Adult Adjustment Research Articles

Scaling-up self-control: A macro-level investigation of self-control at the county level

PurposeExtensive prior research has documented the relationship between self-control and deviance, albeit almost exclusively at the individual level. In fact, only two recent examinations of self-control and adverse outcomes (including deviance) exist at the macro-level. MethodsIn order to extend prior research, this study relies on data from all counties in the state of Texas with a population of over 10,000 residents to provide a county-level analysis of the ability of macro-level self-control to predict three outcomes: violent crime, property crime, and unemployment rates. ResultsExploratory factor analyses supported the existence of two macro-level dimensions of self-control, e.g., initiatory and inhibitory self-control. Subsequent correlational and predictive regression analyses provided evidence of the linkages between these macro-level indicators of self-control and a number of adverse outcomes. ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of continued inquiry into macro-level indicators of self-control and the role of macro-level manifestations of self-control in policy and prevention initiatives to promote crime prevention and prevent adult adjustment problems such as unemployment.

Genetic and environmental sources of covariation between early drinking and adult functioning.

The vast majority of individuals initiate alcohol consumption for the first time in adolescence. Given the widespread nature of its use and evidence that adolescents may be especially vulnerable to its effects, there is concern about the long-term detrimental impact of adolescent drinking on adult functioning. While some researchers have suggested that genetic processes may confound the relationship, the mechanisms linking drinking and later adjustment remain unclear. The current study utilized a genetically informed sample and biometric modeling to examine the nature of the familial influences on this association and identify the potential for genetic confounding. The sample was drawn from the Minnesota Twin Family Study (MTFS), a longitudinal study consisting of 2,764 twins assessed in 2 cohorts at regular follow-ups from age 17 to age 29 (older cohort) or age 11 to age 29 (younger cohort). A broad range of adult measures was included assessing substance use, antisocial behavior, personality, socioeconomic status, and social functioning. A bivariate Cholesky decomposition was used to examine the common genetic and environmental influences on adolescent drinking and each of the measures of adult adjustment. The results revealed that genetic factors and nonshared environmental influences were generally most important in explaining the relationship between adolescent drinking and later functioning. While the presence of nonshared environmental influences on the association are not inconsistent with a causal impact of adolescent drinking, the findings suggest that many of the adjustment issues associated with adolescent alcohol consumption are best understood as genetically influenced vulnerabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record

Emerging adults' reports of maternal emotion socialization and their adjustment across cultures

The relationship between parental emotion socialization and offspring adjustment during emerging adulthood across cultures has been understudied. We examined emerging adults' reports of maternal emotion socialization, their subjective experience, and their own current adjustment in India (n=238) and USA (n=220). Indians rated their mothers as providing more explanation-oriented responses and reported feeling more positive in response, and rated their mothers as providing all four nonsupportive responses (punitive, minimizing, scolding, and not talking) more, and reported feeling less negative in response than Americans. Reports of mothers' nonsupportive responses were positively related to emerging adults' adjustment problems in both cultures. In the US, mothers' supportive responses were directly negatively related to emerging adults' adjustment problems, while in India, maternal supportive responses were indirectly related to emerging adults' adjustment problems via their subjective experience. Culture moderated the relation between maternal expressive encouragement and emerging adult adjustment problems.

The Relationship Between Career Thoughts and Adjustment for Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis

The study investigated the relationship between the psychosocial adjustment and dysfunctional career thoughts for adults with multiple sclerosis. The Reactions to Impairment and Disability Inventory measured psychosocial adjustment, and the Career Thoughts Inventory measured dysfunctional career thoughts. The results found that (a) higher levels of depression were associated with higher levels of decision-making confusion and commitment anxiety and (b) higher levels of adjustment were associated with lower levels of decision-making confusion. Rehabilitation counselor implications are discussed.

A moderated cumulative model of personality adjustment in divorced adults: implications for counselling

ABSTRACTUsing a life-span developmental psychology model of positive personality adjustment, this study had two aims. First, this study aimed to compare additive and threshold cumulative models of personality adjustment after divorce. The cumulative effect hypothesis states that the number of indicators is a more accurate predictor of an outcome than any single indicator considered individually. The second aim was to test whether the association between the positive personality adjustment cumulative model and satisfaction with life (selected as the subjective criterion of personality adjustment) would be moderated by divorce-related variables. Divorced adults (N = 460) were asked to answer to self-report measures of indicators/correlates of personality adjustment. Results supported an additive cumulative model of satisfaction with life, in which the more number of personality adjustment indicators, the more divorce-related satisfaction with life. The association between the cumulative index of personality adjustment and satisfaction with life was moderated by time since divorce and divorce initiator status. Implications for counselling are discussed.

