Mental Health among Youth in South Australia: A Survey of Flourishing,Languishing, Struggling,and Floundering

The Complete State Model of Mental Health was used to describe the prevalence of flourishing, languishing, struggling, and floundering in life in a sample of young South Australians (n = 3,913; 13–17 years, 52% female). Categorisation was based on the relative proportion of mental health and mental illness symptoms reported on standardised measures and the association of these categories to health‐risk behaviour. Variability in categories and health‐risk behaviour due to gender or region was investigated. Results indicated that a disturbingly small proportion of adolescents (<50%) were flourishing in life, that poorer states of mental health were associated with increased health‐risk behaviour, and that the propensity to engage in health‐risk behaviour did vary by gender and region. The current study extends the platform from which positively focused mental health strategies can be tailored and launched to meet the mental health needs of adolescents.     

诠释与转换：积极心理健康及其当代理解

积极心理健康是积极心理学理论系统的一个重要组成部分,也是积极心理学理论本身在心理健康领域的一种应用。积极心理健康以积极为核心观念,以人的积极品质为研究对象,注重人的个体差异的研究思路,引领和推动传统心理健康从关注人的消极品质转向人的积极潜力,从而使心理健康的主题既符合时代潮流又具有深厚的思想底蕴。     

压力对“蚁族”群体心理健康的影响:希望的调节作用

以广州市棠下、上社、岑村、赤沙等地340名"蚁族"(高校毕业生低收入聚居群体)为被试,采用成人希望特质量表(ADHS)、压力知觉量表(CPSS)、一般心理健康问卷(GHQ),考察了"蚁族"群体的希望水平,并分析了希望在压力和心理健康之间的调节作用。结果发现:①从整体上看,该群体的希望处于中等偏上水平。②压力对于心理健康水平有显著的负向影响;希望能够起到压力缓冲作用,调节压力与一般健康问题、忧郁情绪和自我肯定感之间的关系。③希望对心理健康的忧郁、自我肯定维度的调节作用大小不同,对于忧郁情绪的调节作用更大,而对自我肯定调节作用较小。     

Long-Term Self-Regulation Moderates the Role of Internal Resources for Resilience in Positive Youth Development in Portugal

Abstract

Positive Youth Development (PYD) presents a strength-based conception of transition to adulthood that has been well-supported by literature to date. However, research is needed to integrate the pathways to PYD and the possible moderators. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between internal resources for resilience and PYD and to examine the moderating role of short-term and long-term self-regulation by gender. To reach this overall aim, a cross-sectional study was performed with a national sample of 2700 youths (73.3% girls; M_age = 21.3, SD?=?2.79) from Portugal, who completed self-report measures. Regression-based moderation models were developed. Results indicated that greater presence of internal resources for resilience was related to higher PYD. Long-term self-regulation and gender moderated this relationship, such that a greater effect was observed in men with high levels of long-term self-regulation. These results highlight the need to integrate prevention and promotion paradigms to foster healthy development in youth, as well as the importance of taking self-regulation skills and gender into account in program design.     

Associations of LGBTQ+ Identities With Acceptability and Efficacy of Online Single-Session Youth Mental Health Interventions

Barriers such as stigma, financial costs, and provider shortages prevent large portions of youth with depression and related difficulties from accessing treatment; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning sexual orientation, or other non-heterosexual identity (LGBTQ+) youth are burdened with additional barriers related to minority stress. Single-session interventions (SSIs) have been found to benefit youth and help reduce depression symptoms, and since many SSIs are brief, cost-free, and accessible online, they may circumvent several access barriers. However, prior to recommending non-community-tailored SSIs as a useful resource for minoritized youths, we first assessed whether LGBTQ+ youth respond as positively to SSIs as do cisgender heterosexual youth. In a subsample of youths recruited via online advertisements from September 2019 to August 2020 (N = 258, 81.4% female-assigned sex at birth, 60.5% LGBTQ+, 47.3% youth of color), we investigated whether changes in hopelessness, agency, and self-hate from before to after completing online self-directed SSIs differed as a function of LGBTQ+ identity. We also quantitatively and qualitatively compared intervention acceptability ratings and feedback across LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual youths. Analyses revealed no significant differences between cisgender LGBQ+, trans and gender diverse, and cisgender heterosexual youths for any intervention outcomes. Likewise, no group differences emerged in intervention acceptability ratings or written program feedback. Self-selection bias and underrepresentation of certain populations, such as American Indian and Alaskan Native youths, may limit generalizability of results. Results suggest that online mental health SSIs are equally acceptable and useful to LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual youth alike, even prior to culturally specific tailoring.     

