Adolescent Life Event Scale Research Articles

Dysfunctional attitudes, social support, negative life events, and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND Depression is a prevalent psychological issue in adolescents that is significantly related to negative life events (NLEs) and dysfunctional attitudes. High levels of social support can significantly buffer NLEs’ effect on depression. Currently, there is limited research on how social support moderates the relationship between NLEs, dysfunctional attitudes, and depression in adolescents in China. It is imperative to investigate this moderating effect to mitigate dysfunctional attitudes in adolescent undergoing depressive mood, ultimately enhancing their overall mental health. AIM To investigate the relationship and underlying mechanisms between specific dysfunctional attitudes, social support, and depression among Chinese adolescents. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study which selected five middle schools in Shandong Province for investigation in March 2022. Participants included 795 adolescents (49.87% male, mage = 15.15, SD = 1.84, age range = 11-18 years old). All participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, Adolescent Life Event Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Social Support Rating Scale. A moderated mediation model was conducted to examine the relationship between specific dysfunctional attitudes, social support, and depression. RESULTS Results indicated that NLEs affected depression through the mediating role of specific dysfunctional attitudes (autonomy attitudes β = 0.21; perfectionism β = 0.25). Moreover, social support was found to moderate the mediating effect between NLEs, specific dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive symptoms (autonomy attitudes b2 = -0.08; perfectionism b2 = -0.09). CONCLUSION Dysfunctional attitudes mediated and social support moderated the relationship between NLEs and depression. Social support can buffer depression symptoms among adolescents with autonomy attitudes and perfectionism.

Negative life events and college students' adjustment: the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of grade.

The present research explored the relationship among negative life events, self-esteem, grade, and adjustment of college students. In total, 1,717 college students were investigated by the adolescent life events scale, Rosenberg self-esteem inventory, and Chinese college students' adjustment scale. The results showed that negative life events were negatively correlated with self-esteem and college students' adjustment. Moreover, self-esteem was positively correlated with college students' adjustment. Negative life events significantly negatively predicted college students' adjustment, and self-esteem mediated the relationship between negative life events and college students' adjustment. Grade moderated the effects of negative life events on college students' adjustment. These findings have broad implications for college students' mental health.

Association of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury with Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 Gene Polymorphism and Negative Life Events Among Adolescents with Depression in Northern China.

To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) (rs11178997, rs11178998, and rs120074175) and negative life events in adolescent depression with Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Genomic DNA was extracted from 197 adolescents with depression (participants group, including NSSI group and non-NSSI group), as well as from 100 healthy controls (control group), in northern China. PCR technology was utilized to amplify DNA fragments and detect genotypes in both groups. The Adolescent Life Event Scale (ASLEC) was employed to conduct a questionnaire survey among the participants and control groups. Differences in allele and genotype frequency distribution between the two groups were analyzed using the X^2 test, while generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to analyze gene-environment interactions. Significant differences were observed in ASLEC scores between the control group and both the NSSI group and non-NSSI group (P<0.05). Additionally, significant differences were found in the interpersonal relationship factor and punishment factor between the NSSI group and non-NSSI group (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant difference was identified in SNP genotype of rs11178997 between the depression group (NSSI group + non-NSSI group) and control group (P<0.05). GMDR analysis revealed an interaction among rs11178997, rs11178998, and ASLEC. Adolescents with depression, particularly females, may exhibit a tendency to employ NSSI as an emotional coping mechanism when confronted with greater family and interpersonal challenges. The AT genotype of TPH2 gene locus rs11178997 is more prevalent among adolescents with depression. Furthermore, the occurrence of NSSI may be associated with an interaction involving polymorphic sites rs11178997 and rs11178998 along with life events.

The influence of negative life events on college students' suicidal ideation: the mediating role of entity theory and the moderating role of meaning in life.

