Children's Hope Scale Research Articles

Agency and life satisfaction in Bedouin children exposed to conditions of chronic stress and military violence: A two-wave longitudinal study in Palestine.

Bedouin children in Palestine are at risk of developing trauma-related pathologies as a result of chronic exposure to severe political and military violence. Little is known about their coping abilities and survival skills. The aim of our study was to longitudinally test the contribution of agency to predicting life satisfaction and the power of life satisfaction to mitigate traumatic stress in a group of Bedouin children exposed to prolonged military violence in West Bank, occupied Palestinian territories. We expected that children who maintained good levels of satisfaction over the time would be less at risk of developing stress- and trauma-related syndromes and that agency would act as a predeterminant of mitigated traumatic reactions. A quantitative cross-lagged path model (CLPM) research design was implemented. One hundred forty-three Palestinian children were administered with Children's Hope Scale, Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale, Children's Impact of Event Scale, and a built ad hoc traumatic checklist. The results provided support for all the study hypotheses, suggesting that in general Bedouin children draw on a considerable range of resources in adjusting to their chronically traumatic life context. Implications for clinical work and future research are discussed.

The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy and Hope on Primary School Students' Social-emotional Learning and Primary Mental Abilities

The purpose of this research is to determine the mediating role of self-efficacy and hope on the relationship of individuals' scores on the Primary Mental Abilities (PMAs) Test 7-11 with social emotional learning. In addition, the relationship of PMAs scores with hope and self-efficacy have also been examined. The study has been carried out over 281 fourth-grade students (160 female and 121 male). For data collection, the PMAs Test 7-11 was first applied to the students. Students with PMAs Test 7-11 scores also filled in the Self-efficacy Scale for Children, the Social-emotional Learning Scale, and the Children's Hope Scale. As a result of the analysis, a positive, significant correlation was found among all the variables. Moreover, a partially mediating role was found for hope and Self-efficacy on the relationship between ability level and social emotional learning. This research is believed able to contribute to studies related to talented students.

Hope and mealtime insulin boluses are associated with depressive symptoms and glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Adherence to treatment regimen is associated with improved glycemic control and is particularly problematic during adolescence for those with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Both glycemic control and adherence may be negatively impacted by poor psychological outcomes in adolescence, such as depressive symptoms and low hopefulness. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between the mealtime insulin bolus score (BOLUS), a more robust proxy measure of adherence than frequency of blood glucose monitoring or self-report, with depressive symptoms, hope, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Ninety adolescents completed measures of hope (Children's Hope Scale) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale), as well as lab-based measures of HbA1c and mealtime insulin bolus scores (BOLUS). Higher levels of hope were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, more frequent mealtime insulin boluses, and better glycemic control. Higher levels of BOLUS behavior were associated with lower depressive symptoms and better glycemic control. Both BOLUS behavior and hope independently and significantly impacted the relationship between depressive symptoms and HbA1c, suggesting a possible mediation. Since hope and BOLUS were each associated with the relationship between depressive symptoms and glycemic control, following confirmation of this relationship in a longitudinal study, clinics may consider measuring hope and BOLUS among youth with high depressive symptoms and further investigating BOLUS behavior and hope as potential intervention targets to improve glycemic control.

Uloga nade i samopoštovanja u odnosu ekonomskoga pritiska i zadovoljstva životom adolescenata

The aim of this study was to examine whether hope and self- -esteem are moderators and/or mediators in the relation between perceived economic pressure and life satisfaction of adolescents. The study included 348 children (219 girls), mean age 15 years, from seven primary and four secondary schools located in the city of Zagreb and its surroundings. Perceived economic pressure was assessed using the eight economic strain items of the Responses to Stress Questionnaire (Wadsworth & Compas, 2002), hope was measured with the Children's Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1997), self-esteem was measured with the short version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg et al., 1989), and life satisfaction was measured with the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (Selingson et al., 2003). The results show that self-esteem is not a moderator, but a partial mediator in the relation between economic pressure and life satisfaction of girls. Similarly, hope was a partial mediator, and not a moderator in the relation between economic pressure and life satisfaction of boys and girls. The findings of this study show that part of the negative impact of economic pressure on adolescent life satisfaction can be explained by the adverse effect of economic pressure on self-esteem and hope among adolescents, i.e. by reducing self-esteem and hope.

