Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale Research Articles

An Investigation of Dissociative Symptoms and Related Factors in Autistic Adolescents.

Despite exposure to trauma and adverse life events being frequently reported in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), few studies have examined the relationship between these factors and dissociative symptoms in the autistic population. The aim of the study is to investigate symptoms of dissociation in autistic adolescents, and to explore factors that could be associated with dissociative symptoms in ASD. This cross-sectional study involved 59 autistic adolescents between 12 and 18years old, with the mean age of 14.3 ± 1.8. Dissociation, autism characteristics, childhood traumas, peer bullying, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed using the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Nine-Item Child-Adolescent Bullying Screen (CABS-9), and the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), respectively. Results from the ADES revealed that 12.5% of the participants scored above the threshold for dissociative disorders. In the linear regression model constructed to evaluate factors associated with dissociative symptoms, an increase in dissociative symptoms was statistically significantly associated with an increase in the total CTQ score (p = 0.002) and age (p = 0.006). The findings of the study indicate that dissociative symptoms may occur in autistic adolescents. It is suggested that dissociative symptoms observed in autistic adolescents may particularly be associated with childhood traumas and increasing age. Further research into dissociative symptoms in ASD is warranted, requiring larger sample sizes, specialized measurement scales, and structured interviews.

Information Processing Biases and Attachment Styles in Adolescents with Dissociative Disorders

Background: Dissociative disorders invade and interfere with the person’s continuity of normal psychological functioning and exhibit slower or impaired processing of threat-related information and attachment styles play a significant role in their psychopathology. The present study assessed the type of attachment style and information processing biases and their relationship in adolescents with dissociative disorders. Methods: This was a hospital-based study, with a cross-sectional design based on purposive sampling. The study consisted of 50 participants between 11 and 17 years of age. Twenty-five of them were adolescents diagnosed with dissociative disorders and 25 were healthy adolescent controls. The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale was used to assess the severity of dissociative disorders in adolescents. Emotional Stroop, Emotion Face dot-probe task and attachment style questionnaires were administered. Results: Findings suggested an association between the scores in the attachment style dimension of discomfort with closeness and information-processing biases in both the dot-probe and emotional Stroop tasks. There was also an association between the processing bias in the dot-probe task and relationships as a secondary attachment dimension. There was a difference in the two groups of adolescents with dissociative disorders and matched healthy adolescents with respect to the discomfort with closeness attachment style and information-processing bias scores of the dot-probe task. Conclusion: The study provides interesting insights into how information-processing biases correlate to attachment styles in adolescents with dissociative disorders. Results indicate extensive resources for future management.

Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at "high-risk" of psychosis and healthy controls.

Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need. The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls. The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms. The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into "help-seekers" (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). "Help-seekers" adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, "help-seekers" adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38), compared to healthy controls (mean 5.14 ± 4.17), which indicates a greater lack of knowledge about mental states (hypomentalizing). Eventually, "help-seekers" adolescents showed significantly worse dissociative symptoms (A-DES total mean score 3.49 ± 2.04), compared to healthy controls (A-DES total mean score 2.06 ± 1.43). The importance of an assessment in early adolescence denotes a topic of increasing concern, in order to identify failures in reflective functioning and the onset of dissociative experiences among help-seekers adolescents, toward the implementation of tailored psychological interventions.

Dissociation in a developmental psychopathology framework: Predictors and outcomes among a clinical sample of trauma-impacted adolescents.

A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) that found a best-fitting three-factor model for a trauma-exposed sample was recently replicated; however, a post hoc bifactor CFA model fit the data better and identified a strong general factor. Only the general factor was associated with cumulative trauma exposure, but this association was small. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and regression analyses were applied to the best-fitting three-factor bifactor model of dissociation found in the same sample of 1,157 treatment-seeking adolescents, most with high levels of trauma exposure, to further elucidate dissociation's construct validity and dimensionality. The general factor was positively yet differentially associated with psychosocial outcomes. A dissociation by age interaction emerged for internalizing problems, demonstrating that the positive association was stronger for older participants. Also, an age of trauma exposure onset by dissociation interaction emerged predicting depression, such that later trauma onset produced a stronger association between dissociation and depression. Traumas occurring in later adolescence may confer greater risk of dissociation. Differential psychosocial outcomes also reinforce why approaching dissociation from a developmental psychopathology lens is important, enhancing the model's generalizability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Dissociation: Factor structure and the role of trauma among treatment-seeking adolescents.

