Keeping secrets from friends: Exploring the effects of friendship quality,loneliness and self-esteem on secrecy

The tendency to keep secrets in adolescents has been studied in particular in their relationships with their parents and associated with psychosocial disadvantages. The current study focused on peer relationships and investigated the effects of friendship quality, loneliness in a multidimensional perspective, and self-esteem on secrecy from friends. Italian adolescents (N = 457; 47% male; 100% white) aged between 13 and 19 years (M = 16.11; SD = 1.53) reported their secrecy from friends, peer and parent-related loneliness, aversion and affinity for aloneness, their self-esteem and the quality of their relationships with their friends. The results showed that peer-related loneliness, affinity for aloneness and self-esteem in particular affect keeping secrets from friends, independent of the participant's gender. Moreover, peer-related loneliness and affinity for aloneness mediated the relationship between self-esteem and secrecy. The data were discussed in the light of adolescence developmental tasks.     

Chinese adolescents' reports of covert parental monitoring: Comparisons with overt monitoring and links with information management

This study compared Chinese adolescents' reports of covert parental monitoring with the overt strategies of solicitation and control. We investigated these behaviors in terms of unique associations with adolescents' perceived privacy invasion and the information management behaviors of disclosure and secrecy. High school students (N = 455, 61.5% female; M_age = 17.39, SD = 0.83) from a predominantly rural province of Mainland China reported a high incidence of covert monitoring (60.40%). Covert monitoring predicted privacy invasion more strongly than solicitation or control. Solicitation positively predicted disclosure, while covert monitoring negatively predicted disclosure and positively predicted secrecy. Privacy invasion fully mediated links between covert monitoring and information management. These latter effects were significantly stronger for girls than for boys. Similar to Western adolescents, Chinese youth might apply selective resistance when parents violate their personal domain. The findings suggest linkage between some parental monitoring behaviors and disruptions in Chinese family communication.     

Relationship of psychological morbidity and quality of life to illness-related disclosure among HIV-infected persons

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HIV-related disclosure and quality of life, anxiety and depression among HIV-infected subjects in South India. METHODOLOGY: 68 subjects (35 men and 33 women) were assessed for quality of life and psychological morbidity using WHOQOL-BREF and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Details of disclosure were collected using a semistructured interview. RESULTS: Certain disclosure-related variables appear to relate significantly with quality of life among HIV-infected persons. A positive outcome related to disclosure and extent to which a subject felt the need to disclose were significantly associated with higher scores on the total quality of life measure and in the social and environmental domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. No relationship was found between disclosure-related variables and psychological morbidity or other domains of quality of life. The type of disclosure (voluntary/without consent) did not appear to influence quality of life in this sample. CONCLUSION: Disclosure-related variables may have an important influence on QOL in the context of HIV infection in India.     

The relationships among family,friends, and psychological well-being for Thai elderly

Objectives: The extent to which family and friends contribute to psychological well-being (PWB) may be subject to cultural variability. This study examines the mechanisms by which relationships with family and friends contribute to PWB among Thai elders.

Method: Interviews were conducted with 469 men and women aged 60 and older in Nan Province, Thailand. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, controlling for age, gender, education, income, marital status, and health status.

Results: Family and friendship networks have a significant direct effect on family and friendship support. However, family and friendship networks do not have a significant direct effect on PWB, but rather an indirect effect via social support. Similarly, friendship support mediates the relationship between friendship networks and family support. Both family support and friendship support are significantly related to PWB but family support is the stronger predictor.

Conclusion: Using an adapting theoretical framework developed by Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman (2000) allows researchers to map the various pathways by which relationships with family and friends may contribute to PWB among older Thai adults.     

Brief report: expressive and collaborative relationship processes in observations of adolescents' interactions with parents and romantic partners

This study examines observations of participants (N=64) interacting with family members at age 13 and romantic partners at age 20–21. Scales capturing expressive processes and collaborative processes were used to test and find support for the differential prediction that family collaborative processes at age 13 would predict both expressive processes and collaborative processes with romantic partners at age 20–21, whereas expressive processes at age 13 would predict only concurrent collaborative processes. Results suggest that continuity in relationship functioning is more differentiated than is commonly expected.     

The quality of adolescents' friendships: associations with mothers' interpersonal relationships, attachments to parents and friends, and prosocial behaviors

Adolescents' friendship quality and observed emotional expression with their best friends were predicted from reports of their mother's interpersonal relationships-specifically the quality of her marriage and social network. Two models explaining these relationships received support. Consistent with an Attachment Theory model, adolescents' perceptions of marital quality predicted attachment security with mother, father and friends. Security of attachment to friends in turn predicted best friendship quality, but not affective behavior with the friend. A Social Learning Theory model was also supported, in which perceptions of both marital quality and mother's social network quality predicted adolescents' prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior in turn predicted both best friendship quality and affective behavior with the friend.     

