Indicators Of Psychological Adjustment Research Articles

Ansiedad y depresión en contextos educativos: prevalencia, evaluación e impacto en el ajuste psicológico

Emotional problems constitute one of the main challenges for educational and social-health systems among young people. The main objective of this study was to study the symptoms of anxiety and depression in educational contexts. For this purpose, prevalence rates have been analyzed, a brief screening test to assess anxiety and depression has been validated and its relationship with psychological adjustment has been studied. A total of 2228 Spanish adolescents (M=14.49 years, SD=1.76; 52.9% female) participated in the study. The brief version developed to assess emotional problems was adjusted to a two-factor model (depression and anxiety). The reliability of the scores was ω=.82 and ω=.87. Symptoms of anxiety and depression have been positively associated with negative affect and emotional and behavioral problems, and negatively related with positive affect and quality of life. Emotional regulation difficulties seen to be common in educational contexts and impact on different indicators of psychological adjustment during adolescence. Anxiety and depression can be assessed with reliable screening test. It is necessary to implement programs for the prevention of emotional problems in educational contexts.

Anxiety and depression in educational settings: Prevalence, assessment, and impact on psychological adjustment

Symptoms of anxiety and depression constitute one of the main challenges for educational and social-health systems among young people. The main objective of this study was to study the symptoms of anxiety and depression in educational contexts. For this purpose, prevalence rates have been analyzed, a brief screening test to assess anxiety and depression has been validated and its relationship with psychological adjustment has been studied. A total of 2228 Spanish adolescents (M=14.49 years, SD=1.76; 52.9% female) participated in the study. The brief version developed to assess emotional problems was adjusted to a two-factor model (depression and anxiety). The reliability of the scores was ω=.82 and ω=.87. Symptoms of anxiety and depression have been positively associated with negative affect and emotional and behavioural problems, and negatively related with positive affect and quality of life. Emotional regulation difficulties seen to be common in educational contexts and impact on different indicators of psychological adjustment during adolescence. Anxiety and depression can be assessed with reliable screening test. It is necessary to implement programs for the prevention of emotional problems in educational contexts.

Development and Initial Validation of the Positive and Negative Co-Rumination Scale.

This article presents two studies with data from 750 college students (58.67% females, Mage = 20.79years) and 1035 school students (52.1% girls, Mage = 14.44years) respectively, describing the development and initial validation of the Positive and Negative Co-Rumination Scale (PANCRS). The PANCRS consists of 32 items with 3 second-order factors: Positive Co-Rumination consisting of 3 first-order factors (i.e., Affirmation, Problem-Solving and Enhancing Friendship), Negative Co-Rumination consisting of 4 first-order factors (i.e., Worry About Evaluation, Inhibiting Happiness, Worry About Impact and Slack) and Frequency consisting of 2 first-order factors (i.e., Frequencies of Co-Rumination on Positive and Negative Events). Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the measure's 9 first-order and 3 second-order factors structure. Moreover, correlation analyses provided first evidence for the subscales' differential validity: (1) Positive Co-Rumination showed positive correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., friendship quality and life satisfaction) and negative correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., anxiety and depression); (2) Negative Co-Rumination showed non-significant or negative correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment and positive correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment; (3) Frequency showed positive correlations with both positive and negative indicators of psychological adjustment. In addition, all PANCRS scores showed satisfactory composite reliability (omegas) and temporal stability (test-retest). Overall the findings suggest that the PANCRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess positive and negative aspects of Co-rumination.

Validity Evidence for the Brief Self-Control Scale in the Spanish Adult Population: A Systematic Study

The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) has been widely studied across languages and populations. However, research examining the Spanish version is scant and limited to the adolescent population. Our aim here was to provide validity evidence for use of the BSCS with Spanish adults by analyzing and comparing the psychometric properties of different versions of the scale (13-item, 10-item, 9-item, 8-item, and 7-item). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the internal structure based on one-factor and two-factor models. Results obtained in a sample of 676 Spanish adults showed adequate fit indices for the two-factor structure of the 9-item, 8-item, and 7-item versions of the BSCS, although only the 9-item and 8-item BSCS were found to be invariant across gender. Item homogeneity and reliability of factor scores for these two versions (9-item and 8-item) were satisfactory. We also provide novel validity evidence based on relationships with indicators of psychological adjustment and wellbeing. Scores on the 9-item and 8-item BSCS correlated with life satisfaction, flourishing, self-esteem, distress, depression, and loneliness, and hence both may be suitable for use in mental health assessment contexts.

The integral contributions of parental involvement and parenting style to adolescent adjustments: a regression mixture analysis.