Suicidal ideation is a desire, thought, or conception that is closely associated with suicide, which is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior. Negative life events may impact college students' suicidal ideation. According to the suicide susceptibility-stress model, the interaction between susceptibility factors and stressors may influence college students' suicidal ideation. The present study investigated the role of entity theory and meaning in life in the influence of negative life events on suicidal ideation among college students. A nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted among 938 college students. The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire, the Adolescent Life Events Scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire were used. The results showed that negative life events were positively correlated with suicidal ideation, entity theory played a mediating role, and meaning in life moderated the mediation of entity theory. Finally, meaning in life and entity theory may bring some benefits to college students; that is, when faced with negative life events, meaning in life and entity theory may attenuate students' suicidal ideation.

Negative life events and college freshmen self-injury behavior: A moderated mediation model

To explore the impact mechanism of negative life events on self-injury behavior we recruited 695 Chinese college freshmen to complete the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Adolescent Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Adolescents' Self-Harm Scale. The results showed a significant positive association between negative life events and the self-injury behavior of college freshmen. Mediation effects analysis showed that basic psychological needs mediated the relationship between negative life events and the self-injury behavior of college freshmen. A moderated mediation analysis showed that regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the direct and indirect mediation processes. These findings suggest that the self-injurious behavior of college freshmen can be effectively reduced by meeting their basic psychological needs and by improving their regulatory emotional self-efficacy, thus helping them adjust to college life.

The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated-Mediation Model.

This study aimed to investigate whether anxiety mediates the relationship between negative life events and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents and whether this mediating role is moderated through social support. The model consisted of an anonymous questionnaire survey of 506 Chinese adolescents (253 boys and 253 girls, mean age 15.11 years (SD = 1.83, range 11-18 years)). Self-designed questionnaires were used to collect demographic data. The frequency of NSSI, state anxiety, and social support degree of adolescents was assessed by the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Chinese version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the social support scale, respectively. Negative life events were significantly and positively correlated with anxiety and the frequency of NSSI, and anxiety was significantly and positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI. The positive association between negative life events and the frequency of NSSI among adolescents was mediated by anxiety after controlling for demographic variables. Furthermore, this mediated relationship was moderated by social support. Anxiety was a potential mechanism linking negative life events to NSSI in adolescents and low social support important risk factor for amplifying this indirect effect. Our findings provide an empirical basis for reducing NSSI in adolescents.

Association Between Hyperactivity Symptoms and Somatic Complaints: Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms in Childhood Trauma and Life Events Among Chinese Male Adolescents.

Background: Prior research has found that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – particularly hyperactivity symptoms – is associated with various somatic complaints. The present study further tests the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints in Chinese male adolescents and explores the underlying moderating and mediating mechanisms.Methods: Our sample included 1,586 males (age = 12–16) recruited as part of an epidemiological study of child and adolescent mental disorders from April to July, 2014. Hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints were assessed with Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) and Adolescent Life Events Scale (ASLEC) were used to assess exposure to childhood trauma and recent life events.Results: Adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms experienced more emotional abuse, physical abuse, life events, and reported more somatic complaints symptoms (p < 0.0083 or p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that hyperactivity, total childhood trauma score/emotional abuse and sexual abuse and ASLEC score significantly predicted somatic complaints (all p < 0.05). Emotional abuse and life events mediated the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Furthermore, childhood trauma moderated the path between hyperactivity symptoms and ASLEC in the moderation mediation model for predicting somatic complaints (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Hyperactivity symptoms had a significant impact on somatic complaints among Chinese male adolescents. Furthermore, childhood trauma and life events affected the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Interventions for somatic complaints in male adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms should thus consider history of childhood trauma and life events.

Mediating effect of social support on the association between life events and depression: A cross-sectional study of adolescents in Chongqing China.

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in adolescents. The link between negative life events and depression has been well established. However, our understanding about the role of social support in the link, which is likely culture-dependent, is quite limited. This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of social support on the association between life events and depression in adolescents in Chongqing China.A total of 1512 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old in Chongqing of China were selected using a stratified cluster sampling strategy. Depression symptoms, negative life events, and perceived social support of the participants were measured using the Children's Depression Inventory, Adolescent Life Event Scale, and Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, respectively. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to detect their associations. A multivariate linear regression model was established to determine the association between life events and depression after adjustment for variations in socio-demographic variables. The mediating effect of social support on the association between negative life events and depression was tested using the structural equation model.About 16.8% of the participants were detected with depression. Depression was associated with negative life events and low levels of social support (P < .05). Both frequency and perceived importance of social support showed a mediating effect on the association between life events and depression.Social support has a mediating effect on the association between life events and depression. Strengthening social support may be considered as an effective interventional strategy on depression in adolescents.

