Maladaptive Functioning Research Articles

Postsynaptic Density Proteins and Their Role in the Trafficking of Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system that regulates multiple different forms of synaptic plasticity, including learning and memory. Glutamate transduces its signal by activating ionotropic glutamate receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Group I mGluRs belong to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Regulation of cell surface expression and trafficking of the glutamate receptors represents an important mechanism that assures proper transmission of information at the synapses. There is growing evidence implicating dysregulated glutamate receptor trafficking in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. The postsynaptic density (PSD) region consists of many specialized proteins which are assembled beneath the postsynaptic membrane of dendritic spines. Many of these proteins interact with group I mGluRs and have essential roles in group I mGluR-mediated synaptic function and plasticity. This review provides up-to-date information on the molecular determinants regulating cell surface expression and trafficking of group I mGluRs and discusses the role of few of these PSD proteins in these processes. As substantial evidences link mGluR dysfunction and maladaptive functioning of many PSD proteins to the pathophysiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders, understanding the role of the PSD proteins in group I mGluR trafficking may provide opportunities for the development of novel therapeutics in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders.

Client resources and the prediction of therapeutic change using an interview: An exploratory study

Objectives Although psychotherapy research suggests that clients’ resources are related to positive outcomes, there is a lack of clinical tools available to consider their integration into psychotherapy. In this exploratory research, we studied the feasibility of a semi-structured interview to identify resources reported by clients at the onset of therapy and the relationship between resources and therapy outcomes. Methods Data consisted of interviews with 30 clients from a clinical trial, in which elicitation of resources and their relationship with the outcomes were the main study objectives. Results This interview was content analyzed and both adaptative resources and maladaptive resources (dysfunctional coping strategies) were identified. The association between the adaptive resources and the evolution of outcomes throughout treatment was analyzed. Time (i.e. sessions) and resources were negatively correlated with psychological distress. Moreover, resources positively influenced the impact of time on distress. Conclusions Clinicians should not take at face value resources that are self-reported, as they may reflect the maladaptive functioning of the client. The finding that clients with higher resources at onset have better outcomes points to the need to study how resources may be elicited effectively during therapy, and if this improves psychotherapy outcomes.

Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Improve Emotional State.

Emotional experiences are a part of our lives. The maladaptive functioning of an individual's emotional field can lead to emotional disturbances of various kinds, such as anxiety and depression. Currently, there is an increasing prevalence of emotional disorders that cause great human suffering and high socioeconomic costs. Emotional processing has a biological basis. The major neuroscientific theories of emotion are based on biological functioning, and all of them take into account the anatomy and function of the tenth cranial nerve: the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the subdiaphragmatic and supradiaphragmatic areas and modulates emotional processing as the basis of interoceptive functioning. Auricular vagus nerve stimulation is a new and innovative neuromodulation technique based on the function of the vagus nerve. Several interventions have shown that this new neurostimulation technique is a very promising resource for treating emotional disorders. In this paper, we summarise three neuroscientific theories of emotion, explain what transcutaneous auricular nerve stimulation is, and present arguments for its use and continued research.

The relationship between mood disorders, personality disorder and suicidality in adolescence: does general personality disturbance play a significant role in predicting suicidal behavior?

IntroductionCurrent research points to the importance personality pathology and Major Depression e as relevant psycopathological risk factors for understanding suicidal risk in adolescence. Literature has mainly focused on the role of BPD, however current orientations in personality pathological functioning suggest that BPD may be the representative of a general personality disturbance, a factor of vulnerability underlying diverse psychopathological variants and aspects of maladaptive functioning. However, recent studies seem to have neglected the contributions that other specific personality disorders and personality pathology as a general factor of vulnerability for suicidality; and only marginally investigated the interaction of personality disorder (PD) as an overall diagnosis and individual PDs and major depression (MDD).In this paper, the independent and cumulative effects of MDD and DSM-IV PDs on suicidal risk are investigated in a sample of adolescents observed in a longitudinal window of observation ranging from three months preceding the assessment to a six-month follow up period of clinical monitoring.MethodsA sample of 118 adolescents (mean age = 15.48 ± 1.14) referred for assessment and treatment on account of suicidal ideation or behavior were administered the CSSRS, SCID II, Kiddie-SADS at admission at inpatient and outpatient Units. All subjects included in the study had reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts at the C-SSRS; The CSSRS was applied again to all patients who reported further suicidal episodes during the six-months follow-up period of clinical monitoring. Dimensional diagnoses of PDs was obtained by summing the number of criteria met by each subject at SCID-%-PD 5, In order, to test the significance of the associations between the variables chosen as predictors (categorical and dimensional PDs and MD diagnosis), and the suicidal outcomes variables suicide attempts, number of suicide attempts and potential lethality of suicide attempt, non-parametric bivariate correlations, logistic regression models and mixed-effects Poisson regression were performed PD.ResultsThe categorical and dimensional diagnosis of PD showed to be a significant risk factors for suicide attempt and their recurrence, independently of BPD, that anyway was confirmed to be a specific significant risk factor for suicidal behaviors. Furthermore, PD assessed at a categorical and dimensional level and Major Depression exert an influence on suicidal behaviors and their lethality both as independent and cumulative risk factors.LimitationsBesides incorporating dimensional thinking into our approach to assessing psychopathology, our study still relied on traditionally defined assessment of PD. Future studies should include AMPD-defined personality pathology in adolescence to truly represent dimensional thinking.ConclusionThese results point to the importance of early identification of the level of severity of personality pathology at large and its co-occurrence with Major Depression for the management of suicidal risk in adolescence.

