Negative reactivity and parental warmth in early adolescence and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood

Family and Individual Contexts of Middle-School Years and Educational Achievement of Youths in Middle-Aged Adulthood

Although educational development of youths can profoundly affect their other domains of health and well-being across later life trajectories, little research has investigated the prolonged effects of family and individual contexts of youths in middle-school years, a most critical developmental and formative stage, on their educational achievement in middle-aged adulthood. The current study employed data of a nationwide representative sample of middle-school youth students in the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) to examine how grade-7 parental support for college education, family SES, and educational expectations of youths contribute to their educational achievement in adulthood of mid-thirties through their development of grade-8 academic commitment and grade-9 educational performance in terms of English, mathematics, science, and social studies grade scores. Results based on structural equation modeling of longitudinal relationship found that grade-7 parental support for college education, family SES, and educational expectations of youths had significant and direct effects on youths' higher educational achievement in adulthood, and youths' grade-8 academic commitment and grade-9 educational performance significantly mediated the effects of grade-7 family SES, parental support for college education, and educational expectations of youths on their educational achievement in adulthood respectively and/or concurrently. Furthermore, interaction analysis supported the promotive but not buffering effects of grade-7 educational expectations of youths by family SES on their grade-9 educational performance and educational achievement in adulthood. Implications related to the important findings of the current study pertaining to educational development of youths are discussed.

Depression and alcohol use in American Indian adolescents: The influence of family factors

BACKGROUND

Rates of both depression and alcohol use are disproportionately higher among American Indian (AI) adolescents than adolescents in the general population. The co-occurrence of depression and alcohol use is common and clinically relevant given their reciprocal negative influences on outcomes. Family factors may be especially relevant because they could have a buffering effect on this relationship due to the importance of kinship and community in AI communities. The current study examines the roles of family warmth and parental monitoring in the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use in a large, nationally representative sample of AI adolescents.

METHODS

Data were collected from 3498 AI 7th to 12th graders (47.8% female) residing on or near a reservation during the period 2009 to 2013. Participants reported on their depressive symptoms, family factors, and alcohol use.

RESULTS

There was a small, but statistically significant positive association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use (r = 0.11, p < 0.001). Greater depressive symptoms were associated with significantly less perceived family warmth (β = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.13, -0.06]), which was associated with significantly greater alcohol use (β = -0.39, 95% CI [-0.55, -0.23]). Family warmth significantly accounted for the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use at high (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [0.004, 0.09]), but not low, levels of parental monitoring (β = 0.02, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.002, 0.06]).

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study suggest that developing culturally sensitive prevention and treatment approaches focusing on increasing both family warmth and parental monitoring are important to address the co-occurrence of depression and alcohol misuse among AI adolescents.

Stigma towards individuals who self harm: impact of gender and disclosure

Purpose

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is reasonably common, particularly among young people with prevalence rates of up to 25 per cent reported. Many factors contribute towards NSSI, including depression, anxiety and history of abuse and NSSI is a risk factor for suicide. Many people who engage in NSSI do not seek help, potentially due to concern about sigmatising attitudes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of gender and disclosure on stigmatising attitudes towards individuals who engage in NSSI.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were 384 first-year university students (77.4 per cent female; mean age 19.50 years (SD=3.53)) who completed measures of stigmatising attitudes in response to vignettes featuring individuals who engaged in self-harming behaviour. Vignettes varied in the gender of the individual as well as whether the NSSI was disclosed or not.

Findings

The results support the attribution model of public discrimination in relation to NSSI stigma. Perceptions of higher personal responsibility for NSSI behaviour and higher levels of danger and manipulation were positively associated with stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours. Male research participants reported significantly higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours than females.

Social implications

The level of stigmatising attitudes towards individuals who engage in NSSI is significant and may impact on help-seeking behaviour.

Originality/value

Between 10 and 25 per cent of adolescents engage in some form of NSSI, but only a minority seek help to address this behaviour. This study suggests that attitudes by peers may influence help-seeking. Further research is required outside of tertiary education settings.