The integrative model of parenting has highlighted the integral contributions of parental involvement (quantity) and parenting style (quality) to adolescent psychological adjustments. The first aim of this study was to adopt the person-centered approach to identify profiles of parental involvement (quantity) and parenting styles (quality). The second purpose was to examine the associations between different parenting profiles and adolescent psychological adjustments. A cross-sectional online survey with families (N = 930) that included fathers, mothers, and adolescents (50% female, M age = 14.37 ± 2.31) was conducted in mainland China. The fathers and mothers reported their level of parental involvement; the adolescents rated fathers' and mothers' parenting styles, as well as their own levels of anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and loneliness. Latent profile analysis was adopted to identify parenting profiles using the standardized scores of fathers' and mothers' involvement and style (warmth and rejection). The regression mixture model was used to examine the relationships between different parenting profiles and adolescent psychological adjustments. Four classes best characterized the parenting behaviors: warm involvement (52.6%), neglecting noninvolvement (21.4%), rejecting noninvolvement (21.4%), and rejecting involvement (4.6%). Adolescents in the warm involvement group scored lowest on anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and loneliness. Adolescents in rejecting involvement group scored highest on psychological adjustment indicators. Adolescents in neglecting noninvolvement group scored lower on anxiety symptoms than those in rejecting noninvolvement group. Adolescents in the warm involvement group adjusted best, while adolescents in the rejecting involvement group adjusted worst among all groups. To promote adolescents' mental health, intervention programs need to consider both parental involvement and parenting styles simultaneously.

Associations between self-care practices and psychological adjustment of mental health professionals: a two-wave cross-lagged analysis

ABSTRACT Cultivation of self-care is believed to foster more well-being and to mitigate the psychological difficulties that mental health professionals experience. However, how the well-being and psychological distress of these professionals impact their personal self-care practice is rarely discussed. In fact, studies have yet to investigate whether the use of self-care improves mental health, or whether being in a better place psychologically makes professionals more prone to using self-care (or both). The present study aims to clarify the longitudinal associations between self-care practices and five indicators of psychological adjustment (well-being, posttraumatic growth, anxiety, depression, and compassion fatigue). A sample of 358 mental health professionals were assessed twice (within a 10-month interval). A cross-lagged model tested all associations between self-care and psychological adjustment indicators. Results showed that self-care at T1 predicted increases in well-being and in post-traumatic growth, and a reduction in anxiety and depression at T2. However, only anxiety at T1 significantly predicted greater self-care at T2. No significant cross-lagged associations were found between self-care and compassion fatigue. Overall, findings suggest that implementing self-care is a good way for mental health workers to “take care of themselves.” However, more research is needed to understand what leads these workers to use self-care.

Examining the distinction between self-enhancement and self-protection in young adults: The roles of basic need satisfaction and psychological adjustment

The current study explores the distinction between self-enhancement and self-protection as regards basic need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and psychological adjustment (i.e., global and contingent types of self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty) in young adults. 531 undergraduates (365 females and 166 males) completed questionnaires assessing self-enhancement and self-protection, basic need satisfaction, global self-esteem, contingent self-esteem, and intolerance of uncertainty tendencies. Correlation, partial correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were used. The results revealed that self-enhancement and self-protection were differently associated with basic need satisfaction and the other indicators of psychological adjustment. Accordingly, self-enhancement was positively predicted by need satisfaction and global self-esteem. However, self-protection was negatively predicted by these variables but positively predicted by the contingent type of self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty. The results suggest that self-enhancement and self-protection are distinct motives. Self-enhancement is linked to psychological adjustment; whereas, self-protection is related to psychological maladjustment.

Assessing Maladaptive Personality in the Forensic Context: Development and Validation of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Forensic Faceted Brief Form (PID-5-FFBF)

The current study proposes an adaptation of the PID-5 to assesses maladaptive personal traits in forensic settings. Specifically, we adapted the item set of the PID-5 Faceted Brief Form (PID-5-FBF) to the forensic context and validated the resulting PID-5 Forensic Faceted Brief Form (PID-5-FFBF) using self- and informant-reports of 199 male prisoners. Exploratory factor analyses suggested a four-factor solution comprising Antagonism, Detachment, Disinhibited Aggression, and Insecurity. Antagonism and Detachment were very similar to the domains with the same name from the five-factor solution of the PID-5. Insecurity conceptually resembled Negative Affectivity. Disinhibited Aggression represented a forensically highly relevant composition of Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Negative Affectivity. We report results for this four- and the canonical five-factor solution throughout the manuscript. The PID-5-FFBF domains showed convergent associations with the corresponding Big Five personality traits. Furthermore, the PID-5-FFBF domains were differentially correlated with indicators of psychological adjustment and forensically relevant outcomes such as institutional misbehavior and risk for reoffending. In particular, Insecurity was associated with lower levels of psychological adjustment, while Antagonism and Disinhibited Aggression were associated with higher levels of institutional misbehavior and risk for reoffending. These findings provide initial evidence for the validity and utility of the PID-5-FFBF in forensic settings.

