Parental divorce and nicotine addiction in Lebanese adolescents: the mediating role of child abuse and bullying victimization

The relationship between maternal-infant bonding and postpartum depression/anxiety: moderating effect of childhood psychological abuse and validation of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding scale (MIBS-8) in Arabic

BACKGROUND

The emotional bond that a mother senses to her infant is essential to their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Understanding the level of mother-infant bonding plays an imperative role in the excellence of care. However, in Lebanon, there is a paucity of information about mother-infant bonding in the postpartum period. Given that Lebanese pregnant women constitute an important part of the population to look at, the objectives of the study were to (1) validate the Arabic version of the mother-infant bonding scale and (2) the relation between mother-infant bond and postpartum depression/anxiety; (3) the moderating effect of child abuse in the association between mother-infant bond and postpartum depression/anxiety.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 until June 2023, enrolling 438 women 4-6 weeks after delivery (mean age: 31.23 ± 5.24 years). To examine the factor structure of the mother-infant bond scale, we used an Exploratory-Confirmatory (EFA-CFA) strategy. To check if the model was adequate, several fit indices were calculated: the normed model chi-square (χ2/df), the Steiger-Lind root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) and the comparative fit index (CFI).

RESULTS

EFA was conducted on the first subsample. Three items were removed. The five items remaining loaded on one factor, which explained 73.03% of the common variance (ω = .91 / α = .90). After adding a correlation between residuals for items 2-7 and 5-8, fit indices of the CFA results were acceptable: χ2/df = 6.97/3 = 2.32, RMSEA = .068 (90% CI .001, .135), SRMR = .017, CFI = .996, TLI = .988. The interaction maternal-infant bonding by child psychological abuse was significantly associated with depression and anxiety respectively. At low, moderate and high levels of child psychological abuse, higher maternal-infant bonding scores (greater difficulty in bonding) were significantly associated with higher depression and higher anxiety respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study provides, for the first time, a specific Arabic scale to assess mother-infant bonding reliably and validly. Furthermore, our study has suggested the existence of factors that have additive effects in potentiating the risk for depression and anxiety among Lebanese postpartum women, namely a history of psychological child abuse. Therefore, laborious awareness programs and healthcare services need to be implemented in order to prevent maternal mental health disorders from being unrecognized and left untreated.

Gender differences in the association between childhood maltreatment and the onset of major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is widely acknowledged as a risk factor for developing major depressive disorders (MDDs) in adulthood. However, the influence of gender on age at MDD onset and the relationships between various forms of maltreatment remain unclear.

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gender on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive disorder onset with regard to maltreatment severity, age at onset, and the correlation between different forms of maltreatment.

METHODS

Data for this study were derived from the Objective Diagnostic Marker and Personalized Intervention in MDD Patients (ODMPIM) study, a multi-center collaborative research project. The data used here include 1001 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder and 494 healthy participants. Childhood maltreatment levels were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF).

RESULTS

Emotional abuse was correlated with physical abuse, and emotional neglect was correlated with physical neglect in the MDD patient population. Emotional abuse significantly contributed to early onset of MDD in both genders. Regarding gender differences, male patients with MDD experienced more severe physical abuse during childhood. The correlation between childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse was stronger among males than among females. Levels of physical abuse and neglect tended to be positively associated with the age of MDD onset. Gender is a moderator in the relationship between MDD onset age and childhood physical abuse or neglect.

CONCLUSIONS

Gender plays a role in certain aspects of the relationship between MDD and childhood maltreatment.

Parental marital status and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: the mediating effect of childhood maltreatment

Although previous studies have established the association between parental marital status and mental health problems in adolescents, however, the adverse effects of incomplete family settings and childhood maltreatment on adolescent anxiety symptoms have not been fully investigated. Moreover, whether childhood maltreatment can mediate the relationship between parental marital status and anxiety symptoms remains unclear. A population-based cross-sectional study was performed among 35,573 adolescents in elementary schools across 17 provinces in China. And childhood maltreatment, resilience, and anxiety symptoms were assessed among adolescents, respectively. The parental marital status was self-reported as having two married biological parents, divorced parents, stepparents, and single-parent. We found that the rates of anxiety symptoms among adolescents were 35.1% in intact families, 48.8% in divorced families, 49% in stepparent families, and 48% in single-parent families. Divorced parents (aOR = 1.191, 95% CI [1.060-1.337]) was an independent risk factor for adolescents' anxiety symptom while having stepparents and single-parent were not. In addition, emotional abuse (aOR = 1.300, 95% CI [1.285-1.316]), sexual abuse (aOR = 1.088, 95% CI [1.063-1.114]), and physical neglect (aOR = 1.019, 95% CI [1.007-1.031]) were all independent risk factors for anxiety symptoms in adolescents, while physical abuse and emotional neglect were not. The negative impacts of divorced and remarried parents on adolescent anxiety symptoms were mediated by childhood maltreatment partially (64.9% and 72.2%), while childhood maltreatment completely mediated the adverse impacts of single-parent on adolescent anxiety symptoms. Childhood maltreatment intervention strategies could be necessary for anxiety symptoms of adolescents in divorced/stepparent/single-parent families.