依恋与孤儿初中生心理健康的关系:自我污名和心理韧性的并行中介作用

采用问卷测量法对某省立孤儿学校520名在校孤儿初中生进行调查,探讨师生依恋、同伴依恋与孤儿初中生心理健康的关系,以及自我污名和心理韧性在其中的并行中介作用。结果表明：（1）师生依恋、同伴依恋均可以正向预测孤儿初中生心理健康,但师生依恋预测作用更大,因而更重要;（2）自我污名和心理韧性是依恋预测孤儿初中生心理健康的并行中介变量,自我污名负向中介作用大于心理韧性正向中介作用;（3）师生依恋对孤儿初中生心理健康的预测作用完全以自我污名和心理韧性为中介,同伴依恋对孤儿初中生心理健康的预测作用部分以自我污名和心理韧性为中介。研究结果可为我国福利性集中供养制孤儿学校开展孤儿心理健康教育实践提供依据。     

Resilience and Family Psychosocial Processes Among Children of Parents with Serious Mental Disorders

Resilience involves successful adaptation despite adverse circumstances, and is operationalized in this study as a multidimensional construct which consists of both positive and negative indicators of adaptation. Previous research has emphasized the importance of parental psychopathology in predicting child adaptation among children of parents with serious mental disorders. In contrast, we hypothesized five family psychosocial processes as common sequelae to serious parental mental disorder that are central to child adaptation beyond that predicted by parental psychiatric status. These are diminished family financial resources, social network constriction, impaired performance of parenting tasks, increased familial stress, and disruption of the parent-child bond. We examined the relationship of these processes to child adaptation independently through hierarchical regression analyses after taking into account parental psychiatric symptoms and functioning as well as the child's age and gender. One hundred seventy-seven children of mothers with serious mental disorder, ages 2–17 years old, were assessed on measures of adaptation. Results indicated that family psychosocial processes are a more consistent and powerful predictor of child adaptation than parental psychopathology. Results also indicated that, for these children, adaptation is predicted most consistently by parenting performance, and to lesser extents, by the parent-child bond and familial stress. We discuss our results in terms of their implications for theory and intervention with children of parents with serious mental disorders and for the study of resilience.     

Resilience Variables and Posttraumatic Symptoms Among Maltreated Youth

Child maltreatment is associated with an array of social, behavioral, neurobiological, and developmental problems that can last for many years. A key outcome of child maltreatment includes posttraumatic stress symptoms such as reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Considerable research has focused on risk factors for posttraumatic symptoms in maltreated youth, but less so on possible protective factors such as resilience. This study examined several resilience variables (sense of mastery, sense of relatedness, emotional reactivity) in an ethnically diverse sample of maltreated adolescents with posttraumatic symptoms. Key aspects of resilience that predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms included sense of mastery (for fewer symptoms) and emotional reactivity (for more symptoms). In particular, optimism, self-efficacy, and adaptability were inversely related to PTSD symptoms. In addition, emotional reactivity moderated a relationship between resilience resource scores and PTSD symptoms. The findings appeared to apply most to sexually maltreated youth. The results preliminarily demonstrate the importance of considering resilience-based variables during clinical processes for maltreated youth.     