Student subjective wellbeing, school functioning, and psychological adjustment in high school adolescents: A latent variable analysis

Well-being is a multi-faceted construct that encompasses all aspects of healthy and successful human functioning across multiple domains. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the predictive power of student subjective wellbeing on several specific adolescent school and psychological adjustment indicators: school achievement, academic satisfaction, prosocial behavior, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Participants included 223 adolescents, comprising of 54.9% girls, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years (M= 15.67, SD= 1.21). Findings from the LVPA indicated that student subjective wellbeing was significantly associated with youth school functioning and adjustment outcomes, ranging from small-to-large effect size (R2 range = .05 to .42). Student subjective wellbeing had the strongest predictive effect on prosocial behavior, followed by academic satisfaction, psychological health problems, and school achievement. With regard to the first-order models, school connectedness and joy of learning significantly predicted student academic satisfaction, prosocial behavior, and psychological adjustment problems. However, the predictive effect of these variables on student school achievement was non–significant. Educational purpose and academic efficacy were significant predictors of all adolescent outcomes. Taken together, these results suggest that student subjective wellbeing is an essential resource for improving youth academic functioning and psychological health.

The impact of the caregiver-oncologist relationship on caregiver experiences of end-of-life care and bereavement outcomes.

The quality of the relationship between oncologists and cancer patients has been associated with caregiver bereavement outcomes, but no studies have examined whether the perceived quality of the relationship between cancer caregivers and oncologists is associated with caregiver experiences of end-of-life care or psychological adjustment after the patient's death. We conducted secondary analyses of data collected in the Values and Options in Cancer Care (VOICE) study, a randomized controlled trial of an intervention that improved communication between oncologists and patients/caregivers (n = 204 dyads). At study entry, we assessed caregivers' experiences with the oncologist using four items from the Human Connection Scale. Following patients' deaths, we assessed bereaved caregivers' experiences with end-of-life cancer care (Quality of Death; Peace, Equanimity, and Acceptance in the Cancer Experience [PEACE]; Caregiver Evaluation of the Quality of End-of-Life Care [CEQUEL]; and modified Decision Regret scales) and psychological adjustment (Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 and Purpose in Life scales). We conducted multivariable regressions examining prospective associations between caregiver experiences with the oncologist at study entry and outcome variables. Data were collected from 105 caregivers of patients who died during the course of the study. Positive experience with the oncologist was prospectively associated with better experiences of end-of-life care, as reflected in better quality of death (estimate = 0.33, SE = 0.14, p = 0.02), PEACE (estimate = 0.11, SE = 0.05, p = 0.04), and decisional regret (estimate = - 0.16, SE = 0.06, p = 0.01). Caregivers' experience with the oncologist was not significantly associated with indicators of psychological adjustment. Caregivers' early experiences with oncologists may affect their experiences of the patient's end-of-life care.

Correlation of Students’ Interpersonal Orientation, Experience and Motivation for Livingin a Dormitory

One of the indicators of psychological adjustment of adolescents is interpersonal orientation (attitudes to generalised others). Tis paper deals with interpersonal orientation of college students facing specifc challenges during studying – living in a dormitory. Te aim of the research was to examine the correlation between interpersonal orientation of students, their previous experience in coeval collective accommodation (peer-to-peer housing) and their motivation for living in a dormitory. Scale of interpersonal orientation (Bezinović, 2002), applied to 221 students, at the age of 18 to 28, who came from other towns to Sarajevo to study and who were living in one of dormitories of „Studentski centar’’ and Foundation for improvement of education and culture „Source of Hope’’. Two items are included in the questionnaire to examine the experience of housing in a collective accommodation and motivation for living in a dormitory. Te results indicate that there is a statistically signifcant correlation of interpersonal orientation of the students and their previous experience in coeval collective accommodation, as well as their motivation for living in a dormitory. Students with developed positive (philanthropic) orientation have predominantly pleasant experience, but students with developed negative (misanthropic) orientation have predominantly unpleasant experience while staying in coeval collective accommodation (peer-to-peer housing). It is proved that students who claim that the main reason for living in a dormitory is living with a peer group, have the highest philanthropic and the lowest misanthropic orientation. Students, who have not had the possibility to choose a place of housing, have the lowest philanthropic and the highest misanthropic orientation.

