Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Research Articles

ROLE OF THE EMOTIONAL-MOTIVATIONAL COMPONENT IN THE DYNAMICS OF CNS FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The main clinical syndromes of chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) are impaired gait and balance disorders, High morbidity level among school children, which has been recorded over the past decade in our country, necessitates a review of the contributing causes, mechanisms and factors. Objective. The purpose of the study is to assess CNS functional capacity in secondary school students taking into account anxiety and the motivational component. Materials and Methods. The study enrolled 424 secondary school students aged 10–17, living in Astrakhan. Simple and complex visual-motor reaction test was carried out. To study personality traits, anxiety and motivation levels of the participants, the authors used Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ), School Anxiety Test (Phillips Test), and Spielberg-Andreeva motivation questionnaire. Results. A significant decrease in the level of CNS functional capacity was noted when compared with the age norm. CNS functional level increases with age, while its values in the examined 12–13 and 14–15 year-old participants are below the average age ones. A decrease in the motivation level was revealed among the trial subjects. A positive attitude towards learning and effective motivation was revealed in 53.6 % of secondary school students aged 10–11; 38,6 % aged 12–13; 30,3 % aged 14–15 and 30 % aged 16–17. A high level of general anxiety was revealed in 40.9 % of secondary school students aged 10–11; 63.6 % aged 12–13; 12.8 % aged 14–15 and 6 % aged 16–17. Conclusion. The parameters of CNS functional capacity in most cases are characterized by below average values. The anxiety level significantly decreases with age, which indicates an adequate influence of learning environment on students. The highest anxiety level was revealed in the trial subjects aged 12–13. Motivation for learning decreases with age, which is probably due to psychological and motivational age-related changes in adolescence.

Distinguishing dimensions of emotion dynamics across 12 emotions in adolescents' daily lives.

Research on emotion dynamics as indices of emotion functioning has become muddled by conceptual confusion, methodological heterogeneity, and seemingly conflicting results. One way to address this chaos is the study of profiles of emotion dynamics across 12 emotions and how they differ between 246 adolescents. The interpretation of these dynamic profiles was guided by auxiliary variables including age, personality, depressive symptoms, and social experiences. During 6 days, 246 adolescents (Mage = 14.20; 65% female) rated nine times daily the intensity of 12 emotions (cheerful, happy, energetic, joyful, content, relaxed, anxious, worried, irritable, insecure, down, and guilty) and their social experiences with family, friends, and classmates. Additional baseline measures included neuroticism, extraversion (Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Form), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale). A three-mode principal component analysis (3MPCA Tucker3-based) model was estimated on the person-specific dynamic parameters of emotional intensity (mean), variability (standard deviation), instability (mean squared successive difference), and inertia (autocorrelation). The 3MPCA identified three emotion-mode components (positive affect, negative affect, and irritability) and three dynamic-mode components (emotional intensity, lability, and inertia). Five individual-mode components captured interactions between these modes, of which positive affect explained most variation in the data. These emotion dynamic profiles correlated differently with social experiences. Additional 3MPCA model structures based on imputed data (correcting missing autocorrelations) and affect scale composites (low- and high-arousal positive and negative affect) showed strong resemblance. The identified emotion dynamic profiles capture meaningful interpersonal differences in adolescents' emotional experiences and change. Future work should focus on irritability and positive affect as these were uniquely informative in adolescents' emotional experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Internalizing Behavior Problems Among the Left-Behind Children of the Hui Nationality in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundThe internalizing behavior problems (IBPs) of left-behind children (LBC) due to parental migration are a widespread public health concern in China. A previous study showed that the detection rate of behavioral problems in the Hui was far higher than in the LBC of the Han nationality. However, to date, limited research has focused on IBPs in Chinese LBC of the Hui nationality. The aims of this present study are to explore the prevalence of IBPs and the influencing factors among the Hui LBC in the rural areas of China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among school students from the southern rural areas in Ningxia, China (2012–2013). The caregivers or parents assessed IBPs using Achenbach’s Child Behavior Checklist for parents. The children completed the Egma Minnen av Bardndosnauppforstran, Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Piers–Harris Children’s Self-concept Scale. Data on 383 Hui LBC aged 6–16 y were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the independent variables and children’s internalizing behaviors.ResultsAmong the Hui population, the prevalence of IBPs in LBC and non-left-behind children (non-LBC) was 21.67% (83 of 383) and 18.18% (104 of 572), respectively, with no significant difference between these two groups (χ2 = 1.77 and P = 0.18). However, among males of the Hui population, the prevalence of IBPs in LBC was 22.16%, which is significantly higher than in non-LBC (14.07%; χ2 = 5.07; and P = 0.02). By controlling for gender and age, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a mother highly favoring the subject (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70), average levels of neuroticism (OR = 9.01), and high levels of neuroticism (OR = 8.44) were risk factors for IBPs in Hui LBC.ConclusionOur findings suggest that IBPs among male LBC of the Hui nationality in rural China were positively related to parental migration. Positive measures should be taken to prevent IBPs of male LBC of the Hui nationality in rural China in terms of personality development and parental childrearing patterns.