A pilot study on the effectiveness of a school-based cognitive-behavioral anxiety intervention for 8- and 9-year-old children: A controlled trial in Japan

IntroductionMany universal school-based preventative intervention trials for anxiety have been conducted in Western countries. This pilot study examined the efficacy and acceptability of a school-based, universal preventative program for anxiety among children aged 8–9 years in Japan. The program was based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and was informed by similar universal programs (i.e., the Fun FRIENDS program; Barrett, 2007a, 2007b). MethodsSeventy-four children from a single school were allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention comprised 10 CBT sessions, and assessments were conducted before and after the program. The primary outcome measure was the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) as children's self-report. Secondary outcome measures were the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C), Children's Hope Scale (Hope), Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Parent Version (SCAS-P), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Parent Version (SDQ-P). ResultsThe SCAS as the primary outcome showed no significant differences between the two groups. In addition, DSRS-C, Hope and SDQ-P also showed no significant differences. SCAS-P in the intervention group showed significant decrease compared to those in the control group. ConclusionThe results of this trial study suggest that a school-based universal preventative program for anxiety may have no significant effects on 8–9-year-old children. Trial registrationUMIN-CTR Identifier UMIN000008798.

Profiles of hope: How clusters of hope relate to school variables

In a diverse sample of 297 adolescents, four clusters based on the agency and pathways subscales of the Children's Hope Scale were derived via cluster analysis: high hopers (n=105), high agency thinkers (n=73), high pathway thinkers (n=57), and low hopers (n=62). We examined differences among clusters on psychological (consideration of future consequences, perceived life chances, perceived stress, and self-esteem) and educational constructs (academic self-concept, academic investment, and self-reported academic achievement). We also examined differences among hope clusters by sex, grade, and socioeconomic status. Results indicated that (a) the hope clusters derived were theoretically consistent with hope theory, (b) there were differences in the demographic makeup of the hope clusters with effect sizes ranging from small to medium, (c) students with different hope profiles differed on the outcome variables with about 50% of the effect sizes ranging from medium to large, and (d) high hopers and high agency thinkers had the most adaptive outcomes. The findings suggest that hope may be a useful variable for determining academic and psychological risk as well as a potential avenue for intervention in adolescence.

The psychometric properties of the 5-item gratitude questionnaire in Chinese adolescents.

Background This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5). Method The sample consisted of 2093 middle school students (46.8% males) in mainland China. Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were performed to examine the factor structure and the measurement equivalence across gender. The convergent validity, Cronbach's α and mean interitem correlations of the GQ-5 were also evaluated. Results The results provided evidence of internal consistency reliability through a Cronbach's α of 0.812 and a mean interitem correlation of 0.463 for the total sample. The results also supported a one-dimensional factor structure. In addition, convergent validity was assessed by statistically significant positive correlations between the GQ-5 and the two subscales of the Children's Hope Scale (CHS) and the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) total score. Finally, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis also demonstrated measurement equivalence across gender. Subsequent analyses of latent mean revealed gender differences in early adolescent male and female students. Conclusions The Chinese version of the GQ-5 appears to be a reliable and valid measure of gratitude among Chinese early adolescents. Early adolescent female students reported higher gratitude than early adolescent male students.