“Sex Pics?”: Longitudinal Predictors of Sexting Among Adolescents

PurposeTo analyze the longitudinal relationships of demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, and sexual orientation), personality traits according to the Big Five model, and several indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., depression symptoms, self-esteem, and problematic Internet use) with sexting behavior among adolescents over 1 year. MethodA total of 1,208 adolescents (638 girls; mean age = 13.57, SD = 1.09) completed measures at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up. The relationships among variables were examined using structural equation modeling. ResultsOut of the sample, 10.7% and 19.2% of adolescents reported producing and sending sexual content at time 1 (T1) and time 2 (T2), respectively. Higher ages at T1 predicted more engagement in sexting at T2. Less conscientiousness and more extraversion at T1 increased T2 sexting. Finally, more depressive symptoms at T1 predicted more sexting at T2. ConclusionsSexting increases significantly over the course of adolescence. Educational efforts should pay attention to demographic and psychological characteristics of adolescents to tailor preventive programs and prevent possible negative outcomes of engaging in sexting.

The positive and negative rumination scale: Development and preliminary validation

Two studies with data from 1671 students are presented describing the development and preliminary validation of the Positive and Negative Rumination Scale (PANRS), a brief measure with 2 s-order factors: Positive Rumination consisting of 2 first-order factors (i.e., Enjoy Happiness and Positive Coping) and Negative Rumination consisting of 3 first-order factors (i.e., Suppress Happiness, Self Deny and Negative Attribution). Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the measure’s 5 first-order and 2 s-order factors structure. Moreover, correlation analyses provided first evidence for the subscales’ differential validity: Positive Rumination showed positive correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., life satisfaction) and negative correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., depression), whereas Negative Rumination showed negative correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., life satisfaction) and positive correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., depression). In addition, all PANRS scores showed satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) and temporal stability (test-retest). Overall the findings suggest that the PANRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess positive and negative aspects of Rumination.

Exploring the Effects of Positive Psychological Strengths on Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents

The present study reported an exploration of the association between covitality constructs and psychological adjustment– subjective wellbeing, academic achievement, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems– in adolescents. Participants of the study comprised of 547 adolescents, with 51.1%female and 48.9% male, ranging in age from 13 to 19 years (M = 15.57, SD = 1.13). Findings from the study indicated that higher levels of belief-in-others and engaged living were significant predictors of increased subjective wellbeing. Higher levels of belief-in-self, belief-in-others, and engaged living were also found the significant predictors of increased academic achievement. Thereafter, results from the predictive effect of covitality constructs on mental health problems revealed that higher levels of belief-in-self, belief-in-others, and engaged living were significant predictors of decreased internalizing behavior problems, whereas externalizing behavior problems were significantly predicted by belief-in-self and emotional competence in adolescents. What is more, the combined effect of each of the covitality constructs on adolescents’ psychological adjustment indicators was greater than the effect of this each positive psychological domain individually. Taken together, these outcomes should contribute to the design of prevention and intervention services in order to promote mental health and wellbeing.

Dual identity and psychological adjustment: A study among immigrant-origin members

This study examines immigrants’ psychological adjustment by focusing on ethnic and national identification, by using a Latent Profile Analysis to identify identity profiles, and by examining psychological outcomes at a same time point and over time (average 3-year interval). Among a national sample of immigrant groups in the Netherlands (Wave 1, N = 1939), four identity profiles were identified: ethnic identity, national identity, equal-medium dual identity, and high dual identity. For four indicators of psychological adjustment (life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, emotional loneliness, and social loneliness) and at the first and second wave (Wave 2, N = 848), a robust pattern was found: high dual identifiers had better psychological adjustment compared to people with one of the other three profiles.

Burnout and Psychological Adjustment in Mental Health Workers in Rural Australia: the Roles of Mindfulness and Compassion Satisfaction

Rural mental health workers (including psychologists, counselors, and social workers) face a range of challenges that place them at risk for burnout. Because we need to encourage mental health workers to work in rural settings and find ways to support them, we need to understand factors that may buffer the negative effects of burnout on their psychological adjustment. First, this study examines the buffering role of mindfulness on the relationship between burnout and psychological adjustment in Australian rural mental health workers, and second, tests a mechanism through which mindfulness exerts its propitious effects: through compassion satisfaction. Sixty-nine rural mental health workers completed measures of burnout, mindfulness, compassion satisfaction, and a range of psychological adjustment indicators (depression, positive affect, and life satisfaction) at one point in time. Mindfulness buffered the negative effects of burnout on depression and positive affect but not on life satisfaction. Compassion satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and depression and fully mediated the relationships between mindfulness and the positive indicators of adjustment (i.e., positive affect and life satisfaction). The study findings support the incorporation of mindfulness-based strategies into rural mental health worker self-care.

