Correlates of adolescent life stress as related to race, ses, and levels of perceived social support

Impacts of a perinatal exposure to manganese coupled with maternal stress in rats: Tests of untrained behaviors

Manganese (Mn), an element that naturally occurs in the environment, has been shown to produce neurotoxic effects on the developing young when levels exceed physiological requirements. To evaluate the effects of this chemical in combination with non-chemical factors pregnant Long-Evans rats were treated with 0, 2, or 4 mg/mL Mn in their drinking water from gestational day (GD) 7 to postnatal day (PND) 22. Half of the dams received a variable stress protocol from GD13 to PND9, that included restraint, small cage with reduced bedding, exposure to predator odor, intermittent intervals of white noise, lights on for 24 h, intermittent intervals of lights on during dark cycle and cages with grid floors and reduced bedding. One male and one female offspring from each litter were tested to assess untrained behavior. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) were recorded from PND13 pups while they were isolated from the litter. Locomotor activity (MA) was measured in figure-eight mazes at PND 17, 29, and 79 (different set of rats at each time point). Social approach (SA) was tested at PND48. Acoustic startle response (ASR) and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) were measured starting at PND58. At PND53 a sweetness preference for a chocolate flavored milk solution was assessed. There were sex related differences on several parameters for the USVs. There was also a Mn by stress by sex interaction with the females from the 4 mg/mL stressed dams having more frequency modulated (FM) call elements than the 4 mg/mL non-stressed group. There was an effect of Mn on motor activity but only at PND29 with the 2 mg/mL group having higher counts than the 0 mg/mL group. The social approach test showed sex differences for both the habituation and test phase. There was an effect of Mn, with the 4 mg/mL males having a greater preference for the stimulus rat than did the 0 mg/mL males. There was also a stress by sex interaction. The ASR and PPI had only a sex effect. Thus, with only the FM call elements having a Mn by stress effect, and the PND29 MA and SA preference index having a Mn effect but at different doses requires further investigation.

A Difference of Past Self-Evaluation Between College Students With Low and High Socioeconomic Status: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials

Socioeconomic status (SES) refers to the social position or class according to their material and non-material social resources. We conducted a study with 60 college students to explore whether SES affects past self-evaluation and used event-related potentials (ERPs) in a self-reference task that required participants to judge whether the trait adjectives (positive or negative) describing themselves 5 years ago were appropriate for them. Behavioral data showed that individuals’ positive past self-evaluations were significantly higher than individuals’ negative past self-evaluations, regardless of high or low SES. Individuals with high SES had significantly higher positive past self-evaluations than those with low SES. ERP data showed that in the low SES group, negative adjectives elicited a marginally greater N400 amplitude than positive adjectives; in the high SES group, negative adjectives elicited a greater late positive potential (LPP) amplitude than positive adjectives. N400 is an index of the accessibility of semantic processing, and a larger N400 amplitude reflects less fluent semantic processing. LPP is an index of continuous attention during late processing; the larger LPP amplitude is elicited, the more attention resources are invested. Our results indicated that compared with college students with low SES, the past self-evaluations of college students with high SES were more positive; college students with high SES paid more attention to negative adjectives. However, college students with low SES were marginally less fluent in processing negative adjectives.

Do upsetting life events explain the relationship between low socioeconomic status and systemic inflammation in childhood? Results from a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Children from families of low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to be exposed to upsetting situations and stressors. Such exposures have, in turn, been linked to inflammation in some studies. In this study we explore if low SES is related to inflammation in children via such stressful life events.

METHODS

Data on 4525 children of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a general population birth cohort, were used to explore associations between SES at ages 0-3 years, upsetting life events at ages 3-9 years and inflammatory markers [interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)] at age 9 years. Confounders included body mass index, gender, financial problems, and upsetting life events at ages 0-3 years.

RESULTS

Using Structural Equation Modelling, we found that early socioeconomic disadvantage predicted higher levels of IL-6 (β = 0.034, 95% CI = 0.005, 0.063) even after adjusting for confounders. This association was partially mediated by upsetting life events (β = 0.003, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

In the general child population, low SES is associated with increased exposure to stressful life events, in turn associated with later inflammation. These findings highlight the role of stressors associated with poverty and disadvantage in the development of inflammation among children in the general population.

