Parenting styles and mental health of Palestinian-Arab adolescents in Israel

Indulgent Parenting and Adolescents' Maladjustments: The Roles of Cultural Context and Parental Gender

Background/Objectives. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage marked by the exploration of independence and self-identity. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between indulgent parenting (characterized by high responsiveness and low demandingness) and adolescents' maladjustments across emotional, behavioral, and social domains. Methods. Using a cross-cultural sample of high school students from the U.S. (n = 268) and China (n = 189), we tested the hypotheses that indulgent parenting was associated with adolescents' maladjustments, and that such association varied by cultural context (U.S. vs. China) and parental gender. Results. The results from Bayesian structural equation modeling supported the hypotheses, showing significant associations between indulgent parenting and adolescents' maladjustments and differences in the associations across cultures and parental gender. Conclusions. The findings highlighted the need for culturally informed parenting programs to foster healthy adolescent development.

Parenting a High and Growing Population of Youth in the Arab Region: A Scoping Review for an Evidence-Informed Research Agenda

The Arab region is experiencing the largest youth cohort in its history. Parental influence is a clear factor in the well-being of this demographic. This scoping review serves as the first consolidated synthesis of existing research on parenting in the Arab world, aimed at identifying research gaps and informing future research agendas. Searches of 18 databases resulted in 4,758 records (1995-2018) in all languages. Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, eligible studies (n = 152) underwent duplicate data abstraction. An evidence gap map was developed using 3i.e.'s platform. Studies were mostly published in English (88%), and lead authors' affiliations were mostly from Arab institutions. Included studies were mostly cross-sectional (89%), quantitative (96%), conducted in a school/university (83%), and surveyed children and adolescents (70%). Most studies (79%) examined parenting influences on youth outcomes. Fewer examined parenting measurement (30%) or evaluated interventions (1%). Mental health and school performance were the most commonly investigated outcomes. The evidence gap map allows researchers who study youth in the Arab world to efficiently and visually delineate the gaps and strategically prioritize research needs. Future studies should employ robust mixed methods study designs, focus on evaluation and psychometric research, engage youth in the research process and explore a more diverse set of outcomes.

Eating disorders and related psychological features among Arabs and Jews in Israel: Does culture play a moderating role?

Eating disorders (EDs) have been documented in various cultural settings. A continuous increase in ED' rates among non-Western cultures (e.g., Arab cultures and East-Asian cultures) has been reported. We aimed to investigate the relations among culture, ED symptoms, and psychological features that are highly relevant in EDs through a cultural comparison of three groups. The groups included female university students in Israel with varying levels of exposure to Westernization: 118 Jewish students, 132 Arab students studying at a mixed university with a Jewish majority, and 111 Arab students studying at Sakhnin College, a college for Arab students only. The groups differed significantly on the Conservation Value dimension from the Short Portrait Values Questionnaire. Four psychological features were examined as predictors of ED symptoms: Interoceptive-deficits, Ineffectiveness, Asceticism, and Maturity-fear. The results revealed a comparable prevalence of self-reported ED symptoms among Arabs and Jews, with a small exception for bulimic symptoms, which were less prevalent among those in the Sakhnin group, who also scored lower on Ineffectiveness and higher on asceticism than the other groups. Testing the relations between the four psychological features and ED symptoms revealed that culture played a moderating role in predicting the strength of ineffectiveness and maturity-fear. Ineffectiveness was not a predictor among the Sakhnin group, whereas maturity-fear was not a predictor in the least conservative Jewish group. Asceticism and interoceptive-deficits predicted ED symptoms across all study groups. Our findings indicate that the problem of EDs may be similar among Arab and Jewish women in Israel. Moreover, despite some similarities in the relevance of some ED-related psychological features, other features are moderated by culture.

Procedural Justice, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, and Reoffending: Adjudicating Palestinian Minors in the West Bank's Military Court

The Juvenile Military Court (JMC), established in 2009 in the West Bank, handles offenses perpetrated by Palestinian minors, consisting mostly of security-related violations. With the establishment of the JMC, and a subsequent three-stage legal reform in handling juvenile offenders, Palestinian minor suspects and defendants have been accorded various procedural rights. This study addresses the impact of these rights on the criminal careers of Palestinian minors appearing in the JMC. It first reviews the demographic profile of 8,301 minors handled by the JMC between 2000 and 2018, describes their offenses, and offense transition between their initial and second arrest. Using trend analysis, the study compares minors' reoffending level in the years before and after the reform. The findings suggest significant differences in minors' reoffending level between the years preceding and following the legal reform. Possible explanations for the findings are offered, and the article concludes with policy implications and directions for future research.