The Influence of Negative Life Events on Suicidal Ideation in College Students: The Role of Rumination.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of negative life events on suicidal ideation in college students and the role of rumination. Using a cluster sampling method, 894 college students were asked to fill out the adolescent life event scale, ruminative response scale, and suicidal ideation scale. The study revealed the following: (1) negative life events, rumination, and suicidal ideation were significantly positively correlated with each other; (2) rumination played a full mediating role in the influence of negative life events on suicidal ideation; and (3) rumination also played a moderating role in the influence of negative life events on suicidal ideation. Under a high level of rumination, negative life events had a significant positive effect on suicidal ideation in college students; however, under a low level of rumination, negative life events did not have a significant effect on suicidal ideation. Rumination played mediating and moderating roles in the relationship between negative life events and suicidal ideation among college students.

Association between negative life events and early adolescents&amp;rsquo; depression: The moderating effects of Catechol-O-methyltransferase (&amp;lt;italic&amp;gt;COMT&amp;lt;/italic&amp;gt;) Gene Val158Met polymorphism and parenting behavior

<p id="C2">Early adolescence is a critical period for examining the development of depression in that there is a sharp increase in the prevalence. Existing studies suggested that depression was significantly associated with negative life events. However, it is well-known that not all adolescents who experienced negative life events would become depressed. Findings from molecular genetics indicated that catechol-O-methyltransferase (<italic>COMT</italic>) gene Val158Met polymorphism might be an important candidate gene of depression. Some researches have also investigated the moderating effect of <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism on the association between negative life events and depression. However, the findings still remain inconsistent. According to developmental system theory, family factors, such as parental rearing behavior, may also play an important role on adolescent depression. However, whether and how <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism with parenting behavior moderate the association between negative life events and early adolescent depression remain unclear. Moreover, extant evidence has demonstrated that there is a significant gender difference in the interaction between gene and environment on depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism and parenting behavior on the association between negative life events and early adolescent depression, and its possible gender differences. <br/><p id="C60">In this study, 637 adolescents (<italic>M</italic>_age= 13.50 years, male = 344) of two middle schools in Jinan were selected as subjects. Adolescent depressive symptoms, negative life events and parenting behavior were accessed using self-rated children’s depression inventory (CDI), adolescent life events scale and parental rearing behavior questionnaire. All measures showed good reliability. DNA was extracted from saliva. Genotype at Val158Met polymorphism was performed for each participant with MassARRAY RT software version 3.0.0.4 and analyzed using the MassARRAY Typer software version 3.4 (Sequenom). A series of hierarchical regressions, internal replication analyses and meta-analyses were conducted to examine the effects of negative life events, Val158Met polymorphism and parenting behavior on adolescent depression. <br/><p id="C61">The results showed that negative life events significantly positively predicted early adolescent depression. Moreover, negative life events, <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism and positive paternal behavior had a significant three-way interaction on adolescent depression, which only existed in male adolescents. Specifically, for male adolescents with Val/Val genotype, positive paternal behavior played a significant moderating effect on the association between negative life events and depression. When the level of positive paternal behavior was lower, negative life events could positively predict male adolescent depression, whereas its effect was not significant when the level of positive paternal behavior was higher. Additionally, the above mentioned interaction was not observed among male adolescents with Met allele. The findings also indicated that both positive and negative maternal behaviors had marginally significant interactions with <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism and negative life events, and were also manifested only in male adolescents. In the further simple effect analysis of the three-way interactions, male adolescents with Val/Val genotype were still more sensitive to the environment. <br/><p id="C62">Overall, our results suggested that the effects of negative life events on early adolescent depression were moderated by <italic>COMT</italic> gene Val158Met polymorphism and parenting behavior, and there were gender differences in the moderating effect. More importantly, this study emphasizes the effects of genes and multiple environments on depression, which lends a reference for future studies on the interaction between genes and multiple environments. Besides, the findings provide important implications for the theoretical construction and intervention of adolescent depression.