Developmental characteristics of Williams-Beuren syndrome and evaluation of adaptive behavioral skills.

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare genetic disorder with delays in language and cognitive development, but, with increased awareness of clinical features and a reliable diagnostic test, WBS is becoming more widely recognized in childhood. Adaptive behavior skills and/or maladaptive behavior are important for the prognosis of individuals with WBS. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and developmental characteristics of patients with WBS and further increase awareness about it by evaluating the adaptive skills and maladaptive behaviors of the patients. The data of WBS patients followed-up at the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Unit were reviewed. Patient data on perinatal and postnatal history, developmental stages, physical and neurological examination findings were collected. The International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) was administered to each child. In addition, semistructured interviews were conducted with the parents using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second edition (Vineland-II). A total of 12 patients diagnosed with WBS via detection of the 7q11.23 deletion, of whom 6 were girls, were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age at the time of review was 54.6 ± 32.5 months. The mean age at first presentation to the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic was 15 ± 11.5 months. In the first developmental evaluation using the GMCD, there was a delay in fine and gross motor domains in 6 patients, in the language domains in 4 patients, and in all of the domains in 2 patients. Findings with Vineland-II showed socialization and communication domains as strengths, but the daily living skills and motor skills domains were weaknesses. In terms of maladaptive behavior, the patients tended to frequently have behavioral problems, neurodevelopmental disease, anxiety disorders, eating problems, and sleeping problems. This retrospective review of 12 patients indicated a general delay in overall development, and confirmed impairment in both adaptive and maladaptive functioning in WBS.

Impact of digital screen media activity on functional brain organization in late childhood: Evidence from the ABCD study

The idea that the increased ubiquity of digital devices negatively impacts neurodevelopment is as compelling as it is disturbing. This study investigated this concern by systematically evaluating how different profiles of screen-based engagement related to functional brain organization in late childhood. We studied participants from a large and representative sample of young people participating in the first two years of the ABCD study (ages 9–12 years) to investigate the relations between self-reported use of various digital screen media activity (SMA) and functional brain organization. A series of generalized additive mixed models evaluated how these relationships related to functional outcomes associated with health and cognition. Of principal interest were two hypotheses: First, that functional brain organization (assessed through resting state functional connectivity MRI; rs-fcMRI) is related to digital screen engagement; and second, that children with higher rates of engagement will have functional brain organization profiles related to maladaptive functioning. Results did not support either of these predictions for SMA. Further, exploratory analyses predicting how screen media activity impacted neural trajectories showed no significant impact of SMA on neural maturation over a two-year period.

Interpersonal differences in stress, coping, and satisfaction with life in the context of individual profiles of satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs.