Adverse experiences in early childhood and their longitudinal impact on later behavioral problems of children living in poverty

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are an identified risk factor for the social and emotional development of children. What is less known is the long-term effects of ACEs when poverty and ACEs coincide.

OBJECTIVE

Using longitudinal cohort-panel data, we examined whether exposure to ACEs by the age of three among poor children would longitudinally result in behavioral problems at ages three, five, nine, and 15, after controlling for mothers' socioeconomic status and their children's characteristics.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

We used a subsample of 2750 children and their parents living in urban poverty from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study.

METHODS

Logistic regression modeling was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios of ACE categories predicting behavioral problems after accounting for family socioeconomic position.

RESULTS

Our findings indicate that experiencing ACEs in early childhood was significantly associated with later behavioral outcomes from childhood to adolescence. Exposure to multiple ACEs before the age of three was significantly associated with the top-risk behavior group at age five; the odd ratios were 2.0 (CI = 1.3-3.1) and 2.9 (CI = 1.8-4.6) for two ACEs and three or more ACEs, respectively. At both ages nine and 15, children experiencing two or more ACEs had 1.9 to 3.2 times higher odds to demonstrate more the top 10th percentile of behavioral problems. Among covariates, mothers' race and education, and children's gender and temperament were identified as significant factors to determine behavior problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support policies and programs for families with children who have experienced economic disadvantages and early childhood adversity.

Correlates of Dysfunctional Parenting Attitudes among Low-Income Adolescent Mothers

Various scholars have speculated that adolescent mothers are at risk for negative parenting. It was therefore the purpose of this study to assess dysfunctional attitudes of adolescent mothers through a secondary analysis of a subsample of 157 participants from a large-scale, ongoing longitudinal study. Belsky 's process model of parenting was used as a framework to assess the adolescent mothers' parental attitudes at I year postpartum. Two sets of multiple regression analyses were performed: (a) ordinary least squares regressiont was used to assess predictors of generally dysfunctional parenting attitudes as continluously measured; and (b) logistic multiple regression was used to determine predictors of risk for child abuse and neglect with the dependent measure dichotomized based on normative data. The results of multiple regression analyses supported the Belsky orderinig ofpredictors, in that personal andpsychological resources of the parent were more predictive of dysfunctionalparenting attitudes than contextual sources of stress and support, which were more effective than characteristics of the child.

The nature and importance of attachment relationships to parents and peers during adolescence

The nature and quality of adolescents' attachments to peers and parents were assessed with the newly developed Inventory of Adolescent Attachments. The relative influence on measures of self-esteem and life satisfaction of relations with peers and with parents was then investigated in a hierarchical regression model. The sample consisted of 213 adolescents ranging from 12 to 19 years of age. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) The quality of perceived attachments both to parents and peers would be related to well-being, and (2) the quality of parental relationships would be a more powerful predictor of well-being than would the quality of peer relationships. Confirming the study's hypotheses, the perceived quality of the adolescents' relationships to both peers and parents, their frequency of utilization of peers, and their degree of negative life change were significantly related to both measures of well-being. The quality of attachment to parents was significantly more powerful than that to peers in predicting well-being. In addition, quality of attachment to parents showed a moderating effect under conditions of high life stress on the measures of self-esteem. The study suggests that it is useful to consider the quality of attachments to significant others as an important variable throughout the life span.

The inventory of parent and peer attachment: Individual differences and their relationship to psychological well-being in adolescence

The results of two studies are reported. Study I involved the development of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), a self-report instrument for use with adolescents. Subject were 179 college students aged 16-20 years. Item content of the instrument was suggested by attachment theory's formulations concerning the nature of feelings toward attachment figures. In Study II, the convergent validity of the IPPA was examined. Also, a hierarchial regression model was employed to investigate the association between quality of attachment and self-esteem, life-satisfaction, and affective status. Respondents were 86 adolescents from the Study I sample. As hypothesized, perceived quality of both parent and peer attachments was significantly related to psychological well-being. Results of the development of a theoretically focused, exploratory classification scheme indicated that adolescents classified as highly securely attached reported greater satisfaction with themselves, a higher likelihood of seeking social support, and less symptomatic response to stressful life events.

