Sex Differences in the Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Adolescents

This study assessed sex differences affecting the psychological wellbeing of Chinese adolescents. Various instruments were used to measure psychiatric symptoms and positive mental health. The results showed that female adolescents displayed significantly more psychiatric as well as somatic symptoms and scored lower on scales reflecting positive mental health. The findings are generally consistent with those found in the Western literature, but suggest that, in the Chinese culture, sex differences in mental health begin to appear in adolescents.     

An adolescent symptom checklist for juvenile deliquents

A rating instrument was developed to assess the personality functioning of problem adolescents who have a brief history of official delinquency. Subjects were 186 residents at a short-term diagnostic detention facility. The instrument that emerged from a factor analysis was tested for reliability, validity, and cross-situational generality. Two major orthogonal factors emerged, Apathy-Withdrawal (I) and Anger-Defiance (II). Each factor was found to be congruent with the corresponding dimension on behavior rating instruments that had previously yielded two orthogonal factors and that had been shown to be relevant to a large number of psychological and educational issues. Significant correlations between the factors and a series of global ratings measuring behavior and measures indicative of the frequency and seriousness of official delinquency provided further evidence of construct and discriminant validity as well as evidence of cross-setting consistency of personality functioning.     

Validation of Dating Violence Questionnarie-R (DVQ-R)

Background/Objective

Despite the growing interest in the study of dating violence, relatively few psychometrically sound instruments are available to researchers. To provide an instrument to researchers and professionals to assess victimization in dating relationships, with adequate psychometric properties. Method: Participants were 6,138 adolescents drawn from the general population, 25% of which were university students. Participants responded to the original Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ). Results: Confirmatory analyses results provided evidence of a clear factorial structure that was invariant through sex groups. The DVQ-R measures with 20 items five dimensions of abuse in affective interpersonal relationships of adolescents and youth: Detachment, Humiliation, Coercion, Physical and Sexual violence. Internal consistency indexes were adequate for both each one of the five dimensions as well as for the general scale. Conclusions: The DVQ-R is an useful assessment to be applied in adolescents and youth. Implications for research and intervention are discussed in light of the results obtained.     

Co-occurring Mental Health Problems and Peer Functioning Among Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review and Recommendations for Future Research

It is well established that children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience co-occurring mental health problems in addition to difficulties in their peer relationships. Although substantial research has focused on the extent to which peer functioning contributes to subsequent co-occurring mental health problems, much less research has considered how co-occurring mental health problems affect peer functioning domains. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the effect of co-occurring mental health problems on the peer functioning of youth with ADHD. The impact of co-occurring externalizing (i.e., oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder) and internalizing (i.e., anxiety, depression) symptoms are reviewed, with a focus on whether these co-occurring symptoms exacerbate, attenuate, or have no effect across peer domains of social skills/competence, peer status, and friendship among youth with ADHD. Drawing from a developmental psychopathology framework, this review then draws attention to relevant causal processes and developmental cascades (including social-cognitive, affective, and family and parenting factors) in offering promising avenues for future work.     

The Strengths Assessment Inventory: Reliability of a New Measure of Psychosocial Strengths for Youth

A new measure, the Strengths Assessment Inventory—Youth self-report (SAI-Y), was recently developed to assess the strengths of children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 years. The SAI-Y differs from similar measures in that it provides a comprehensive assessment of strengths that are intrinsic to the individual as well as strengths associated with an individual’s interaction with his or her environment. Based on over 10 years of test development as well as previous research, the 120 items of the SAI-Y contribute to 11 content scales (e.g., Strengths at Home) and 12 empirical scales (e.g., Commitment to Family Values). The purpose of the current report is to describe the procedure that guided the development of the SAI-Y coupled with an initial study of the psychometric properties of the instrument. The SAI-Y was administered to 572 elementary and secondary school students of which 455 also completed the measure following a one- to two-week interval. Based on this data, the following psychometric properties were examined: internal consistency, standard error of measurement, and test–retest reliability. Overall, results indicated that the SAI-Y demonstrates acceptable to good levels of reliability and may be a valuable addition to current measures that assess aspects of positive functioning. Ongoing research projects and future directions are discussed.     