Relations among adults' remembrances of parental acceptance–rejection in childhood, self-reported psychological adjustment, and adult psychopathology

AimsThe aim of the study was to examine relationships among recollections of maternal and paternal acceptance–rejection in childhood and the level of psychological adjustment among adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, social anxiety, and nonclinical control. The study focused primarily on adults with schizophrenia and social anxiety in comparison to nonclinical adults. MethodsFifty-three adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, 51 adults with self-reported social anxiety, and 147 nonclinical controls between the ages of 18 and 62 participated in the study. Data were collected using adult versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and for fathers, Personality Assessment Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and the Demographic Information Form. ResultsFindings of analyses showed that participants in the schizophrenia and social anxiety groups remembered having experienced significantly more maternal rejection in childhood than did the nonclinical group. Patient with schizophrenia also reported more recollections of paternal rejection than the nonclinical group. Both clinical groups self-reported more psychological maladjustment than did the nonclinical group. Regression analysis indicated that even though the overall psychological adjustment of adults diagnosed with schizophrenia was predicted by both maternal and paternal acceptance–rejection, psychological adjustment of adults in the social anxiety group was predicted only by maternal (but not paternal) acceptance–rejection. ConclusionThis study provides evidence about the long-lasting associations between adults' recollections of parental acceptance–rejection in childhood and their psychological adjustment in two mental disorders, in which genetic and environmental factors have a different weight.

Mental health and psychological adjustment in adults who were adopted during their childhood: A systematic review

In the two last decades, research of the psychosocial needs of adopted children and adolescents has advanced dramatically. Nevertheless, less is known about their mental health when they reach adulthood. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the evidence about mental health and psychological adjustment in adult adoptees. A systematic search was conducted on Web of Science and PsycInfo. The review includes 27 studies that fulfilled the selection criteria (ages between 20 and 40, domestic adoptions and articles published since 1995). Evidence suggests that psychological adjustment in adult adoptees is more unfavourable (with higher levels of depression, anxiety, personality and behavioural disorders and neuroticism) than in non-adoptees. A small group of studies shows similar psychological adjustment of adoptees and non-adoptees. Moreover, there is evidence that the adopted population is quite heterogeneous, involving individual and contextual variables. There are clear diagnostic differences when gender is taken into account. Some family variables (e.g., attachment, parenting styles) emerge as mediating factors of the effects of the adoptive status on psychological adjustment. Other risk and protective factors have been insufficiently studied (e.g., age at the time of adoption), so additional research is needed.

Childhood adversities and distress - The role of resilience in a representative sample.

While adverse childhood experiences have been shown to contribute to adverse health outcomes in adulthood, specifically distress and somatic symptoms, few studies have examined their joint effects with resilient coping style on adult adjustment. Hence, we aim to determine the association between resilient coping and distress in participants with and without reported childhood adversities. A representative German community sample (N = 2508) between 14–92 years (1334 women; 1174 men) was examined by the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Brief Resilience Coping Scale, standardized scales of distress and somatoform symptoms. Childhood adversity was associated with reduced adjustment, social support and resilience. It was also strongly associated with increased distress and somatoform complaints. Resilient coping was not only associated with lower distress, it also buffered the effects of childhood adversity on distress. Our study corroborates the buffering effect of resilience in a representative German sample. High trait resilient subjects show less distress and somatoform symptoms despite reported childhood adversities in comparison to those with low resilient coping abilities.

