青少年抑郁综合认知模型及其性别差异

Beck抑郁认知理论认为功能失调性态度和自动思维对抑郁的形成和发展有着重要的影响, 但是不同水平的认知因素在青少年抑郁中起什么样的作用还有待于进一步的研究。根据Oei和Kwon (2007)综合认知模型(ICM), 我们假设在青少年负性生活事件和抑郁症状间功能失调性态度是调节变量, 而自动思维是中介变量。研究采用开学初和临近期末间隔近四个月两个时间点的纵向数据搜集方式, 对613名初中生施以青少年生活事件量表(ASLEC)、功能失调性态度问卷(DAS)、自动思维问卷(ATQ)以及流调中心用抑郁量表(CES-D), 然后通过路径分析对模型进行了拟合度和性别差异检验, 结果表明：(1)各变量显著相关(p<0.01), 且各变量间隔四个月两个时间点的分数差异显著(p<0.01); (2)修正后的青少年抑郁综合认知模型较好地拟了数据, 且功能失调性态度与负性生活事件的交互作用对自动思维的影响上女生的路径系数显著大于男生。结论：功能失调性态度在负性生活事件和青少年抑郁症状间起调节作用, 而自动思维从中起到了认知中介的作用, 且该模型性别差异显著。     

儿童青少年自尊发展理论建构与实证研究

自尊是包含能力和价值的重要心理资源,是个体心理健康的核心。多年来,我们围绕自尊开展了一系列理论建构及其相关的实证研究。其中,理论建构包括对自尊内涵和本质的探寻、"倒立的金字塔"自尊结构模型的建构。同时,运用多种方法对个体自尊的发展进行了实证研究,包括婴幼儿早期自尊的观察研究、小学生自尊发展与学校适应的关系研究、青少年自尊发展特点横向和纵向比较、特殊群体自尊与心理健康的关系研究。最后,运用实验方法分析了诱发失败情境下自尊对不良情绪的缓冲作用,不同自尊类型被试的记忆偏向和情感反应。这些研究为丰富国内自尊领域的研究成果做出了贡献。     

Substance Use and Health and Safety among Homeless Youth

This study examines how substance use is associated with the health and safety of homeless youth using cross-sectional, self-report data from 285 homeless adolescents. Path models were used to examine concurrent relationships between youth’s substance use and multiple aspects of their health and safety, including measures of psychological distress, housing risk and instability, and medical problems. Substance use was examined with both global (i.e., a composite of days of use across various drugs and alcohol) and specific (i.e., rates of use of specific drugs, injection drug use) measures. After controlling for demographic and historical variables, number of days of use was significantly related to psychological distress, whereas injection drug use was significantly related to housing risk. Examination of specific drugs revealed relationships between psychological distress and the use of alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamines, and a specific relationship between housing risk and the use of heroin. None of the measures of substance use was significantly related to youth’s medical problems. Implications for interventions with homeless adolescents are discussed.     

Mother-Adolescent Relationship Quality and Autonomy as Predictors of Psychosocial Adjustment Among African American Adolescents

This study investigated the role of mother-adolescent relationship quality and autonomy in the psychosocial outcomes in a sample of African American adolescents drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The results indicated that positive mother-adolescent relationship quality and greater autonomy were associated with higher self-esteem, fewer depressive symptoms, and less delinquent behavior. Moreover, adolescents who were older, female, or from households with less income reported more depressive symptoms. In addition, adolescents who were younger or female reported fewer delinquent behaviors. Being male was associated with higher self-esteem. Adolescents’ age, family income, and mother-adolescent relationship quality did not moderate relations between autonomy and the outcome variables.     

Growing Up Can Be Painful: A Case Report of the Bat Mitzvah and Chronic Pain

Among a subgroup of adolescents with chronic pain syndromes, anxiety about “growing up” appears common and may be exacerbated by developmental transitions. Using the bat mitzvah ceremony as one example of a developmental rite of passage, we present two cases in which adolescent girls facing this transition developed new chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes or experienced recurrences of pain symptoms. In both cases, the transition to adulthood, symbolized by the bat mitzvah, was associated with anxiety in adolescents who were unusually focused on the negative aspects of becoming independent adults. The aims of this case report are (1) to highlight the role of developmental transitions as a possible factor in the biopsychosocial model of pediatric pain; (2) to illustrate how to address emotional and cognitive responses to these transitions in the context of cognitive-behavioral treatment for pain; and (3) to suggest systematic approaches to investigating this clinically-observed phenomenon in future research.     