Assessment of life events during adolescence: the use of self-report inventories

The assessment of stressful life events during adolescence is important to both research and clinical practice. Stressful events are studied to determine their etiological significance in physical and mental illnesses, and also their relevance in the clinical assessment of individual patients. In recent years, a number of self-report inventories of life events for adolescents have been developed, some very carefully, others as one-time endeavors. This article reviews these measures, with an emphasis on the conceptual and methodological issues which created problems in earlier inventories. These issues need to be considered when choosing an instrument to study or assess stressful life events in adolescents.     

Men and masculinities: Scales for masculinity ideology and masculinity-related constructs

11 instruments for assessing beliefs and attitudes about men or masculinity standards (masculinity ideology) and 6 instruments that assess first-person accounts of gender role conflict, stress, or conformity to masculinity ideology are evaluated in this review. The 17 instruments were all developed in the past 2 decades and peer reviewed, and are readily accessible. An introductory section distinguishes between gender ideology and gender orientation and defines the scope of the first set of 11 scales as indexing the extent to which subjects accept the ideas and beliefs used to justify gender roles and relations. The second set of 6 scales focus on how men individually experience their gender. All scales were systematically evaluated according to whether they include items comparing the sexes or concerning gender relations or items assessing attitudes and beliefs about women. Inclusion of these types of items is noted in a table, along with information on whether the authors assumed one dominant form of masculinity, whether subscales were identified, and the psychometric properties of the scale and subscale. The review suggests that measures of gender orientation and measures of gender ideologies are independent and have differential correlates. Evidence also suggests that gender ideologies about men are distinct from and have differential correlates from gender ideologies about women or about gender relations in general. Items comparing genders should thus be avoided in measures of attitude toward masculinities. Several of the measures have too narrow a definition of masculinity.     

Further evidence for score reliability and validity of the Anxiety Depression Distress Inventory-27 scale

We conducted several analyses with data from undergraduate students (N = 309) and active duty US Air Force Security Forces personnel (N = 273) to examine the utility of scores on the Anxiety Depression Distress Inventory-27 (ADDI-27). The three specific dimensions of the ADDI-27 include Positive Affect, Somatic Anxiety, and General Distress, each composed of nine relevant and representative items. Internal consistency reliability estimates for scores on the scales were strong across the study groups (coefficient-α values ≥ .80). Results of analyses using differential item functioning showed that the groups interpreted the contents of the ADDI-27 items similarly. At the scale-level analyses, the undergraduate student sample reported higher somatic and general distress symptoms compared to the Air Force sample. Evidence for concurrent validity was adequate. Examples of the concurrent measures were the meaning in life, mental health functioning, and sources of social support self-report instruments. Taken together, results support the use of the ADDI-27 for assessing clusters of somatic anxiety, depression, and general distress in the current study samples.     

Positive psychology and adolescent mental health: false promise or true breakthrough?

The emerging field of positive psychology has pledged to improve the mental health of American adolescents. Yet, without a principle-based conceptual foundation to guide its study of optimal youth functioning, positive psychology will ultimately fail to keep its promise. This paper suggests that the principles of Mind, Thought and Consciousness can provide positive psychology with a clearer understanding of optimal psychological functioning, serve as a unifying conceptual framework to guide its proposed mission, and lead to a true breakthrough in adolescent mental health. It first describes how the logic of these principles accounts for all subjective human experience. It then demonstrates how optimal mental health is generated, and how it can be maintained irrespective of present or past circumstances. Finally, it discusses how several contemporary models of positive psychology (i.e., Csikszentmihalyi's flow. Seligman's learned optimism, Goleman's emotional intelligence, and Buss's evolutionary perspective) can be simplified and clarified using the logic of the above three principles.     