The effect of gender norms on the association between violence and hope among girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Girls at early stages of adolescence are vulnerable to violence victimization in humanitarian contexts, but few studies examine factors that affect girls' hope in these settings. We assessed attitudes toward traditional gender norms as an effect modifier of the relationship between violence exposure and future orientation in displaced girls. Secondary analysis, using multivariable regression of cross-sectional data from girls ages 10-14 in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Key variables of interest were attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV), Children's Hope Scale (CHS) score, and exposure to physical, emotional, and sexual violence within the last 12 months. Additional covariates included age, educational status, and territory. The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for physical violence (β=-0.09, p=0.040) and unwanted sexual touching (β=-0.20, p=0.003) among girls age 10-14, when adjusting for other covariates. The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for forced sex (β=-0.22, p=0.016) among girls age 13-14, when adjusting for covariates. Findings for emotional violence, any form of sexual violence, and coerced sex trended toward lower CHS scores for girls who reported higher acceptance of IPV, but did not reach significance. Findings support the utility of gender norms-transformative programming in increasing resilience of girls who have experienced sexual violence in humanitarian contexts.

Measuring Hope Among Children Affected by Armed Conflict: Cross-Cultural Construct Validity of the Children's Hope Scale.

We investigated the cross-cultural construct validity of hope, a factor associated with mental health protection and promotion, using the Children's Hope Scale (CHS). The sample ( n = 1,057; 48% girls) included baseline data from three cluster-randomized controlled trials with children affected by armed conflict ( n = 329 Burundi; n = 403 Indonesia; n = 325 Nepal). The confirmatory factor analysis in each country indicated good fit for the hypothesized two-factor model. Analysis by gender indicated that configural invariance was supported and that scalar invariance was demonstrated in Indonesia. However, metric and scalar invariance were not supported in Burundi and Nepal. In country comparisons, configural and metric invariance were met, but scalar invariance was not supported. Evidence from this study supports the use of the CHS within various sociocultural settings and across genders, but direct comparisons of CHS scores across groups should be done with caution. Rigorous evaluations of the measurement properties of mental health protective and promotive factors are necessary to inform both research and practice.

The origins of hope in adolescence: A test of a social–cognitive model

We investigated the origins of individual differences in hope in adolescents based on a social–cognitive model. Specifically, we examined a mediating role for self-esteem and optimism in the relation between social support and hope. One thousand six hundred fifty four adolescents (781 boys and 873 girls) from Mainland China completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and the Children's Hope Scale (CHS). Social support was associated positively with self-esteem, optimism and hope, and hope was associated positively with self-esteem and optimism. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that self-esteem and optimism partially mediated the relation between social support and hope, accounting for 62.7% of the effect of social support on hope. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.

Setting the Children’s Teeth on Edge? The Influence of Parental Alcoholism on Children’s Wellbeing

The research on the impact of alcoholism on the family indicates that alcoholism often poses threat to the wellbeing of the family, the most affected ones being the other spouse and the children. Alcoholism often poses serious risk to the emotional, cognitive, behavioural, physical and social wellbeing of the abuser, the partner and the children. Most of the researches have explored the impact of parental alcoholism on the negative outcome on psychosocial development of partners and children, very few documented studies have been carried out on the positive aspects of life such as wellbeing and futuristic hope in the children of alcoholic parents (COA). This study attempts to explore the relationship and the difference between QOL and Hope in COA and children of non-alcoholics (CONA). The study was conducted on a sample of 60 children each between the age of 12 to 15 from alcoholics and non-alcoholic parents drawn from a district of Kerala using purposive sampling technique. The measures used were QOL-BREF by WHO (1996) and Children Hope Scale (CHS) by Snyder et al. (1996). The data was first analyzed using the descriptive statistics, the normality of the data was checked using Shapiro Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test was used to find the difference between the COA and CONA on QOL and Hope. The relationship between the variables was assed using Spearman rank correlation. The results of the study indicate that there is significant difference in QOL among the children of alcoholics and non-alcoholics. The COA demonstrated comparatively less Hope than the CONA, however there was no significant difference among them. The QOL and Hope were correlated only among the CONA. The study has implication for positive intervention for the COA, parental and school based interventions such as preventive, remedial and holistic counselling or therapy.

Native American Children and Their Reports of Hope: Construct Validation of the Children's Hope Scale.