Basic psychological need theory has identified three basic needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Need satisfaction is necessary for development and well-being, while need frustration can lead to maladaptive functioning. The study investigated the significance of individual profiles of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration in experiencing stress, coping, and satisfaction with life. Participants (N = 622, Mage = 22.22 ± 4.30) completed the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Stress Appraisal Questionnaire, COPE Inventory, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. We performed exploratory factor analysis to identify coping styles, latent profile analysis to distinguish groups with specific need profiles, and MANOVA to demonstrate differences between these groups. Five coping styles were identified: (1) problem-focused, (2) emotion-focused, (3) meaning-focused, (4) escape-avoidance, and (5) religious. The following groups of individuals characterized by specific profiles of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration were distinguished: (1) mainly low satisfaction and high frustration of relatedness; (2) high satisfaction and low frustration of all basic needs; (3) low satisfaction and high frustration of all basic needs; (4) average satisfaction and frustration of all basic needs; (5) mainly low satisfaction and high frustration of competence. These groups significantly differ in perceived stress, coping styles, and life satisfaction. Individuals with profile 3 were the most stressed and tend to use escape-avoidance coping style. Participants with profile 2 coped using a problem-focused style and had higher life satisfaction. These findings indicate that a person-centered approach leads to a better understanding of experiencing stress and coping.

The Role of Peer- and Self-Appraisals in the Association Between Maltreatment and Symptomatology.

Recent research highlights the use of artificial boundaries between distinct types of adverse experiences, including forms of maltreatment. Commonly-utilized methods that isolate the impact of one maltreatment subtype over others and fail to consider the often co-occurring nature of maltreatment may not adequately capture the complex heterogeneous nature of maltreatment and may obscure understanding of developmental pathways. Moreover, childhood maltreatment is associated with the development of maladaptive peer relationships and psychopathology, with negative conceptions of relationships identified as a risk pathway. The current study utilizes structural equation modeling to examine the impact of an adapted threat versus deprivation framework for conceptualizing maltreatment via children's negative conceptions of relationships, which have not been previously tested as mechanisms in the context of this conceptual framework. Participants included 680 socioeconomically disadvantaged children who attended a week-long summer camp. Multi-informant methods were used to assess children's symptomatology and interpersonal functioning. Results did not support differences between threatening versus depriving maltreatment experiences, but indicated that all groups of children who experienced maltreatment, including those enduring both threatening and depriving experiences, showed more maladaptive functioning and more negative conceptions of relationships relative to non-maltreated peers. Results of the current study support the mediating role of children's appraisals of the self and peers in the effect of maltreatment on children's internalizing and externalizing symptomatology.

Profiles and predictors of neurodevelopmental functioning among young children experiencing family homelessness

In the context of family homelessness, children experience acute adversities related to loss of housing and residential mobility compounded with more chronic, poverty-related adversities and stressors. Among children in families experiencing homelessness, variability in experiences and outcomes warrant person-centered approaches to better delineate patterns of risk and resilience. Using latent profile analysis as a person-centered approach, we identified five distinct profiles of neurodevelopmental functioning within a sample of 231 children (ages 3–5 years old) staying in emergency homeless shelters with their families. Latent profiles were informed by indicators from parent-reported items for ten different domains of neurodevelopmental functioning. We examined whether demographic and ecological factors including age, ethnicity, adverse childhood experiences, parent mental health, and overreactive parenting would predict profile membership. Overall, half of the children in the sample demonstrated a profile of resilient functioning across developmental domains. Profiles of maladaptive functioning differed in areas of strength and challenge, with a small percentage of children showing poor functioning across all domains. Children whose parents had more mental health problems or overreactive parenting were significantly more likely to show profiles of poor functioning than to show resilient functioning. Implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Traumatic stress load and stressor reactivity score associated with accelerated gray matter maturation in youths indexed by normative models.

Understanding how traumatic stress affects typical brain development during adolescence is critical to elucidate underlying mechanisms related to both maladaptive functioning and resilience after traumatic exposures. The current study aimed to map deviations from normative ranges of brain gray matter for youths with traumatic exposures. For each cortical and subcortical gray matter region, normative percentiles of variations were established using structural MRI from typically developing youths without any traumatic exposure (n = 245; age range = 8-23) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC). The remaining PNC participants with neuroimaging data (n = 1129) were classified as either within the normative range (5-95%), delayed (>95%) or accelerated (<5%) maturational ranges for each region using the normative model. An averaged quantile regression index was calculated across all regions. Mediation models revealed that high traumatic stress load was positively associated with poorer cognitive functioning and greater psychopathology, and these associations were mediated by accelerated gray matter maturation. Furthermore, higher stressor reactivity scores, which represent a less resilient response under traumatic stress, were positively correlated with greater acceleration of gray matter maturation (r = 0.224, 95% CI = [0.17, 0.28], p < 0.001), suggesting that more accelerated maturation was linked to greater stressor response regardless of traumatic stress load. We conclude that traumatic stress is a source of deviation from normative brain development associated with poorer cognitive functioning and more psychopathology in the long run.

