Psychological Distress In Adolescents Research Articles

Relationship of Self Esteem, Personality and Social Support with Psychological Distress in Adolescents

Relationship of Self Esteem, Personality and Social Support with Psychological Distress in Adolescents

Maladaptive personality traits and psychological distress in adolescence: The moderating role of personality functioning

Research on personality in adolescence underlined the importance of adopting a dimensional approach to personality pathology rather than a categorical one. In this regard, the association between maladaptive versions of personality traits and pathological outcomes has been studied, neglecting the study of the severity of personality functioning. The aim of the current study is to investigate the interactions between maladaptive personality traits as conceptualized in DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and personality functioning in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents. Maladaptive personality traits, severity of personality functioning and psychological distress were evaluated in 562 adolescents (62.5% females, M = 16.24, SD = 1.69) recruited from middle and secondary schools in Northern Italy. Results showed that internalizing maladaptive personality traits and psychoticism were associated with psychological distress, whilst externalizing traits were not. Moreover, dimensions of personality functioning (self and interpersonal related) moderated the strength of these associations. These findings suggest the importance of taking into account the level of personality functioning in order to deeper understand the association between maladaptive personality traits and psychological distress. In particular, our results indicate that internalizing features might be highly influenced by personality dimensions in adolescence.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Its Relationship With Distress and Functioning in Adolescents With Chronic Pain and Low-Level Pain

Dispositional mindfulness is the general tendency to pay attention to present-moment awareness without judgment. The main aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine (a) whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with psychological distress in adolescents with chronic pain and low-level pain, and (b) whether it accounts for unique variance in distress after controlling for key variables from the pain literature. A secondary aim was to explore the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and functioning. 54 adolescents seeking help for chronic pain and 94 "healthy" adolescents with recent low-level pain from the general population completed the same battery of measures, including the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure of dispositional mindfulness. As predicted, dispositional mindfulness was associated with mood and anxiety in both groups and also accounted for unique variance in mood and anxiety in standard regression models after controlling for group, age, pain-intensity, pain-catastrophizing, and pain-acceptance. Dispositional mindfulness did not differ significantly across the two groups and did not predict physical functioning. However, it did account for unique variance in social functioning. Dispositional mindfulness may be an important construct to consider in the context of adolescents experiencing mood and anxiety problems in both low-level and chronic pain samples. Further research should aim to replicate these findings in larger clinical samples and explore the predictive power of dispositional mindfulness using longitudinal designs.

Intentional music use to reduce psychological distress in adolescents accessing primary mental health care.

Many young people turn to music as a way of exploring and managing their moods and emotions. The literature is replete with studies that correlate music preferences and mental health, as well as a small but increasing interest in uses of music to promote well-being. Recent studies have shown that music use is often unconscious, thus difficult to influence without therapeutic conversations. No study has yet tested whether it is feasible to increase awareness of music use in young people who tend to ruminate with music, and test whether increased awareness can reduce distress. This feasibility study aimed to determine whether involvement in a brief music-based intervention was engaging and acceptable to a small sample of young people, and whether their levels of distress decreased and insight into music uses increased. A mixed methods approach was adopted, merging scores of distress and self-reported experience of the intervention to foster interpretation. Convergent analysis of the different data forms suggests that at least some of the measurable decreases in distress captured for all of the participants were related to participation in the sessions, according to the self-report of a number of the young people in interviews. This is demonstrated through descriptive data compiled under two key themes (Agency and Changed Uses) and illustrated through three case examples that were drawn largely from the words of the young people. This feasibility study suggests that young people's relationship with music provides a powerful platform for leveraging engagement in services and improvements in distress, when well timed and carefully scaffolded.

Prospective associations between sport participation and psychological adjustment in adolescents

BackgroundEngaging in sport has been suggested to be mitigate against psychological distress. Using a prospective-longitudinal design, we examine whether sport participation is associated with reduced psychological difficulties in adolescents and...