The association between parenting styles, maternal self-efficacy, and social and emotional adjustment among Arab preschool children

Parenting styles and parental self-efficacy are major factors that affect the overall adjustment of children. The current study examined parenting styles and maternal self-efficacy and their association with social-emotional adjustment among Arab preschool children living in Israel. Parenting Styles Questionnaire, Maternal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Adjustment Questionnaire were administered to 420 Arabic-speaking mothers of 3- to 4-year-old children. After employing multiple regression analyses, the results indicated that parenting styles and the overall adjustment of children were significantly correlated. More precisely, a significant association between authoritative parenting style and higher levels of social-emotional adjustment among preschool children was found. Furthermore, maternal self-efficacy was significantly correlated to the overall adjustment of children. In this regard, higher maternal self-efficacy is associated with increased social-emotional adjustment among preschool children. The findings of our study show the applicability of these constructs found relevant across numerous cultures in a unique sample of Arab children living in Israel. Lastly, this study supports intervention programs that promote authoritative parenting style and parental self-efficacy in Arab communities.

Disrupted maternal communication and disorganized attachment in the Arab society in Israel

Disrupted maternal communication during mother-infant interaction has been found to be associated with infants' disorganized attachment, but has been studied primarily in North American and European samples and not in Arab samples. To address this gap the study examined the association between disrupted maternal communication and infant attachment in a sample of 50 Arab mothers and their one-year-old infants in Israel. Attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), and disrupted communication with the AMBIANCE. Disrupted communication was higher in mothers of infants with disorganized and ambivalent attachment than in mothers of securely attached infants. The findings support the link between disrupted communication and disorganized attachment in the Arab society in Israel and add to our understanding of maternal behavior associated with ambivalent attachment.

Starting University at the Time of COVID-19: Psychoemotional Adjustment of a Group of Italian Students

The transition from school to university typically occurs during emerging adulthood; this coming together of multiple challenging development tasks at the same time may be stressful for some students. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and above all the health measures implemented to deal with it, may have been an additional factor contributing to the difficult adaptation of first-year students to academic life. This study evaluated the role played by emotional processing and differentiation of self for psychological well-being in a sample of 218 Italian students (78.4% women) who began their 1st year of college during the pandemic. The results showed that higher levels of differentiation of self, combined with fewer signs of unprocessed emotions, predicted lower psychological distress. The data support the importance of these variables as protective factors in promoting psychological well-being along with the transition to adulthood and adaptation to new life challenges. These findings draw attention to the relevance of support services aimed at university students and of emerging adults in general in considering and promoting the role of self-differentiation and the style of emotional processing for addressing well-being and mental health during the transition to adult life.

The Role of Sociocultural Context in Cyberbullying in Israeli Society: Comparing Arab and Jewish Parents' Perceived Knowledge of Their Adolescent Children's Involvement in Cyberbullying

This paper examines the relationship between parental monitoring and control, parents' perceived knowledge of their adolescent's online activities, and parents' perceived knowledge of their adolescent's involvement in cyberbullying, among Israeli Jewish and Arab parents of adolescents. The 407 participants consisted of two groups: Jewish (n = 194) and Arab (n = 213) parents of adolescents in Israel, who were recruited via online social networks and completed an online survey. The self-report questionnaire included the Stattin and Kerr Parental Control and Parental Monitoring Questionnaire (Stattin & Kerr in Developmental Psychology 36:366, 2000), as well as parental knowledge of child online activities and witnessing and experiencing cyberbullying. Parental monitoring and control were perceived as higher by Jewish than Arab parents, while no group differences were found for perceived child disclosure or parental knowledge of adolescent online activity. Parental knowledge of the adolescent witnessing cyberbullying was higher among Arab than Jewish parents, while the opposite was found for parental knowledge of the adolescent experiencing cyberbullying. Parental knowledge of the adolescent both witnessing and experiencing cyberbullying was related to group affiliation, lower parental education, and higher parental perceived knowledge of the adolescent's online activities. Parents' perceived knowledge of the adolescent witnessing cyberbullying was further related to higher perceived adolescent disclosure. The study increases our understanding of perceived parental involvement and its relationship with parents' perceived knowledge of the adolescent's involvement in cyberbullying in a diverse and multicultural society.

The ripple effect: a cross-sectional study on the repercussions of child maltreatment among Egyptian college students

Background

Child maltreatment is a global risk factor for mental health. The burden of child maltreatment is heaviest in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where most of the world’s children live. This study sheds light on the occurrence of child maltreatment within Egypt’s upper social class stratum, countering a long-held belief that violence against children only occurs within low-income households. In addition, the study examines the association between exposure to child maltreatment and psychopathology, life satisfaction and resilience among emerging adults in Egypt, and whether emotion dysregulation mediates these relationships. Participants were 171 college students who were selected based on a series of questionnaires about exposure to child abuse and neglect, psychopathology, satisfaction with life, and resilience, as well as difficulties in emotion regulation.

