one stress dimension (Overload) and two health dimensions (Overburdening and Achievement-related fear) which increased for both boys and girls, but more strongly for girls.

What makes Dutch youth comply with preventive COVID-19 measures? An explorative study

The measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 are challenging for youth, especially the social isolation measures. These measures are antagonistic to healthy youth development, which requires sufficient social contact with peers and adults. This explorative study examined what factors are associated with adherence to COVID-19 measures in a sample of Dutch youth (N = 263; 79.8% female) with ages ranging between 16 and 24 years (M = 21.1 years; SD = 2.44 years), who completed an online questionnaire about their compliance to measures, resilience, coping strategies, mental health, and availability of a natural mentor. Results showed that youth with fewer depressive symptoms adhered better to measures of social distance. Youth who were less suspicious, more resilient, and those with an active coping strategy or a natural mentor more often complied with COVID-19 measures. These results can be used to help youth comply with the COVID-19 measures.

Long-term effects of a resilience-based intervention on mental health of children affected by parental HIV in China: Testing the mediation effects of emotion regulation and coping

Resilience-based interventions have been suggested to improve mental health among children affected by parental HIV. Very few studies, however, have explicitly tested the mechanisms of change underlying the effects of resilience-based interventions on mental health among this group of children. The present study utilized a cluster randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of the Child-Caregiver-Advocacy Resilience (ChildCARE) intervention on mental health for children affected by parental HIV. Specifically, we examined the effects of the intervention on three mental health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, school anxiety, loneliness) and whether emotion regulation and coping played mediating roles in the intervention's effectiveness. Child-caregiver dyads (N = 790) were randomly assigned by clusters to three intervention groups and a control group. Children reported on mental health outcomes for 36 months at 6-month intervals. Latent growth curve models showed that there were no direct impacts of the ChildCARE intervention on changes in mental health outcomes beyond 18-month follow-up. Mediation analyses showed that the ChildCARE intervention yielded significant improvements in positive coping, but not negative coping or emotion regulation at 18 months. Emotion regulation, positive coping, and negative coping were consistently associated with the intercepts (i.e., mean at 18 months) of mental health outcomes. Negative coping also significantly predicted the rates of change of mental health outcomes over time. Findings provide important implications for future resilience-based intervention development and highlight the promise of interventions that aim to strengthen emotion regulation and coping skills to improve mental health for children affected by parental HIV.

Coping strategies of healthcare professional students for stress incurred during their studies: a literature review

BACKGROUND

Stress in healthcare professional students is well-documented, however coping strategies and their relationship with stress has not been comprehensively reviewed. It is necessary for students to use positive coping strategies to effectively reduce stress levels.

AIMS

The aim of this review is to identify coping strategies of healthcare professional students and their consequences.

METHODS

Studies conducted from 2010 to 2020 on coping strategies utilised by healthcare students were reviewed. An electronic database search was performed in January 2020 of three databases CINAHL, SCOPUS and PubMed.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were included in this review, using a wide range of survey instruments including the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) Inventory and the Coping Behaviour Inventory Common coping strategies utilised by healthcare students include problem-focused strategies such as planning, problem-solving and active coping. Coping strategies tended to vary depending on student's location, year of their course, gender and age. Positive coping strategies, such as problem-focused strategies, were associated with reduced stress levels and improved psychological health. Other emotion-focused coping strategies identified included acceptance, self-distraction, and optimism.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings may provide direction for third-level institutions in designing interventions (such as encouraging exercise) promoting the use of positive coping strategies.

Resilience and mental health: A longitudinal cohort study of Chinese adolescents before and during COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in mental health issues, mainly depression and anxiety, prompted by stressors such as the need to maintain social distance, adapting to quarantine, and lockdown policies. Resilience may be vital in protecting individuals from mental disorders. However, few studies have examined the longitudinal relationships between resilience and mental disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety) among adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the association between resilience, depression, and anxiety among Chinese adolescents before and during COVID-19 using a longitudinal cross-lagged model.

METHODS

A total of 7,958 Chinese adolescents completed a baseline survey in the month before COVID-19 and were followed up after the COVID-19 lockdown. Structural equation modeling analyses were applied to evaluate the associations between resilience, depression, and anxiety after controlling for three covariates (i.e., gender, age, and COVID-19 effect).