The association between online learning, parents' marital status, and internet addiction among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic period: A cross-lagged panel network approach

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has identified the association between online learning and Internet addiction (IA) and the role of family factors in it. However, few studies have treated IA as a multidimensional mechanism and explored the underlying linkage of online learning, IA, and parental marital status with a cross-lagged network approach. The study aimed to examine the relationship between online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet addiction (IA), and parental marital status among Chinese adolescents.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 2356 adolescents who completed the Internet Addiction Test twice over a four-month period. Four symptom networks and two cross-lagged panel networks were performed.

RESULTS

The results showed that adolescents from divorced families had a higher prevalence of IA (27 %) compared to those from non-divorced families (17 %). The strongest cross-lagged association was found between "spending more time online" and "preferring the excitement online". In the divorced group, "school grades suffering" had the highest influence, while in the non-divorced group, "anticipation" had the highest influence.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the relationship between online learning, IA, and parental divorce and suggests that long-term online learning may contribute to IA, and parental divorce may exacerbate problematic Internet use and increase IA levels.

The psychological mechanism underlying neuroticism on divorce proneness: The chain mediating roles of negative partner support and couple burnout and the moderating role of economic level

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have found that neuroticism is a significant predictor of divorce proneness. However, how neuroticism affects divorce proneness remains unclear. Based on the vulnerability-stress-adaptation (VSA) model of marriage, this study aimed to explore the psychological mechanism by which neuroticism affects divorce proneness.

METHODS

A total of 752 Chinese heterosexual married individuals were surveyed by the Neurotic Subscale of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Negative Subscale of the Dyadic Coping Inventory, the Couple Burnout Measure, the Divorce Proneness Scale, and the Personal Monthly Income Survey.

RESULTS

(1) Negative partner support and couple burnout played chain mediating roles in the relationship between neuroticism and divorce proneness, which constructed a chain mediating model. (2) Economic level played a moderating role in the relationship between couple burnout and divorce proneness, which was the latter part of the chain mediating model.

CONCLUSIONS

Divorce proneness can be decreased by perfecting personality traits, reducing negative partner support and couple burnout, and improving the economic level.

Development and validation of a shortened version of the Child Abuse Self Report Scale (CASRS-12) in the Arabic language

BACKGROUND

All available scales to screen for child abuse may be challenging to administer due to their length. Indeed, a higher number of items is associated with more administration time and less motivation to engage in responding. We aimed through this study to examine the psychometric properties of a brief Arabic version of the Child Abuse Self Report Scale (CASRS-12) in terms of factorial structure, internal consistency, divergent validity, and correlations with measures of bullying victimization, eating attitudes and perceived social support.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional, web-based study among Community Lebanese adolescents; where two samples have been used (Sample 1: N = 852, aged 15.34 ± 1.18 years, 54.8% females; Sample 2: N = 404, aged 16.60 ± 1.51 years, 57.2% females). The construct validity was tested using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

RESULTS

Results revealed that both EFA and CFA yielded a four-factor structure for the CASRS-12 that mirrors the original four factors captured by the original CASRS. The scale also showed a good internal consistency as evidenced through McDonald's ω values ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 for the four subscales; and configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender. Finally, we found that all CASRS-12 dimensions were significantly and positively correlated with more inappropriate eating attitudes and lower social support; and that psychological, physical, and sexual abuse correlated with higher bullying victimization CONCLUSION: In light of these findings, we potentially encourage clinicians and researchers to use this scale as a valid and reliable measure of child abuse among Arabic-speaking populations.

Parental divorce and smoking dependence in Lebanese adolescents: the mediating effect of mental health problems

BACKGROUND

Lebanon has the highest prevalence estimates among Middle Eastern countries and Arab women regarding cigarette smoking, with 43% of men and 28% of women involved in such trends. Marital disruption is a tremendous source of irritability and discomfort that may hinder a child's healthy development, creating perturbing distress and increasing disobedience that may exacerbate smoking addiction. Additionally, Lebanese adolescents are inflicted by high emotional and economic instability levels, rendering increased susceptibility to distress and propensity to engage in addictive behavior. This study aims to investigate the association between parental divorce and smoking dependence among Lebanese adolescents, along with exploring the potential mediating effect of mental health disorders of such correlation.

METHODS

A total of 1810 adolescents (14 and 17 years) enrolled in this cross-sectional survey-based study (January-May 2019). Linear regressions were conducted to check for variables associated with cigarette and waterpipe dependence. PROCESS v3.4 model 4 was used to check for the mediating effect of mental health disorders between parental divorce and smoking dependence.

RESULTS

Higher suicidal ideation and having divorced parents vs living together were significantly associated with more cigarette and waterpipe dependence. Higher anxiety was significantly associated with more waterpipe dependence. Insomnia and suicidal ideation played a mediating role between parental divorce and cigarette/waterpipe dependence.

CONCLUSION

Our results consolidate the results found in the literature about the association between parental divorce and smoking addiction and the mediating effect of mental health issues. We do not know still in the divorce itself or factors related to it are incriminated in the higher amount of smoking in those adolescents. Those results should be used to inspire parents about the deleterious effect of divorce on their children to lower their risk of smoking addiction. Further longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the complexity of such associations and to see whether the divorce experience by itself or the factors that accompany it are involved in the increased smoking addiction among adolescents.