Results

A rate of 48% of exposure to at least one type of child maltreatment before the age of 18 was found. Experiencing antipathy and/or sexual abuse was most strongly associated with PTSD and depression, while exposure only to antipathy contributed to lower life satisfaction and resilience. Emotion dysregulation mediated the associations between antipathy and PTSD, depression, life satisfaction, and resilience, as well as the associations between sexual abuse and PTSD and depression.

Conclusions

The present study hints at a comparably high rate of exposure to child maltreatment among the higher social class stratum, producing data that highlights the association between child maltreatment and mental health in emerging adults in Egypt. These findings emphasize that child maltreatment transcends social class, and that attempting to address the issue requires changing social and cultural belief systems that bolster violent behavior.

Effectiveness of a Preventive Parenting Program Combining Attachment and Behavioral Approaches in an Arab Context: a Cluster-Based Randomized Control Trial

Parenting programs aim to help parents and carers enhance their skills and ameliorate infants' and toddlers' wellbeing. In Lebanon and other Arab countries, contextualized group-based parenting programs addressing parents' mental wellbeing, parenting styles, and child development are quite rare. Therefore, a Preventive Parenting Program consisting of 7 sessions has been designed by local experts for the local cultural context. This study aims to assess its effectiveness. Thirty-three sites were identified in Great Beirut: private firms, primary healthcare centers, and child daycares. Sixteen agreed to take part in the study and were randomly assigned to intervention and control arms. From these clusters, 191 mothers of typically developed children younger than three years were recruited to intervention (106) or control (85) groups. The Mental Health Inventory, Caregiver Knowledge about Child Development Inventory, Parent Authority Questionnaire, and a Demographic questionnaire were completed at pre-intervention and post-intervention and 3 months later by both groups of mothers. There were no significant differences between clusters with respect to all scales' scores at baseline as well as the 2 other data collection points. Despite the positive feedback collected from mothers who attended the sessions, no significant effects were detected. The design of the program, the expected outcomes, and the characteristics of the participants may have contributed to the limited results, hence the need for further research.

Parenting style in a rapidly developing country: A report from the state of Qatar

Objective

To investigate the different styles of parenting in the State of Qatar, a country that is considered a cosmopolitan hub with rapid development.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sidra Medicine, the only tertiary pediatric hospital in Qatar. Parents of children 3-14 years old were offered a questionnaire.

Results

A total of 114 questionnaires were completed (response rate = 95%). Approximately 65% of parents were between 30 and 39 years of age. Almost 90% of parents state that they are confident of their parenting ability. More than 90% of the participating parents stated that they are responsive to their child's feeling and needs, give comfort and understanding when their child is upset, praise their child when well-behaved, give reasons why rules should be followed, help children understand the impact of their behavior, explain consequences of bad behavior, take into account their child's desire before asking him/her to do something, encourage their child to freely express him/herself when disagreeing with his/her parents, and show respect to their child's opinion. However, 60% of parents sometimes scold, yell, and criticize their child when he/she misbehaves but less than 50% of them use threats as a consequence with little or no justification. Furthermore, two-thirds of parents give consequences by putting their child off somewhere with little or no explanation. Moreover, one in four participants gives in to their child when he/she causes a commotion about something, threatens their child with consequences more often than actually giving them, and states consequences to their child and do not actually do them.

Conclusion

Residents in Qatar have a mixed type of parental style (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive). This study will guide us to raise the awareness about the types of parenting style in Qatar, in order to provide professional parenting counseling taking into consideration the cultural background.

Religiosity as a moderator of the links between parental psychological control and children's prosociality

Three studies examined the links between psychological control and prosociality in middle childhood, and the role of religiosity as a moderator. Study 1 (101 Israeli Jewish families, ages 6-9, 50% girls) found a significant interaction, with a negative association between maternal psychological control and children's prosociality in secular but not in religious families. Study 2 (161 Israeli Jewish families, ages 6-12, 48% girls) replicated this interaction for mothers using a continuous religiosity measure. Study 3 (64 Arab Muslim Israeli families, ages 6-8.5, 50% girls) also found a significant interaction, with a positive link between psychological control and prosociality seen at higher, but not at lower, religiosity levels. The findings suggest that religiosity may alter the meaning and consequences of parenting practices.