RESULTS

A higher level of resilience before COVID-19 significantly predicted decreased severity of depression and anxiety after the lockdown. Moreover, the mean level of resilience and prevalence of mental disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety) among Chinese adolescents decreased after the lockdown. These findings suggest resilience is a vital protective factor against depression and anxiety among adolescents. Furthermore, younger participants and those less affected by the pandemic could be more resilient. No significant link was found between gender and resilience in the second wave.

CONCLUSIONS

Resilience is an essential protective factor for reducing mental disorders among Chinese adolescents exposed to COVID-19. Resilience-related interventions should be developed to efficiently promote mental health recovery among youth during pandemics.

Kann erlebte Unterstützung durch Lehrkräfte schulische Erschöpfung und Stress bei Schülerinnen und Schülern abfedern?

Zusammenfassung. Im Laufe der Schuljahre berichten Sekundarschülerinnen und -schüler zunehmend hohe Stress- und Erschöpfungswerte, die den Bildungserfolg und die Gesundheit gefährden. Die Puffer-Hypothese hat gezeigt, dass soziale Unterstützung die Wahrnehmung von Stress abfedern kann. Allerdings wurde das Unterstützungsverhalten der Lehrkräfte unter Berücksichtigung längsschnittlicher Studiendesigns in diesem Zusammenhang selten untersucht und bislang nicht weiter ausdifferenziert. Diese Forschungslücke aufgreifend wird in der vorliegenden Studie mittels Fragebogendaten und latenter moderierter Strukturgleichungsanalyse (LMS) von Sekundarschülerinnen und -schülern ( N = 733; M Alter = 13.78; SD = 0.67; 52% Mädchen) zu zwei Messzeitpunkten untersucht, ob die wahrgenommene akademische Lernunterstützung sowie die sozio-emotionale Unterstützung durch die Lehrkräfte die Entwicklung des allgemeinen Stress- und schulischen Erschöpfungserlebens innerhalb eines Schuljahres moderiert. Die Ergebnisse der LMS zeigen, dass unter Kontrolle von Geschlecht, Schulform und Schulnoten die akademische Lernunterstützung dazu beiträgt, dass die schulische Erschöpfung über das Schuljahr abnimmt. Insgesamt deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass unterschiedliches Unterstützungsverhalten von Lehrkräften differenziert mit dem Stress- und Erschöpfungserleben von Schülerinnen und Schülern über den Verlauf eines Schuljahres zusammenhängt. Je früher und je kontinuierlicher Schülerinnen und Schüler Unterstützung durch die Lehrkräfte erfahren, desto besser kann Stress und schulischer Erschöpfung vorgebeugt werden.

Coping of Young Refugees in Germany

Abstract. Background: Coping is considered to have an important influence on well-being, especially in adolescent refugees dealing with a high amount of stress. In addition, gender differences in coping are a common topic for research and are often attributed to differences in socialization between boys and girls. Aims: The study aims at clarifying the gender differences in coping strategies used by non-Western adolescents. Additionally, associations with aspects of socialization, in particular Gender Role Attitudes (GRA), on gender differences are investigated. Method: Refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan ( N = 106, 55% male) aged 11–18 years completed questionnaires in schools or housing facilities. Associations between gender, GRA, coping strategies, and well-being were investigated using moderation and regression analyses. Results: Gender differences found in previous literature could, in part be replicated. Refugee girls reported more anger-related emotion regulation than boys did. However, GRA did not show any connections to coping strategies. Limitations: Most limitations result from low reliabilities and possible biases due to the use of self-reports. Conclusion: The more frequent use of anger-related emotion regulation as the only gender difference replicated in this study highlights the importance of research with refugee samples to prevent over-generalization of previous results from Western cultures.

Resilience in Children and Adolescents Survived Psychologically Traumatic Life Events: A Critical Review of Application of Resilience Assessment Tools for Clinical Referral and Intervention