Measuring health-related stigma--a literature review

Stigma related to chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis, mental illness and epilepsy is a global phenomenon with a severe impact on individuals and their families, and on the effectiveness of public health programmes. To compare stigma measurement in different disciplines, a literature review was conducted. References were obtained through a search of literature databases and through examining relevant bibliographies. Sixty-three papers were selected that addressed the issue of measurement of stigma or related constructs and that contained a sample of the instrument or items used. Five unpublished studies were also included in the review. The aspects of health-related stigma used for assessment can be grouped in five categories. First, the experience of actual discrimination and/or participation restrictions on the part of the person affected; second, attitudes towards the people affected; third, perceived or felt stigma; fourth, self or internalized stigma; and fifth, discriminatory and stigmatizing practices in (health) services, legislation, media and educational materials. Within each of these areas, different research methods have been used, including questionnaires, qualitative methods, indicators and scales. The characteristics of the instruments considered most promising are described and compared. The purpose of stigma assessment is to increase our understanding of stigma and its determinants and dynamics, to determine its extent or severity in a given setting or target group and to monitor changes in stigma over time. The conclusions from this review are that (a) the consequences of stigma are remarkably similar in different health conditions, cultures and public health programmes; (b) many instruments have been developed to assess the intensity and qualities of stigma, but often these have been condition-specific; and (c) development of generic instruments to assess health-related stigma may be possible. To achieve this aim, existing instruments should be further validated, developed or adapted for generic use, where possible.     

The Reliability and Validity of a Brief Self-Report Questionnaire to Screen for Mental Health Problems: The Health Dynamics Inventory

Mental health problems are underrecognized in medical settings, leading to inadequate treatment. The present paper describes the development of the Health Dynamics Inventory (HDI), a brief, self-report questionnaire developed to evaluate mental health functioning. The HDI was written to evaluate the three aspects of mental disorders as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): (1) the experience of emotional or behavioral symptoms; (2) emotional distress; and (3) psychosocial impairment. This study evaluated the psychometric properties and construct validity of its items, scales, and subscales. Results indicated that the items distinguish patients from nonpatients, that the instrument's scales and subscales are reliable, and that the scales and subscales discriminates between persons with mental health concerns or diagnosable problems and those without such concerns or problems. The utility of the instrument for screening mental health problems in primary care settings is discussed.     

Dimensions in scales for measuring exploratory tendencies and stimulation levels in consumers: a cross‐cultural comparison of the USA and Spain

Current scales to assess the exploratory tendency are mainly composite measures of psychological characteristics of the consumers concerning their personality. The cultural environment in which they were developed and tested is also a major factor that could affect their validity across different cultural scenes. In this paper the relevant scales measuring exploratory tendencies are reviewed and compared in two different cultural settings: USA and Spain. The main conclusion is that the scales are not equally valid; nor do the items included in them have the same relevance in different cultural setting. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Different Approach in Developing a Sexual Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents in Accra,Ghana

Adolescents residing in urban poor Accra face sexual and reproductive health challenges. Interventions to address them have not been entirely effective; thus, researching adolescents’ sexual self-concept (SSC) could strengthen our understanding of precursors to their sexual activity. For this study, a culturally appropriate scale is developed to measure the SSC of adolescents in urban poor Accra. Focus group discussions and content analysis generated items in the scale. Factor analyses techniques were used to develop sub-scales measuring different SSC dimensions. Three sub-scales, ‘sexual enthusiasm’, ‘sexual intrepidness’ and ‘sexual readiness’ were reliable SSC measures. Validity assessments found that sexually ready and enthusiastic youth were more likely to have engaged in coital, pre-coital and risky sexual behaviors. Also, as their sexual intrepidness and enthusiasm increased, adolescents had significantly worse mental health. These scales may provide an important step in understanding adolescent sexual behavior in the urban poor context and thus need further investigation.     

Level validity of self-report whole-family measures

This article introduces an approach to testing the level validity of family assessment instruments (i.e., whether a family instrument measures family functioning at the level of the system it purports to assess). Two parents and 2 adolescents in 69 families rated the warmth in each of their family relationships and in the family as a whole. Family members' ratings of whole-family warmth assessed family functioning not only at the family level (i.e., characteristics of the family as a whole) but also at the individual level of analysis (i.e., characteristics of family members as raters), indicating a lack of level validity. Evidence was provided for the level validity of a latent variable based on family members' ratings of whole-family warmth. The findings underscore the importance of assessing the level validity of individual ratings of whole-family functioning.     