Autism spectrum disorder and the student teacher relationship: A comparison study with peers with intellectual disability and typical development

This study examined relations among behavior problems, social skills, and student–teacher relationships within a sample of children (mean age 8) with autism spectrum disorders or ASD (n = 36) and comparison samples of children with typical development (n = 91) or with intellectual disability (n = 38.) Student–teacher relationships (STRs) for children with ASD appeared to be qualitatively different from those of similarly aged children with ID or typical development. The STRs for children with ASD were considerably poorer, with less closeness and more conflict, than in the two comparison groups. Within the group with ASD, teacher-reported child externalizing behavior and social skills accounted for significant variance in the total score on the Student Teacher Relationship Scale. Conflict was predicted only by externalizing behavior, whereas closeness was predicted by social skills; level of autistic mannerisms negatively related to the teacher's perception of closeness. Findings address the implications for transition to early schooling for children with ASD.     

Comparing reports of peer rejection: Associations with rejection sensitivity,victimization, aggression,and friendship

Perceiving that one is rejected is an important correlate of emotional maladjustment. Yet, self-perceptions can substantially differ from classmate-reports of who is rejected. In this study, discrepancies between self- and classmate-reports of rejection were identified in 359 Australian adolescents (age 10–12 years). As expected, adolescents who overestimated rejection reported more rejection sensitivity and felt more victimized by their peers, but were not seen by peers as more victimized. Adolescents who underestimated rejection identified themselves as high in overt aggression, and their peers identified them as high in overt and relational aggression and low in prosocial behavior. Yet, underestimators' feelings of friendship satisfaction did not seem to suffer and they reported low rejection sensitivity. Results suggest that interventions to promote adolescent health should explicitly recognize the different needs of those who do and do not seem to perceive their high rejection, as well as adolescents who overestimate their rejection.     

对中国四川精神分裂症患者症状、残疾及家庭负担之间关系的横断面调查（英文）

背景:精神分裂症是一种慢性疾病,其致残率高、家庭负担重,但这些因素之间的相互关系仍不清楚,尤其是在绝大多数患者与家人同住的中低等收入国家。目标:评估中国四川省定期门诊精神分裂症患者的症状严重程度、伤残等级与家庭负担情况。方法:共有101例定期门诊的精神分裂症患者纳入研究患者病程中位数为5年。研究采用世界卫生组织残疾评定量表2.0(WHODAS II),阳性和阴性症状量表(PANSS)以及家庭适应、共处、成长、情感和解决指数量表(APGAR)进行评估,对患者的照顾者采用家庭负担会谈量表(FBIS)进行调查。结果:101例患者中,92例与他们的直系亲属住在一起,74例有显著临床残疾,73例失业。残疾等级与症状严重程度(r=0.50,p0.001)、病程(r=0.22,p=0.028)、发病年龄(r=-0.22,p=0.024)以及患者对家庭支持的满意度(r=-0.30,p=0.020)相关。残疾等级也与家庭总体负担相关(r=0.40,p0.001),包括家庭负担的几种亚型:财政负担(r=0.21,p=0.040)、家庭日常的破坏程度(r=0.33,p=0.001)、家庭休闲活动的影响(r=0.31,p=0.001)和家庭互动的质量(r=0.43,p0.001)。逐步多元线性回归分析后有四个因素与残疾等级显著相关:病程、症状严重程度、病人对家庭支持的满意度以及疾病对家庭的总体负担。结论:即使在调整了患者症状严重程度后,患者残疾仍然与家庭负担独立相关。这突出表明了对于精神分裂症这种往往伴随终身的严重的疾病制定治疗方案时不仅要针对症状还应关注残疾情况。在像中国这样的国家,大多数精神分裂症患者与家人同住,家庭负担成为该疾病对社会影响的一个重要组成部分,因此在评估精神分裂症的社会经济影响时应同时测量患者带来的家庭负担。     

High-school predictors of university achievement: Youths' self-reported relationships with parents,beliefs about success,and university aspirations

Associations between youths' reported relationships with their parents, beliefs about how success is attained, educational aspirations, and university completion were examined. Data come from the German Socioeconomic Panel. At age 17, youth (n = 3284) reported on their relationships with their parents, beliefs about success, and educational aspirations. University completion was assessed up to eight years later. At age 17, perceptions of parental warmth and interest in youths' academics were associated with beliefs that success is due to merit (positively) and that success is due to external factors or dominance over others (negatively). Beliefs that success is due to merit and external factors were associated with educational aspirations positively and negatively respectively. Educational aspirations positively predicted university completion up to eight years later. Relationships with parents had stronger associations with achievement when parents completed a university degree; beliefs about success had stronger associations with aspirations when parents did not.     