Relationship between Cognitive Styles and Emotional Status of Primary four Pupils with Aphasia in Sokoto State, Nigeria

This paper examined relationship between cognitive styles and emotional status of primary four pupils with aphasia in Sokoto State. The population targeted for this study consists of all primary four pupils in Sokoto state which is 9,369. Multi-stage sampling techniques was used to arrive at the sample. Four stages of sampling techniques were employed to arrive at the sample of 69 pupils using purposive sampling and screening using Language Screening Test. The instruments used for data collection were adopted version of Language Screening Test (LAST), adopted version of Group Embedded Figure Test and adopted version of Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (short version). The reliabilities of the standardized were re-established using test re-test method of establishing reliabilities in two schools in Sokoto metropolis and the reliabilities index realized were Language Screening Test (0.71), Group Embedded Figure Test (0.80) and Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (0.89). The data was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The result revealed that: there was weak, positive and no significant relationship between field dependent cognitive styles and emotional stability among others. Finally, it was recommended among others that; Pupils with aphasia should be encouraged to have holistic and global perception towards problems and develop their extrinsic motivation to enable them stabilized their emotion and catch up with their peers.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake: a comparison between Chinese ethnic Han and Hui groups.

BackgroundRelatively few studies have compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a disaster among children of different ethnicities. We sought to investigate the differences in PTSD symptoms between the ethnic Hui and Han child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.MethodsThis study collected data from 1,951 Han and 247 Hui child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The children ranged from 7 to 15 years of age. Earthquake-related exposures were measured using a modified version of the PsySTART Rapid Triage System. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the University of California, Los Angeles PTSD-Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD-RI). Personality characteristics were assessed using the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the association between the ethnicity and the severity of PTSD symptoms. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the ethnicity and the percentage of screening positive for PTSD symptoms.ResultsThe average UCLA PTSD-RI total score of the ethnic Hui group (27.01 ± 9.24) was significantly higher than that of the ethnic Han group (25.12 ± 9.17) (t = −3.05, p = 0.002), as were the avoidance/numbness (Hui: 10.02 ± 4.82; Han: 9.04 ± 4.60, t = −3.12, p = 0.002) and arousal scores (Hui: 9.36 ± 3.64; Han: 8.79 ± 3.42, t = −2.44, p = 0.015). The percentage of screening positive for D criteria (arousal symptoms) also differed significantly between the ethnic Han (41.9%, 95% CI [39.7–44.1%]) and Hui (48.6%, 95% CI [42.3–54.9%]) groups (χ2 = 3.97, p = 0.046). Ethnicity was associated with the avoidance/numbness symptom score following adjustments for sex, age, personality traits and earthquake exposure experiences by multiple linear regression (B: 0.61, 95% CI [0.04–1.17], p = 0.035). The initial significant associations between the ethnicity and the arousal symptoms score and the PTSD total score disappeared while adjusting for the subjective earthquake exposure experiences (Model 5: arousal symptoms, B = 0.41, 95% CI [−0.01 to 0.83], p = 0.056; PTSD, B = 1.00, 95% CI [−0.07 to 2.07], p = 0.066). The initial significant association between the ethnicity and the percentage of screening positive for D criteria disappeared while adjusting for the objective earthquake exposure experiences (Model 4: OR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.00–1.75], p = 0.052).ConclusionThis study is the first to report the relationship between the ethnicity and PTSD symptoms among child survivors following a disaster. The findings of this study suggest that the trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy could also be an effective treatment for Chinese ethnic Hui and Han children who are suffering from PTSD. Future research could be designed to examine whether cultural differences in perceptions and interpretations may account for the variations in subjective experiences. More attention should be paid to the ethnic minority children with PTSD in the future.