Development and validation of a scale to assess positive youth development values

This paper describes the development of a self-report scale for adolescents to assess positive youth development values. It presents a substantial number of psychometric results performed on a sample of 2,400 adolescents (1,068 boys and 1,332 girls) from 12 to 17 years ( M = 14.73, SD = 1.25), who were studying secondary education in Western Andalusia. The results provide evidence of the psychometric quality of items, cross-validity of a structure of eight first-order factors and three second-order factors, obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and adequate reliability. This study concludes that the scale presents adequate evidence of validity and reliability that allows assessment, especially in school contexts, of a broad set of values of particular relevance to positive youth development.     

The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) Conceptual Model to Promote Mental Health for Adolescents with ASD

Despite an increased risk of mental health problems in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is limited research on effective prevention approaches for this population. Funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, a theoretically and empirically supported school-based preventative model has been developed to alter the negative trajectory and promote wellbeing and positive mental health in adolescents with ASD. This conceptual paper provides the rationale, theoretical, empirical and methodological framework of a multilayered intervention targeting the school, parents and adolescents on the spectrum. Two important interrelated protective factors have been identified in community adolescent samples, namely the sense of belonging (connectedness) to school and the capacity for self and affect regulation in the face of stress (i.e. resilience). We describe how a confluence of theories from social psychology, developmental psychology and family systems theory, along with empirical evidence (including emerging neurobiological evidence), supports the interrelationships between these protective factors and many indices of wellbeing. However, the characteristics of ASD (including social and communication difficulties, and frequently difficulties with changes and transitions, and diminished optimism and self-esteem) impair access to these vital protective factors. The paper describes how evidence-based interventions at the school level for promoting inclusive schools (using the Index for Inclusion) and interventions for adolescents and parents to promote resilience and belonging [using the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)] are adapted and integrated for adolescents with ASD. This multisite proof-of-concept study will confirm whether this multilevel school-based intervention is promising, feasible and sustainable.     

Preliminary analysis of the psychometric properties of Ryff's scales of psychological well-being in Portuguese adolescents

This article presents a set of research studies that aim to adapt Carol Ryff's scales of psychological wellbeing (SPWB) and to analyze its psychometric properties in adolescents. The first two studies focused on the reliability and factorial validity of different Portuguese short versions of SPWB, revealing measurement models inadequacies and low internal consistency. In the third study we developed a shortened version (30 items), taking into account the application of psychometric criteria suggested by van Dierendonck (2005). The scales of this version revealed better reliability and adequate goodness of fit indices for the six-factor model, as proposed by Carol Ryff's PWB theory. Although further research focused on the psychometrical properties reanalysis of this shortened version of SPWB is needed, this article provides a contribution to the research and intervention on positive mental health during adolescence.     

The Ohio Scales: Practical Outcome Assessment

The development and initial psychometric studies for the Ohio Youth Problems, Functioning, and Satisfaction Scales (Ohio Scales) are described. The Ohio Scales were developed to be practical yet rigorous, multi-content, multi-source measures of outcome for children and adolescents receiving mental health services. Initial studies suggest that the Ohio Scales are promising (reliable, valid, and sensitive to change) measures that can be used to track the effectiveness of mental health interventions for youth with serious emotional disorders. Additional studies are warranted to expand the situations and populations within which the scales are valid.     

Measurement issues in family assessment: the case of the Family Environment Scale

The internal consistency reliabilities of 5 subscales of the Family Environment Scale were re-examined in a study of 311 stressed and 74 control families. The reliability coefficients generated were lower than those originally reported for this instrument; most coefficients generated were below the acceptable level for practical or research use, and there was considerable variation in the reliabilities across type of stressed family. An attempt to generate more reliable scales using the original items was unsuccessful, and questions about the validity of the subscales were raised. Our results illustrate the importance of examining reliabilities of instruments, even well-known and widely used instruments, for each sample studied.