Prospective associations among relationship abuse,sexual harassment and bullying in a community sample of sexual minority and exclusively heterosexual youth

IntroductionSexual minority youth (SMY) are at significantly greater risk for experiencing adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) than exclusively heterosexual youth, yet little is known about the factors that elevate their risks for such abuse. Peer victimization (i.e., bullying, sexual harassment) has been associated with ARA among heterosexual youth. SMY experience higher rates of peer victimization than heterosexual youth, suggesting that it may be a risk factor for ARA among these youth. Using longitudinal data from a community sample of adolescents recruited from the northeastern US, we examined whether sexual identity was associated prospectively with ARA, and whether that relationship would be indirect, and mediated via bullying and sexual harassment at a 12-month follow-up. We expected to find higher rates of peer victimization and ARA among SMY than heterosexual youth, and we expected that sexual harassment and bullying would predict subsequent relationship abuse.MethodsAdolescents (N = 800; 58% female; 81% European-American; 19% SMY) between 13 and 15 years (M = 14.45, SD = 0.85) completed a web survey at baseline, 6-months and 12-months.ResultsConsistent with prior studies, SMY reported higher rates of bullying, sexual harassment, and relationship abuse than heterosexual youth. SMY who reported sexual harassment at baseline were more likely to report relationship abuse over time. Contrary to our expectations, however, bully victimization did not predict subsequent relationship abuse.ConclusionsSexual harassment can be particularly harmful for SMY because it targets gender and sexual identity at a formative developmental period and puts youth at risk for relationship abuse.     

The connections among suicidal behavior,lipid profile and low-grade inflammation in patients with major depressive disorder: a specific relationship with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio

Objectives: The role of inflammation and lipid metabolism in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior has received particular attention in recent years. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been suggested as a new and more reliable indicator of low-grade inflammation. NLR has been found to be altered in major depressive disorder (MDD) and has been related to various factors, including chronic stress and impulsivity that were previously reported to be related to suicidal behavior. We aimed to explore the roles of NLR, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum lipid levels on suicidal behavior in patients with MDD.

Methods: The study group consisted of 139 inpatients diagnosed with MDD [37 suicide attempters (SA); 102 suicide non-attempters (NSA)], 50 healthy controls and matched according to age, gender and education. NLR, PLR, CRP and lipid values were obtained from digital inpatient records.

Results: CRP levels and NLR were substantially higher in patients with SA than in subjects with NSA and healthy comparison subjects after adjusting the confounding factors. The logistic regression included two predictive variables for suicide status in patients with depressive disorder (A) previous suicidal history; (B) NLR.

Conclusions: This is the first study suggesting that NLR may be a trait marker for suicidal vulnerability via a relationship between NLR and a recent suicide attempt in depressed inpatients. Future prospective studies are needed to determine the exact roles of NLR, and other inflammatory markers on suicidality in MDD.     

Smoking,alcohol consumption,and drug use among adolescents with psychiatric disorders compared with a population based sample

This study investigated frequencies of smoking, alcohol use, and illicit drug use by diagnostic category in 566 adolescent psychiatric patients, comparing this sample with 8173 adolescents from the general population in Norway who completed the Young-HUNT 3 survey. Frequencies of current alcohol use were high in both samples but were lower among psychiatric patients. Compared with adolescents in the general population, adolescents in the clinical sample had a higher prevalence of current smoking and over four times higher odds of having tried illicit drugs. In the clinical sample, those with mood disorders reported the highest frequencies of smoking, alcohol use, and illicit drug use, whereas those with autism spectrum disorders reported the lowest frequencies. Our results show an increased prevalence of risky health behaviors among adolescents with psychiatric disorders compared with the general population. The awareness of disorder-specific patterns of smoking and substance use may guide preventive measures.     

Associations between child behavior problems,family management,and depressive symptoms for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

PurposeThe purpose of the current study was to examine the relationships between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms and to determine whether family management mediates this relationship.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of parents in a southeastern state. Mothers of children with ASD (n = 234) completed self-reported measures of child behavior problems, depressive symptoms, and family management using ad-hoc questions, CES-D-Boston short form, and family management measure (FaMM), respectively. We used a parallel multiple mediator model to address the study hypotheses.ResultsChildren’s behavior problems were significantly associated with mothers’ depressive symptoms and with all five subscales of the FaMM. However, only the Family Life Difficulty subscale was a significant predictor of parent depressive symptoms, suggesting that Family Life Difficulty was the only mediator of the association between child behavior problems and mothers’ depressive symptoms. After accounting for the mediators, the direct effect of child behavior problems on parent depressive symptoms was non-significant.ConclusionAs the severity of child behavior problems increased, mothers of children with ASD perceived a greater impact of ASD on their family life, which in turn increased the levels of the mothers’ depressive symptoms. Family Life Difficulty assesses parent perceptions of the extent to which their child with ASD influences family relationships and routines, suggesting a need for family-centered services that assist the family in maintaining or adapting to their routines.