Family environment, discrepancies between perceived actual and desirable environment, and children's test and trait anxiety

How does family functioning contribute to academic-related outcomes of Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of spirituality

While family functioning is crucial to adolescent developmental outcomes, the mediating role of spirituality in the relationship between family functioning and academic-related outcomes of adolescents has been sparsely explored, particularly in non-Western contexts. To address this gap, based on a short-term longitudinal study, we examined the influence of family functioning on the academic values and academic anxiety of 4,981 Chinese adolescents in Sichuan, China, with spirituality as the mediator. We gathered data from students aged 11 and above at Wave 1 and at six months later (Wave 2). Analysis utilizing structural equation modeling indicated that prior family functioning positively and negatively predicted subsequent academic values and academic anxiety respectively, with spirituality as a significant mediator. Theoretically, this study helps to build up a conceptual model on how family functioning and spirituality of adolescents shape academic values and academic anxiety of adolescents. Practically, the present findings highlight the significance of enhancing family functioning and adolescent spirituality to help adolescents strive for academic success.

Depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate entrance admission seeking students in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Background

Intense academic pressure and unhealthy competition have turned the university entrance exam scenario in Bangladesh into a Pandora's Box, which might cause mental health difficulties among young students. However, there is a severe scarcity of studies concerning such issues of university entrance examination-seeking students in Bangladesh.

Methods

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate entrance admission-seeking students in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study design was followed using an online tool including socio-demographic questions, and the 21-item Bangla Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (BDASS-21). The survey form was completed by 452 Bangladeshi students who passed the higher secondary certificate (HSC) examination in 2020 and were planning to get admission to the undergraduate level during the data collection.

Results

The prevalence of mild to extremely severe levels of depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress was 57.7%, 61.4%, and 44.6%, respectively. Females were more likely to have depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms than males. The students from science backgrounds were at higher risk of developing depression and stress symptoms when compared with students from business studies backgrounds. Besides, students with a previous history of mental illness, a preference for getting admitted into the public university, and less monthly family income (<25,000 BDT) were more likely to develop depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In addition, students with a previous history of neurological disorders were more likely to develop anxiety symptoms than those without.

Conclusion

This study revealed a high level of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among undergraduate entrance admission-seeking students, which calls for in-depth exploratory investigations. Adequate low-intensity interventions should be designed to support this young population.

Do parents have exam anxiety, too? The predictive role of irrational beliefs and perfectionism with parental exam anxiety in explaining students’ exam anxiety

Objectives: Exam Anxiety is a condition influenced by both personal and environmental factors as well as cultural, family, and family-related systems. Accordingly, the current study aims at determining the predictive role of parental exam anxiety with irrational beliefs and perfectionism in explaining students’ exam anxiety. Methods: The study included a total of 1006 participants, students (N = 503 (58%) female and (42%) male) and parents (N = 503 (65%) female and (35%) male) of these students. The Test Anxiety Inventory, Exam Anxiety Scale for Parents, The Irrational Beliefs Scale for Adolescence, and Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale were used as data collection instruments for this study. Results: The regression analyses indicated that exam anxiety in students was significantly predicted by the worry sub-dimension of parental exam anxiety, irrational beliefs as well as concern over mistakes, parental criticism, and doubting of actions sub-dimension of perfectionism. Conclusion: The findings are discussed and explained based on the relevant literature.

The Mediating Role of Global and Contingent Self-Esteem in the Association Between Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Family Cohesion and Test Anxiety

The aim of this study is to investigate the importance of family cohesion and self-esteem regarding test anxiety among emerging adults. The study’s hypothesis is that cohesion experienced in a university student’s family of origin predicts test anxiety. The mediating role of self-esteem was tested considering both global self-esteem and contingent self-esteem based on one’s perceived competence. The study also examines whether these associations differ across groups based on gender or residential status. The research questions were investigated using students’ self-reported measures of test anxiety, global self-esteem, contingent self-esteem, and family cohesion. The results, based on data gathered from 487 university students, revealed that global self-esteem was a negative predictor of test anxiety and contingent self-esteem was a positive predictor of test anxiety. These findings indicate that the level and source of self-esteem must be considered regarding test anxiety. Further, adaptive family cohesion impacted test anxiety by increasing global self-esteem and decreasing contingent self-esteem. Although these indirect associations were rather weak, they highlight the impact of the family of origin during emerging adulthood. The pattern of interrelations was similar among men and women, as well as among those living together or apart from their family of origin.

Factors affecting test anxiety: a qualitative analysis of medical students' views

BACKGROUND

Medical students are vulnerable to test anxiety (TA), which impacts their professional lives and jeopardizes the optimal health care of their patients. The qualitative exploration of TA among medical students is crucial to understanding the problem. Hence, this study examined medical students' insights into TA and their suggestions on how to reduce it.

METHODS

We conducted a phenomenological study on medical students at a public university. We utilized focus group discussions (FGDs) to investigate their experiences of TA. The FGDs were transcribed verbatim, and these transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti software. The thematic analysis followed the recommended guidelines.

