Ethnocultural Differences in Prevalence of Adolescent Depression

Data from an ethnically diverse sample of middle school (Grades 6–8) students (n = 5,423) are analyzed for ethnic differences in major depression. The point prevalence of major depression was 8.4% without and 4.3% with impairment. Data were sufficient to calculate prevalences for nine ethnic groups. Prevalences adjusted for impairment ranged from 1.9% for youths of Chinese descent to 6.6% for those of Mexican decent. African and Mexican American youths had significantly higher crude rates of depression without impairment, but only the latter had significantly higher rates of depression with impairment. Multivariate (logistic regression) analyses, adjusting for the effects of age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES), yielded significant odds ratios for only one group. Mexican American youths were at elevated risk for both depression without (OR = 1.74, p < .05) and depression with impairment (OR = 1.71, p < .05). There was no significant interaction of ethnicity and SES in relation to depression. Females had higher prevalences of depression with and without impairment, as did youths who reported that their SES was somewhat or much worse off than their peers. The data add to growing evidence that Mexican American youths are at increased risk of depression, and that community intervention efforts should specifically target this high-risk group.     

Is Adolescent Adjustment Following Parental Divorce a Function of Predivorce Adjustment?

This study examined whether adolescent adjustment problems which previously have been attributed to parental divorce exist prior to the divorce. Three groups (to-be-divorced, remain intact, and already divorced) were examined across four domains of adolescent functioning reported by multiple informants. The results indicated that adolescents from the to-be-divorced group functioned similarly to those who would remain in intact families but better than those in the already divorced group, suggesting that differences can be attributed to parental divorce and its accompanying disruption of family processes. Two of these processes, interparental conflict and parenting, were examined and failed to receive support.     

Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Adolescents with Severe Emotional Disturbance

We investigated the sexual risk-taking behaviors of adolescents with severe emotional disturbance (SED). Subjects (N = 70) were clients of the South Carolina Continuum of Care. Information on sexual intercourse, sexual risk-taking, aggressive behaviors, substance use, and suicidal behavior was gathered using a modified version of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention self-report Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Forty-two percent of each race-gender group reported first intercourse before age 13, except for African American females at 63%. Seventy-five to 79% of all race-gender groups reported first sexual intercourse by age 18. Drinking alcohol before age 13 and carrying a weapon in the past 30 days were associated with first intercourse before age 13. Youth reporting first intercourse between ages 13 and 18 were about 12 times more likely to report suicide ideation than those youth who reported never having sexual intercourse. Youth with SED reporting first intercourse before age 13 appear to have an increased risk for unintended pregnancy and for contracting a sexually transmitted disease compared to youth with SED reporting first intercourse after age 13.     

Mental Health, Social Environment and Sexual Risk Behaviors of Adolescent Service Users: A Gender Comparison

We examined individual mental health problems (depression, conduct disorder, and substance abuse) and social environment (family, peer, and neighborhood) factors associated with the sexual risk behaviors of male and female adolescents. Interviews with 778 adolescents, aged 14 to 18, showed that both mental health problems and social environment were related to adolescents' involvement in sexual risk behaviors. Conduct disorder symptoms, substance abuse or dependence symptoms, and the interaction between peer misbehavior and neighborhood problems were significantly associated with risky sexual behaviors. Peer misbehavior was a particularly strong factor related to sexual risk behaviors for youths who lived in neighborhoods with multiple problems. The only gender differences were found in age, with older males more likely to report engaging in high risk sexual behaviors. This study suggests the utility of multidimensional intervention strategies to deal with various adolescent problem behaviors, including risky sexual behaviors, within the context of their social environment.     

An epidemiological study on work and family stress among Chinese in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, with a population of over six million in a modern city, has been shown to be a very stressful place to live in. However, epidemiological data from a big-scale study in this regard are lacking. The present territory-wide survey, from a sample representative of the general population, was aimed to investigate the work and family stress of Chinese adults in the community with respect to the impact on their psychological well-being. The psychosocial context was considered as an important source of stress. The results showed that coping with work demands and rearing children were reported as the highest stress responses. Moreover, workers in Hong Kong took an instrumental attitude, i.e., one emphasizing material rewards, in order to reduce the job stress arising from interpersonal conflicts in the workplace.     