Influence of Organized vs Non Organized Physical Activity on School Adaptation Behavior.

It is now well-established that physical activity has positive effects on both physical and mental health. However, the influence of organized physical activity (i.e., programs controlled and supervised by a trainer) on school adaptive behavior of adolescents with disabilities and/or behavioral disorders remains unclear. School behavior adaptation involves the ability to learn, conform to school norms and manage school activities without major behavior conflicts. A cross-sectional study was conducted to test the differences between organized physical activity and non-organized physical activity in an after school program. Eighty Romanian adolescents were recruited and allocated to three groups: (a) with disabilities [Ds; N = 17, Mage = 14.55 years (SD = 1.16), 12 males and 5 females], (b) with conduct disorders [CDs, N = 21, Mage = 14.52 years (SD = 1.11) 16 males and 5 females], and (c) participants who had not shown signs of conduct disorders or disabilities [as a control group; N = 42, Mage = 14.2 years (SD = 0.46) 20 males and 22 females]. Personality traits, school behavior, and sensorimotor coordination were assessed by using the Eysenck personality questionnaire—junior scale, school in-adaptability questionnaire scale, and Vienna Test System Sport (SMK—sensorimotor coordination test) respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA (3 × 3) and discriminant analysis were used to examine differences between the psychological and sensorimotor coordination outcomes across three groups and three types of physical activity context: (a) organized physical activity, (b) non-organized physical activity, and (c) no physical activity. The findings indicate that not participating in an organized physical activity program results in a reduced level of physical mobility and consequently is associated with maladaptive social and psychological outcomes. Thus, we argued that attending in an organized physical activity program is more beneficial for participants with disabilities and/or behavior disorders, due to an increase in the probability of school integration and development of their motor skills. Clearly more research is needed in order to investigate these effects in neurophysiological levels.

The role of trauma experiences, personality traits, and genotype in maintaining posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among child survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most prevalent type of psychiatric disorder among children after an earthquake. This study investigated the role of trauma experiences, personality traits, and genotype in the maintenance of PTSD symptoms.MethodsIn a previous large-scale epidemiological investigation 1 year after the Wenchuan earthquake, 215 children with PTSD symptoms were selected at random with their blood samples collected. All of them were followed up, and their PTSD symptoms were assessed 3 years later. The adolescent version of the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index, the earthquake exposure scale, and the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were used to determine PTSD symptoms, trauma experiences, and personality traits, respectively. We sequenced candidate genes involved in the regulation of long-term potentiation via NMDA-type receptors to identify the related SNP variations.ResultsBeing trapped for a longer period of time, feeling one’s own or a family member’s life to be in danger, losing a close family member or friend, extraversion, neuroticism, TrkB, G72 and CNTF were found to be associated with the maintenance of PTSD symptoms.ConclusionsExperiences, personality traits, and genotype influenced the maintenance of PTSD in child survivors who were considered to be followed up without medicine. This result could help to identify potential targets for treatment and promote the rational allocation of medical resources.

Genotype-Environment Correlation and Its Relation to Personality - A Twin and Family Study.

The aim of the study was to examine the Family and School Psychosocial Environment (FSPE) questionnaire in relation to a possible genotype-environment correlation and genetic mediation between the FSPE variables and personality variables, assessed by the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. A sample of 506 Swedish children aged 10-20 years from 253 families were recruited via the Swedish state population and address register and SchoolList.Eu. The children were divided into 253 pairs: 46 monozygotic twin pairs, 42 dizygotic twin pairs, 140 pairs of full siblings and 25 pairs of half-siblings. The behavioral genetic analysis showed that both FSPE factors, Warmth and Conflicts, may be partly influenced by genetic factors (suggesting genotype-environment correlation) and that nonadditive genetic factors may mediate the relationship between FSPE factors and psychoticism/antisocial personality (P). An indication of a special shared monozygotic twin environment was found for P and Lie/social desirability, but based on prior research findings this factor may have a minor influence on P and L. P and L were negatively correlated, and the relationship seems to be partly mediated by nonadditive genetic factors. Nonshared environment and measurement errors seem to be the most influential mediating factors, but none of the cross-twin cross-dimension correlations suggest a common shared environmental mediating factor.

The Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire

This article outlines the history and development of the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ) by Professor Hans J. Eysenck and Dr. Sybil B.G. Eysenck, which culminated in sampling tens of thousands of children and adolescents across many countries, aided by psychologists in each country. The cross-cultural analysis methodology is then briefly described, along with the contents of a data-archive now made freely available for download by those who might wish to utilise this body of data for their own research activities. This archive complements that made available previously for the adult EPQ data, published in this same journal (Eysenck, S.B.G. & Barrett, 2013).

Psychometric Properties of Farsi Version of Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Adolescent Short Form

Background: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a kind of social intelligence and the main aspect of social maturity that improves the psychological health of adolescents. Based on the theory of Petrides, EI is made up of a distinctive series of traits and emotional self-perceptions related to the personality dimensions named trait emotional intelligence. Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF) is one of the few instruments for evaluating trait EI in adolescents. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of TEIQue-ASF in Iranian adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of 550 high school students who were selected through randomized cluster sampling from four high schools in Tehran. In addition to the TEIQue-ASF scale, we used the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) and the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ) in this study. All analyses were carried out by IBM SPSS-22.0. Results: The results revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: 0.86, P < 0.001) and subscales of the TEIQue-ASF were significantly correlated with the subscales of SEIS (P < 0.05), psychoticism, neuroticism, and extraversion (P < 0.05). Factor analysis also verified the original four-factor structure (well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability). Conclusions: The Farsi version of TEIQue-ASF is a reliable and valid scale to assess the trait emotional intelligence of Iranian adolescents and may, therefore, be a considerable measure for assessing trait emotional intelligence in educational and clinical contexts among adolescents.

The relationship between psychological health and attitude toward theistic faith: An empirical enquiry among 13- to 15-year-old students

This study explores the relationship between psychological health and attitude toward theistic faith among 2,067 13- to 15-year-old students attending secondary schools across Wales, building upon existing empirical research which examines the association between Eysenck’s dimensional model of personality (a measure of psychological health), and the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (a measure of affective religiosity). The participants completed the Astley-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Theistic Faith together with the abbreviated Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQR-A). The data indicated that a positive attitude toward theistic faith was associated with neither higher nor lower neuroticism scores, but was associated with lower psychoticism scores. There is no evidence, therefore, to link a positive view of theistic faith with poorer levels of psychological health (in terms of higher neuroticism or higher psychoticism) among young people in Wales, and some evidence to associate a positive view of theistic faith with better levels of psychological health (in terms of lower psychoticism).

Evaluating The Imagineerium: The Trowsdale Indices of Confidence in Competence, Creativity and Learning (TICCCL)

In order to evaluate the impact of The Imagineerium, an arts and engineering based curriculum project, a pilot sample of 135 year 5 (9-10 year-olds) students completed a battery of tests both before and after participating in the 10-week programme. The battery of tests included three measures proposed by the Trowsdale Indices of Confidence in Competence, Creativity and Learning (TICCCL), together with the three indices proposed by the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised (abbreviated form), namely extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism. In accordance with the hypothesised effect of the programme on student learning, the data demonstrated a significant increase in all three measures of confidence in competence, creativity and learning, but no change in the three control variables (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism).

The reassuring role of music associated with the personality traits of children during dental care: a randomized clinical trial.

The objective of this study was to analyze the reassuring role of music associated with the personality traits of children during dental care. The study involved a randomized crossover clinical trial with 34 children, aged from 4 to 6years, who exhibited two carious lesions on the occlusal surfaces of the molars. The children were divided into two groups: (G1) first tooth restoration intervention session with music, second session without music; and (G2) first tooth restoration intervention session without music, second session with music. The first consultation was to perform a clinical examination, and the second and third to perform modified Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (mART). Symphony No. 40 by Mozart was played via headphones. Pulse rate (PR) was measured using a pulse oximeter. The Brazilian version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Junior (EPQ-J) was used to measure the children's personality. For statistical analysis, descriptive, Chi-square, and Wilcoxon tests were carried out. The G1 group exhibited a lower PR at the time of the intervention during the second consultation compared to the third consultation (p = 0.012). The G2 group exhibited a lower PR at the time of the intervention during the third consultation compared to the first consultation (p = 0.002). The majority of the children with a low level of extraversion presented with higher PR (p = 0.005). Music could reduce the PR among children during dental intervention. Children with low extraversion showed a tendency towards a higher PR without music during dental care.

