Prevalence and correlates of tattooing in Norway: A large‐scale cross‐sectional study

To our knowledge, no previous large‐scale study has examined the prevalences and correlates of having only easily concealed tattoos, or readily visible tattoos. We conducted an exploratory online survey in Norway asking 15,654 (6,151 females) persons aged 16–91 (m = 33.65 ± 12.27) about various demographic, sports, substance use, mental health, personality, and tattooing questions. The estimated prevalence of tattooing was 20.8% (females: 23.8%, males: 17.9%), of which 13.3% had readily visible tattoos. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that females, being older than 19 years, higher body mass index, lifetime anabolic‐androgenic steroid use (AAS), and higher scores on extraversion were associated with higher odds of having a tattoo. Factors associated with higher odds of having only easily concealed tattoos were being 40–49 (versus those ≤ 19) years old, being only high school or tertiary (versus being only primary school) educated, often or not (versus always) exercising in a gymnasium, and high scores on agreeableness. Females, and higher scores on extraversion and neuroticism were associated with higher odds of having at least one readily visible tattoo. Our findings delineate the significance of demographic variables, gymnasium exercise, AAS, and personality in the practice of tattooing.     

The observational study of adolescent gambling in UK amusement arcades

In the UK, excessive fruit machine playing is the most documented form of pathological gambling amongst adolescents. Although there have been a few retrospective questionnaire studies in adolescent fruit machine gambling, there has been very little systematic observational fieldwork into the behaviour. The studies reported explore the social world of fruit machine playing using data collected via the monitoring of 33 UK amusement arcades employing participant and non-participant observation methodologies. The basic aims were to observe the arcade clientele and their behavioural characteristics, and to examine motivations for machine playing. Results suggest that level of adolescent gambling depends upon both time of day and time of year, and regular players conform to rules of etiquette and display stereotypical behaviours when playing fruit machines. The results also suggest that adolescents play fruit machines for a wide range of reasons including fun, to win money, to socialize, to escape and for excitement, and that inland and coastal arcades are frequented by different clienteles, probably as a function of the amusement machine available.     

Gambling behavior and gambling problems in Norway 2007

In Norway, legalized gambling is pervasive, easily accessible and socially accepted, particularly the participation in national lotteries. We conducted a stratified probability sample study during January–March 2007 (age group 16–74 years, N  = 3,482, response rate 36.1%) to assess gambling behavior and prevalence of problematic gambling by the NORC Diagnostic Screen (NODS). Overall, 67.9% of the study population had been engaged in past-year gambling and 0.7% were past-year problematic gamblers (NODS score 3+). Male gender, low educational level, single marital status, and being born in a non-Western country were variables positively associated with problematic gambling. Past-year problematic gamblers indicated the slot machine (34.6%) and Internet gambling (26.9%) as the most important games, while most non-problematic gamblers pointed out the lotteries (62.3%) as the most important game. The prevalence of self-reported sleeping disorders, depression and other psychological impairments was significantly higher among problematic gamblers. Gambling problems affect people's lives in multiple ways.     

Prevalence and correlates of antisocial behaviors among three ethnic groups

Using data from the MECA Study, this report examines the prevalence of Conduct Disorder (CD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and various levels of antisocial behavior and their correlates among three ethnic groups: Hispanics, subdivided into Island Puerto Ricans and Mainland Hispanics; African Americans; and Mainland Non-Hispanic, Non-African Americans. Correlates considered include stressful life events, birth defects, low birth weight, learning difficulties, teen mothers, family environment, marital adjustment, social competence, parental monitoring, and family relationships. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of outcomes with individual correlates and of interaction terms with ethnicity. Differences between adjusted rates and observed rates of disorders and levels of antisocial behaviors are compared to estimate the extent to which each correlate explains the group differences in rates. Island Puerto Ricans had a lower prevalence of CD, ODD, and various levels of antisocial behavior than mainland Hispanics, African Americans, and non-Hispanic Whites. The lower prevalence appears to be associated with differences in the extent to which a number of these correlates are found on the island, the most salient being better family relations between the target children and their parents and siblings.     

2010~2020中国内地初中生心理健康问题检出率的元分析

初中生心理健康问题的检出率在诸多研究中存在很大分歧, 未能为心理健康政策制定和服务体系建设提供充分依据。为明确心理健康问题的整体检出率并澄清其影响因素, 对2010~2020年检索到的文献进行了元分析。结果发现, 初中生面临不同程度的心理健康问题, 其中焦虑、抑郁和自我伤害检出率排在前三位; 初中生心理健康问题随年代发展呈恶化趋势, 其中焦虑和自杀企图尤为明显; 初中生心理健康问题检出率饱受测量工具、检出标准和检出时间不统一的影响; 初中生心理健康问题检出率整体上随年级而增加, 其中焦虑尤为明显; 女生的心理健康问题检出率高于男生, 自杀尤为明显; 中西部地区的初中生比东北和东部地区更容易出现心理健康问题, 尤其是焦虑和自我伤害。未来应立足中国大地研制科学的测量工具和筛查标准并建立心理健康动态监测体系和学校心理健康服务体系。     