Validation of the Dutch version of the aggression questionnaire in adolescent male offenders

This study examined the construct validity of the Dutch version of Buss and Perry’s Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) in 73 adolescent male offenders aged 12 to 18 years who were participating in a residential rehabilitation program. There was a strong positive association between the Hostility subscale of the AQ and psychological and physical symptoms. The nature of this connection was discussed. It was argued that the Hostility subscale measures some unique aspect of aggression that is not incorporated by the Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, or Anger subscales of the AQ. As expected, the AQ scales correlated significantly with trait anger, social desirability, and age. Furthermore, staff ratings of physical violence, verbal aggression, anger, and negative attitude were obtained for each subject. Correlations between the AQ scales and these ratings were low. Possible explanations for this unexpected finding are discussed. Finally, normative and internal structure data are presented. Aggr. Behav. 28:87–96, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Peer-Enhanced Weight Management Treatment for Overweight Adolescents: Some Preliminary Findings

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of adding a peer-based intervention (peer-based skills training [PBST]) to a traditional cognitive–behavioral weight management intervention for overweight adolescents. Sixteen adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 years and between 30 and 80$percnt; overweight participated in a 16-week group-based weight management program with the addition of peer-based skills training. Adolescents and parents separately attended 60-min group sessions addressing diet, physical activity, and behavior modification techniques. In addition, adolescents attended a 90-min PBST session each week. Group activities included both mental and physical challenges that fostered development of trust, social skills, and self-confidence. Measures of height and weight, as well as questionnaires assessing self-concept, physical self-worth, and social functioning, were obtained prior to treatment, immediately following the 16-week intervention, and 6 months after completion of active treatment. Paired t tests revealed significant improvements over time in measures of physical self-worth, physical appearance and romantic appeal. Adolescents lost an average of 14.73 pounds from the start to end of treatment, and this was maintained at 6-month follow-up. These preliminary findings provide some support for the application of a novel peer-based program as an adjunctive treatment for adolescent weight management intervention.     

Parental Incarceration Among Adolescents Receiving Mental Health Services

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that approximately 1 in every 50 youth in the U.S. had a parent in State or Federal prison in 1999. Studies of children of incarcerated parents suggest that these youth are at risk for experiencing emotional and behavioral problems. Using a sample of 258 adolescents receiving routine mental health services, this study explored: (1) differences in demographic characteristics, lifetime exposure to risk factors, recent stressful life experiences, and clinical profiles of adolescents with and without a history of parental incarceration; and (2) the effect of parental incarceration relative to other risk factors on levels of emotional and behavioral problems and treatment outcomes. Nearly half (43%) of the youth studied had experienced the incarceration of one or both parents. Youth who experienced parental incarceration had been exposed to significantly more risk factors during their lifetimes including parental substance abuse, extreme poverty, and abuse or neglect. They were more likely than other treated youth to present with attention-deficit/hyperactivity and conduct disorders and less likely to have major depression. Findings provide preliminary evidence that parental incarceration may have a discrete negative effect on certain outcomes of treatment.     

青少年的人格特征与互联网社交服务使用偏好的关系

“互联网社交”快速兴起,网络社交已经成为一种人际交往方式,相当多的互联网用户在使用互联网社交服务,青少年也是这种服务的热心使用者。澄清青少年使用互联网社交服务过程中的一些基本现象,有益于教育者有重点地引导青少年的网上社交行为,对互联网社交服务的使用能够趋其利,避其害。该研究使用问卷法调查了339名青少年的外向性、神经质、社会支持和社交焦虑与互联网社交服务的使用之间的关系。研究发现（１）青少年在互联网社交服务使用偏好上存在着显著的性别和年级差异;（２）外向性、神经质对互联网社交服务的使用偏好有直接而显著的正向预测作用;（３）外向性通过社会支持间接地预测互联网社交服务的使用偏好;（４）外向性对社交焦虑有负向预测作用,并通过社交焦虑预测互联网社交服务的使用偏好;（５）神经质通过社交焦虑间接地预测互联网社交服务的使用偏好。