Research examining the factor structure of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) has yielded mixed findings. This study sought to further clarify the factor structure of the A-DES among youth with histories of exposure to multiple traumas and adversities. We conducted a factor analysis of the A-DES using data from 1,157 treatment-seeking adolescents with histories of trauma exposure in order to expand understanding of dissociation's construct validity and provide the first attempt at post hoc analysis of trauma-impacted adolescents. A bifactor CFA model fit the data best and identified a strong general factor, supporting a unidimensional latent structure. Only the general dissociation factor was associated with cumulative trauma exposure, operationalized as the number of different types of exposure endorsed on the Trauma History Profile (THP), but this association was small. The study findings point toward a unidimensional conceptualization of dissociation. A developmental psychopathology framework is recommended for future research, allowing a nuanced and integrated approach to understanding dissociation and increasing generalizability across adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Can Dissociation Mediate the Relationship between Emotional Dysregulation and Intelligence? An Empirical Study Involving Adolescents with and without Complex Trauma Histories.

The main aim of the study was to map the psychological functioning of individuals with adverse childhood experiences, with the objective to characterize developmental trajectories. Specifically, we investigated the relations among three of the seven domains of impairment in children and adolescents who had been exposed to complex trauma. To this end, we tested a mediation model with emotional dysregulation as the independent variable, intelligence as the dependent variable, and dissociation as the mediator. The research sample was composed of 64 participants (10-19 years old); 31 adolescents formed the clinical group and 33 the non-clinical group; for the clinical group, we recruited adolescents who were residents of therapeutic communities and had a history of complex trauma. Both groups completed the Difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS), Adolescent dissociative experience scale (A-DES), Trauma symptom checklist for children (TSCC), and Wechsler scales. The data analysis yielded significant results for the control group only. We suggest that healthy adolescents adopt a non-pathological dissociative cognitive style in response to increased emotional dysregulation, thus explaining their enhanced cognitive performance.

Association of Dissociation with Suicide Attempt and Non-Suicidal Self Injury in Adolescents with a History of Sexual Abuse

Objective: Dissociative symptoms are considered risk factors for suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this study, the relationship between suicidal behaviors and NSSI with dissociative symptoms in adolescents with a history of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) was investigated. Methods: A total of 100 adolescents with a history of CSA were evaluated with a detailed forensic psychiatric interview. Dissociative symptoms were measured with the self-report Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) and the parent-reported Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC). Results: While dissociative symptoms did not differ between adolescents with and without suicide attempts (CDC; p = .068 and A-DES; p = .060), they were significantly higher in adolescents with non-suicidal self-harming behavior (CDC; p < .001 and A-DES; p = .001). Suicide attempts and NSSI were more common in those who reported genital touching as a type of sexual abuse (respectively, p = .003; p = .048). In regression analysis; history of psychiatric treatment (OR = 9.09 [95% CI = 1.52, 54.29]) and NSSI (OR = 8.18 [95% CI = 2.01, 33.23]) were independently associated with suicide attempts. In addition, parent-reported dissociative symptoms (CDC scores) (OR = 1.27 [95% CI = 1.06, 1.53] and suicide attempt (OR = 8.09 [95%CI = 1.96,33.42] showed independent association with NSSI. Conclusions: Dissociative symptoms may be predictive factors for NSSI and should be considered in risk assessment of adolescents with a history of CSA.

Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, and Abbreviated Versions of The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES)

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) questionnaire with item response theory (IRT) methods, including an assessment of measurement invariance with differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. Three abbreviated versions of the A-DES (with 20, 10, and 5 items) were constructed based on the IRT and DIF statistics. The respondents in this population-based study (N = 4,072) were 12- to 19-year-old Finnish junior and senior high school students. A one-factor model of the A-DES was best supported, and the original theoretical four-factor model showed poor fit. The A-DES turned out to have high measurement invariance with respect to age, gender, transgender tendencies, having multiple friends, the use of illegal substances, and experience of being bullied. Compared to the full 30-item A-DES, abbreviated versions of the questionnaire retained acceptable information value and empirical reliability in the clinically relevant range of symptomatology. Further psychometric studies are needed especially with regards to clinical use.

The psychometric properties of the adolescent dissociative experiences scale (A-DES) in a sample of Portuguese at-risk adolescents

ABSTRACT Dissociation is a process that often occurs as a sequela of psychological trauma, and it is interrelated with psychological and behavioral problems. In the at-risk adolescent population, dissociation is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Having reliable measures to assess this phenomenon can help in identifying adolescents at-risk and improve treatment outcomes. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) with a sample of 402 Portuguese adolescents recruited from three at-risk populations. Participants completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, posttraumatic symptoms, psychological and behavioral problems, and the A-DES. A subset of the sample also completed test-retest measures. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a best-fitting 3-factor model. Analyses revealed good internal consistencies and good agreement test-retest reliability for the scale overall and the factor-based sub-scales. Construct and predictive validity was supported with results showing that A-DES discriminates between youth reporting high versus low levels of cumulative trauma exposure and youth who meet or do not meet criteria for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Study findings replicate prior research supporting a 3-factor model of dissociation and the usefulness of A-DES to identify adolescents with dissociative symptoms. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Failures in Reflective Functioning, Dissociative Experiences, and Eating Disorder: a Study On a Sample of Italian Adolescents.

Although impairments in mentalizing and dissociation have been linked to the onset of eating disorders, there is still a paucity of studies investigating their relationships among adolescents. This study aimed at investigating the role of failures in reflective functioning and dissociation in predicting the risk of eating disorders during adolescence. The Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) were administered to a sample of 427 adolescents between 13 and 20years old. Results of correlational analysis showed that the risk of eating disorders was positively correlated with uncertainty about mental states. Eating disorder risk was also inversely correlated with certainty about mental states. Dissociation scores and its domain scores were all positively related to the risk of eating disorders. Results of regression analysis displayed that uncertainty about mental states and dissociation were statistically significant predictors of an increased risk of eating disorders. Gender and BMI were also significant predictors in the final model, which explained 24% of the variance. Regarding the specific dissociative domains, findings indicate that the depersonalization/derealization factor was the only significant predictor for the risk of eating disorder. The present study points out that uncertainty about mental states and dissociation could play a relevant role in increasing the risk of eating disorders during adolescence.

Gaming and gambling in adolescence: the role of personality, reflective functioning, time perspective and dissociation

ABSTRACT The 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) formally recognized gaming disorder as an addictive health disorder like gambling disorder. The ICD-11 assumes that excessive online gaming can lead to functional/clinical impairments and psychological distress among a minority of individuals. The present study investigated similarities and commonalities between internet gaming disorder (IGD) and gambling disorder among adolescents (N = 366 students, 13–19 years). Participants completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF), the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8), the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC-14), and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). Regression analyses showed that the significant predictors of (i) gambling severity were being male, high scores on the PID-5-BF Disinhibition and Antagonism domains, and low scores on RFQ-Certainty and CFC-Future subscales, and (ii) gaming severity were being male, high scores on the PID-5-BF Detachment scale and the A-DES, and low scores on the RFQ-Certainty. Risk factors shared by both disorders were male gender and impaired mentalization. Specific interventions on mentalization abilities may be useful in reducing and preventing problematic involvement in both gaming and gambling among adolescents.