2010~2020中国内地高中生心理健康问题检出率的元分析

我国高中生心理健康问题的检出率亟需关注, 许多研究对此进行了探究, 但结果并不一致。为明确近10年来我国高中生心理健康问题的检出状况及其影响因素, 对检索后获得的252项研究进行了元分析。结果发现: 检出率由高到低依次是抑郁(28.0%)、焦虑(26.3%)、睡眠问题(23.0%)、自我伤害(22.8%)、自杀意念(17.1%)、躯体化(9.8%)、自杀计划(6.9%)、自杀企图(未遂) (2.9%)。我国高中生心理健康问题检出率受出版年代、测量工具、检出标准、检出时间、年级和区域影响。未来应着力编制标准化测评工具、构建心理健康教育长效机制并对高年级、欠发达地区高中生的心理健康问题予以重点关注。     

Prevalence and social and health correlates of insomnia symptoms among middle-and older-age persons in rural South Africa

This study investigated the prevalence and social and health correlates of insomnia symptoms among middle-and older-adults in rural South Africa. We analysed baseline survey data from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community in South Africa (HAALSI) (N = 5 059; females = 53.6%; largely African Shangaan/Tsonga-speaking). In all, 8.0% of the adults had three insomnia symptoms, 8.9% of participants had difficulty initiating sleep, 13.6% had difficulty in sleep maintenance, and 6.5% had poor sleep quality. In adjusted logistic regression, lower education, perceived unsafe neighbourhood, poorer self-rated health status, vision difficulty, pain, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms increased the odds of having insomnia symptoms. Insomnia symptoms are common in middle-and older-age adults in rural South Africa, and various risk factors were identified. This can help in improving insomnia prevention treatment in this population.     

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in Australian Adolescents: Comparisons with Worldwide Data

Data from two Australian studies were combined so that the prevalence of anxiety and depression in a large, normative sample of Australian adolescents could be investigated. The combined sample comprised 1,299 adolescents randomly selected from metropolitan and country schools in Melbourne, a large Australian city. The data were examined in order to ascertain the percentages of adolescents who scored above the clinical cut-off on two self-report instruments-the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (C. R. Reynolds & B. 0. Richmond, 1985) and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (W. M. Reynolds, 1986). The results of these analyses were then compared with previously reported prevalence rates from studies worldwide. This comparison revealed striking differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression across different countries and cultures. Limitations attributable to different self-report measures and imposed-etic approaches are discussed. Issues pertaining to social and political climate are also raised.     

Problem gambling,gaming and Internet use in adolescents: Relationships with emotional intelligence in clinical and special needs samples

The study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and several addiction-related behaviours (gambling problems, Internet abuse, and computer gaming misuse) in two adolescent samples: 270 clinical outpatients (180 males and 90 females) and 256 special needs students (160 males and 96 females). Gambling problems, Internet abuse, and computer gaming misuse were positively inter-correlated in both samples; approximately half of the variability in these addiction-related behaviours could be accounted for by a common dysfunctional preoccupation latent variable. Latent variable path analysis found emotional intelligence to be a moderate predictor of dysfunctional preoccupation in both adolescent samples.     

2010~2020中国内地小学生心理健康问题检出率的元分析

我国小学生心理健康问题的检出率莫衷一是, 为整合调查结果并分析其原因, 对2010~2020年来检索到的相关研究进行了元分析。结果显示：(1)小学生心理健康问题的检出率由高到低依次是睡眠问题(25.2%, 95% CI = [0.16, 0.37])、抑郁(14.6%, 95% CI = [0.12, 0.18])、焦虑(12.3%, 95% CI = [0.06, 0.23])、攻击行为(4.1%, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.10])、退缩(3.8%, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.06])、违纪行为(3.7%, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.07])、躯体化(3.6%, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.07])。(2)测量工具、检出标准、检出时间是导致小学生心理健康问题检出率不一致的关键因素。总体而言, 我国小学生除了睡眠问题、抑郁和焦虑检出率偏高外, 整体心理健康状况尚可。未来应开发适合中国小学生的心理健康状况测评工具及检出标准, 为心理健康问题的预防和精准干预提供支持。     

Prevalence and correlates of self-reported depressive mood among seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents.

This study examined self-reported depression on the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale among 45 seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents. Scores of one-third of the sample exceeded the cut-off score, which indicated the need for further diagnostic study to assess the possible presence of depression. Significant positive correlations included an association with school attendance, a relationship with scores on the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and an association with teachers' ratings on two subscales of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Also, the Depression scale's negative association with the Lie subscale of the Manifest Anxiety Scale is interpreted as indicative of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents' response style on self-reported measures of depression.     