Relationship Between Life Events and Mental Health in High School Students: the Regulatory Effect of Family Support

The purpose of this study is to explore whether family support has a regulatory role in high school students' life events and mental health. Methods A total of 1153 high school students randomly selected from a county-level middle school in Guangdong were surveyed using the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Chinese Middle School Students Mental Health Scale and the Family Support Scale. Results The overall level of mental health of high school students was healthy, but certain problems had emerged. The high school students' life events were significantly positively correlated with mental health. Family support and mental health were significantly negatively correlated. The interaction item “life events×family support” coefficient reached at a significant level, ΔR2 also reached a significant level after the introduction of the interaction term. Conclusion Family support plays an important role in regulating the life events and mental health of high school students.

A study of the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, life events, and executive function among college students in China

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences and life events on the inhibitory control ability, cognitive flexibility, and working memory of college students.MethodsThe study involved testing the participants using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire, the Adolescent Life Events Scale (Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist, ASLEC), and the program of executive functions designed by E-prime software.ResultsThe incidence rate of ACEs was 44.8%. ACEs, life events, and inhibition ability were found to have a significant correlation (r1 = 0.50, r1 = 0.47, p < 0.01). In the switching task, the reaction time of the ACEs group was longer than the reaction time of the non-ACEs group (t = − 2.55, p < 0.05). Low scorers in the ASLEC exhibited lesser reaction times than their high-scoring counterparts in the tasks related to inhibition, switching, and working memory experiments. The regression analysis results showed that ACEs and life events had a possibility rate of 56% in predicting inhibition ability.ConclusionsThe incidence of ACEs was found to be high, and cognitive flexibility is significantly influenced by ACEs. Life events have a significant impact on inhibition ability, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. ACEs and life events were found to be reliable predictors of inhibition ability.

Regulating effect and mediating effect of meaning in life between negative life events and suicidal risk among college students

Objective To explore the relationships among negative life events, meaning in life and suicidal risk of college students. Methods A total of 897 students from southern medical university were surveyed by adolescent life events scale (ALES), suicidal behaviors questionnaire-revised (SBQ-R) and meaningful life measure-Chinese revised (MLM-CR). Results The scores of negative life events, meaning in life and suicidal risk were 1.03±0.88, 124.32±20.35 and 4.17±1.66, respectively. There were 64 (7.1%) college students with high risk of suicide. The overall stress score was positively correlated with total suicidal risk score (r=0.134, P<0.01). Total suicidal risk score was negatively correlated with total score of meaning in life(r=-0.340, P<0.01). Moderating effects of meaning in life between negative life events and suicidal risk were significant (P<0.01). Meaning in life fully mediated the effects of negative life events on suicidal risk (P<0.01), which accounted for 59.6% of the total effects. Conclusion Meaning in life as a mediator and moderator between negative life events and suicidal risk. Meaning in life might play protective role in reducing the suicidal risk. Key words: Meaning in life; Negative life events; Suicidal risk; Suicidal ideation; Suicidal behavior; College Students

Major and minor life events, personality and psychopathology in children with tourette syndrome

Environmental, psychological, and biological interactions underlie many psychopathologies. Tourette's Syndrome (TS) has an obvious biological substrate but environmental factors and personality play substantial roles in its expression. We aimed to study the interrelationships between stressful life events, personality traits, tics, and comorbid disorders in children with TS. To this end, 132 children with TS and 49 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Major life events in the 12-months prior to testing and minor life events in the month prior to testing were retrospectively assessed using the Life Experiences Survey (LES) and the Brief Adolescent Life Events Scale (BALES), respectively. Personality was assessed with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). Tics, obsessive compulsive symptoms, attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms, anxiety, depression and aggression were assessed by self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We found that major life events correlated with the severity of tics expression and complexity, and comorbid psychopathology. Minor life events correlated with more severe symptomatology. High levels of harm avoidance were related to more obsessions, anxiety, and depression whereas high levels of self-directedness were protective.To conclude, TS expression in childhood should be understood as the result of an interaction between biological, personality and environmental factors.