Mediators of depression among low-income, adolescent mothers of infants: A longitudinal perspective

The purpose of this study was to identify, using a life events perspective, Stressors and resources that mediate depression for adolescent mothers at the time of the birth of their child and at one year postpartum. The data for this study consisted of interviews with 157 low-income adolescent mothers age 12-18 at the birth of their child. They were selected from a larger prospective study of mothers of infants and stress. Multiple regression analyses revealed two key results that were consistent for the data obtained at birth and at one year postpartum. Predictors of depressive symptomatology and of a clinical syndrome of depression were similar. Also, Stressors generally were more important as mediators of depression than resources.

Common stressful life events and difficulties are associated with mental health symptoms and substance use in young adolescents

BACKGROUND

Stressful life events are associated with mood disorders in adults in clinical settings. Less described in the literature is the association between common life stressors and a wide range of psychopathology in young adolescents. This study uses a large non-clinical sample of young adolescents to describe the associations among worry or stress about common life events/difficulties, mental health and substance use.

METHODS

Data on lifetime stress or worry about common life events/difficulties (i.e., romantic breakups, family disruption, interpersonal difficulties, and personal stress (health, weight, school work)), symptoms of depression, conduct disorder symptoms, and substance use were collected from 1025 grade 7 students (mean age 12.9 years; 45% male). The association between each source of stress and each mental health and substance use indicator was modeled in separate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The proportion of adolescents reporting worry or stress ranged from 7% for new family to 53% for schoolwork. Romantic breakup stress was statistically significantly associated with all the mental health and substance use indicators except illicit drug use. Family disruption was statistically significantly associated with depression symptoms, marijuana use, and cigarette use. Interpersonal difficulties stress was statistically significantly associated with depression symptoms. All sources of personal stress were statistically significantly related to depression symptoms. In addition, health-related stress was inversely related to binge drinking.

CONCLUSION

Young adolescents may benefit from learning positive coping skills to manage worry or stress about common stressors and in particular, worry or stress related to romantic breakups. Appropriate management of mental health symptoms and substance use related to common stressful life events and difficulties may help reduce emerging psychopathology.

Relationships between depressive symptoms and perceived social support, self-esteem, & optimism in a sample of rural adolescents

Stress, developmental changes and social adjustment problems can be significant in rural teens. Screening for psychosocial problems by teachers and other school personnel is infrequent but can be a useful health promotion strategy. We used a cross-sectional survey descriptive design to examine the inter-relationships between depressive symptoms and perceived social support, self-esteem, and optimism in a sample of rural school-based adolescents. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with peer social support, family social support, self-esteem, and optimism. Findings underscore the importance for teachers and other school staff to provide health education. Results can be used as the basis for education to improve optimism, self-esteem, social supports and, thus, depression symptoms of teens.

Mental health, life stress and social support among young Norwegian adolescents with immigrant and host national background

The first aim of the study was to investigate differences in level of mental health, life stress and social support among adolescents with immigrant and domestic background. A second aim was to identify culture group and gender specific sources of risk and protective factors and their relation to mental health. Questionnaire data were collected from 633 students, aged 13, in Oslo, Norway. Immigrant adolescents reported higher level of psychological distress and lower social support than host students. Of the four gender-culture groups, immigrant boys reported the highest level of problems, with a 28% prevalence of anxiety/depression. There were no significant differences in prevalence among the girls. Specific patterns of relationships between life stress, support, and mental health were found across gender and culture. The results were discussed within a framework of culture differences in values and gender role expectancies, underscoring the importance of studying each gender/culture group separately.

Socioeconomic status and child development

Socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the most widely studied constructs in the social sciences. Several ways of measuring SES have been proposed, but most include some quantification of family income, parental education, and occupational status. Research shows that SES is associated with a wide array of health, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes in children, with effects beginning prior to birth and continuing into adulthood. A variety of mechanisms linking SES to child well-being have been proposed, with most involving differences in access to material and social resources or reactions to stress-inducing conditions by both the children themselves and their parents. For children, SES impacts well-being at multiple levels, including both family and neighborhood. Its effects are moderated by children's own characteristics, family characteristics, and external support systems.

Screening and predicting adolescent depressive symptoms in rural settings

Adolescent depression with related suicidal behavior is a serious health problem. This article describes depressive symptoms, reported life events, and demographic risk factors in 846 rural adolescents. The results indicate that self-reported depressive symptoms in rural adolescents is significantly (p < .05) related to gender, death in the family, and the perceived positive and negative impact of life events, as well as the specific events of losing a close friend, an increase in number of arguments with parents, trouble with classmates, and trouble with police. The type of school program and trouble with siblings was marginally significant (p < .10). These demographic factors and life events may assist health-care professionals in identifying adolescents at risk for depressive symptoms.