Hope,religiosity, and subjective well-being

This study explored the relationship between religiosity, hope, and subjective well-being among 430 South African university students (n = 324) and their family members (n = 104) (70.2% female; 88.4% black; 8.4% white). Data were gathered utilising measures of religiosity, hope, satisfaction with life, and affect balance. We applied structural equation modelling to examine both the direct effects of religiosity on hope, as well as the indirect effects of religiosity on life satisfaction and positive and negative affect via hope as mediator. Findings suggest pathway and agency hope to mediate the relationships between religiosity and life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Specifically, religiosity predicted higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affect via agency hope. The results suggest agency hope to mediate the relationship between religiosity and subjective well-being.     

大学生的情绪向性、表达性与心理健康关系的研究

采用量表法以170名大学生为被试研究了情绪向性(分正、负向情感变量)、情绪表达性和心理健康的关系.差异检验表明:男性的负向情感多于女性,情感表达不如女性,在正向情感、快乐感上无显著性别差异;大一学生的快乐感多于大四学生,在正、负向情感、情绪表达性上无显著年级差异.(2)相关分析表明:快乐感、正向情感与多数心理症状因子呈显著负相关,负向情感与所有心理症状因子呈显著正相关;情绪表达性与人际敏感、敌对、抑郁、焦虑等因子呈显著负相关.(3)回归分析进一步表明:负向情感对强迫、人际关系、抑郁、焦虑、敌对、偏执等因子均构成显著回归效应,情绪表达对人际敏感、敌对、抑郁、焦虑等因子构成回归效应.     

初中生心理健康与气质、父母教养方式的关系

本研究从心理健康出发,采用《中学生心理健康量表》、《艾森克人格问卷》(儿童版)、《父母教养方式评定量表》对329名初中学生进行测量,探求初中生心理健康与气质、父母教养方式的关系。研究结果发现,初中生的心理健康与气质、家庭教养方式三者间存在交互作用,气质和家庭教养方式对心理健康有影响,气质是某些父母教养方式因子与心理健康的中介因素;并且气质特点与某些父母教养方式对初中生心理健康有较强的预测效应。     

Attachment,Mental Health,and Verbal Aggressiveness in Personal Relationships

This study examined the association between verbal aggressiveness and individual differences in attachment orientations and mental health, defined as a state of emotional well-being. One hundred and thirty-two college-aged students completed measures assessing their attachment orientations, mental health, and verbal aggressiveness. Results indicated that security in attachment was negatively associated with verbal aggressiveness, and preoccupation with relationships was positively associated with verbal aggressiveness. In addition, mental health was negatively associated with verbal aggressiveness. Results indicated support for a statistical model in which mental health mediated the association between attachment orientations and verbal aggressiveness.     

希望和乐观——两种未来指向的积极预期

在积极心理学中,希望和乐观虽然存在很大程度的概念重叠,但二者本质上是不同的概念。希望的概念核心是以目标为中心的动力思维和路径思维,乐观的概念核心是指向未来的积极预期。作为两种指向未来的积极预期,希望和乐观属于人格特质的范畴,共同成分是对目标的信念;二者的差异性在于对未来预期的方式和对预期事件的个人控制。相关研究发现,相对于乐观,希望通常是主观幸福感和学业成就更好的预测指标。未来研究应明确希望和乐观的整合,验证是否存在控制点的调节作用,并开展跨文化研究。     

Community Psychology and Community Mental Health: A Call for Reengagement

Community psychology is rooted in community mental health research and practice and has made important contributions to this field. Yet, in the decades since its inception, community psychology has reduced its focus on promoting mental health, well‐being, and liberation of individuals with serious mental illnesses. This special issue endeavors to highlight current efforts in community mental health from our field and related disciplines and point to future directions for reengagement in this area. The issue includes 12 articles authored by diverse stakeholder groups. Following a review of the state of community mental health scholarship in the field's two primary journals since 1973, the remaining articles center on four thematic areas: (a) the community experience of individuals with serious mental illness; (b) the utility of a participatory and cross‐cultural lens in our engagement with community mental health; (c) Housing First implementation, evaluation, and dissemination; and (d) emerging or under‐examined topics. In reflection, we conclude with a series of challenges for community psychologists involved in future, transformative, movements in community mental health.     