Ethnic group and social support contribution to posttraumatic growth after sudden spousal loss among Jewish, Muslim, and Druze widows in Israel

This study aimed to examine the contribution of ethnic group status and social support to posttraumatic growth (PTG) among widows after sudden spousal loss. Participants included 184 widows from three ethnic groups: 59 (32.3%) Jewish, 58 (31.7%) Muslim, and 66 (36%) Druze. Information was gathered via a demographic questionnaire, PTG Inventory, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Analysis of covariance was used to test ethnic group status differences in social support, controlling for demographic variables. Hierarchical linear models were used to assess groups differences in the study outcome variables. The results showed that the PTG total score was higher for Jewish widows than for Muslim and Druze widows, with a null difference between the latter two, and social support contributed to increased PTG among Jewish widows more than among Muslim and Druze widows, with no significant association between social support and PTG among Druze widows. The highest PTG levels were observed among widows from modern individualistic cultural backgrounds, compared with traditional collectivist, cultural backgrounds after sudden spousal death. The social support system may be a pathway to enhance PTG among widows in traditional collectivist societies.

Depression and social anxiety mediate the relationship between parenting styles and risk of eating disorders: A study among Arab adolescents

In multicultural Israel, the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), a common chronic disorder among Western adolescents (especially females), has risen for Arab adolescents, who belong to an Eastern collectivist society. The study examines family and psychological factors that may increase the risk of EDs among Muslim Arab adolescents. We expected social anxiety and depressive symptoms to mediate the association between parenting styles and risk of EDs, with possible gender differences in the mediation model. Participants were 613 Muslim adolescents (394 females and 219 males); mean age = 15.4 ± 1.6; range = 12-19. The analyses revealed that the severity of depressive symptoms and especially social anxiety mediate the relationship between authoritarian parenting style and risk of EDs. Females reported higher levels of risk of EDs, social anxiety, depression and authoritative parenting style than males; no differences appeared for authoritarian or permissive parenting styles. The research sheds new light on risk factors for EDs and the likelihood of authoritarian parenting style and social anxiety being involved in the aetiology of EDs among Arab adolescents. The outcomes meaningfully add to understanding of specific psychological processes that may be associated with the risk of EDs in this population.

Palestinian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Parental Practices, Neighborhood Cohesion and Assistance, and Adolescent Wellbeing

In this study, a total of 335 Palestinian refugees (M = 15.5 years, SD = 1.05, 49% males), recruited from four United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) schools at the Al-Baqa'a and Jabal Al-Hussein refugee camps in Jordan, rated their neighborhood physical environment and neighborhood support and cohesion, separately rated their mothers' and fathers' parenting on several dimensions, and reported on their adjustment to these circumstances (internalizing symptoms, self-concept clarity, and norm breaking). Living in more dangerous physical environments was associated with higher levels of refugee youths' internalizing symptoms and norm breaking, but effects were not significant when parenting was considered. Our study showed that higher levels of psychological control-disrespect (significantly for fathers and marginally for mothers) and marginally, higher levels of maternal harsh punishment were associated with more teen internalizing symptoms. In addition, fathers' greater psychological control and lower levels of support had a marginally significant effect on teens' greater norm breaking. For behavioral control, only mothers' greater behavioral control was associated with refugee youths' greater self-concept clarity but not with paternal behavioral control. Thus, fathers' psychological control and mothers' behavioral control had the biggest association with adolescent outcomes.

Palestinian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Parental Practices, Neighborhood Cohesion and Assistance, and Adolescent Wellbeing

In this study, a total of 335 Palestinian refugees (M = 15.5 years, SD = 1.05, 49% males), recruited from four United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) schools at the Al-Baqa’a and Jabal Al-Hussein refugee camps in Jordan, rated their neighborhood physical environment and neighborhood support and cohesion, separately rated their mothers’ and fathers’ parenting on several dimensions, and reported on their adjustment to these circumstances (internalizing symptoms, self-concept clarity, and norm breaking). Living in more dangerous physical environments was associated with higher levels of refugee youths’ internalizing symptoms and norm breaking, but effects were not significant when parenting was considered. Our study showed that higher levels of psychological control–disrespect (significantly for fathers and marginally for mothers) and marginally, higher levels of maternal harsh punishment were associated with more teen internalizing symptoms. In addition, fathers’ greater psychological control and lower levels of support had a marginally significant effect on teens’ greater norm breaking. For behavioral control, only mothers’ greater behavioral control was associated with refugee youths’ greater self-concept clarity but not with paternal behavioral control. Thus, fathers’ psychological control and mothers’ behavioral control had the biggest association with adolescent outcomes.

Primary caregivers experience of anti-psychotic medication: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Management of schizophrenia is now shifted to the community setting and family caregivers are the primary caregivers. Managing medications is a complex responsibility of family caregivers caring for patients with mental illness. Medication compliance contributes to improve health outcomes and reduced hospitalization for the care service users; however, little is known about attitudes and perception of family caregivers.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore family caregivers experience towards antipsychotic medications.

METHODS

A purposeful sampling of 21 family caregivers was included in the study. Semi-structured interview was employed to collect data from the participants between May and October 2015. Thematic analysis approach was used to identify the common pattern in the data.