RESULTS

Seven FGD sessions were conducted with 45 students. Three major themes emerged: the students, their academic resources, and the examiner. Each theme comprised mutually exclusive subthemes. The "students" theme was divided into negative vs. positive thoughts and self-negligence vs. self-care, "academic recources" into heavy curriculum vs. facilitative curricular aids, and "examiner" into criticism vs. feedback and strict vs. kind approaches.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a solid foundation for policymakers and decision makers in medical education to improve current assessment practices and student well-being. Medical students will be able to significantly alter and reduce TA if they are provided with additional psychological support and their examiners are trained on how to deal with examinees.

Relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and anxiety in Spanish young adults

Objectives

In the present study, the relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and trait anxiety was examined. In addition, differences in trait anxiety and differentiation of self according to sex were studied. It was also checked whether family functioning predicted the achieved degree of differentiation of self, and whether family functioning and differentiation of self predicted the level of trait anxiety. Finally, it was analyzed whether the level of differentiation of self mediated the relationship between family functioning and trait anxiety.

Methods

The study involved 185 Spanish participants, aged between 18 and 56 years and the scales used were the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-20Esp (FACES-20Esp), the Differentiation of Self Scale (EDS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

Results

The results indicated that family functioning was related to differentiation of self and trait anxiety, and that differentiation of self was related to trait anxiety. In addition, according to sex, differences were found in the degree of differentiation of self and in the I Position, with a higher score for men, as well as in Emotional Reactivity and trait anxiety, with higher scores for women. It was also observed that family functioning predicted the level of differentiation of self, and that differentiation of self and family functioning predicted trait anxiety. Finally, it was found that the relationship between family functioning and trait anxiety was partially mediated by differentiation of self.

Conclusions

There are relationships between family functioning, differentiation of self and trait anxiety, and there are differences in differentiation of self and trait anxiety based on sex. The relevance of the results and their implications for clinical practice are discussed.

An analysis of the relationship between victimization and violent behavior at school

Previous studies have identified two subgroups of school violence victims: submissive and aggressive. Submissive victims are characterized by their withdrawal in violent situations, while aggressive victims combine hostile behavior with victimization. This study focuses on the second subgroup and aims to analyze possible factors influencing the transition from passive victimization to involvement in aggressive behaviors within the school context. To test these relationships, 1319 adolescents between 12 and 16 years of age were recruited from seven secondary schools in various Spanish provinces. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. Results supported Emler's theory, which posits that the victim's helplessness in situations of intimidation, along with disappointment resulting from a lack of expected protection from adult authority figures, may result in adolescents searching and developing an antisocial and non-conformist reputation that helps them defend themselves against future attacks. Practical implications of these results are further discussed.

Worry about terror among young adults living in ongoing security uncertainty

The aim of the current study was to investigate worry about terror as a mediating variable, with the exogenous variables being media viewing, differentiation of self, and trait anxiety, and the endogenous variables being somatic symptoms and perceptions of security-related stress. Participants were divided into two groups by age/academic level: 248 high school students and 191 university students. A pathway correlation model was used to investigate worry about terror as a mediating variable. The central finding was that worry about terror was a significant mediating variable in the relationship between the extent of media viewing following terror events and the level of perception of security-related stress. That is, young people who said they worried a lot reported a high level of stress relating to the terror events they saw covered in the media. In addition, trait anxiety was found to have an effect on stress perception only via the level of worry about terror. This means that high levels of stress are not experienced by all highly trait-anxious people, but only by those who suffer from higher levels of worry about terror.

Test Anxiety: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

The present paper examines test anxiety from a cross-cultural perspective with specific reference to the Indian and American cultures. The construct of test anxiety has been examined in many cultures all over the world. In this review, the importance of understanding and incorporating contextual factors in cross-cultural research is emphasized. Moreover, some of the methodological issues related to investigating culture-behavior relationship are discussed. Specifically, the derived-etic approach for conducting cross-cultural research is espoused. Then, research findings from western, cross-cultural, and Indian studies on test anxiety are reviewed. Consistent with the individualistic orientation of the western society, much of the research in the western world has adopted a de-contextualized approach. Inasmuch as many of the cross-cultural and Indian studies on test anxiety have their roots in western research, they have ignored the cultural context as well. To address this void, contextual variables relevant to test anxiety in the Indian setting are examined and hypotheses regarding the nature of test anxiety in Indian children are proposed. Finally, a research agenda is presented to examine these hypotheses using a derived-etic approach.

Differentiation and test anxiety in adolescents

The study tested several propositions about an important construct in Bowen's (Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, Aronson, New York, 1978; Family Evaluation, Norton, New York, 1988) theory of differentiation, using an Israeli sample of adolescents to examine relationships between differentiation of self, family differentiation, test anxiety, trait anxiety and cognitive performance. The main findings were that family differentiation (specifically, adolescents' relationships with their mothers) was negatively correlated with levels of test and trait anxiety and positively correlated with cognitive performance. All scales of differentiation of self, particularly emotional reactivity and I-position, were negatively correlated with both types of anxiety. Results suggest that differentiation is a meaningful construct for Israeli adolescents, and that less differentiated adolescents may be at risk for high levels of test anxiety and low levels of cognitive performance. Treatment of test-anxious adolescents therefore requires consideration of possible difficulties in individuating and differentiating from their families of origin.