Aetiology of Coexisting Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Disorders: Perspectives of Refugee Youth and Service Providers

In the general population, people with comorbid mental health (MH) and alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders (comorbidity) have great difficulty accessing appropriate services, and poor outcomes. Little is known about comorbidity in resettled refugees in Australia. This study was designed to identify risk factors and patterns of comorbidity development in young people from refugee backgrounds living in a disadvantaged urban region of Adelaide, South Australia. This qualitative study utilised in‐depth semi‐structured interviews (n = 30) with resettled refugee youth and workers from MH, AOD, and refugee support services. Thematic analyses were conducted to investigate the aetiology of MH and AOD disorders in young refugees. Interviews with both groups revealed how the interrelated nature of risk factors may place young people from refugee backgrounds at heightened risk of experiencing MH and AOD problems. The situations and conditions described by both groups are discussed under six main themes: pre‐migration experiences of torture and trauma; familial factors of intergenerational conflict; post‐migration adjustment difficulties in terms of language, culture, education, and employment; exposure to and availability of substances; maladaptive coping strategies and self‐medication; and access to information and services. Implications for psychologists and MH professionals are identified, emphasising the need for clinicians to understand the complexities surrounding the aetiology of comorbidity in these youth. The initial assessment needs to be comprehensive, including pre‐ and post‐settlement experiences and cultural and family dimensions of their current situation. Treatment may often need to simultaneously address multiple contributing factors and involve culturally sensitive psycho‐education.     

Mental Health and Incarcerated Youth. II: Service Utilization

The incarceration of mentally ill youth is a serious problem not receiving the same attention as in adults. In this study, we examine the level of prior service utilization in incarcerated youth versus youth receiving community mental health services. We randomly recruited youth from middle South Carolina served by a local community mental health center (CMHC; n = 60), hospitalized in the state adolescent inpatient program (n = 50), and incarcerated in the S.C. Dept. of Juvenile Justice facilities (n = 75). We used a Services History to evaluate episodes of prior utilization of mental health, social service, educational, residential, and volunteer services, as well as the DISC-PC 2.3 to evaluate DSM-III-R diagnoses and symptoms and the CBCL and YSR to evaluate behavioral symptomatology. Incarcerated, hospitalized, and CMHC youth utilized similar levels of educational services and social services. Incarcerated youth had a significantly lower lifetime utilization of outpatient and acute mental health services and significantly higher utilization of out-of-home residential services than the other groups. These services utilization variables, along with gender and age, significantly distinguish incarcerated youth from the clinical groups, with clinical variables not serving to significantly distinguish them. Our results indicate the need to develop programs to prevent the entry of mentally ill/emotionally disturbed youth into the juvenile justice system. Youth who are at risk for incarcenation may benefit from intensive mental health services to prevent out-of-home placement and later incarceration.     

Hope in a strengths-based group activity for individuals with chronic pain

While hope has been described as the ability to imagine a future in which one wishes to participate, individuals with chronic pain can have difficulty maintaining hope due to the pervasive impact of pain on multiple facets of their lives. This research examines client experiences of hope during a hope and strengths activity offered as part of a group treatment plan for individuals experiencing chronic pain. Entitled Being Hopeful in the Face of Chronic Pain, the group was developed in order to focus on hope and generative emotional experiences, experiences often lacking for individuals with chronic pain. The group activity being studied specifically addressed participants’ current strengths and strengths they hope-to-have-more-of. The study employed basic qualitative inquiry and utilized interpersonal process recall individual interviews to stimulate participant recall. Twelve participants (spanning three separate group offerings) individually discussed their personal experiences as they unfolded during a specific hope and strengths-focused activity. Participants described experiences during the group activity that fostered personal hope via perspective shifts, communion, comparison and connection with other group members. Findings are discussed in the context of current literature on hope, chronic pain, positive psychology and group interventions.