Mentors’ behavioral profiles and college adjustment in young adults participating in an academic mentoring program

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore associations between different mentor behavioral profiles and mentees’ perceptions of the quality of mentoring relationship, the usefulness of the mentoring, and their college adjustment during the first year of college.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quasi-experimental design and involved the participation of 253 student mentees and 246 students from a control group. Cluster analysis on the responses of mentees on the mentor behavior scale was used to identify behavioral profiles of academic mentors.FindingsFour distinct behavioral profiles were identified: optimal (high scores on mentor structure, involvement, autonomy support, and competence support); sufficient (moderate on all scales); controlling (low on autonomy support but high on other scales); and inadequate (low on all scales). Compared to mentees exposed to sufficient and inadequate profiles, mentees exposed to the optimal profile perceived the mentoring relationship and its usefulness as more positive. Furthermore, they reported better social adjustment in college compared to a control group, whereas mentees exposed to the inadequate profile reported poorer adjustment. Interestingly, mentees exposed to the controlling profile found the mentoring relationship useful.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides new empirical bases for the behavioral profiles of mentors that best meet mentees’ academic adjustment challenges. Limitations of the study include the absence of the mentors’ perceptions in the creation of behavioral profiles and the fact that the profiles were analyzed based on a single program.Originality/valueBehavioral profiles of academic mentors were examined through the lens of a strong theoretical model that emphasizes the important role of structure, involvement, autonomy support, and competence support in the academic adjustment of mentees.

Child Sexual Abuse and Adolescent and Adult Adjustment: A Review of British and World Evidence, with Implications for Social Work, and Mental Health and School Counselling

We offer a narrative review of the findings of available British research on the sexual abuse of children, and its behavioural and mental health sequels in adolescent and adult adjustment, and link this to the growing world literature on child abuse, which frequently occurs within family settings. The evidence shows that around 9% of women, and about 3% of men have experienced prolonged, bodily intrusive abuse by the age of 16 or 18. This has many adverse sequels including impaired self-esteem, clinical levels of depression and anxiety, self-harm and substance abuse, somatic disorders, and many forms of maladaptation. Poly-victimisation combining physical, sexual and emotional abuse has particularly negative impacts. The long-term burden in human suffering and public health costs is high. In school, abuse victims are often bullied and isolated in school, which exacerbates (or even triggers) the negative effects of abuse. Teachers and school counsellors and social workers have an important role to play in identifying abuse victims, and offering help in ways which prevents the development of serious mental health problems.

The Effect of a Four-Week Balance Training Program on Anticipatory Postural Adjustments in Older Adults: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Balance deterioration in older adults limits their activities of daily living, community participation, and is a significant risk factor for falls. One contributory element to this functional decline is impairment of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). To evaluate the role and feasibility of a novel training program in improving APAs for balance control of older adults. Six older adults (73.3±5.0 years) were randomly assigned into the Experimental (EG) and Control groups (CG). The EG participated in four weeks of APA-focused training involving catching a medicine ball while standing. All subjects were exposed to predictable external and self-initiated perturbations before and after training. EMG activity of eight trunk and leg muscles was recorded bilaterally and muscle onsets were analyzed during the anticipatory phase of postural control. Clinical tests of balance (Timed-Up and Go, Single limb stance, and Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale) were implemented. Early onsets of APA activity prior to the external perturbations were seen in the EG following training. Moreover, early APA activity was observed in the EG prior to bilateral arm flexion, a task that was not a part of training, indicating a transfer of the learning effect of training. The improvement of APAs in the EG also resulted in improved performance on clinical outcome measures. There were no improvements seen in the CG for both the APA activity and the clinical balance tests. The study outcome suggests that a four-week APA-based training program is feasible and could be effective in improving postural control, functional balance, mobility, and quality of life in older adults.

The Mediating Effect of Existential Meaning on the Relation between Posttraumatic Growth and the Adjustment of Middle-aged Adults

본 연구는 외상 후 성장이 적응에 미치는 영향과 그 과정에서 실존적 의미가 갖는 매개효과를 살펴보기 위한 것이다. 이를 위해 40세 이상 60세 이하 중년기 성인 439명을 대상으로 외상 및 외상 후 성장 경험, 개인적 의미와 영적 의미, 중년기 적응유연성, 주관적 행복감, 중년기 정서적 위기감에 대한 설문조사를 실시하였다. 외상 경험 및 외상 후 성장 수준에 따른 차이검증 결과, 실존적 의미와 적응 수준에서 집단 간 차이가 유의하였다. 또한 구조방정식 모형 분석 결과, 외상 후 성장과 적응 간의 직접 경로와 개인적 의미, 영적 의미를 매개로 한 간접 경로를 모두 포함한 연구모형이 간접 경로만을 포함한 경쟁모형보다 적합한 것으로 나타났다. 구체적 경로에서는 외상 후 성장이 중년기 적응유연성과 주관적 행복감에 이르는 직접 경로 및 개인적 의미와 영적 의미를 매개로 한 간접 경로가 모두 유의하였지만 외상 후 성장이 중년기 정서적 위기감에 이르는 경로에서는 개인적 의미를 매개로 한 간접 경로만이 유의하였다. 이 같은 결과를 바탕으로 본 연구의 의의 및 제한점에 대해 논의하였다.