A multilevel analysis of the relationship between leaders’ experiential avoidance and followers’ well-being

Experiential avoidance is defined as a process involving excessive negative evaluations of difficult or unwanted feelings, thoughts, and sensations, an unwillingness to remain in contact with and express these experiences, and habitual attempts to avoid or control them. Experiential avoidance is closely associated with maladaptive functioning. Although the ability to connect with internal experiences has been considered an important element of effective leadership, this assumption has not yet been empirically tested. On the basis of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model of experiential avoidance and the propositions of leadership models (e.g., transformational and authentic leadership) that characterize leadership as an emotion-related process, we examined the relationship between leaders’ experiential avoidance and their followers’ well-being in a sample of leader-follower triads. Well-being outcomes were subjective happiness, purpose in life, and job satisfaction. We also tested the mediating roles of followers’ basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration in this relationship. Multilevel mediation model analyses suggested that followers’ psychological need frustration but not need satisfaction mediated the relationship between leaders’ experiential avoidance and followers’ well-being outcomes. Thus, a rigid attitude toward one’s internal experiences as a leader is a risk factor for followers’ well-being because leaders with such attitudes may pay little attention to their followers and give rise to need frustration in their followers. Organizational efforts to increase leaders’ flexibility in dealing with negative experiences can help foster well-being among both leaders and their followers.

The influence of continuous prenatal exposure to valproic acid on physical, nociceptive, emotional and psychomotor responses during adolescence in mice: Dose-related effects within sexes.

Clinical findings show that the use of valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects and autism spectrum disorder in offspring. Although there is a consensus that monitoring of potential long-term outcomes of VPA exposure is needed, especially in undiagnosed individuals, preclinical studies addressing this issue are rare. The present study examined the effects of continuous intrauterine exposure to a wide dose range of VPA (50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day) on the physical and behavioral response in peripubertal mice as a rodent model of adolescence. Body weight and the hot plate test [on postnatal days (PND) 25 and 32], the elevated plus-maze test (on PND35), and the open field test (on PND40) served to examine physical growth, the supraspinal reflex response to a painful thermal stimulus and conditional learning, anxiety-like/risk-assessment behavior, as well as novelty-induced psychomotor activity, respectively. VPA exposure produced the following responses: (i) a negative effect on body weight, except for the dose of 100 mg/kg/day in both sexes; (ii) an increase in the percentage of animals that responded to the thermal stimulus above the defined cut-off time interval and the response latency in both sexes; (iii) dose-specific changes within sexes in behavior provoked by a novel anxiogenic environment, i.e., in females less anxiety-like/risk-assessment behavior in response to the lowest exposure dose, and in males more pronounced anxiety-like/risk-assessment behavior after exposure to the highest dose and 100 mg/kg/day; (iv) dose-specific changes within sexes in novelty-induced psychomotor activity, i.e., in females a decrease in stereotypy-like activity along with an increase in rearing, and in males a decrease in stereotypy-like activity only. These findings show that continuous intrauterine exposure to VPA produces maladaptive functioning in different behavioral domains in adolescence and that the consequences are delicate to assess as they are dose-related within sexes.

Multi-layer relationships between psychological symptoms and life adaptation among humidifier disinfectant survivors.

In April 2011, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the results of an epidemiological investigation that an unknown cause of lung disease that occurred throughout Korea was caused by humidifier disinfectants. The unprecedented social catastrophe caused by humidifier disinfectants, a household chemical, has so far reported 1,784 deaths and 5,984 survivors in South Korea. This study was designed to investigate the multi-layer relationships between psychological symptoms and adaptive functioning in survivors of the Humidifier disinfectants in South Korea caused by chemical toxic substances. Specifically, this study aimed to explore how psychological symptoms affect actual interpersonal relationships and job adjustment with two variable sets, six internalizing and externalizing subscales, and three adaptation subscales. A total of 224 survivors recruited from a program to support humidifier disinfectant survivors by the government participated in this study. This research was approved by the Institutional Review Board of one of the Universities in South Korea. The age range of the participants was 18–73 years (M = 42.23, SD = 10.90), 37.1% (n = 83) were male, and 62.9% (n = 141) were female. The participants responded to the Adult Self-Report (ASR) of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). A Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) generated three unique patterns in the relationships between psychological symptoms and adaptive functions. Humidifier disinfectant survivors in the first pattern were more vulnerable to psychological symptoms and showed maladaptive functioning in life. Survivors in the second pattern showed intrusive behaviors and appeared to be adaptive in relationships with friends. Finally, survivors in the third pattern showed aggressive behaviors and reported poor partner relationships while showing good relationships with friends. The practical implications of the interventions are also discussed.