The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Personality and Neurasthenia: A Comparison of Australian and Chinese

The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-cultural differences in the relationship between personality traits and neurasthenia across early adolescence. The participants were from Australia and China. Adolescents’ personality was measured by the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and neurasthenia was measured by the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. Structural equation modeling showed that neuroticism significantly predicted neurasthenia for both Chinese and Australian adolescents. Multigroup comparisons indicated that the strength of the relationship between neuroticism and neurasthenia was consistent across Australian and Chinese adolescents. Our findings imply that the relationship between personality traits and neurasthenia is consistent across different cultures.

A Developmental Twin Study of Emotion Recognition and Its Negative Affective Clinical Correlates

Youth with psychiatric disorders distinguished by irritability, including depression and associated trait neuroticism, show deficits in the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion, particularly happiness. However, the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to this ability remains unknown. The present study examined this trait in twins to assess the genetic and environmental influences on face-emotion recognition abilities and their association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Child and adolescent twins (N= 957 from 496 families) 9 to 17 years old rated their irritability (on the Affective Reactivity Index), neuroticism (on the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire), and depression (on the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) and completed a face-emotion labeling task. Faces depicting anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise were morphed with a neutral face, yielding 10 levels of increasing emotional expressivity. Biometrical twin analyses evaluated contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the etiology of face-emotion recognition and its association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Recognition of each emotion was heritable; common and specific sets of genetic factors influenced all emotions and individual emotions, respectively. Irritability, neuroticism, and depression were modestly and negatively correlated with emotion recognition, particularly the recognition of happiness. For irritability and neuroticism, this correlation appeared largely due to genetic factors. This study maps genetic and environmental contributions to face-emotion recognition and its association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Findings implicate common genetic factors in deficits regarding the recognition of happiness associated with irritability and neuroticism in childhood and adolescence.

Neuroticism is linked to microstructural left-right asymmetry of fronto-limbic fibre tracts in adolescents with opposite effects in boys and girls

Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait that reflects a tendency to experience heightened negative affect and susceptibility to stress. Negative emotionality has been associated with fronto-limbic brain structures and connecting fibre tracts. The major fibre tracts connecting the frontal and limbic brain regions are the cingulum bundle and uncinate fasciculus. We previously found that healthy adults with higher neuroticism scores had decreased left relative to right fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cingulum. Both cingulum and uncinate fasciculus FA increases throughout childhood and into early adulthood. Since adolescence is associated with an increased incidence of anxiety and mood disorders, for which neuroticism is a known risk factor, the question arises whether the association between neuroticism and fronto-limbic white matter microstructure asymmetry is already present in children and adolescents or whether such relationship emerges during this age period. To address this question, we assessed 72 typically-developing 10-to-15 year-olds with diffusion-weighted imaging on a 3 T magnetic resonance scanner. Neuroticism was assessed with the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. FA and parallel and perpendicular diffusivity measures were extracted for cingulum, uncinate fasciculus as well as the white matter underlying the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Higher neuroticism scores were associated with decreased left relative to right cingulum FA in boys, while in girls, higher neuroticism scores were associated with increased left relative to right cingulum and ventromedial prefrontal white matter FA, indicating that there are sex differences in the neural correlates of neuroticism. Our findings suggest that the link between neuroticism and frontal-limbic white matter microstructure asymmetry likely predates early adolescence. Future studies need to elucidate the significance of the observed sex differences in the neural correlates of neuroticism.

The Role of Personality and Subjective Exposure Experiences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Symptoms among Children Following Wenchuan Earthquake

This study aims to investigate the role of personality traits and subjective exposure experiences in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms. In Qingchuan, 21,652 children aged 7 to 15 years were assessed using face-to-face interviews one year after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. The Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, a modified earthquake exposure scale, the UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (adolescent), and the Adolescent Depression Inventory were used to assess personality characteristics, trauma experiences, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms, respectively. The measurement was completed with 20,749 children. After adjusting for other factors by multinomial logistic regression analysis, neuroticism, having felt unable to escape from the disaster and having been trapped for a longer time were risk factors of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms. Socialization was a protective factor of them. Having felt extreme panic or fear was a risk factor of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. For depression symptoms, introversion and psychoticism were risk factors, and extraversion was a protective factor. This study was conducted with the largest representative sample of child survivors of a natural, devastating disaster in a developing country. These results could be useful for planning psychological intervention strategies for children and for influencing further research.