Life events and Tourette syndrome

IntroductionTourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric developmental disorder characterized by the presence of multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics. Although TS is primarily biological in origin, stress-diatheses interactions most probably play a role in the course of the illness. The precise influence of the environment on this basically biological disorder is difficult to ascertain, particularly when TS is complicated by comorbidities. Among the many questions that remain unresolved are the differential impact of positive and negative events and specific subtypes of events, and the importance of major crucial events relative to minor daily ones to tic severity. ObjectivesTo examine the relationships between life events, tic severity and comorbid disorders in Tourette Syndrome (TS), including OCD, ADHD, anxiety, depression and rage attacks. Life events were classified by quantity, quality (positive or negative) and classification types of events (family, friends etc.). SubjectsSixty patients aged 7–17years with Tourette syndrome or a chronic tic disorder were recruited from Psychological Medicine Clinic in Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel. InstrumentsYale Global Tic Severity Scale; Children's Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale; Life Experiences Survey; Brief Adolescent Life Events Scale; Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders; Child Depression Inventory/Beck Depression Inventory; ADHD Rating Scale IV; Overt Aggression Scale. ResultsRegarding tics and minor life events, there was a weak but significant correlation between severity of motor tics and the quantity of negative events. No significant correlation was found between tic severity and quantity of positive events. Analysis of the BALES categories yielded a significant direct correlation between severity of vocal tics and quantity of negative events involving friends. Regarding comorbidities and minor life events, highly significant correlations were found with depression and anxiety.Regarding tics and major life events, significant correlation was found between the quantity of major life events and the severity of motor tics, but not vocal tics. Regarding comorbidities and major life events, significant correlation was found between the severity of compulsions, ADHD, and aggression and the subjects’ personal evaluation of the effect of negative major life events on their lives. ConclusionsMinor life events appear to be correlated with tic severity and comorbidities in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome. The lack of an association between major life events and tic severity further emphasizes the salient impact of minor life events that occur in temporal proximity to the assessment of tic severity. Clinically, the results match our impression from patient narratives wherein they “blamed” the exacerbations in tics on social interactions. The high correlation between negative life events and depression, anxiety and compulsions symptoms, were reported also in previous studies. In conclusion, These findings may have clinical implications for planning supportive psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy for this patient population.

Development and initial validation of the Brief Adolescent Life Event Scale (BALES)

We report initial validity analyses of the Brief Adolescent Life Event Scale (BALES). This instrument addresses negative and positive events pertinent to the well being of adolescent boys and girls, and is designed for use in studies utilizing an extended research protocol. Selection of items was guided by emerging perspectives on positive psychology , action theory , and personality vulnerability , as well as by new developments in statistical modeling theory. The 36 items of the scale tap negative and positive events, each of which addresses interpersonal and achievement life domains. Using a large sample of early-adolescents ( N = 895), we confirmed the hypothesized structure that includes four domain-level latent factors (i.e., negative interpersonal events, negative achievement events, positive interpersonal events, positive achievement events), and two overarching factors (negative events and positive events). Indices of positive and negative events predicted adolescent depressive symptoms in expected ways, and positive events buffered the effect of negative events on depressive symptoms. These findings encourage an informed use of the BALES and highlight considerations involved in the development of brief measures of stress and coping processes.

Assessment of major life events for Hong Kong adolescents: the Chinese Adolescent Life Event Scale.

Previous Chinese research on adolescent life stress adopted life event scales that were directly translated from Western measures. To address the methodological and cultural issues overlooked by the "import" approach, the present research aimed at constructing a life event scale for Hong Kong adolescents. Study 1 was conducted to congregate items for the Chinese Adolescent Life Event Scale (CALES). The CALES contains 44 items derived from 618 Hong Kong adolescents. Study 2 revealed adequate test-retest reliability and criterion-related validity for the CALES. Moreover, the CALES yielded stronger relationships with depression than did the translated life event measures. Results suggest that the CALES is appropriate for assessing life events for Hong Kong adolescents. Both unique features of the CALES and life events found only in the translated measures are examined. Implications for Chinese research on life stress are discussed.