Psychological traumatic life events (TLEs) and resilience, both are multidimensional, complex, and share salient features. Both are products of individual, familial, and environmental (socio-cultural-political contextual) variables, which is very crucial in children and adolescents. This systematic review used Boolean search strategies in electronic databases, namely, PubMED, PsycNET, JStor, and Google scholar. All researches not studying resilience per se but similar or related constructs such as life strengths, hardiness, protective/risk factors, social support, self-efficacy, social-emotional adjustment, and so on were excluded. A total of 12 resilience tools meant for children between 5 and 18 years were reviewed. The scale characteristics were analyzed in terms of targeted age-group of sample; purpose (i.e. screening and profiling for intervention); number of items; purpose/type of scale; year, country, and domain wise distribution; response format, standardization sample profile; psychometric properties; and availability of manual with norms of cutoff score. Although no scale was originally developed for children and adolescent population with history of TLEs particularly various forms of abuse and trauma, Child and Youth Resilience Measure and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale had small samples of children from welfare homes. Neither did any scale tested the divergent validity against absence of any psychopathology or global functioning or poor quality of life Nor did Majority of scales provide a cutoff value for institutionalized children and adolescents with history of TLEs; therefore, using an existing scale for this purpose should be carefully examined. Trauma-focused multidimensionality in resilience needs to be explored more rigorously through mixed methods.

Longitudinal Associations Between Prosociality and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Children: The Mediating Role of Peer Preference

Despite empirical findings that prosociality is related to decreased depressive symptoms in children, little is known about the directionality of the relations and the mechanisms that may explain the relations. To address these gaps, this study examined bi-directional associations between prosociality and depressive symptoms and the mediating effects of peer preference on the associations in Chinese children. Multi-wave longitudinal data were collected each year from Grades 3 to 6 in a sample of children in China (initial N = 1012; 51.6% girls; initial M_age = 8.68 years). The results showed that prosociality and depression negatively contributed to each other over time. Prosociality also predicted increased peer preference, which in turn contributed to fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting that peer preference was a mediator of the contributions of prosociality to depressive symptoms. These findings indicate the temporal ordering of prosociality and depressive symptoms and the processes in the development of depressive symptoms in Chinese children.

Motives for Dropout Among Former Junior Elite Caribbean Track and Field Athletes: A Qualitative Investigation

Anecdotal reports within the Caribbean track and field fraternity have revealed that there is a high level of athlete dropout from competitive sport at the junior-elite level, and a poor transition to senior-elite status. Consequently, this qualitative investigation explored the key motives that may have contributed toward the unsuccessful transitions and ensuing dropout of Caribbean track and field athletes during the junior to senior transition period. Eleven former junior-elite track and field athletes (four males, seven females; M_age = 29, SD ± 4.2 years) from four English-speaking Caribbean islands participated in semi-structured interviews. Following an inductive and deductive thematic analysis, four higher order themes were identified: (1) “there's not enough support”; (2) “felt pressure to make sure I committed”; (3) “it's always competitive here”; and (4) “battle with the injuries.” For these former junior-elite Caribbean athletes, the decision on whether to continue within the sport was influenced by a combination of factors, although inadequate financial and organizational support had the most bearing on athletes' decision to drop out during the crucial transition years. Implications for consideration by key stakeholders and policymakers within the region are discussed.

Recommendations for Assessment of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health for the National Children's Study

The Social Emotional Behavioral (SEB) Team of the National Children's Study (NCS) was tasked with making recommendations for assessment of important aspects of social-emotional health and function in children. This paper describes the constructs recommended for assessment along with the rationale for their assessment. These constructs, representing aspects of Social Relationships, Social Capital, Temperament, Negative Affect, Externalizing Behavior, Social Competence, Self-efficacy, Self-image, Psychological well-being, Ethnic/racial Socialization, Perceived Discrimination, Sexual Orientation, Religiosity, and Perceived Stress and Resilience were identified as being critical to the understanding of children's health and development from birth to age 21.

Stress coping strategies and stress reactivity in adolescents with overweight/obesity

This study explored the associations between the frequency and effectiveness of habitual stress coping strategies on physiological and psychological stress responses to an acute laboratory stressor in adolescents with overweight/obesity (51 adolescents; 47% female; ages 14-19 years). Coping strategies were assessed using the Schoolager's Coping Strategies Inventory. Acute physiological stress responses were measured as salivary cortisol and α-amylase output during the Trier Social Stress Test and during a control condition. Acute psychological stress was measured using a Likert-type scale, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate were measured at baseline. Results revealed that higher coping effectiveness was associated with lower log-based α-amylase during the stress (β = -0.025, p = 0.018) and control (β = -0.030, p = 0.005) conditions, but not with cortisol across either condition (all ps > 0.05). SBP moderated the association between coping effectiveness and α-amylase during the stress condition, with higher coping effectiveness associated with lower α-amylase only among individuals with lower SBP (β = 0.002, p = 0.027). Coping frequency was not associated with cortisol responses, neither was habitual stress coping strategies associated with psychological stress (all ps > 0.05). These findings provide preliminary evidence that effective use of stress coping strategies may provide a dampening effect on sympathetic activity in an at-risk adolescent population.