RESULTS

Four main themes emerged from the study: insight into illness (poor understanding of illness), treatment factor (thinking about medication, poor guidance for medication compliance), resources and support (availability of medication and cost of medication), health care provider factors (communication gap and poor assessment with follow-up, social dysfunction (social isolation, disruption in life routine) of the primary caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Responsibility for providing care for patients with mental illness are taken place in the community setting and cared by family caregivers. More information resources are required for this role, which requires specific medication management skills and knowledge.

Influences of the Differences Between Mothers' and Children's Perceptions of Parenting Styles

In this study, we explored the differences between mothers' and children's perceptions of mothers' parenting styles (DMCP of MPS) and examined the effects of these differences on children's depression, aggression, and ego-resilience. A total of 233 pairs of mothers and teen-aged children participated in the study. Our analysis produced four main findings. First, the mothers perceived their parenting attitudes as more rational and affectionate than their children did; children whose mothers rated their parenting styles more favorably had higher levels of depression and aggression and lower ego-resilience. Second, the correlation analysis and the structural equation model verification confirmed that as the DMCP of MPS increased, children's levels of depression and aggression increased, and their ego-resilience decreased. Third, ego-resilience partly mediated the relationship between DMCP-Rationality and depression. Lastly, we found that ego-resilience and depression had dual mediation effects on the relationship between DMCP-Rationality and children's aggression. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings and suggestions for future studies.

Impact of Parents' Knowledge about the Development of Self-Esteem in Adolescents and Their Parenting Practice on the Self-Esteem and Suicidal Behavior of Urban High School Students in Nepal

Background: Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents worldwide, self-esteem is a strong protective factor, and parents may be able to provide interventions. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine how parents can help enhance their adolescent’s self-esteem and prevent suicidal behavior among adolescents in Nepal. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to adolescents aged 13–19 years and their parents at eight high schools in three provinces in Nepal (n = 575 pairs). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (bivariate and multivariate regression analyses). Results: The mean self-esteem score of adolescents according to the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was 16.59, and the prevalence of suicidal behavior was 11.3%. Parent’s knowledge about the development of self-esteem in adolescents was significantly positively related to parenting practice (communication, support, positive reinforcement, etc.) (B = 1.0, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.89–1.11) and authoritative parenting style (B = 0.2, 95% CI 0.15–0.25). Parental authoritativeness was positively associated with the self-esteem of their adolescents (B = 0.1, 95% CI 0.01–0.18), while adolescents with authoritarian parents were prone to suicidal risk behavior (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0–1.19). Conclusion: Counseling to parents based on our findings would be helpful to enhance the self-esteem and prevent suicidal risk behavior in their adolescent children.

Mental health among Vietnamese urban late adolescents: The association of parenting styles

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between parental styles and mental problems among Vietnamese high school students. In total, 16.4 percent of 757 eligible participants reported mental difficulties. Findings showed that being female and in grade 12 were risk factors to mental problems while living in Hue city was likely as a protective factor. The father’s warmth reduced the risk of having mental problems among adolescents, while an overprotective mother increased the risk. There was no correlation between authoritarianism of both mother and father and mental difficulties. These results suggest that a parenting program for parents might reduce the risk of mental problems among Vietnamese youth.

You should know me better: Parents' temperament-insensitivity has negative motivational effects on Bedouin and Jewish adolescents

OBJECTIVE

We studied a recently conceptualized aspect of autonomy-support and suppression, not examined so far: Sensitivity to temperament dispositions. Based on self-determination theory, we hypothesized that, across cultures, disposition-frustrating decisions would have similar negative effects on adolescents' intrinsic motivation to participate in decision-related activities, and these negative effects would not be mitigated in collectivist-hierarchical cultures, when parents make the decision.

METHOD

In Study 1 (n = 570, mean age = 15.2 years), Bedouin and Jewish adolescents were presented with work modes frustrating or supporting their shyness and sociability dispositions. For example, in one frustrating work mode condition, shy participants expected to work with strangers. Then, participants indicated their intrinsic motivation to participate in the activities. Study 2 (n = 278 Bedouins and Jews, mean age = 14.9 years) was an experiment using self-report and projective measures, examining the effects of temperament-supporting versus frustrating work modes, ostensibly chosen by parents, on adolescents' intrinsic motivation to participate in relevant activities.

RESULTS

Both studies showed that, across cultures, frustrating work modes had negative effects on participants' intrinsic motivation. These effects were not moderated by cultural background.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that belonging to a collectivist Bedouin culture endorsing deference and obedience to parental authority does not mitigate the negative motivational effect of parents' temperament-insensitivity, and this type of autonomy-support is important across cultures.

Arab youth involvement in violence: A socio-ecological gendered perspective

BACKGROUND

Previous research has extensively used a socio-ecological perspective to find the correlates of youth involvement in violence. However, little is known about the extent to which ecological factors correlated with youth violence are affected by gender, especially in non-Western cultures.