간호대학생의 성인애착과 대학생활적응에서 대인관계능력의 매개효과

간호대학생의 성인애착과 대학생활적응에서 대인관계능력의 매개효과

Mindful Connections: The Role of a Peer Support Group on the Psychosocial Adjustment for Adults Recovering From Brain Injury.

How does participating in a peer support group impact an adult's psychosocial adjustment following brain injury? This question was investigated using a qualitative approach, interviewing patients recruited from an ambulatory care program. Data analysis guided by Bury's sociological framework, biographical disruption and biographical repair, revealed participants' pregroup disrupted sense of self, including subthemes related to intrinsic losses and uncertainty. Enhanced psychosocial adjustment including subthemes described participants' reorientation through shared experience. Finally, a postgroup adapted sense of self including subthemes was characterized by heightened purpose, self-awareness, and acceptance. Findings lend weight to using tailored peer interventions to optimize psychosocial adjustment for this population.

한국거주 고려인청년의 문화적응경험에 관한 질적 연구

한국거주 고려인청년의 문화적응경험에 관한 질적 연구

The influence of personality disorder on the future mental health and social adjustment of young adults: a population-based, longitudinal cohort study

Existing knowledge about the consequences of personality disorders is substantially derived from the study of clinical populations. To gain a fuller understanding of the disease burden associated with personality disorders, we report their long-term mental health and social consequences in a large population-based sample of young adults. We used data from a population-based, ten-wave cohort study of a stratified random sample of non-treatment-seeking young adults recruited from Victoria, Australia, between Aug 20, 1992, and March 3, 2014. The population sample was originally recruited in adolescence: here we report the analysis of data collected from wave 8 (participants aged 24-25 years) and wave 10 (participants aged 34-35 years). Presence and severity of personality disorder were assessed at age 24 years with a semi-structured, informant-based interview (the Standardised Assessment of Personality). At age 35 years, participants were assessed on the occurrence of the following outcomes: major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, smoking and alcohol consumption, illicit substance use, ever having separated from a long-term partner or been divorced, not currently in a relationship, not currently in paid employment, and in receipt of government welfare. We used multiple imputation to address potentially biased estimates resulting from the reduction of the analysis sample to participants who had completed both survey waves. The imputation dataset contained 1635 individuals. For the 1520 participants in wave 8, 1145 (75%) informant interviews for personality disorder in these participants took place. At age 24 years, 305 (27%) of the observed sample had either personality difficulties or personality disorder. At age 24 years, in the imputed analysis sample, the severity of personality disorder was associated with the absence of a degree or vocational qualification (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for the effect of complex and severe personality disorder vs no personality disorder 1·76, 95% CI 1·11-2·76), receipt of welfare (2·52, 1·33-4·78), the presence of common mental disorders (1·77, 1·08-2·90), and cigarette smoking (2·01, 1·29-3·14). At age 35 years, severity of personality disorder was independently associated with not being in a relationship (aOR for the effect of complex and severe personality disorder vs no personality disorder or personality difficulty 2·05, 95% CI 1·21-3·45), increased odds of an anxiety disorder (2·27, 1·2-4·28), and major depression (2·23, 1·24-4·01). The presence of personality disorder predicts the occurrence of later anxiety and depression, as well as the absence of long-term relationships, effects that are not attributable to pre-existing mental health, substance use or social problems. Our study provides strong support for including personality disorder in global studies of the burden of mental disorders to improve the understanding of population mental health. Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Victoria's Operational Infrastructure Support Program.