Hair Cortisol and Its Association With Psychological Risk Factors for Psychiatric Disorders: A Pilot Study in Adolescent Twins.

Measuring cortisol in hair is a promising method to assess long-term alterations of the biological stress response system, and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) may be altered in psychiatric disorders and in subjects suffering from chronic stress. However, the pattern of associations between HCC, chronic stress and mental health require clarification. Our exploratory study: (1) assessed the association between HCC and perceived stress, symptoms of depression and neuroticism, and the trait extraversion (as a control variable); and (2) made use of the twin design to estimate the genetic and environmental covariance between the variables of interest. Hair samples from 109 (74 female) subjects (age range 12-21 years, mean 15.1) including 8 monozygotic (MZ) and 21 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs were analyzed. Perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale and/or the Daily Life and Stressors Scale, neuroticism, and extraversion with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory or the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and depressive symptoms with the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. We found a modest positive association between HCC and the three risk factors - perceived stress, symptoms of depression, and neuroticism (r = 0.22-0.33) - but no correlation with extraversion (-0.06). A median split revealed that the associations between HCC and risk factors were stronger (0.47-0.60) in those subjects with HCC >11.36 pg/mg. Furthermore, our results suggest that the genetic effects underlying HCC are largely shared with those that influence perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism. These results of our proof of principle study warrant replication in a bigger sample but raise the interesting question of the direction of causation between these variables.

Parenting Styles and Psychological Correlates in a Sample of Egyptian Adolescents With Substance-use Disorders

Objectives: To study parenting styles and psychological correlates among a group of Egyptian adolescents with substance-use disorder. Materials and Methods: A case-control study conducted at the Adolescents’ substance abuse outpatient clinic, Helwan Psychiatric Hospital. The case group of 81 male adolescents, age range 12 to 18 years, with substance-use disorders matched with the control group of 80 volunteer male adolescents who had never used drugs. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Questionnaire of Parental Attitudes as Realized by Adolescents were applied on members of both groups. Results: The case group had a higher positive family history of psychiatric illness and drug abuse (P=0.006, <0.001). Mothers of patients in the case group showed higher independent parenting (P=0.039) and consistency (P=0.02), whereas their fathers showed significant rejection (P<0.001). Cases had higher psychoticism and neuroticism (P<0.001, 0.001). Significantly more patients in the case group met the criteria of major depression, and conduct, oppositional defiant, psychotic, and mood disorders with psychotic features. Also, there was a significantly higher suicidality risk (P<0.001) among patients in the case group. Conclusions: Adolescents with substance-use disorder had a more significant family history of psychiatric illness and substance abuse. Their mothers unexpectedly adopted a more consistent and independent parental style, whereas fathers were more rejecting and had an overall negative parental style. Adolescents in the case group had significantly higher psychoticism and neuroticism. Moreover, they met the criteria of major depressive disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, lifetime psychotic disorders, and mood disorder with psychotic features significantly more than the adolescents in the control group.

Food preferences, personality and parental rearing styles: analysis of factors influencing health of left-behind children.

To understand the health status and problems of left-behind children (LBC) in rural China, those whose parents have moved to urban areas without them, and to focus on ways to improve their physical and mental health. The study examined 827 children between 7 and 15years old, selected using stratified cluster random sampling from five towns in Xiji County of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Each child was classified as either LBC or non-LBC. Measures included age- and sex-specific height and body mass index (kg/m2), a food preference questionnaire, the Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran-My Memories of Upbringing (EMBU). Malnutrition rates for LBC and non-LBC were 14.83% (70/472) and 7.04% (25/355) (χ 2 =11.86, p<0.01). More LBC reported hating vegetables and fruits. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire profiles of LBC revealed a significantly higher degree of neuroticism and psychoticism, and a significantly lower lie scale score (p<0.01). LBC's EMBU profiles showed that the paternal approach lacked emotional warmth and understanding and the maternal approach was characterized by favoritism, over-interference and overprotection. There were a significant negative correlation between the personality characteristic of neuroticism and liking vegetables and fruits (p<0.01), and a negative correlation between psychoticism and liking vegetables (p<0.05). The health status of LBC is problematic. Food preferences, personality type and parenting styles should be taken into account when measures are developed to improve the health of these children.