A diathesis-stress model of engagement in risky behaviors in Chinese adolescents

The current study examined whether the association between the occurrence of negative events and increased engagement in risky behavior is moderated by maladaptive and/or adaptive coping strategies. At time 1, 411 adolescents (ages 14–19) from Yue Yang, Hunan, completed self-report measures assessing coping strategies, engagement in risky behaviors, and the occurrence of negative events. Once a month for the subsequent 6 months, adolescents completed measures assessing engagement in risky behaviors and the occurrence of negative events. In line with our hypotheses, results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that adolescents possessing high levels of maladaptive coping strategies reported greater engagement in risky behaviors following the occurrence of negative events than adolescents possessing low levels. In contrast to our hypotheses, the association between the occurrence of negative events and increased engagement in risky behavior was not moderated by adaptive coping strategies.     

The Cultural Adaptation of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version for Latino Children and Adolescents

We reviewed the Spanish translation of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (YQOL-R) and culturally adapted the measure with Puerto Rican and Mexican American children and adolescents. The YQOL-R is a self-reported measure that includes four domains: Sense of Self, Social Relationships, Environment, and General Quality of Life. A total of 10 focus groups were conducted with children aged 9 to 11, adolescents aged 12 to 17, their parents, and mental health providers. Five focus groups were conducted in San Diego, California and five in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Eligible participants were recruited from children’s outpatient psychiatry clinics. We followed an iterative and recursive process in reviewing changes and modifications to the instrument using a bilingual committee and a Multi National Bilingual Committee. Greater semantic, content, and technical equivalence of the Spanish and English versions for the YQOL-R was achieved for the two largest U.S. Latino subgroups: Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans. The cultural adaptation process revealed several important issues regarding the measurement of quality of life in different age groups. Additional items for school, relationships (both family and friends) and spare time suggested the need for a future children’s version of the instrument. For the adolescents, additional items were suggested in the areas of sexuality, intergenerational conflict and acculturative stress.     

The mystery of the well-attended group. A model of Personal Construct Therapy for adolescent self-harm and depression in a community CAMHS service

This paper describes a style of weekly group therapy offered in a city CAMHS department for adolescent girls who are depressed and self-harming. Research has found that such girls typically have other psychological problems, such as anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, poor school performance, grief reactions and poor school attendance. This paper describes a group based upon Personal Construct Theory (Kelly, 1955 Kelly, G. (1955). The psychology of personal constructs, Vol. 1. New York: Routledge  [Google Scholar]) which addresses the management of symptoms and the problems underlying them. It takes into account each girl's unique history and her personal priorities, and group sessions aim to encourage each individual to understand and address their own difficulties. The group is open, has no set number of sessions to attend, and has no set week-by-week curriculum. Instead, it takes the individual's personal construction of their difficulties and works with it through the principles and techniques of Personal Construct Therapy. The group has been well-attended and has a positive atmosphere in sessions with the emphasis upon each individual taking responsibility for her own progress inside and outside the group. This paper will describe the principles and practice that are used in the group and the need for further research into the efficacy of this therapeutic treatment is highlighted.     

Effectiveness of school-based prevention and intervention programs for children and adolescents with emotional disturbance: A meta-analysis

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of school-based prevention and intervention programs for children and adolescents at-risk for and with emotional disturbance. Published outcome studies (k = 29) from December, 1988, to March, 2006, including 1405 children and adolescents were reviewed. Each investigation was coded on several variables describing the child, parent, and teacher samples, as well as reported outcome results. The overall mean weighted effect size was 1.00 at post-test and 1.35 at follow-up. Mean weighted ESs were 0.42 for between-subjects design studies, 0.87 for within-subjects design studies, and 1.87 for single-subject design studies. Prevention programs yielded a mean weighted ES of 0.54 and intervention programs produced a mean weighted ES of 1.35. Findings for specific outcome foci are presented and implications are discussed.     

Early impact of the BEST intervention for parents stressed by adolescent substance abuse

Youth involvement in substance abuse can be a source of considerable distress for their parents. Unilateral family interventions have been advocated as one means by which concerned family members can be supported to assist substance‐abusing family members. To date there has been little research examining the impact of unilateral family interventions on the directly participating family members. In this study the early impact of an 8‐week parent‐group programme known as Behavioural Exchange Systems Training (BEST) was evaluated using a quasi‐experimental, waiting list control design. The professionally led programme had been developed to support and assist parents in their efforts to cope with adolescent substance abuse. Subjects were 66 parents (48 families) accepted for entry into the programme between 1997 and 1998. Comparison was made between 46 parents offered immediate entry into the programme and 20 parents whose entry to the programme was delayed by an 8‐week waiting list. At the first assessment 87% of parents showed elevated mental health symptoms on the General Health Questionnaire. Evidence suggested exposure to the intervention had a positive impact on parents. Compared to parents on the waiting list, parents entered immediately into the intervention demonstrated greater reductions in mental health symptoms, increased parental satisfaction, and increased use of assertive parenting behaviours. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.