Highly sensitive adolescents: The relationship between weekly life events and weekly socioemotional well-being

Recent research into Person × Environment interaction has supported the view that sensitivity to environmental influences is a susceptibility factor rather than a vulnerability factor. Given this perspective, this study examined the role of the adolescent's sensory-processing sensitivity in the context of weekly life events and weekly socioemotional well-being. In the study, 114 adolescents repeatedly self-reported their sensitivity, recent life events, and recent socioemotional well-being in four surveys at one-week intervals. The results suggested the shape of Sensitivity × Life Events interaction significantly varied from week to week, which is consistent with the vantage sensitivity and diathesis-stress framework. In specific weeks, adolescents with high sensitivity are more likely to benefit from positive events than those with low sensitivity. These sensitive adolescents can be described as developmentally susceptibility rather than vulnerability.

Optimism and Mental Health in Adolescence: a Prospective Validation Study of the Dutch Life-Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R-A) for Adolescents

The study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Dutch Life Orientation Test-Revised for Adolescents (LOT-R-A), a self-report questionnaire assessing dispositional optimism, and to evaluate the two-factor structure (optimism, pessimism). The LOT-R-A and the questionnaires measuring well-being (MHC-SF-A) and psychological problems (SDQ) were completed by 459 Dutch adolescents (178 boys and 281 girls) between the ages of 11 and 18 years at baseline and 281 adolescents at a four-week follow-up. The results confirmed the two-factor structure (optimism, pessimism) of the LOT-R-A. The findings provided evidence of internal consistency of scores ranging from low to good, and evidence of good test-retest reliability of scores. Further, scores of optimism were cross-sectionally positively associated with scores of positive emotions and well-being and negatively with scores of psychological problems and negative emotions, providing evidence of convergent and divergent validity of optimism scores with emotions, well-being, and psychological problems. Lastly, scores of optimism were prospectively positively associated with scores of well-being and negatively with scores of psychological problems, providing evidence of criterion validity of optimism scores with well-being and psychological problems. Based on these findings it can be concluded that the LOT-R-A is a valid instrument to examine optimism among adolescents. Future research can help to elucidate the role of optimism in mental health interventions and can gather knowledge on how these interventions can be refined to optimally cultivate optimism during the developmental period of adolescence.

Youth Internalizing Problems and Changes in Parent-Child Relationships Across Early Adolescence: Lability and Developmental Trends

Few longitudinal studies examine how changes in parent-child relationships are associated with changes in youth internalizing problems. In this longitudinal study, we investigated how developmental trends (linear change) and year-to-year lability (within-person fluctuations) in parental warmth and hostility across Grade 6-8 predict youth internalizing problems in Grade 9 (N = 618) and whether these linkages differ for boys and girls. Developmental trends (greater decreases in warmth, increases in hostility) were associated with more youth internalizing problems. Greater year-to-year lability (more fluctuations) in father hostility and warmth were also associated with more internalizing problems. Greater lability in mother warmth was associated with more internalizing problems for girls only. The strongest effects of lability on internalizing problems were found for youth with the highest lability scores. This study underscores the importance of differentiating developmental trends from lability in parent-child relationships, both of which may be important for youth internalizing problems.

Stress, Sleep, and Coping Self-Efficacy in Adolescents

Adults are thought to show a sleep-stress spiral in which greater stress worsens sleep quality, which amplifies stress, which leads to worse sleep. This study examined whether adolescents show a similar spiral, and if so, whether coping self-efficacy-believing one can cope with stress-interrupts the spiral. Temporal dynamics of perceived stress, sleep quality, and coping self-efficacy were tracked in 381 9th graders (49% female, mean age 14.43, age range 14-16) using daily surveys across two school weeks (3184 observations). Though expected associations were evident between individuals, only a unidirectional path was found within individuals from sleep quality to perceived stress via coping self-efficacy. This challenges the conventional bidirectional understanding of sleep-stress relations and suggests coping self-efficacy as an intervention target.