Adolescent Development and Youth Suicide

The adolescent years, being a period of unique developmental changes, are of great interest in understanding suicidal behavior. The occurrence of completed suicide by age in 1-year age groups in adolescence and young adulthood was studied via official Finnish mortality statistics and the population statistics. Suicide rates increased sharply by age during adolescence, starting somewhat earlier among boys than among girls. During the periods of rapidly rising and high suicide rates in the 1970s and 1980s among boys, the increase in suicide rates started at a younger age than during a spell of lower rates in the 1960s.     

Development of the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy (AMES)

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a new instrument to measure empathy and sympathy in adolescents that differentiates between empathy and sympathy, and balances its emphasis on affective and cognitive empathy. The psychometric properties of the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy (AMES) were established in two studies. In the first study, among 499 adolescents (10–15 years old), the structure of the AMES was investigated and the number of items was reduced. In the second study, among 450 adolescents, test-retest reliability and construct validity of the AMES was evaluated. Results indicate that the AMES met the standards of reliability and validity. By specifically distinguishing between affective empathy and sympathy, the AMES provides a distinct advantage over existing measurement tools and is useful in elucidating the relationship between empathy and behavior in adolescents.     

A French validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM)

IntroductionA large number of studies have been devoted to the development of mindfulness questionnaires, a potential central mechanism in therapy. Although these questionnaires are well validated for adults, their accessibility to young populations are still in its infancy.ObjectiveThis study aims to validate a French version of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) to foster the use of mindfulness questionnaires in clinical studies on children and adolescents, and to fix limitations of a previous French-Canadian version.MethodA total of 545 youth aged from 10 to 17 were recruited in a Belgian and a French school in order to test the validity and reliability of the CAMM.ResultsThe results indicate a one-factor structure and suggest a good internal consistency. As expected, the CAMM was positively correlated to another mindfulness questionnaire and negatively correlated to depressive symptomatology and psychological inflexibility.ConclusionOverall, the French version of the CAMM presents good psychometric qualities and seems to remain faithful to its original scale. This measure could help to assess mindfulness in young French speakers.     

The Suicide (SPI) and Violence Potential Indices (VPI) from the Personality Assessment Inventory: A Preliminary Exploration of Validity in an Outpatient Psychiatric Sample

Assessing risk of harm to self and others is an important component of psychological assessment, although methods for risk assessment vary considerably. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is frequently administered to evaluate general psychological functioning, as well as to provide information about suicide and violence risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity of the PAI Suicide (SPI) and Violence Potential (VPI) indices in a sample of 158 psychiatric outpatients referred for psychological and neuropsychological assessment within a large northeastern academic medical center between 2007 and 2011. Results generally supported the convergent and divergent validity of both SPI and VPI when evaluating groups with and without a history of suicide and violence risk, and effect sizes were moderate to large even after controlling for other covariates. SPI and VPI scores were also found to vary significantly across different psychiatric groups in ways that would be expected. Finally, we explored the relationship between SPI and VPI, and executive functioning impairment??a neuropsychological variable found to be associated with impulsive self and other-harming behaviors. Consistent with prior research, SPI and VPI were found to be significantly elevated in groups demonstrating executive dysfunction. The implications of these findings and specifically the utility of using SPI and VPI in the assessment of risk are discussed.     

The Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS): Development and Psychometric Properties

The aim of the current study was to create a new measure of parenting practices, constituted by items from already established measures, to advance the measurement of parenting practices in clinical and research settings. Five stages were utilized to select optimal parenting items, establish a factor structure consisting of positive and negative dimensions of parenting, meaningfully consider child developmental stage, and ensure strong psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the final measure. A total of 1790 parents (44% fathers) were recruited online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for three cohorts: Stages 1 (N?=?611), 2 (N?=?615), and 3 (N?=?564). Each sample was equally divided by child developmental stage: Young childhood (3 to 7 years old), middle childhood (8 to 12 years old), and adolescence (13 to 17 years old). Through the five-stage empirical approach, the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS) was developed, successfully achieving all aims. The MAPS factor structure included both positive and negative dimensions of warmth/hostility and behavioral control that were appropriate for parents of children across the developmental span. The MAPS demonstrated strong reliability and longitudinal analyses provided initial support for the validity of MAPS subscales.     

Development of the Sports Performance Inventory: A Psychological Measure of Athletic Potential

The current study extends existing sport psychology research by developing a more comprehensive athlete attitudinal survey—the Sports Performance Inventory (SPI). A multiple item survey consisting of sport-related attitudinal items was distributed to 274 students enrolled in a large Division I Midwestern university. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation performed on the original survey items resulted in an 83 item survey with six interpretable factors: Competitiveness, Team Orientation, Mental Toughness, Emotional Control, Positive Attitude, and Safety Consciousness. All subscales demonstrated adequate item discriminability and internal consistency. Important statistically significant differences between college/novice and male/female athletes were found: (1) College athletes were found to have a higher SPI composite than novice athletes; (2) College athletes were found to have a more positive attitude than novice athletes; (3) College athletes were more competitive than novice athletes; (4) Females were more team oriented than males; and (5) Novice males were more competitive than novice females, while college females were more competitive than college males. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Suicide Among Minority Elderly: A Preliminary Investigation

ABSTRACT: In the United States, suicide has traditionally been considered a White elderly phenomenon. Suicide rates have been increasing for Nonwhites in recent years, but it is not clear how this may have affected the age distribution, particularly for specific Nonwhite groups. An investigation of official 1976 suicide statistics among minority elderly revealed that suicide rates are also highest among the old for Chinese-, Japanese- and Filipino-Americans. Among Blacks and Native Americans, however, suicide rates are extremely low for the aged. Explanations for these findings are suggested and the need for a long-term study is indicated.     