Emotional Adjustment in Adolescent Interpersonal Attachment and Psychological Distress

Emotional Adjustment in Adolescent Interpersonal Attachment and Psychological Distress

Alexithymia as a mediator of the relationship between child sexual abuse and psychological distress in adolescence: A short-term longitudinal study

BackgroundUnderstanding factors influencing mental health of sexually abused teenagers is essential to orient treatment with this vulnerable population. The purpose of this study was to explore alexithymia as a mediator of the relationship between child sexual abuse and psychological distress using a representative sample of teenagers, while considering gender as a potential moderator. MethodsTeenagers participating in the Quebec Youths’ Romantic Relationships Survey completed measures evaluating a history of child sexual abuse and alexithymia at baseline while psychological distress was evaluated 6 months later. ResultsA moderated mediated model revealed a partial mediation effect of alexithymia in the relationship between child sexual abuse and psychological distress. Gender acted as a moderator as the conditional indirect effects of child sexual abuse on mental health via alexithymia were stronger for boys. ConclusionFindings underscore the relevance of assessing and targeting sexually abused victims’ capacity to identify and communicate emotions to promote well-being.

Effect of personal characteristics, victimization types, and family- and school-related factors on psychological distress in adolescents with intellectual disabilities

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of bullying victimization among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and the influence of victimization experience on their mental health in Taiwan. Data on 706 adolescents from the 2011 Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study were analyzed. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to variables comprising 7 items of psychological distress, 4 types of bullying victimization, and family-, school-, and peer-related factors. Approximately 70% of the survey respondents had experienced at least one type of victimization, and 44% of them had experienced at least two types of victimization. Exclusion (50%) and verbal bullying (70%) were the most commonly reported types. In addition, exclusion and verbal bullying were found to be significantly associated with psychological distress in these adolescents. Our findings suggest that victimization is a common experience among adolescents with disabilities, and a notable risk factor for the psychological well-being of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. However, a good relationship with parents and peers can relieve psychological distress and its effect on mental health.

English

Many factors could be co-related with psychological distress in secondary school adolescents. Few of such factors are the style parents adopt in raising their adolescents, and the family characteristics in which adolescents are nurtured. This study was designed to look at the relationship between parenting style/family characteristics and adolescents’ psychological distress. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate the styles that parents adopt in raising their children, the family characteristics of adolescents, such as the family type, the family size and parental figure, and how these variables can contribute to psychological distress among secondary school adolescents. To guide the study, six hypotheses were formulated. The descriptive survey was adopted for the study, in which five schools were randomly selected for the study; selection of schools was restricted to only mixed gender schools in order to make comparisons easier. 40 students were selected from each of the schools making a total of two hundred (200) respondents. The respondents completely filled a questionnaire comprising a socio-demographic and family-related data sheet, a 12-item General Health Questionnaire, and a 30-item Parental Care Scale. The results showed that authoritative (p < 0.01, r = 0.633) and authoritarian parenting styles (p< 0.01, r =0.303) significantly and respectively correlated inversely and directly with psychological distress in adolescents. Permissive parenting styles and family characteristics did not correlate with psychological distress. These findings suggest that higher levels of control, which is characteristic of both authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles, may be a critical factor in the development of psychological distress. It is suggested that counsellors may help parents gain the knowledge and skills necessary to support their adolescents to fulfil their psychological needs. Counselling programmes can be designed for parents in line with the findings, parents’ discussion group and other means can be created with the aim of educating and enlightening parents on how the practices/styles that they adopt could have implications on the psychological wellbeing of their children. Key words: Parenting style, psychological distress, family characteristics, adolescents, secondary school correlate.

Effects of heterogeneous risk factors on psychological distress in adolescents with autism and victimization experiences in Taiwan

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of various types of bullying victimization among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and examine the effects of victimization on the mental health of adolescents with ASD.Methods: The sample was collected from the Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study (SNELS) database released in 2011. Variables comprising seven psychological distress (PD) items and four types of bullying victimization and family-, school-, and peer-related factors were included in a multivariate regression analysis.Results: Exclusion and verbal bullying were most frequently reported, 72.4% of students with ASD experiencing exclusion bullying and 66% of them experiencing verbal bullying. Among the victims, delayed bedtime, use of medication, and conflicts with parents significantly increased PD. By contrast, good relationships with parents and friends and liking school environments relieved PD symptoms. Furthermore, delayed bedtime after 12 a.m. enhanced the effects of exclusion victimization on PD in the participants.Conclusions: Our results indicated that bullying victimization among adolescents with ASD was a risk factor for their psychological well-being. Nevertheless, good parent–adolescent and interpeer relationships improved their mental health. Our results can serve as a reference in implementing strategies for motivating parents and teachers to pay more attention to the needs of adolescents with ASD.Implications for RehabilitationMore than 80% of adolescents with autism experience at least one type of bullying victimization.Bullying victimization attributes to a major factor influencing mental health of adolescents with autism.Good parent–adolescent and interpeer relationships can play beneficial roles in improving mental health of the adolescents.