Acculturation and adaptation of immigrant adolescents in Greek urban schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the acculturation, psychological well-being, and school adjustment of Pontian adolescents from the former Soviet Union (FSU-Pontians), who are immigrants of the diaspora living in Greece, compared with an immigrant group from Albania and native Greek classmates. The sample included 165 FSU-Pontian immigrants, 272 immigrants from Albania, and their 525 Greek classmates (mean age = 13.7 years). School adjustment data were obtained using multiple methods and informants. Students also reported their subjective well-being and acculturation via multiple measures. Findings indicated that FSU-Pontian adolescents, although they are Greek citizens, had a stronger ethnic and a lower host-national orientation than did Albanian students. Both immigrant groups experienced similar difficulties in school adjustment. Involvement in Greek culture was a salient predictor of school adjustment, while involvement in one's ethnic culture was related to subjective well-being. Findings suggest that the acculturation expectations of host country members may be related to immigrants' acculturation orientations.     

Differential correlates of reactive and proactive aggression in Asian adolescents: relations to narcissism, anxiety, schizotypal traits, and peer relations

This study investigated relationship between reactive and proactive aggression, and narcissism, anxiety, schizotypal traits, and interpersonal relations in a sample of 698 Asian adolescents from Grades 7 to 9. Proactive aggression was found to be significantly associated with narcissism, whereas reactive aggression was significantly associated with anxiety, schizotypal traits, and poor interpersonal relations. Study findings provide support from a cross-cultural standpoint for differential correlates of reactive and proactive aggression and represent an initial attempt to illustrate the generalizability of existing findings on the distinction between the two subtypes in an Asian context. Implications for theory building of the reactive-proactive aggression typology are discussed.     

Subjective family socio-economic status,school social capital,and positive youth development among young adolescents in China: A multiple mediation model

Previous research has demonstrated that subjective socio-economic status (SES) and school social capital are associated with a wide range of socio-emotional outcomes for children. Less is known about whether subjective SES is linked to overall child development and whether school social capital is a mediator in developing countries. The current study aimed to examine the association between subjective SES and positive youth development (PYD) among young adolescents in China, explore whether student–teacher relationships and student–student relationships mediated this association, and test whether there were gender differences in these associations. The analytical sample included a total of 1011 seventh-graders (mean age = 13.24, SD = .69; 53.70% boys) recruited from Beijing and Anhui Provinces. The results showed that subjective SES was positively and significantly associated with PYD and that student–teacher relationships and student–student relationships played independent and joint mediating roles in the link between the two constructs. In addition, girls benefited more than boys from having closer relationships with teachers. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting school social capital in reducing PYD disparities across subjective SES levels, and suggest that school should be an effective venue for interventions to promote PYD among young adolescents in China.     

Concurrent alcohol and tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Namibia: Prevalence and risk factors

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for concurrent alcohol and tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Namibia. Data were from a sample of 4 531 Namibian middle school children (females = 53.1%; mean age = 15.8 years, SD = 1.8 years). They completed the Namibia Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in 2013. Overall, 74.4% of alcohol users in the past month were frequent tobacco users; whereas 40.5% of tobacco users in the past month were frequent alcohol users. Compared to students who were neither alcohol nor tobacco users (63.1%), concurrent alcohol and tobacco users were more likely to self-report with a lack of parent support, to have used illicit drugs, to have engaged in school truancy, to be sedentary in behaviour, to have engaged in a physical fight, and to have had two or more sexual partners. Substance use prevention and treatment programmes with adolescents should routinely address their risk for comorbid tobacco and alcohol use.     

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its correlates among medical students in China: a national survey in 33 universities

We conducted a national survey among medical students in China to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and explore associated risk factors based on an established questionnaire composed of demographic information, life events in the past four weeks before survey, and the validated Chinese version of the 21-item Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI). The mean age of enrolled 9010 students was 20.7 (standard deviation: 1.6) years. BDI scores indicated that 19.9% had depressive symptoms based on the cut-off score of 14. Socioeconomic factors and student characteristics such as male sex, low monthly income per capita, father’s poor education background, and higher year of study were associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical students. Students who studied in comprehensive universities were more likely to have depressive symptoms compared with those from medical universities. Habitual smoking and alcohol drinking, sleep deprivation, and hospitalization or medication for one week or more in the last four weeks also predisposed students to higher risk of depressive symptoms. Our results indicate that depressive symptoms are becoming a highly prevalent health problem among Chinese medical students. Primary and secondary prevention should be prioritized to tackle this issue based on potential risk factors.     

Empathy and conflict resolution in friendship relations among adolescents

The present study addressed empathy's role in conflict resolution within the context of adolescent same-sex friendship relations. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess dispositional affective empathy and conflict resolution styles (problem solving, conflict engagement, withdrawal and compliance). The data of 307 adolescents (149 boys, 158 girls) were included in a multigroup path analysis with sex as a moderator variable. In agreement with the hypothesis that higher levels of dispositional empathy are associated with more successful conflict management, dispositional affective empathy was found to be positively linked to problem solving and negatively linked to conflict engagement among adolescent boys and girls. Dispositional affective empathy was not related to the two more passive strategies (withdrawal and compliance). Sex differences were demonstrated in empathic tendencies, with girls being more empathic than boys. Sex differences were also established in conflict resolution strategies, with girls using problem solving, withdrawal and compliance more frequently than boys. Both sexes scored equally low on conflict engagement, however, and were found to prefer problem solving to all other conflict resolution strategies. Findings are discussed in terms of previous research on empathy and conflict resolution.