Coping with Imprisonment: Testing the Special Sensitivity Hypothesis for White-Collar Offenders

This study uses nationally representative prison data to test two competing theories of how white-collar offenders experience prison. The first perspective, referred to as the special sensitivity hypothesis, assumes that because of their social and demographic background characteristics white-collar offenders are more susceptible to the pains of imprisonment than other inmates. The second perspective, referred to as the special resiliency hypothesis, is based on the idea that these same background characteristics may reduce the pains of imprisonment for white-collar offenders. Ordinal and binary logistic regression models are used to estimate the effect of white-collar inmate status on several indicators of psychological adjustment. The current study finds partial support for the special resiliency hypothesis, but not the special sensitivity hypothesis. The results for each outcome are discussed regarding both theoretical and practical applications. The study’s limitations are also addressed and suggestions for future research on incarcerated white-collar offenders are given.

Future Orientation, Social Support, and Psychological Adjustment among Left-behind Children in Rural China: A Longitudinal Study.

Existing research has found that parental migration may negatively impact the psychological adjustment of left-behind children. However, limited longitudinal research has examined if and how future orientation (individual protective factor) and social support (contextual protective factor) are associated with the indicators of psychological adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction, school satisfaction, happiness, and loneliness) of left-behind children. In the current longitudinal study, we examined the differences in psychological adjustment between left-behind children and non-left behind children (comparison children) in rural areas, and explored the protective roles of future orientation and social support on the immediate (cross-sectional effects) and subsequent (lagged effects) status of psychological adjustment for both groups of children, respectively. The sample included 897 rural children (Mage = 14.09, SD = 1.40) who participated in two waves of surveys across six months. Among the participants, 227 were left-behind children with two parents migrating, 176 were with one parent migrating, and 485 were comparison children. Results showed that, (1) left-behind children reported lower levels of life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness, as well as a higher level of loneliness in both waves; (2) After controlling for several demographics and characteristics of parental migration among left-behind children, future orientation significantly predicted life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness in both cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models, as well as loneliness in the longitudinal regression analysis. Social support predicted immediate life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and happiness, as well as subsequent school satisfaction. Similar to left-behind children, comparison children who reported higher scores in future orientation, especially future expectation, were likely to have higher scores in most indicators of psychological adjustment measured at the same time and subsequently. However, social support seemed not exhibit as important in the immediate status of psychological adjustment of comparison children as that of left-behind children. Findings, implications, and limitations of the present study were discussed.

The genetic architecture of effortful control and its interplay with psychological adjustment in adolescence

The role of genes and environment in the relation between self-regulation and adjustment is unclear. We investigated, with the twin design, genetic and environmental components of the association between effortful control (EC) and indicators of psychological adjustment using adolescents’ and parents’ reports for 774 twins. Genetic factors explained a substantial proportion of variance in EC (58%) and the outcome variables of optimism (55%), general self-esteem (45%), happiness (48%), and self-derogation (29%). Perceived competence had no significant genetic component. Aside from perceived competence, uncorrelated with EC, phenotypic correlations of EC with measures of well-being/adjustment were moderate and predominantly explained by shared genetic effects. Results suggest a significant genetic contribution in adolescents’ EC and in its relation to various aspects of adjustment.

Temperamento afetivo e o cuidado de pacientes oncológicos internados: repercussões para o bem-estar psicológico e percepção de sobrecarga

The current study aimed to advance on the understanding of the relationship between affective temperaments and the care of cancer in patients by examining the prevalence of temperament types and the associations of these variables with measures of psychological well-being and caregivers burden in a sample of primary caregivers. 53 caregivers (45 women) participated voluntarily and answered questionnaires that assessed variables related to socio-demographic and temperament characteristics, psychological well-being, and caregiving burden. Results showed a higher prevalence of stable affective temperaments (euthymic, hyperthymic and obsessive) among the assessed caregivers (56.6%) and these types showed better psychological adjustment indicators in specific domains of wellbeing and perceived caregivers burden (t> 2.0; p <0.05). Caregivers with stable temperament have better psychological adjustment and temperament seems to be an important variable in the designation of the person who will face the role of primary caregiver of a cancer patient.Keywords: temperament, primary caregiver, cancer, psychological well-being, psychological assessment.