Life stress, social support and psychological distress in late adolescence

Psychological distress in high-school students was examined in relation to negative life events, long-lasting adversities and perceived social support from the family, friends and the school class. Academic problems increased the symptom levels of psychological distress, and social support from family and social support from friends reduced the symptoms among males and females. For females, social support from school class-mates and problems with parents and friends also had direct independent effects on symptom levels. An effect of the total number of long-lasting adversities was significantly stronger for females than males. The buffer hypothesis was supported: both an increase in social support from parents and social support from peers reduced the effect of negative life events.

Socioeconomic disadvantage, proximal environmental experiences, and socioemotional and academic adjustment in early adolescence: investigation of a mediated effects model

This study investigated interrelations among conditions of household socioeconomic disadvantage, proximal environmental experiences, and adaptational outcomes in a sample of 398 middle grade, early adolescents from a predominantly poor, rural area. Findings indicated that levels of disadvantage were related to both socioemotional and academic adjustment, with those from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds faring most poorly. Specifically, youth from homes in which adults were employed in low-income, unskilled occupations were found to have lower levels of school performance and achievement compared to those from homes in which adults were employed in higher paying semi-skilled or skilled/professional occupations. Further, youth from families in which neither parent had graduated from high school exhibited significantly worse socioemotional and academic adjustment than did those whose parents had higher educational levels. Youth who lived in relatively disadvantaged homes also reported more negative experiences of proximal environmental conditions relating to family and school contexts and greater exposure to stressful life events. Most notably, findings provided support for employing an ecological-mediational perspective to understand patterns of linkage between socioeconomic disadvantage and levels of adjustment. Support for this viewpoint included the finding that proximal environmental experiences were significant predictors of adolescent adjustment, independent of shared variance with conditions of household disadvantage, whereas conditions of disadvantage in several instances were no longer related significantly to indices of adjustment once their association with proximal environmental conditions was taken into account. The discussion considers implications for the targeting and scope of ecologically oriented approaches to preventive intervention.

Ethnic differences in early adolescents' coping with school stress

Three groups of early adolescents were compared on the prevalence and stressfulness of school-related events experienced during the transition to seventh grade, as well as on their individual coping behavior and the availability, extent, and type of social support they could mobilize. Implications for the development of intervention programs targeting minority adolescents are discussed.

Toward an understanding of the health status of black adolescents: an application of the stress-coping framework

The transition from adolescence to adulthood for many urban black youth today contains a number of formidable barriers and often results in a variety of adverse developmental and behavioral outcomes. Nurses and other health providers have an obligation to answer the urgent need for improvements in the health status of black adolescents. This paper reviews the current psychosocial functioning of black youth while emphasizing the disadvantaged social contexts in which most live, which place them at a higher risk for a variety of negative outcomes. Data concerning mental and social health indicators for black adolescents suggest (a) a negative mental health trajectory with high rates of depression, psychiatric hospitalization rates, and suicides, and (b) a poor social health status with alarming school dropout and juvenile delinquency rates, and chronic violence exposure, substance use, and teen pregnancy. An application of the stress-coping framework to black adolescents is suggested as a way to conceptualize the relationship between stress factors and their influence on development. Because this framework places much emphasis on environmental factors as causes for psychological distress, it provides a means to account for the differential incidence of mental and social illnesses among black adolescents. Nursing interventions related to stress and coping among black adolescents may serve to increase well-being and actualize health promotion. However, research efforts are needed to discover which strategies are used by black youth to cope with the stressful experiences faced in their daily lives. Findings could enhance the design, planning, and implementation of prevention and educational programs, making them more consistent with the unique needs of black adolescents.

A Factorial Investigation of the Dimensions of Social Support

This study represents a factor analytic investigation of the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) and the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) when used with South African students. Respondents ( N = 242) were undergraduate students at the University of the Western Cape. The obtained internal-consistency estimates of reliability for the ISSB and the SSQ (alphas above 0,90) compared favourably with previously reported reliabilities for these scales. Exploratory factor analyses of the ISSB yielded three factors similar to previously reported factor structures of the scale, while in the case of the SSQ it appears as if one factor is sufficient to represent the factorial structure of the scale. Confirmatory factor analyses, using latent variable methods confirmed the distinctiveness of the instruments and indicated that two interrelated factors accounted for the variation in the subscales of the ISSB and the SSQ.