OBJECTIVE

The role of gender in the association between individual, family, and contextual factors and Arab youth involvement in several types of violence (severe physical, moderate physical, and verbal and indirect violence) was explored using a socio-ecological perspective.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study was based on a large random sample of 3,178 Arab students, aged 11-18, from Israel.

METHODS

Information was collected from the adolescents through a structured, anonymous self-report questionnaire which they completed in the classroom under the guidance of a research assistant. Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured for all participants.

RESULTS

Gender was found to moderate the association between impulsivity and parental support and all types of violence except verbal violence. No interaction effect was found in the association between affiliation with delinquent peers and exposure to community violence and Arab youth involvement in violence.

CONCLUSIONS

The results emphasize the importance of exploring gender differences with respect to risk and protective factors for violence. This knowledge is an important step in the design and implementation of gender-specific intervention strategies to deal with youth violence.

Analysis of the Differential Relationship between the Perception of One's Life and Coping Resources among Three Generations of Bedouin Women

Bedouin society has undergone rapid changes over the past decade. The younger generation of Bedouin women is better educated, which has enabled them to enter different professions, increased their incomes and elevated their social status. We examined the sense of coherence (SOC) and its components of meaningfulness, manageability and comprehensibility as well as the use of coping strategies among Bedouin women from three age groups. We also investigated the coping resources and strategies before determining the relationships between these variables in the three groups. One hundred ninety-six women participated in the study. Differences were found mostly between the oldest age group (61 years and older) and the two younger groups (21⁻40 and 41⁻60 years old). The oldest women reported less meaningfulness and used less positive reframing, planning, humor and acceptance. In terms of coping strategies, venting was used more by the youngest group whereas behavioral disengagement was used more by the oldest group. In the younger groups, SOC and its components were positively correlated with the use of coping strategies that are considered to be adaptive and with emotional support. However, the correlations between these factors were negative among the oldest group, which points to non-adaptive coping strategies used by these women. These results are discussed in light of the salutogenic, stress-appraisal and coping theories.

Children's Attitudes to Parental Mediation in a Traditional Society

Since the 1980s there have been many reports on parental mediation of children's behavior, from TV watching to Internet surfing, but most of the data come from Western societies. Israeli Arab society is a traditional patriarchy, which is in a constant change. The use of handheld devices, mainly smartphones which enable Internet access, has become a status symbol, leading to challenges with parental control issues. This study examines the overlap between parents' and children's perceptions of parental mediation in the Arab population, specifically if parental education and the child's age influence parental mediation. Data were collected from 1,871 Israeli Arab parents living in northern Israel and their children (N = 1,199) in grades 5-10 using an online parental mediation questionnaire. Parental mediation was perceived differently by parents and their children, although the perceptions of fathers and mothers were similar as were the perceptions of boys and girls. The perceptions of academic fathers and academic mothers also differed. The results also indicated that children's perceptions of parental mediation are affected by age. The findings and their implications are discussed.

Physical Activity Among Israeli-Arab Adolescent Males: How Do Parenting Styles Matter?

Physical activity contains many benefits for adolescents' physical and mental health, and also for building healthy living routines and habits for the future. The current study examined the associations between parenting styles and adolescents' physical activity among Israeli-Arab families of male adolescents, in seeking to boost the limited information on this most important topic. Participants consisted of 177 male Israeli-Arab adolescents ( M = 13.93, SD = 1.42) with normal weight. Controlling for the participants' age, weight, and grades in school, parenting styles explained about 30% of the variance in the participants' reports of their physical activity, with the authoritative and authoritarian parenting inversely correlated with the latter variable. Adolescents who perceived their parents as authoritative were reportedly more physically active than their counterparts who perceived their parents as authoritarian. In common with previous studies, the findings suggest that authoritative parenting may be a cross-culturally preferable style in fostering a desired physical activity rate among adolescents.

Mastery and social support moderate the effects of educational level on adjustment of Arab mothers of children diagnosed with cancer

The study explored the adjustment of Arab mothers of children diagnosed with cancer, as shown by the mothers' distress and quality of life. The aim was twofold: to examine the associations between educational level, psychosocial resources and adjustment indices and to assess the moderating effects of psychosocial resources on the education and adjustment association. The sample consisted of 100 Arab mothers who completed questionnaires assessing demographic and illness variables, mastery, social support, psychological distress and quality of life. High levels of education and psychosocial resources contributed to low distress and high levels of quality of life. Mastery and social support moderated the effects of education on adjustment: Under low levels of education, higher mastery was related to lower distress and higher quality of life, and higher social support was related to lower distress. Education, mastery and social support are important resources in the context of adjustment to cancer. In addition, psychosocial resources are important factors for adjustment under low levels of education and should be taken into consideration when developing intervention programmes for Arab parents coping with their child's cancer.