Socioeconomic disparities in psychological distress in a nationally representative sample of Japanese adolescents: A time trend study.

Socioeconomic status as a determinant of mental health problems has received scant attention in Japan, which has long been considered an egalitarian society. This study examined the association between socioeconomic status and psychological distress and its trends over 6 years among Japanese adolescents. We used data from a nationally representative sample of 9491 adolescents aged 12-18 years who participated in three repeated cross-sectional surveys between 2007 and 2013. The K6 scale was used to assess psychological distress. Socioeconomic status indicators included household income, parental education, parental working status and household structure. Psychological distress prevalence decreased significantly from 2007 (10.7%) to 2013 (7.6%). However, the socioeconomic status patterns of psychological distress were consistent through the study period. Adolescents living in both lower (odds ratio = 1.61; 95% confidence interval = [1.27, 2.05]) and higher income households (odds ratio = 1.30; 95% confidence interval = [1.03, 1.62]) were more likely to report psychological distress than their middle-income counterparts. Adolescents with low household income were more likely to feel stress from interpersonal relationships and less likely to have help-seeking behaviors, while those with high household income were more likely to feel stress about school achievement. Psychological distress was also associated with parental poor education and single parenthood. Socioeconomic status disparities in adolescent psychological distress were evident and consistent during the 6-year period. There is a unique U-shaped relationship between household income and psychological distress among adolescents in Japan, unlike those from other countries. However, the underlying mechanisms may differ by income status. Future prevention efforts should consider socioeconomic status as a determinant of adolescent mental health problems.

Perceived and Objectively-Measured Neighborhood Violence and Adolescent Psychological Distress.

Prior research examining links between neighborhood violence and mental health has not been able to establish whether it is perceived levels of neighborhood violence, or actual levels of violent crime, that matter most for adolescents' psychological well-being. In this study, we ascertained both perceived neighborhood safety and objectively-measured neighborhood-level violent crime (using a novel geospatial index of police-reported crime incidents) for 4464 adolescent respondents from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2011-2014). We used propensity score-matched regression models to examine associations between these measures and CHIS adolescents' symptoms of psychological distress. We found that adolescents who perceived their neighborhood to be unsafe were two times more likely than those who perceived their neighborhood to be safe to report serious psychological distress (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.20, 4.96). Adolescents who lived in areas objectively characterized by high levels of violent crime, however, were no more likely than their peers in safer areas to be distressed (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 0.60, 3.32). Our results suggest that, at the population level, adolescents' perceptions of neighborhood violence, rather than objective levels of neighborhood crime, are most salient for their mental health.

Improvement in Functioning and Psychological Distress in Adolescents With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Following Interdisciplinary Treatment.

Significant functional impairment and psychological distress have been observed in adolescent patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic pain in adults and adolescents. Only preliminary data have examined interdisciplinary rehabilitation efforts in patients with POTS. This study evaluated the impact of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program on the functional impairment and psychological distress in 33 adolescents diagnosed with POTS. Patients included in the study were adolescents ages 11 to 18 diagnosed with POTS. Measures completed at admission and discharge from the program included the Functional Disability Index, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression-Child scale, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children. After participation in the 3-week program, adolescents with POTS demonstrated a significant increase in overall functional ability and significant reductions in depression and catastrophizing.

Psychological Distress and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer and Their Parents.

To investigate the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and their parent caregivers. In a cross-sectional study design, AYA participants (n = 196) and parent caregivers (n = 204) were recruited from 18 sites across Australia. AYAs were aged 15-25 years at cancer onset and within 6-24 months of diagnosis. AYAs and parents completed a survey that includes validated measures of psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]). Additional measures included validated and study-specific questionnaires related to sociodemographic and medical information, social supports, cancer impacts, and life stressors. Nearly half the sample (48% AYAs and 42% parents) scored above a clinical cutoff score for PTSS, indicating further assessment was warranted. Nearly one third of AYAs and parents (31% AYAs and 28% parents) reported moderate to severely elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Factors associated with elevated AYA distress included female gender, less social support, and self-image and identity issues. For parents, living outside the metropolitan area, other life stressors, and impact on plans for the future and broader family were factors associated with increased distress. Despite numerous studies of AYA cancer survivors, very few studies have examined the psychosocial and psychological impacts of cancer when onset occurs during adolescence and young adulthood. Almost no studies have examined the impacts on their parent caregivers. The findings of this study support the need for early identification of psychological distress, appropriate developmental perspectives to understand AYA distress, and the need for family-based psychological assessment and interventions.