Research into unaccompanied refugee minors in family foster care: Promoting adaptive functioning?

AbstractUnaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs) are at high risk for trauma and maladaptive functioning. Although foster care is best suited to come forth to their needs, obtaining a better understanding of the strengths and flaws of foster care for URM can help to improve their development and psychological wellbeing. Twenty‐seven URM cared for in family foster care filled in questionnaires measuring trauma, behavioural difficulties, resilience and contact with persons from the home and host country, whilst their foster care workers assessed the quality of the living environment. URMs had more trauma symptoms than other immigrants and Belgian adolescents. Furthermore, compared to Belgian counterparts, levels of resilience were low. However, URM did not have more behavioural problems. The quality of the living environment in kinship care was worse than the quality in non‐kinship foster care, and social support and cultural sensitivity were protective factors. This study found evidence for developmental risks for URM in foster care. Integration, social support and a connection with the home culture were protective factors. Contrary to other studies, no evidence was found of kinship foster care being preferential.

Benefits of psychological detachment from work in a digital era: How do job stressors and personal strategies interplay with individual vulnerabilities?

This study examined how individual strategies (boundary creation around information and communication technology; ICT) and job stressors (work-related extended availability) relate to psychological detachment, and how the latter associates with employees' behaviors (presenteeism) and attitudes (family life satisfaction). This research also explored the moderating role of performance-based self-esteem in these relationships. Questionnaire surveys were collected among 321 teachers in Sample 1 and 283 workers in Sample 2. Results from Sample 1 revealed that boundary creation surrounding ICT was positively linked to psychological detachment but only among employees with low performance-based self-esteem. Results from Sample 2 indicated that work-related extended availability negatively related to psychological detachment but only among employees with high performance-based self-esteem. In addition, psychological detachment was associated with lower levels of presenteeism (Samples 1 and 2) and higher levels of family-life satisfaction (Sample 2). More generally, these results confirm performance-based self-esteem to be a maladaptive individual characteristic, adding up to a negative cycle of stressors to decrease psychological detachment, in turn leading to maladaptive functioning.

Movement observation activates motor cortex in fibromyalgia patients: a fNIRS study

Scientific evidence points to a shared neural representation between performing and observing an action. The action observation notoriously determines a modulation of the observer’s sensorimotor system, a phenomenon called Motor Resonance (MR). Fibromyalgia (FM) patients suffer from a condition characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain in which even simple movement can exacerbate their symptoms. Maladaptive functioning of the primary motor cortex is a common finding in patients with chronic pain. Activation of the motor cortex is known to induce an analgesic effect in patients with chronic pain. In this exploratory study, we intend to verify if the mere observation of a movement could elicit activation of the motor cortical areas in patients with FM. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the presence of MR in patients affected by fibromyalgia. We adopted a behavioral paradigm known for detecting the presence of MR and a neurophysiological experiment. Participants watched videos showing gripping movements towards a graspable or an ungraspable object, respectively, and were asked to press a button the instant the agent touched the object (Time-to-contact detection session). In a different experimental session, participants were only requested to observe and pay attention to the videos (Observation-only session). During each experimental session, the participants’ cerebral hemodynamic activity was recorded using the functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy method. The behavioral task analysis revealed the presence of MR in both FM patients and healthy controls. Moreover, neurophysiological findings suggested that the observation of movement during the Observation-only session provoked activation and modulation of the cortical motor networks of FM patients. These results could represent evidence of the possible beneficial effects of movement observation in restarting motor activation, notoriously reduced, in FM patients.