Adolescent coping behavior when confronted with a friend with AIDS

The coping strategies employed by adolescents (n = 871) when presented with a hypothetical situation of a friend with AIDS were examined. Adolescents reported a wide range of imagined responses that were generally adaptive. Girls more than boys and distressed students more than nondistressed students were likely to endorse adaptive coping items. Comparison of the students with a separate sample (n = 472) that responded to a hypothetical situation of a suicidal peer revealed more distress in girls for the AIDS problem and more distress in boys for the suicide problem, contrary to expectations. Adolescents were more distressed and endorsed a wider variety of coping strategies in response to the AIDS scenario than to the suicide problem. Implications for care of adolescents dealing with these significant issues are discussed.

Self-efficacy in normal adolescents

This descriptive study, one component of the Carolina Adolescent Health Project (CAHP), measured self-efficacy in a voluntary sample of 432 normal freshmen and sophomore urban high school students. Using Coppel's Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), which is based on Bandura's conceptualization of self-efficacy, the research also examined the effect of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and self-reported religiosity on self-efficacy. The teenagers in this sample had a moderately high degree of self-efficacy with a mean SES score of 45.37 (SES range = 13-65). A series of t tests and one-way and two-way analyses of variance indicated no significant difference in SES scores by race, gender, socioeconomic status, or religiosity. Findings did not support the investigators' original expectation that these demographic and psychosocial variables would affect self-efficacy. The study provides normative data for future comparative studies using the SES.

The effects of physical activity and exercise training on psychological stress and well-being in an adolescent population

To determine whether participating in physical activity affects psychological well-being in an adolescent population, 147 adolescents completed self-reports of exercise and psychological stress and well-being. Analysis revealed that those who reported greater physical activity also reported less stress and lower levels of depression. Adolescents who experienced a higher incidence of life events also demonstrated a strong association between stress and anxiety/depression/hostility. To investigate the effects of exercise training on psychological well-being, adolescents were assigned to either high or moderate intensity aerobic training, flexibility training or a control group. The training groups met twice per week for 25-30 min. Aerobic fitness levels, heart rate, blood pressure and self-report of stress and well-being were measured prior to and following 10 weeks of training. Post-training fitness measures confirmed the effectiveness of the high intensity aerobic exercise and between groups differences for physiological and some psychological measures were found. Subjects undergoing high intensity exercise reported significantly less stress than subjects in the remaining three groups. The relationship between stress and anxiety/depression/hostility for the high intensity group was considerably weakened at the end of the training period. For the remaining subjects, however, this relationship was, if anything, strengthened. This experiment provides evidence to suggest that in an adolescent population, high intensity aerobic exercise has positive effects on well-being.

Major life events and changes in the behavioural functioning of children

The relationship between major life events and changes, across a 2-yr period, in the level of parent-reported behavioural/emotional problems in 1397 children from a general population sample was investigated using a highly modified version of the Coddington Life Events Record and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. The life event questionnaire used in the present study proved to have a satisfactory reliability. The number of life events increased significantly with increasing age of the child, and a higher incidence of such events was found for families with lower socio-economic status. A significant relationship was found between the total score of negative life events across the 2-yr period and changes in the level of behavioural/emotional problems of the children.

Risk for DWI: a new look at gender differences in drinking and driving influences, experiences, and attitudes among new adolescent drivers

Adolescent drivers are over-represented in fatal auto accidents, especially those involving alcohol (DWI). Young male drivers appear to be at higher risk than adolescent female drivers because of a variety of important influencing factors. The current study takes a new look at the gender differences in these factors as they relate to driving behavior. Three hundred forty-three tenth-grade students (mean age: 15.8 years; 52% male, 48% female) were studied measuring demographics, family characteristics and influences, drug and alcohol use, perception of driving skill, sensation-seeking, other personality factors and responses to DWI vignettes for decision-making skill. Female respondents more often had difficulty with parents (p = 0.03) than males and more often used drugs and alcohol (p = 0.05). Boys more often attended speed competitions (p = 0.003), had legal problems (p = 0.004), and dated at a younger age (p less than 0.001). Males perceived greater driving skill in risky situations and used the automobile to enhance self-efficacy more than females (p = 0.001/p = 0.05). Male drivers scored higher on anger/hostility and sensation-seeking scales (p = 0.05). There were few significant gender differences in the way respondents analyzed risky DWI situations. Even though female subjects used more alcohol/drugs and came from more disturbed family backgrounds, their attitudes and behavior with respect to DWI appear more socially acceptable. Speculation as to some of the reasons for this effect are discussed with implications for prevention and further research.