The relationship between dissociation symptoms, sleep disturbances, problematic internet use and online gaming in adolescents

ABSTRACT Some adolescents admitted to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic experience dissociative symptoms, such as hearing strange sounds, temporary blackouts, seeing images, changes in body parts, and looking at themselves from outside themselves. Some may also have sleep disturbances and a history of spending a long time on the internet. This study investigated the relationship between dissociative symptoms and sleep disorders, problematic internet usage (PIU),aggression and digital game addiction in adolescents. Participants completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Problematic Internet Usage Scale (PIUS), Digital Game Addiction Scale (DGAS-7), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Child Version (SCARED), and a sociodemographic form. Regression analyses were performed to identify associations. The sample consisted of 244 adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age (M = 15.93, SD = 0.90), of which 171 (70.1%) were girls and 73 (29.9%) were boys. Fifty-two (21.3%) were classified as having problematic online gaming (POG+), whereas 192 (78.7%) were classified as not having problematic online gaming (POG-). There was a difference between the two groups in all sub-dimensions of the PIUS, STAXI, CDI, and A-DES. Adolescents who had higher scores on the A-DES had a higher risk of sleep disorders and had higher scores on the PIU, CDI, and SCARED. The POG+ group dissociation scores were considerably higher than POG- group scores. Adolescents with high A-DES scores also had higher anger scores and weaker anger control skills. Consequently, sleep disorders, PIU, and POG may increase dissociative symptoms.

Psychopathology and Dissociation among Boarding School Students in Eastern Turkey.

A subset of boarding schools for adolescents was established in 1993 in the rural sections of Eastern Turkey to provide equity in terms of availability of education. Even though these schools were beneficial in many respects, implementation of this institutional model gave rise to many challenges such as weaker relationships with parents and defiance of authority figures. Failure to develop a mature response to these challenges could lead to the development of psychopathologies such as depression, psychosis, and dissociation. The main objective of this study is to assess the incidence of psychopathology and dissociative experiences of the residential female students in the regional boarding schools compared to a control group. 187 female participants, 128 attending boarding school, and 59 attending day school, as the control group, were included in the study. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES) were used as measurement scales. T-test, Mann Whitney-U, Spearman correlation chi-square tests were used to evaluate the association between the variables. There was a significant difference in Interpersonal sensitivity and Psychoticism subscales of BSI. ADES score was found to be significantly higher in the Boarding school group. Boarding school students are at a higher risk of developing psychopathology as a common trauma on a group of people can result in shared dissociation, a collective defense mechanism to cope with the injury, which resembles shared delusional disorder within DSM-V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Screening measures should be implemented in boarding schools to evaluate adolescents for psychopathology and preventive measures should be taken to intervene in the early stages.

Unique Factor Structures Of The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale And Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory And Their Relation To PTSD Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth

ABSTRACT Adolescents who have experienced maltreatment are at enhanced risk for posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic symptoms (PTS). Two key aspects of PTSD/PTS include dissociation and trauma-related cognitions, and these constructs are often measured via the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES) and Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI). Unfortunately, little is known regarding the potential unique factor structures of these measures for maltreated youth with PTSD/PTS. Such knowledge would help clinicians develop more targeted assessments and clinical profiles for these youth. The primary aim of the present study was thus to examine the factor structures of the ADES and PTCI in a sample of 279 maltreated youth with PTSD/PTS (Mage = 14.25 years, SD = 1.78). A secondary aim was to identify whether identified factor structures from the present study sample of maltreated youth better predicted key PTSD symptom clusters of reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal compared to factor structures reported in previous literature. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed factor structures unique to this sample that better met goodness-of-fit criteria compared to other factor structures. These unique factor structures also displayed invariance across gender and age groups. In addition, the unique factor structure of the PTCI but not the ADES was a better predictor of reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms in maltreated youth compared to other factor structures in the literature. The results indicate that assessment protocols for maltreated youth with posttraumatic symptoms should be more closely tailored to the unique aspects of this population.

Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in Maltreated Children and Adolescents Receiving Forensic Assessment in a Child Advocacy Center

ABSTRACT Previous studies have indicated that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and other forms of child maltreatment (CM), as well as their subsequent posttraumatic symptoms, are significant risk factors for the development of disordered eating behaviors and attitudes and eating disorders (EDs). However, there are no known reports of CM based on forensic interview and assessment that have been linked to disordered eating behaviors and attitudes, or eating disorders (EDs), especially in children and adolescents. We, therefore, examined the hypothesis that ED-related symptoms would be significantly associated with trauma-related symptoms in children with reported maltreatment. Girls (n = 179, 11.9 ± 2.4 years) and boys (n = 99, 11.7 ± 2.8 years) referred for forensic assessment of alleged maltreatment completed the Kids’ Eating Disorders Survey, the Eating Disorders Inventory for Children (EDI-C), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale, among others. Significant positive correlations between most EDI-C subscale scores and most TSC-C subscale scores (PTSD, dissociation, anxiety, depression, sexual concerns) were found (p ≤.001) in the total sample and girls alone. Participants with credible, substantiated disclosures had significantly higher scores on several ED-related measures than those with non-credible, non-substantiated disclosures. Linear regression analysis indicated that PTSD and dissociative symptoms were significant predictors of EDI-C scores in those with substantiated disclosures (p ≤.001). Findings support the hypothesis that ED-related symptoms are significantly linked to authenticated CM.

Does Dissociation Among Adolescents Predict Difficulties? A Panel Study in Japan

AbstractDissociation has been reported to be associated with emotive‐relational and behavioral difficulties; however, the temporal relationship between dissociation and these difficulties is unclear. Accordingly, this study investigated whether dissociation predicts difficulties (including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems) in adolescents. A two‐wave cross‐lagged panel study (Time 1: September–November 2016, Time 2: February–March 2017) was conducted among 1,773 Japanese junior high and high school students at two private schools (995 boys and 778 girls; Mage = 14.79 years at Time 1 and 15.09 years at Time 2). Dissociation was assessed using the Japanese version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale and perceived difficulties were assessed via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A cross‐lagged effects model analysis indicated that high dissociation scores at Time 1 predicted high difficulties scores at Time 2. These findings suggest that dissociation could effectively predict difficulties in junior high and high school students. This study expands the field's understanding of the temporal relationship between behavioral problems and dissociation, which could help prevent problem behaviors.

Influence of maltreatment, bullying, and neurocognitive impairment on recidivism in adolescents with conduct disorder: A 3-Year prospective study

We sought to clarify the influence of family developmental conditions (e.g., adverse childhood experiences: ACEs), peer relationships (e.g., bullying), and neurocognitive impairment on recidivism in adolescents with conduct disorder (CD). We interviewed 290 adolescents with CD (265 males, 25 females) who had been admitted to a juvenile justice assessment center for the first time about their offense(s), onset of delinquency, ACEs, and peer relationships. The participants also completed tests of neurocognitive activities and self-report symptom measures: the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the Memory Updating test for the assessment of attention, the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) for the assessment of dissociation, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11th version (BIS-11) for the assessment of impulsivity. After the family court judgement and discharge, the participants were followed for 3 years. Readmissions to the center during the follow-up period were considered cases of “recidivism.” During the follow-up, 102 (35.2%) participants were readmitted to the center. A survival analysis (Cox proportional hazard model) showed that lower age, bullying (as the perpetrator), and impaired cognitive function (e.g., a lower SDMT score) significantly increased recidivism, whereas bullying (as both victim and perpetrator) decreased recidivism. ACEs showed no clear effect on recidivism. Lower age and impaired cognitive function appear to predispose adolescent first-time offenders with CD to recidivism. However, the peer bullying analysis showed that being a perpetrator positively influenced recidivism, whereas being both a victim and a perpetrator negatively influenced recidivism. Further research considering the heterogeneity and comorbidity of CD could clarify bullying’s influence on recidivism.

