Social problem-solving among adolescents treated for depression

Studies suggest that deficits in social problem-solving may be associated with increased risk of depression and suicidality in children and adolescents. It is unclear, however, which specific dimensions of social problem-solving are related to depression and suicidality among youth. Moreover, rational problem-solving strategies and problem-solving motivation may moderate or predict change in depression and suicidality among children and adolescents receiving treatment. The effect of social problem-solving on acute treatment outcomes were explored in a randomized controlled trial of 439 clinically depressed adolescents enrolled in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Measures included the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R), the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire - Grades 7-9 (SIQ-Jr), and the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R). A random coefficients regression model was conducted to examine main and interaction effects of treatment and SPSI-R subscale scores on outcomes during the 12-week acute treatment stage. Negative problem orientation, positive problem orientation, and avoidant problem-solving style were non-specific predictors of depression severity. In terms of suicidality, avoidant problem-solving style and impulsiveness/carelessness style were predictors, whereas negative problem orientation and positive problem orientation were moderators of treatment outcome. Implications of these findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Promoting Healing and Restoring Trust: Policy Recommendations for Improving Behavioral Health Care for American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents

American Indian/Alaska Native youth represent the strength and continued survival of many Nations and Tribes. However, they currently experience numerous health disparities and challenges, including the highest rate of suicide among 15–24 year-olds in the United States. Our comprehensive review of the literature on the mental health of AI/AN youth highlighted seven focal causes of behavioral health disparities: (1) high levels of violence and trauma exposure and traumatic loss, (2) past and current oppression, racism, and discrimination, (3) underfunded systems of care, (4) disregard for effective indigenous practices in service provision, policy, and funding, (5) overreliance on evidence-based practices, (6) lack of cultural competence among systems of care and providers, and (7) barriers to care. Seven policy recommendations that recognize the importance of moving beyond exclusive reliance on western models of care and that seek to foster transformation of individuals, families, communities, behavioral health service systems of care, and social structures are presented, supported, and discussed.     

Understanding and Combating School‐Based Bullying From an Individual‐Level Perspective: A Review

Bullying is an ongoing problem in our schools with a significant psychological impact on young people. Despite evidence that school‐based bullying is related to a range of individual, social and environmental factors, the majority of interventions are focused on a “whole of school” approach. Whole‐school interventions have been shown to be successful in reducing rates of bullying, but it is argued that a focus on individual factors, specifically those that are amenable to change, will add to these “whole of school” effects. It is argued that interventions that target factors such as internalising symptoms, externalising behaviours, friendship quality and self‐esteem will help children to build resilience against the bullying behaviours of their peers, and further reduce the incidence of bullying, when applied both at a preventative and treatment intervention level.     

Cognitive Processing Therapy for Incarcerated Adolescents with PTSD

Summary

Despite increased recognition of trauma's association with conduct disorders, trauma treatment for the conduct-disordered population has been neglected. This study evaluated the effect of short-term, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) treatment on self-reported symptoms of trauma, such as anxiety, depression, intrusion, avoidance, and numbing. After treatment, the CPT group showed significant declines in these symptoms, while the wait-list control group did not.     

Risk factors of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with headache: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionDespite numerous studies on the association between headache and psychological difficulties in children, the results remain inconclusive.ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study was conducted to clarify the links between anxiety-depression and headache in children. We evaluated the levels of anxious and depressive symptoms and the influence of risk factors: age, sex, headache diagnosis, frequency and history to identify and treat headache sufferers most at risk.MethodData were collected from a clinical sample of 368 children aged 8 to 17 years. First, a structured interview using the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II) was used to diagnose 88 patients with migraine (M), 32 with tension-type headache (TTH), and 248 with a combination syndrome (M + TTH). Second, levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS) and the Multiscore Depression Inventory for Children (MDI-C).ResultsAn ANOVA analysis showed that the mean scores for anxiety and depressive symptom levels were significantly higher among older patients and that only the M + TTH diagnosis was significantly associated with anxiety. Children with clinically significant levels of anxiety symptoms were more prevalent in our sample than in the general population (13% versus 5%). Anxiety and depression were not associated with child sex, headache frequency and history.ConclusionWe propose systematic screening for anxiety in children presenting with headache, particularly adolescents and patients with a combination diagnosis.     