Perinatal Health Belief Scales. A cost-effective technique for predicting prenatal appointment keeping rates among pregnant teenagers

This study was designed to test two different methods for predicting pregnant teenagers at risk for failing to keep appointments for comprehensive prenatal care. Sixty-three pregnant adolescents completed psychological questionnaires assessing depression, social support, and life events. They and their primary health care provider also completed the Perinatal Health Belief Scales (PHBS) measuring the respondent's perception of risk and need for services. Following their infant's birth, adolescents completed a measure of health care satisfaction. Chart reviews provided data regarding birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores, and appointment-keeping information. The results suggest that adolescents who failed to keep the most appointments were likely to have significantly lower levels of concern regarding their risks during pregnancy than their primary health care provider. Adolescents were more likely to keep appointments if they expressed levels of concern on the PHBS that were similar to their health care provider. The psychological measures and PHBS when applied individually, were not successful in predicting those with the greatest likelihood for nonadherence to appointments.

Maternal behavior, social support, and economic conditions as predictors of distress in children

Economic hardship diminishes psychological well-being and the capacity for supportive parenting. Single mothers' coping behavior, psychological functioning, and communications to the child about financial matters and personal problems predict the degree of psychological distress experienced by their children.

Social support, life events and psychosomatic symptoms among 14-16-year-old adolescents

The role of family, friends and confidants in mediating the impact of adverse life events on psychosomatic symptoms in mid-adolescence was studied. School children (n = 2013) completed questionnaires in class on three occasions during 17 months. Data about social support and life events for 12 months were gathered retrospectively in the final questionnaire. The differences in symptoms by life events and social support were already present at the beginning of the study. Those adolescents who had experienced adverse life events and reported a poor relationship with one or both parents had the highest levels of symptoms and the greatest increase in symptoms during the follow-up. Lack of friends was also associated with psychosomatic symptoms, especially among those who had experienced adverse life events. The results suggest that adolescents who lack parental or peer support are at risk for psychosomatic symptoms in general, and especially in the face of stressful life events.

Life stress and psychosomatic symptoms among 14 to 16-year old Finnish adolescents

School children (N = 2013) completed questionnaires in class on three occasions over a period of 17 months. Life stress data for 12 months were gathered retrospectively in the last questionnaire. Life events and interpersonal problems were associated with psychosomatic symptoms. In terms of change in symptoms, the impact of life events and interpersonal problems was demonstrated in boys but not in girls. Though boys with a history of no events or problems had lower symptom scores than girls, boys with a history of many events or problems caught up with the girls by the end of the follow-up period. On the other hand, symptom differences related to life stress scores were already apparent at the beginning of the study, and these differences were greater in girls than in boys.

Toward a multi-method approach to assessing the effects of social support

Two studies were done to assess the direct and stress-buffering effects of social support on psychological symptoms of college students. Three conceptually distinct measures were used to assess different aspects of social support: receipt of supportive transactions, satisfaction with support received, and social support network characteristics. The results indicated a significant direct and stress-buffering effect for support satisfaction in reducing psychological symptomatology. Two measures of support network size were used: number of people who were both a source of supportive and of upsetting interactions (conflicted support network), and number of people who were only mentioned as a source of support (unconflicted support network). Conflicted network size was positively related to symptomatology and increased the relationship between stress and symptomatology. No direct or interaction effects were obtained for unconflicted network size in predicting symptomatology.

Psychosocial functioning, life change, and clinical status in adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Twenty-six adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) were administered the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. The mean overall scores placed the CF patients at the 30th percentile of a normative adolescent population. Eighty-five percent were at appropriate school grade level, 69% participated in physical education classes, and 81% had future plans for college and/or a career. Total Life Event scores of CF adolescents were not significantly different from the normal adolescent population. However, in 22 CF adolescents evaluated with a modified National Institute of Health Scoring System, negative Life Event scores were higher in 10 adolescents with moderate to severely impaired health status than in 12 with lesser impairment. This relationship was not modified by other psychosocial variables.