Parenting styles and emerging adult depressive symptoms in Cebu, the Philippines

Incidence of depressive disorders and symptoms increases during the transition to adulthood. The parenting relationship is a potential target for interventions to reduce risk for depression in offspring during this time period, and a four-category typology of parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, and neglectful) has been found to correlate with offspring psychological functioning. The majority of studies, however, have examined this four-category parenting style typology in Western populations. We used the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) from the Philippines to assess associations between parenting styles reported by offspring at age 18 and depressive symptoms reported by offspring at age 21 ( N = 1,723). Using adjusted linear regression models, we found that authoritarian and neglectful mothering styles were positively associated with daughters' depressive symptoms, whereas authoritarian mothering was negatively associated with sons' depressive symptoms. Findings suggest both cross-cultural similarities and variability in positive parenting. Results may have implications for family-based depression prevention interventions in the Philippines.

A systematic review on the prevalence of conduct disorder in the Middle East

OBJECTIVE

Several epidemiological studies have been done on conduct disorder in the Middle East, but no systematic review has been conducted on this topic. Thus, we aimed at investigating the prevalence of conduct disorder in the Middle East in this systematic review of the literature.

METHODS

We searched all the cross-sectional studies in the scientific databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Islamic World Science Citation Center, and Grey Literature including conference proceedings, and hand searching of key journals from 1995 to the end of 2014. Included studies described the prevalence of conduct disorder prior to age of 18, with any type of random or non-random sampling for at least one gender in the general or school-based populations who resided in Middle Eastern countries. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies independently and extracted the relevant data.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies were included in this review. Sample sizes varied from 136 to 9636 with the age range of 6-18 years. These studies were conducted in Iran, Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used in most of the included studies. The prevalence of conduct disorder was reported from 2.4% by diagnostic criteria taken from DSM-IV-TR in Iraq to 32.9% by SDQ in Iran; the prevalence rates ranged from 1 to 29.9% for females and from 3.3 to 34.6% for males. However, the prevalence of conduct disorder was reported 0.34% by the diagnostic instrument of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime in Iranian children and adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of conduct disorder in this study was higher than the worldwide prevalence, thus, it seems essential to design preventive and treatment programs for children and adolescents with conduct disorder.

Widowhood in the Israeli Arab Muslim Society

Adjustment of Israeli Arab Muslim widows to the traumatic loss of their husbands was examined by comparing their reported ways of coping with those of married women of their community by means of the Two-Track-Bereavement Model. Participants included 93 widows and 86 comparable married women who were mostly middle aged and of middle class. We hypothesized that widows will express concurrently greater suffering and higher resilience to adverse life events compared with married women. It was hypothesized further that positive and close relations to a deceased husband will be reported by Arab widows as well as Arab married women. However, positive relationships of married women will correlate with their own coping supporting attributes, whereas positive relations of widows to their deceased husband will not be associated with their individual characteristics. Results indicated a fourfold factor structure of the bereavement and coping scale which differed from those obtained by Israeli Jewish women and generally supported these hypotheses. It appears that traumatic loss of a husband may enhance widows' resilience.

Heterogeneity in Perceptions of Parenting Among Arab Refugee Adolescents in Jordan

Heterogeneity in parenting was examined in 883 Arab refugee adolescents in Jordan (M_age  = 15.01 years, SD = 1.60). Latent profile analyses of five parenting dimensions rated separately for mothers and fathers yielded authoritative, authoritarian, indifferent, punitive, and for mothers, permissive profiles, with most mothers (60%) and fathers (66%) classified as authoritative. Parenting was more often authoritative for women than men and punitive (for fathers) or permissive (for mothers) of boys than girls. Authoritative fathers and authoritarian mothers were better educated than punitive parents, whose offspring reported more norm breaking and internalizing symptoms and lower academic achievement than other youth. Adjustment was better when adolescents had at least one authoritative parent than when parents were either consistent or discrepant but nonauthoritative.