Child reports of hope continue to be utilized as predictors of positive adjustment; however, the utilization of the hope construct has not been assessed within the culturally diverse Native American child group. The present study investigated the applicability of the Hope theory among 96 Native American children in the Midwest. Measures included the Children's Hope Scale and a Hope Interview. Native American children in the current sample appear to conceptualize hope as a way to reach goals as did the children in the normative sample. Results from the factor analysis demonstrate that the factor structure found in the current study was similar to the factor structure found in the standardization sample. Because of the similar Hope theory conceptualization and factor structure, interventions focused on the positive psychology construct of hope may be applicable within a Native American child population.

Hope, Anger, and Depression as Mediators for Forgiveness and Social Behavior in Turkish Children

ABSTRACT. This study examined the mediating effects of hope, anger, and depression in the associations between forgiveness and social behavior, in fourth grade students in Turkey. The 352 fourth grade primary school students were involved in the study. The average age was 9.98 and 56.3% were boys. The Enright Forgiveness Inventory for Children (EFI-C), the Beck Anger Inventory for Youth (BANI-Y), the Children Hope Scale (CHS), the Social Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ), and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) were used. Results showed that depression mediates the relationship between anger and antisocial behavior and between hope and antisocial behavior. Anger mediates the relationship between hope and depression and between hope and antisocial behavior. Forgiveness was related to anger and hope directly. Implications of this study for child counseling were discussed.

EPA-1701 – Social values assessment in adolescence: exploratory study of the psychometric properties of the social values survey and its relationship with affective states and hope

Introduction Social relationships (e.g. family, friendships and romantic relationships) are fundamental to human development and well-being. Objectives The current study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the Social Values Questionnaire (SVS; Blackledge & Ciarrochi, 2006) in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Furthermore we sought to understand motives for and commitment to social values and how these elements are associated with well-being across age and gender. Methods The sample included 268 adolescents (150 girls and 118 boys) with ages ranging from 14 to 18 years old, attending high school. Participants completed a set of self-report measures: the SVS, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-C; Sadin, 1997), the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS;Huebner 1991) and the Children's Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder, Hoza, Pelham, Rapoff, Ware, Danovsky, Highberger, Rubinstein & Stahl, 1997). Results The Portuguese version of the SVS showed high internal consistency: Intrinsic motivation (α=0,91), extrinsic motivation (α=0,90), commitment (α=0,79). It also showed adequate test retest reliability. Gender revealed a relevant role with girls presenting more intrinsic motivation, less extrinsic motivation and a higher degree of commitment when compared with boys. Age was positively correlated with intrinsic motivation and commitment. Significant and expected relationships were also found between SVS subscales and positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and hope. Conclusions The SVS seems to be a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of social values in adolescents. This construct is an important one in the context of mindfulness and acceptance based therapies and thus its assessment is pertinent.

EPA-1700 – The role of childhood positive memories, mindfulness, and hope, in emotional states in adolescence

Introduction Previous studies concerning early experiences in childhood show that these play a crucial role in the individuals’ development and may lead to a decrease in the vulnerability to show psychological problems. Mindfulness skills and feelings of hope seem to function as mechanisms that promote adjustment and psychological well-being. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between early positive emotional memories, hope, and mindfulness skills, as well as their role in the psychological well-being. Method A sample of 402 adolescents with ages ranging from 12 to 18 years old completed four self-report instruments: the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, the Children and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, the Children Hope Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Results Girls exhibited more negative affect when compared to boys. Age and years of education were not correlated with any of the study variables. Students with no school disapprovals showed more positive emotional memories and more hope. Mindfulness skills, hope, warmth and safety memories, and positive and negative affect were significantly correlated in an expected way. The set of variables that better predicted positive affect was: hope, early warmth and safety memories, and mindfulness skills. For negative affect, mindfulness was the best predictor followed by hope and lastly by positive emotional memories. Conclusions The current study heightened the role of positive emotional memories, mindfulness, and hope in affective states, suggesting that they may be addressed in intervention programs for the adjustment or the psychological well-being of the adolescents.