The Impact of Adolescent Suicide on Siblings and Parents: A Longitudinal Follow-Up

The psychiatric sequelae of loss of a family member to suicide were evaluated in parents and siblings of adolescent suicide victims and controls, who were followed up to 3 years after the suicide. Siblings did not show an increased risk for the development of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other conditions over the course of follow-up, despite showing a prolonged elevated level of grief symptomatology. Mothers showed an increased rate of recurrence of depression over follow-up, whereas fathers did not show an increased incidence of disorder compared to fathers of controls. The interrelationship of bereavement and depression for siblings, parents, and others exposed to suicide is discussed.     

The Rugged Resilience Measure: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Brief Measure of Personal Resilience

Applied Research in Quality of Life - There is an increasing demand for brief measures of resilience that can distinguish different dimensions of successful adaptation and good quality of life...     

A Preliminary Study Using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory—Adolescent Form as an Outcome Measure With Adolescent Offenders

The authors describe a preliminary study using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory‐Adolescent Form (SASS‐A; E Miller, 1994) as an outcome measure with adolescent offenders. Results indicate that the SASSI‐A can be successfully used as a treatment planning tool as well as a measure to evaluate programs.     

Prediction of Suicide Intent in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Adolescent Inpatients: A Research Note

The relationship among depressive symptoms, anxiety, hopelessness, and suicidal intent was explored in a group of 77 adolescents who had been hospitalized after attempting suicide. Regression analyses indicated that hopelessness was the only significant predictor of suicide intent in Caucasian patients, and depressed mood was the only significant predictor in the Aboriginal group. Clinicians should be aware that measures of hopelessness may be of limited value in assessing suicidal risk in Aboriginal adolescents.     

Validation of the Adolescent Concerns Measure (ACM): evidence from exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis

This article reports the development and initial validation of scores obtained from the Adolescent Concerns Measure (ACM), a scale which assesses concerns of Asian adolescent students. In Study 1, findings from exploratory factor analysis using 619 adolescents suggested a 24-item scale with four correlated factors--Family Concerns (9 items), Peer Concerns (5 items), Personal Concerns (6 items), and School Concerns (4 items). Initial estimates of convergent validity for ACM scores were also reported. The four-factor structure of ACM scores derived from Study 1 was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 using a two-fold cross-validation procedure with a separate sample of 811 adolescents. Support was found for both the multidimensional and hierarchical models of adolescent concerns using the ACM. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates were adequate for research purposes. ACM scores show promise as a reliable and potentially valid measure of Asian adolescents' concerns.     

A Resume of Some Make-A-Picture-Story (MAPS) Test Results

Summary: Two experiments were conducted to examine the determinants of affective guilt states, and to examine the interrelationships among one measure of dispositional guilt, and two measures of affective guilt. In study 1, women who were high in affective trait guilt had higher guilt states after being required to make sexual responses to sexual double-entendre words. In study 2, high affective trait guilt women had higher guilt states after being told they would be required to make sexual responses, but before they actually made any responses. The hypothesized relationship between a measure of dispositional guilt and a measure of affective state guilt was not found in either experiment.     

A Psychological Autopsy of an Indian Adolescent Suicide with Implications for Community Services

This psychological autopsy of the suicidal death of an adolescent Indian boy includes a brief family background, a history of his difficulties, and a report of his psychological evaluation. There is an attempt to understand the societal and familial factors that seem to have predisposed him to commit suicide. The report includes an analysis of the resources currently available in Indian communities and a recommendation for the kinds of resources that might prevent suicide in this setting.     

A Return Potential Measure of Setting Norms for Aggression

This study tested a classroom-level measure of norms based on J. Jackson's (1966) Return Potential Model. "Return potential" refers to the probability of approval of aggression in a given setting or group, and the return potential model allows quantification of different aspects of a setting's norms. Return potential measures were computed for unprovoked and provoked aggression. A pilot sample of 236 students in 11 classrooms and a main sample of 3,304 students in 158 classrooms completed this measure and a self-report measure of aggression. Results from hierarchical linear models showed that all measures of classroom return potential for aggression were significantly clustered by classrooms. Four return potential measures had main effects on aggression, and four measures showed variation in effects by grade or urban residence. Differences in clustering and effects by grade suggested age differences in the importance of different normative characteristics.     

Stressful Life Events,Psychopathology, and Adolescent Suicide: A Case Control Study

The relationship between stressful life events and adolescent suicide was assessed in 67 adolescent suicide victims and 67 matched community controls. In the year before death, suicide completers were more likely to have experienced: (1) interpersonal conflict with parents and with boy/girlfriends, (2) disruption of a romantic attachment, (3) legal or disciplinary problems. Legal or disciplinary problems were more commonly associated with suicide in conduct and substance abuse disordered youth. Interpersonal loss was more commonly associated with suicide in substance abuse as well. Even after controlling for psychopathology, legal and disciplinary problems in the past year were associated with an increased risk of suicide.