Effectiveness of a group-based academic tutoring program for children in foster care: A randomized controlled trial

The consistently poor educational achievement of children in foster care has been associated with many negative outcomes including long term poor adult adjustment (e.g., higher rates of suicide, criminality, and substance abuse). The current study was undertaken to improve foster children's academic skills through academic remediation. Across this two year randomized study, 91 children in out of home foster or kinship care, between grades 1 and 8 inclusive, completed the study. One-half were randomly assigned to the 30-week direct-instruction small group tutoring condition, while the other half served as wait-list controls. A statistically significant increase in standard scores was found on reading decoding, spelling and mathematic skills for the children who received tutoring, but no differences were obtained on sentence comprehension. Significant effect sizes, in the small to moderate range, were also found in support of the tutoring condition across these three domains. The implications of these positive findings as they relate to improving educational achievement among children in foster care are discussed.

The Significance of Parental Reflective Function in the Adjustment of Young Adults

Reflective function is the capacity to reflect on one’s own thoughts and feelings, and those of others. Parental reflective function has been found significant for children’s social and emotional development. However, research has mostly been restricted to mothers and to early stages of development, and there is a paucity of observations on the effects of parental reflective function in later stages. The aim of the present study is to explore the significance of mothers’ and fathers’ reflective function for the adjustment of their children during early adulthood. It is an extension of a previous study that examined the significance of parental reflective function for adolescent adjustment. During home visits, 105 adolescents aged 14–18 years reported on indices of parental behavior (involvement, warmth, and control), and their fathers and mothers were interviewed in order to assess their reflective function. Three to five years later, the participants, now aged 18–22 years, reported on level of symptoms, self-perception, self-descriptions and romantic relations. The findings indicated that parental reflective function, but not parental behaviors that express warmth and control, predicted adjustment during early adulthood. Similar to our previous finding, parental reflective function was associated with both desirable outcomes and possible costs among young adults: higher levels of self-descriptions and romantic relations, on the one hand, and more internalizing problems and less positive self-perception, on the other. It is concluded that parental reflective function affects their children’s adjustment also during early adulthood. However, the benefits of reflective function are inextricably linked to its costs.

Exploring the Relationship Between Resilience and Ostomy Adjustment in Adults With a Permanent Ostomy.

The aims of this study were to describe the relationship between resilience and ostomy adjustment in adults with permanent stomas and to determine if participants who report higher levels of resilience also report higher levels of adjustment to a permanent ostomy. Descriptive, correlational research design utilizing the Roy Adaptation Model as the theoretical framework was used. Persons with permanent stomas were recruited from ostomy support groups on the East Coast of the United States. The study sample included 48 respondents. Their mean age was 66 ± 12.7 years (mean ± SD); the majority (60.4%) were women, had an ileostomy (62.5%), and had a history of inflammatory bowel disease (62.5%). Respondents completed a questionnaire that queried demographic and pertinent clinical data, along with 2 previously validated instruments, the Resilience Scale and Ostomy Adjustment Inventory-23. The relationships between levels of resilience, levels of adjustment to an ostomy, and demographic characteristics were examined. Participants with higher levels of ostomy adjustment had higher levels of resilience than respondents who reported lower levels of ostomy adjustment (r = 0.65, P ≤ .01). Findings from this study suggest that higher levels of resilience facilitate adjustment to a permanent ostomy.

Is the PGIS-II redundant with the Hope Scale?: Evidence for the utility of the PGIS-II in predicting psychological adjustment in adults

Shorey et al. (2007) found that the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS; Robitschek, 1998) did not add to the prediction of psychological adjustment (e.g., optimism, psychological distress) when hope was controlled for. Recently, Robitschek et al. (2012) developed the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II) which is predicated on four distinct dimensions, namely readiness for change, planfulness, using resources, and intentional behaviors. To determine if the PGIS-II accounts for additional variance in psychological adjustment above hope, we conducted the present study to address this concern in a sample of 227 college students. Results from our analysis indicated that scores on the PGIS-II scales explained for, beyond hope, an additional 3–5% of variance in life satisfaction, optimism, depression, and anxiety. However, within the PGIS-II predictor set, planfulness was found to be the only unique and consistent predictor of psychological adjustment. Our findings suggest that within the broader construct of personal growth initiative, planfulness is not only a unique construct associated with psychological adjustment, but a construct that is distinct from hope.