An Evaluation of Psychosocial Outcomes for Children and Adolescents Attending a Summer Camp for Youth With Chronic Illness

This study evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and hope in youth after participation in a summer camping program for children with chronic medical conditions. A total of 102 youth (mean age = 13.10 years, SD = 2.37) with various medical diagnoses (e.g., cancer, 36.9%; kidney disease, 21.4%) participated in the study. Findings from the Children's Hope Scale indicated that from pre- to post-camp, youth were more confident in their ability to identify strategies to accomplish goals. Additionally, findings from this scale suggested that the identification and development of personal goals is associated with enhancement of perceived HRQOL at the post-camp assessment. No significant differences emerged in HRQOL from pre- to post-camp. Overall, the results are consistent with previous studies of positive benefits of the camp experience; this study indicates that youth participation in chronic illness camps facilitates increased hope and goal-directed behaviors, which contributes to improvements in psychosocial functioning.

Validation and use of the Children’s Hope Scale-Revised PTPB Edition (CHS-PTPB): High Initial Youth Hope and Elevated Baseline Symptomatology Predict Poor Treatment Outcomes

The present study examined the relationship between initial youth hope, measured within the first 4 weeks of mental health treatment, and treatment progress over time (self-, caregiver-, and clinician-report of symptom severity) in a clinical sample of youth ages 11-18 years (N = 356). The psychometric properties of the CHS-PTPB, a revised version of the Children's Hope Scale, are also presented. Results indicate the CHS-PTPB is a psychometrically sound measure for use in this population. Additionally, results found that while higher levels of hope were associated with lower levels of symptom severity at baseline, initial level of hope was not significantly related to symptom improvement over time as reported by the youth and caregiver. Surprisingly, higher initial hope predicted slower treatment progress as rated by clinicians. According to clinician-rated symptom severity, youth with high initial hope and high baseline symptom severity show the poorest predicted clinical outcome. Implications, future directions, and limitations of the study are discussed.

Measuring adolescent well-being: the development of a standardized measure for adolescents participating in orphans and vulnerable children programming

Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) programs in developing countries aim to improve overall well-being of OVC. However, traditional OVC development programs cover multiple programmatic areas (i.e., health, economic, education), and measuring the net effects of these interventions on a child has been exceptionally difficult at the field level. To improve monitoring and evaluation of OVC programs, the authors used a scientific process to develop a self-reported OVC Well-being Tool (OWT), for adolescents aged 13–18 years. The OWT was piloted through a five-country Catholic Relief Services OVC project to 890 adolescents and was validated against the Children's Hope Scale and evaluation survey data. Advanced statistical analyses, along with feedback from the pilot countries, were used to further refine the OWT. The resulting tool is 36 questions long and takes approximately 20 minutes to administer. Results can be used to monitor OVC programs over time, identify trends, and actively engage OVC in the monitoring of the projects.

Use of the “Mental Health Inventory – 5” with Portuguese 10-15 Years Old

The present study describes the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Mental Health Inventory-5 for use with young adolescents. A sample of 367 Portuguese students (aged 10-15 years) completed the Portuguese-language versions of Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5; Berwick et al., 1991), Children's Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder et al., 1997), Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS; Huebner, 1991a), and Global Self-Worth Sub-scale (Harter, 1985). Analysis of readability, reliability (internal consistency and 1-year stability), factor structure, and criterion-related validity suggested that the MHI-5 can be appropriately used in this age group. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Parental loss and hope among orphaned children in South Africa: A pilot study

In this pilot study, the Children's Hope Scale was used for the first time in Africa to compare hope levels among a sample of 41 orphans and 40 non-orphans, aged 8–16 years, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Contrary to results suggested by other regional data and their own hypothesis, authors found that orphaned children reported slightly higher levels of agency thinking overall, with more pronounced differences between orphan girls and their non-orphan counterparts. A possible explanation may be found in the diverse set of individuals that orphans access for support. Policy and practice implications are discussed in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.