Adolescent Depression in the Arab Region: A Systematic Literature Review

Adolescent depression is a primary cause of global disability and burden with considerable variability across countries in its prevalence, diagnosis, management, and prognosis. No systematic reviews have been published on adolescent depression in Arab countries despite the unique sociocultural background that can play a major role in shaping Arab depressed adolescents' prognosis and response to treatment. The purpose of this study was to provide such a review with the goal of identifying the necessary foundations for culturally competent mental health care practices to address the unique needs of Arab adolescents and their families. We systematically reviewed PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and available Arabic databases. We adhered to the PRISMA statement to guide the process of identification, selection, and appraisal of the reviewed articles. No restrictions were applied on publication date. The search was completed in December 2015. A total of 199 unique articles met criteria for screening at the abstract level; 47 articles were selected for review in full text; and 27 articles were included in the final analysis. Four emerging themes were identified: (1) few robust prevalence estimates of adolescent depression are available in Arab countries; (2) depression varies based on the individual characteristics of Arab adolescents; (3) context influences Arab adolescents' risk of experiencing depression; and (4) the stigma of depression negatively impacts help-seeking process among Arab adolescents. This review highlights the need for more community-based detection efforts that employ developmentally and culturally appropriate measurement instruments for adolescent depression. Furthermore, findings suggest the need for culturally competent care that integrates indigenous health practices into modern mental health systems. Nurses, who form the greatest proportion of health personnel in all Arab countries, are uniquely situated to help Arab adolescents experiencing depression restore, maintain, and/or promote their mental health and wellbeing.

Introduction to Three Cross-Regional Research Studies on Parenting Styles, Individuation, and Mental Health in Arab Societies

This is a general introduction to the series of three articles that follows. The study intended to examine cross-regional differences concerning parenting styles, adolescent-family connectedness, and mental health in eight Arab societies. Three questionnaires were administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies: Parental Authority Questionnaire, Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale, and Psychological State Scale. The results of the analysis are presented in the following reports. The strength of our study is in the size and diversity of the sample, whereas its limitation is that all the study results are based on adolescents' self-report. To validate our results, more research is needed using other measures such as parents' self-report and observations of parents and adolescents.

Parenting Styles, Individuation, and Mental Health of Arab Adolescents

The Psychological State Scale, Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire were administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies. In these tests, adolescents raised according to the inconsistent parenting scored lower in connectedness and higher in mental disorders than those raised according to the controlling or flexible-oriented parenting pattern. Authoritative parenting was associated with a higher level of connectedness with the family and better mental health of adolescents. A higher level of adolescent-family connectedness is associated with better mental health of adolescents. Results indicate that authoritarian parenting within an authoritarian culture does not harm the adolescents' mental health as it does within the Western liberal societies. These results give rise to the hypothesis that inconsistency in parenting and inconsistency between the parenting style and the culture cause harm to adolescents' mental health.

Parenting Styles in Arab Societies

The Arab language version of the Parental Authority Questionnaire was administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies. Results show that all parenting styles differed across Arab societies. Cluster analysis revealed three combined parenting patterns: inconsistent (permissive and authoritarian), controlling (authoritarian and authoritative), and flexible (authoritative and permissive). The mean score of the authoritarian style was higher among males, whereas the mean score of the authoritative style was higher among females. First-born adolescents reported higher level permissive parenting than other adolescents. The effects of urbanization, parents' education, and the family economic level on parenting were minor.

Perception of Parental Bonds and Suicide Intent Among Egyptian Adolescents

PROBLEM

Suicidal adolescents, compared to their nonsuicidal peers, tend to perceive their parents as less "caring" and more "controlling"-which characterizes the "affectionless control" parenting style. Research findings are inconsistent regarding the distinct influence of mother versus father parenting on youth suicide intent; moreover, the influence of parents' joint parenting styles on suicide intent has not been investigated.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional design and large sample (N = 150 youth, 13-21 years old), currently hospitalized in a treatment center in Egypt for a recent suicide attempt, data were collected using the Suicide Intent Scale, Parental Bonding Instrument, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

FINDINGS

Seventy percent of youth reported high suicide intent. Mother and father parenting styles, assessed independently, were not associated with adolescent suicide intent. The joint effect of both parents' parenting style, however, was positively associated with suicide intent (Wald χ(2) = 8.79, p = .03). Suicide intent was stronger among adolescents who experienced neglectful compared with optimal parenting style (B = 1.93, Wald χ(2) = 4.28, p = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings have direct implications for mental health nursing interventions, signaling the critical need to engage both parents in family-based interventions to address youth suicidal behavior.

Parenting styles and emerging adult drug use in Cebu, the Philippines

Parenting style is a potent and malleable influence on emerging adult substance use. Most of the parenting-substance use literature has been conducted in Western populations and it is unknown whether findings are generalizable to other cultures and contexts. We extended the parenting-substance use literature to a cohort of emerging adults in the Philippines using the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. We assessed associations between mothers' and fathers' parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, and neglectful) reported by offspring at age 18 and odds of offspring-reported drug use three years later, adjusted for a range of offspring- and parent/household-level characteristics. Females were dropped from analyses due to low prevalence of drug users. We found that many emerging adults in Cebu reported having used drugs, particularly methamphetamine-a dangerous drug with high abuse potential. Authoritative (warm, firm) mothering was significantly associated with sons' reduced odds of drug use and neglectful fathering was related at a trend level with sons' increased odds of having tried drugs. Findings underscore the relation of parenting styles to emerging adults' drug use and add to the literature on cross-cultural variability in parenting styles.