Adolescent psychological distress, unemployment, and the Great Recession: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997

RationaleSeveral studies have shown a link between psychological distress in early life and subsequent higher unemployment, but none have used sibling models to account for the unobserved family background characteristics which may explain the relationship. ObjectiveThis paper uses the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997 data to examine whether adolescent psychological distress in 2000 predicts higher unemployment over 2000–11, whether this relationship changed in the period following the Great Recession, and whether it is robust to adjustment for family effects. Methods7125 cohort members (2986 siblings) self-reported their mental health in 2000 and employment activities over 2000–11. This association was examined using Probit and ordinary least squares regressions controlling for intelligence, physical health, other sociodemographic characteristics and family background. ResultsAfter adjustment for covariates and compared to those with low distress, highly distressed adolescents were 2.7 percentage points (32%) more likely to be unemployed, 5.1 points (26%) more likely to be unemployed or out of the labor force and experienced 11 weeks (28%) more unemployment. The impact of high distress was similar to a one standard deviation decrease in intelligence, and double the magnitude of having a serious physical health problem, and these estimates were robust to adjustment for family fixed-effects. The highly distressed were also disproportionately more likely to become unemployed or exit the labor force in the years following the Great Recession. ConclusionThese findings provide strong evidence of the unemployment penalty of early-life psychological distress and suggest that this relationship may be intensified during economic recessions. Investing in mental health in early life may be an effective way to reduce unemployment.

Body dissatisfaction and psychological distress in adolescents: Is self-esteem a mediator?

This brief report tests the mediating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of depression and anxiety. A sample of 409 adolescents (females = 58.4%) aged between 14 and 18 years completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Overall, results for the indirect effects analysis were significant for both anxiety and depression, which confirmed the mediating role of self-esteem. Thus, a negative perception of one's body image has the effect of lowering self-esteem, which in turn increases psychological distress.

Sofrimento psíquico em adolescentes associado ao alcoolismo familiar: possíveis fatores de risco

The aim of this study was to identify predictive risk factors for psychological distress in adolescents who live or do not live with alcoholic family members. An epidemiological study was conducted with a selection of 211 adolescents under psychological distress from a sample of 715 students from the state education network of Joao Pessoa, state of Paraiba, Brazil. Data were collected using three instruments: the Family CAGE; the Self-reporting Questionnaire and a structured questionnaire. The logistic regression model was used for analysis. The results evidenced that adolescents who lived with alcoholic family members whose mothers had higher education levels had lower chances of manifesting psychological illnesses (OR = 0.63). Among adolescents who did not live with alcoholic family members, the highest chances for manifesting illnesses were associated with the education level of their fathers (OR = 1.2), being female (OR = 1.8), and belonging to a non-nuclear family. The planning of actions/interventions that favor the effective construction of care for these individuals must take into consideration the socio-cultural singularities of the family context.

Adverse Life Experience and Psychological Distress in Adolescence: Moderating and Mediating Effects of Emotion Regulation and Rumination

The current study tested whether emotion regulation and rumination moderated and/or mediated the relationship between accumulated adverse life experience and psychological distress in adolescence. In class, Australian high school students (n = 2637, 12-18 years, 68% female) from 41 schools completed well-validated measures of adverse life experience, emotion regulation, rumination and psychological distress, and were followed up 1 year later (n = 1973, 75% retention rate). Adjusting for age, gender and baseline psychological distress, adverse life experience predicted psychological distress 1 year later. Expressive suppression and rumination were positively associated with psychological distress. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with psychological distress and moderated the relationship between adverse life experience and psychological distress. This relationship was also partially mediated by cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression and rumination. Promoting cognitive reappraisal and minimizing expressive suppression and rumination may be useful strategies to improve mental health for adolescents who have experienced adverse life events. Future research should examine whether adolescents who have experienced adverse life events can be trained in effective emotion regulation strategies and whether this training can prevent development of psychological maladjustment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factors Associated with Adolescent Pregnancy, Psychological Distress, and Suicidal Behavior in Jamaica: An Exploratory Study

Factors Associated with Adolescent Pregnancy, Psychological Distress, and Suicidal Behavior in Jamaica: An Exploratory Study

Commentary on Salom et al. (2015): Examining the developmental underpinnings of comorbid mental health and substance use outcomes in young adults.

Keywords: Alcohol abuse; Comorbidity; mental health; substance use; emerging adulthood; adolescence