EXPLORING ALEXITHYMIA IN SOMATIZATION USING RORSCHACH PSYCHODIAGNOSTICS

It has been classically postulated that alexithymia is related to a pervasive inability of emotional recognition and expression. This leaves some individuals little choice but to somatise unprocessed emotions commonly caused by internal conflicts. The present study thus aimed to explore the nature of conflicts, controls and stress tolerance, affect, self-perception, and interpersonal perception and behavior in somatization patients with alexithymia. 30 individuals of both sexes and of the age range 20-50 years, diagnosed with somatization disorder and alexithymia, were purposively undertaken for the study. Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20, Sack’s Sentence Completion Test and the Rorschach Test – Exner’s Comprehensive System were used to screen for alexithymia, to measure conflicts and the other aforementioned domains respectively. Results revealed that conflicts related to self-concept, sex, and family were primarily present in this sample. Characteristic patterns of underlying vulnerabilities seemed to account for poor stress tolerance, affective complications, negative self-perception, and maladaptive interpersonal functioning. It is suggested that alexithymia and a tendency to develop conflicts in somatization are based on the foundation of certain fundamental personality predispositions. Identifying said personality patterns could aid in appropriate and effective goal-setting in psychotherapy, specific to this otherwise treatment-resistant patient population.

Parenting in matched pairs of women of color experiencing intimate partner violence and living with and without HIV.

This study explored the associations between depression and parenting among women of color with low income levels who were exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV. Participants were 60 Black, multiracial, and Hispanic/Latina mothers (Mage = 36.66, SD = 6.99) in the midsouth region of the United States. Mothers were recruited from community organizations and reported their experiences with IPV, HIV, depression, potentially traumatic events (PTE), parenting practices, and child maladaptive functioning. Participants living with HIV and experiencing recent IPV (i.e., cases) were matched on age, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment with mothers experiencing recent IPV (i.e., controls), for a matched sample of 30 pairs. Analyses were conducted to examine how HIV status moderated the associations between depressive symptoms and both negative and positive parenting while accounting for PTE, child maladaptive functioning, and IPV severity. The moderation model for negative parenting was significant, f2 = 0.58, but the moderation model for positive parenting was not, p = .346. Specifically, moderation was supported, B = 0.43, 95% CI [0.03, 0.83], t(53) = 2.17, p = .035, indicating that the association between depressive symptoms and negative parenting was moderated by HIV status. The findings highlight the added burden of a physical health condition on parenting practices. Given the role of negative parenting (i.e., inconsistency, poor monitoring, corporal punishment) in exacerbating poor health outcomes among children exposed to adversity, clinicians and researchers must develop family-based strategies to decrease these practices.

Distinct Profiles of Relationships With Mothers, Fathers, and Best Friends and Social-Behavioral Functioning in Early Adolescence: A Cross-Cultural Study.

Adolescents’ dyadic relationships are likely influenced by the cultural context within which they exist. This study applied a person‐oriented approach to examine how perceived support and negativity were manifested across youths’ relationships with mothers, fathers, and best friends, simultaneously, and how distinct relationship profiles were linked to adaptive and maladaptive functioning (aggression, anxious‐withdrawal, prosociality) within and across cultures. Participants resided in metropolitan areas of South Korea, the United States, and Portugal (10–14 years; N = 1,233). Latent profile analyses identified relationship profiles that were culturally common or specific. Additional findings highlighted commonality in the relations between a high‐quality relationship profile and adaptive functioning, as well as cultural specificity in the buffering and differential effects of distinct relationship profiles on social‐behavioral outcomes.

Positive and negative valences of identities: Longitudinal associations of identity content valences with adaptive and maladaptive functioning among Japanese young adults.

Erikson's psychosocial developmental theory assumes that valence of one's identity (i.e., identity content valence) defined by positive and negative identity elements is important for understanding patterns of (mal)adaptation. However, previous empirical research on identity and (mal)adaptation has focused on how individuals deal with identity issues (e.g., exploration and commitment), while neglecting identity content valences. In contrast, this study assessed identity content valences in terms of positive and negative identity elements. Theoretically, identity content valences affect (mal)adaptation, whereas individuals' (mal)adaptation influences their identities. Consequently, this study examined reciprocal relationships between identity content valences and adaptation (i.e., prosocial behaviors) and maladaptation (e.g., externalizing symptoms) in a sample of Japanese young adults, including socioculturally relevant indicators of maladaptation (i.e., hikikomori symptoms and suicidal ideation). This study includes 2,313 Japanese young adults who participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. The cross-lagged panel model and random intercept cross-lagged panel model revealed reciprocal relationships between identity content valences and (mal)adaptation at the between-person level. Negative identity elements positively predicted suicidal ideation. Meanwhile, prosocial behaviors positively predicted positive identity elements, whereas hikikomori symptoms and suicidal ideation positively predicted negative identity elements. These relationships were significant only for socioculturally relevant indicators, suggesting the importance of considering sociocultural contexts.