The Association between Trauma History, Trauma-Related Psychopathology and Treatment Completion at an Adolescent Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Turkey

Some adolescents are at great risk for early attrition from inpatient substance abuse treatment. We aimed to examine the effect of sociodemographic features, substance use patterns, childhood traumas and trauma-related psychopathology on the completion of an adolescent substance abuse inpatient treatment program in order to acquire information about adapting treatment strategies to enhance patient retention. Our study included 105 adolescents who were referred with a diagnosis of substance use disorder to our Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Center's inpatient treatment program in Istanbul, Turkey from February to December 2017. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Conners-Wells Adolescent Self Report Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Childhood Abuse and Neglect Question List, the Dependency Profile Index-Practitioner Form and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale were administered to the study group. The treatment completion rate was 26.7%. The patients who did not complete the inpatient treatment program had more history of childhood emotional neglect and/or abuse. The most common type of psychosocial trauma was emotional neglect (34%). Early attrition from the inpatient treatment program was related to dissociative amnesia, more severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression and synthetic cannabinoids use (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that childhood psychosocial trauma and related clinical characteristics were associated with attrition from the adolescent inpatient substance abuse treatment program. Substance abuse treatment programs should adopt early assessment tools to identify those at risk for early attrition from treatment and provide targeted interventions for them.

Bir ÇEMATEM kliniğinde yatan ergen hastalarda madde kullanım eğilimleri, psikososyal travmalar, psikiyatrik komorbiditeler ve cinsiyet farklılıkları

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, substance use patterns, psychosocial traumas, and gender differences among adolescent inpatients at an addiction treatment center. Method: Participants were 105 adolescents consecutively admitted and hospitalized at the Children and Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Dependency Research Treatment and Training Center of Bakirkoy Prof Dr. Mazhar Osman Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery between February and December 2017. Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, present and lifetime version, Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Rating Scales, Conners-Wells’ Adolescent Self-Report Scale, Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Addiction Profile Index-Practitioner Form, and Inventory of Parents and Peer Attachment were administered to all participants. Results: Of all cases, 31.4% were girls. Criminal history, a diagnosis of conduct disorder, substance use in the family, emotional abuse, and heroin use were frequently revealed. Among the girls, the substance use period was shorter and ecstasy use, traumatic experiences, diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severity of comorbidities were prominent; among the boys, synthetic cannabinoid use was more prevalent. While synthetic cannabinoid and alcohol use were frequent among the cases with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, heroin use was prominent among cases with depression diagnosis and ecstasy use among cases with PTSD. Conclusion: Among children and adolescents, substance use trends, childhood traumatic experiences, and severity of comorbidities may differ according to gender. It is important to take these differences into consideration in the treatment process.

Fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms: internalizing/externalizing problems and dissociative experiences in their adolescent offspring

Maternal and paternal depressive symptoms have shown to be linked to higher internalizing and externalizing problems in their children. The dysfunctional affective communication that characterizes depressed parenting has also been analyzed as a potential traumatic cumulative phenomenon that may, consequently, yield to dissociation. In this research framework, the purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships among fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms, adolescent dissociative experiences and internalizing and externalizing problems. A cross-sectional study, with a sample of 185 Italian adolescent students (40% males and 60% females; M = 16.2 years, SD = 1.2) and their mothers (MAge = 45.5 years, SD = 5.6 years) and fathers (MAge = 50.1 years, SD = 6.9 years) was conducted. Adolescents’ dissociative experiences were evaluated by means of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale, whereas their internalizing and externalizing symptoms through the Youth Self Report and parental depression symptoms were assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory. Path model analyses showed that the adolescent dissociative experiences played a mediating role between fathers’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms and their adolescent sons’ and daughters’ internalizing and externalizing problems. This study pointed out the complexity of the emotional/behavioral functioning in adolescent offspring when both parents are depressed, highlighting the presence and the impact of adolescent dissociative experiences associated to internalizing and externalizing problems.