Adaptive Coping Reduces the Impact of Community Violence Exposure on Violent Behavior among African American and Latino Male Adolescents

This study examined whether coping moderated the impact of community violence exposure (CVE) on violent behavior among 285 urban African American and Latino adolescent males assessed annually across 5 years. Composites indicating overall CVE (having knowledge of others’ victimization, witnessing violence, direct victimization) and approach to coping with CVE were created by averaging across years 1–3 (Time 1; mean ages 14–16). Adolescents classified as coping effectively tended to respond to CVE in beneficial ways (e.g., developing long-term solutions, engaging in positive reappraisal). Violent behavior was examined across years 1–3 (Time 1) and years 4–5 (Time 2; mean ages 18–19). CVE was longitudinally associated with greater violent behavior, adjusting for Time 1 levels of violent behavior. This association was significant only among adolescents with less effective coping strategies. Interventions targeting the enhancement of coping skills may be an effective method of reducing the impact of CVE on adolescent violent behavior. Sonya S. Brady is now an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota (1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015, USA; Tel.: +1-612-6241818; Fax: +1-612-6240315.     

Depressed Adolescents and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders: Are There Differences in the Presentation of Depression?

Patterns and correlates of comorbidity, as well as differences in manifest depressive profiles were investigated in a sample of depressed adolescents. A sub-sample of the youth were characterized as belonging to either a Pure depression group, an Internalizing group (depression and co-occurring internalizing disorders), or an Externalizing group (depression and co-occurring externalizing disorders). Item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning (DIF) were used to assess whether the depressed adolescents from the different comorbidity groups presented with different depressive symptoms. Results indicated that the comorbidity groups were meaningfully distinct in terms of psychosocial correlates as well as showed differences in depressive symptom profiles as informed by DIF analyses. In particular, the comorbidity groups differed in terms of presentation of psychomotor changes and cognitive impairments. Implications for assessment are discussed.

The French version of the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking: Internal and predictive validity

In this study we examine the psychometric characteristics and the predictive validity of the AISS-17, the French version of the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking. Two samples were used, one of which enabled us to carry out prospective monitoring over a period of six months. Our study provides data that support the validity of the AISS-17. This inventory includes the same two factors as the AISS (Novelty and Intensity). It has good concurrent and convergent validity, and its nomological network is comparable to that of the AISS and to the SSS of Zuckerman. However, our study confirms the low reliability of the AISS. We also showed that the AISS-17 has good predictive validity. We observed a significant cross-lagged effect of the AISS-17 at T1 on risk taking at T2, when controlled for age, gender and risk-taking at T1.     

Gaining Ground from a Family and Cultural Legacy: A Teen Mother's Story of Repairing the World

A multigenerational longitudinal study of teen mothering provided prospective data on the intergenerational continuities and discontinuities in parenting traditions and caregiving legacies. Families that included a teen mother were first interviewed intensively in 1988–1989 and were reinterviewed in 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005. All studies in the series were based on the phenomenology of everyday practices and the assumption that the self is constituted by practical, historical, and embodied understandings. Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic approach.     

Portrayal of body weight on children's television sitcoms: a content analysis

Television programs portray characters with idealized body types that for most viewers are unattainable. These body types have become a common source of comparison for many young viewers who evaluate their own self-worth and bodies based on the models they see on television. This study examines body weight, both in terms of frequency and portrayals, focusing on how preadolescent and adolescent characters’ bodies are presented on the sitcoms from three children's television networks. The results indicate that while children's situation comedies have relatively few overweight characters, this small percentage closely parallels national figures. Male and female characters do not differ in their distribution across weight categories. However, when character ethnicity is factored, significant shifts occur. Surprisingly, no differences were observed in the portrayal of physical and mental attributes among weight categories except in social popularity where overweight characters were not as embedded in social networks. Compared to other relevant studies, this research provides some evidence that the treatment and portrayal of overweight characters in children-targeted sitcoms is more positive, equitable, and less stereotypical than in other programming venues and that children are experiencing body type diversity in these fictional portrayals. Nonetheless, above average weight characters still suffer some social marginality and ethnic misrepresentation.