Brief report: Do delinquency and community violence exposure explain internalizing problems in early adolescent gang members?

Adolescent gang members are at higher risk for internalizing problems as well as exposure to community violence and delinquency. This study examined whether gang membership in early adolescence is associated with internalizing problems (depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior) and whether these associations are mediated by delinquency and witnessing community violence. In a sample of 589 ethnically diverse early adolescents, gang membership was related to suicidal behavior but not depression or anxiety. Both delinquency and witnessing community violence mediated this association. Professionals working with gang members should assess these youth for suicidal behavior and provide interventions as needed.     

Discrepancy between high non-verbal intelligence and low accuracy at reading emotional expressions in the eyes reflects the magnitude of social–emotional difficulties in autism

Many so-called “high functioning” autistic individuals struggle with daily living skills, and have poorer than expected adult outcomes in employment, relationships, and quality of life. Significant discrepancies between non-verbal intelligence and emotional processing can be observed in autism, but the role of the magnitude of this gap in achieving potential psychosocial outcome is not known. Here, we show in a large group of participants (n = 107), that only among those with an autism diagnosis (n = 33), the gap between non-verbal intelligence (as measured by Raven’s matrices) and the ability to perform the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test significantly predicts self-perceived emotional/social difficulties as assessed by the Empathy Quotient. Our results suggest that it is specifically the magnitude of the gap between (high) levels of abstract reasoning skills and poor proficiency in reading emotions expressed by the eyes that predicts self-perceived difficulties in emotional and social interactions among adults with autism. A better understanding of the underlying causes of the discrepancy between potential and actual psychosocial outcomes is the first step toward developing the most appropriate support for this vulnerable population, and our study offers some potentially important insights in this regard.

     

Brief report: Parent–adolescent child concordance in social norms related to gender equity in marriage – findings from rural India

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess parent–adolescent child concordance on social norms related to gender equity in marriage in rural Maharashtra, India. Survey data on marital norms related to girl's marital age and choice, contraception, and marital violence (MV) were collected from unmarried adolescents (n = 113 girls, 116 boys) and their parents (n = 227 mothers, 203 fathers). Concordance was assessed using a Cohen's unweighted Kappa statistic, with analyses stratified by sex of parent and child. Analyses revealed fair (K = .25–.27) mother-daughter concordance on girls' right to choose when to marry, contraception use, and acceptability of MV. Father-son concordance was seen on girls' right to choose when (K = .22, slight) and who (K = .20, fair) to marry and MV acceptability (K = .53, moderate). No opposite sex parent-child concordance was revealed. Results indicate same but not opposite sex parent-child concordance on gender equity social norms related to marriage, suggesting same sex transfer of these norms.     

Brief report: Changes in parent–adolescent joint activities between 2002 and 2014 in the Czech Republic,Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study

Joint family activities (JFA) are linked to healthy adolescent development. The aim of the present study is to report time trends in JFA between 2002 and 2014.The sample concerned 16 396 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (48.4% boys) from the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 surveys of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in the Czech Republic. The overall changes in JFA were evaluated using logistic regression.Compared with 2002, there was a slight increase in four out of the six selected JFA in 2014. In particular, the likelihood of engaging in joint active activities (sports and walks) increased in the 2002–2014 period. Conversely, nowadays adolescents watch TV with their parents less frequently. Moreover, families today do not eat together as often as in 2002, which might have negative consequences for healthy adolescent development. Adolescents aged 11 get involved in JFA more than their older counterparts.     

Brief report: Performing on the stage,the field,or both? Australian adolescent extracurricular activity participation and self-concept

The relationship between Australian adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities and their self-concepts was investigated. A total of 1489 adolescents (56% female; mean age 13.8 years) completed measures of social self-concept, academic self-concept, and general self-worth, and reported on their extracurricular activity participation. In general, participation in any type of extracurricular activity was associated with a higher social and academic self-concept, and general self-worth, compared to no participation. Adolescents who participated in both sports and non-sports also reported a more positive social self-concept and general self-worth, compared to those who only participated in one of the activity types. This research provides support for extracurricular activities as a context facilitative of positive self-concept, and demonstrates the importance of a mixed participation profile for an adolescent's self-concept.     

Affiliative and “self-as-doer” identities: Relationships between social identity,social support,and emotional status amongst survivors of acquired brain injury (ABI)

Social support is an important factor in rehabilitation following acquired brain injury (ABI). Research indicates that social identity makes social support possible and that social identity is made possible by social support. In order to further investigate the reciprocity between social identity and social support, the present research applied the concepts of affiliative and “self-as-doer” identities to an analysis of relationships between social identity, social support, and emotional status amongst a cohort of 53 adult survivors of ABI engaged in post-acute community neurorehabilitation. Path analysis was used to test a hypothesised mediated model whereby affiliative identities have a significant indirect relationship with emotional status via social support and self-as-doer identification. Results support the hypothesised model. Evidence supports an “upward spiral” between social identity and social support such that affiliative identity makes social support possible and social support drives self-as-doer identity. Our discussion emphasises the importance of identity characteristics to social support, and to emotional status, for those living with ABI.     

Brief report: Changes in quality of life and social functioning during vocational program – a pilot study of autistic adults

Background

Quality of life (QoL), social-emotional and occupational functioning are often diminished in young autistic adults. Measuring these constructs as vocational training outcomes may inform future programming and relevancy of measures.

Methods

This pilot study analyzed changes in social-emotional functioning and QoL during the involvement at a vocational program for autistic adults using the WHOQOL-BREF, a modified version of the Birchwood- Social Functioning Scale (SFS-m) and a piloted measure. Participants completed these self-reported questionnaires upon admission and at 3 months.

Results

Significant change was found on the SFS-m and two WHOQOL-BREF domains: psychological and environmental.

Conclusions

This pilot study suggests that autistic adults, similar in characterization, can self-report using these QoL and social measures; further, these measures are sensitive to certain changes over time in such group programs.

     

Associations between amyloid β and white matter hyperintensities: A systematic review

Introduction

This systematic review synthesizes current evidence for associations between cortical amyloid β, visualized on amyloid positron emission tomography imaging, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden on magnetic resonance imaging in healthy elderly adults and individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia.

Associations between paternal depression and behaviour problems in children of 4–6 years

Maternal depression is associated with adverse child development, however little is known about paternal depression and child outcome. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of paternal depression and assess its association with abnormal child behaviours among 4-6 year olds. Parents of 4-6 years olds were recruited via general practices and completed measures on child behaviour (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire), and other covariates. The association of major and other paternal depressive syndrome with mother reported child behaviour was analysed. Eight percent (29/365) of fathers had depression (3.3 and 4.77% a major and other depressive syndrome, respectively). Major but not other paternal depressive syndrome was associated with an 8 and 36 times greater likelihood of child prosocial behaviour problems and peer problems respectively.     

Brief report: adaptation of the Italian Version of the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale to the adolescent population

Social intelligence is a construct that has shown promising practical applications, but its use in research and applied settings has been limited by definitional problems and the complexity of most existing measures of social intelligence. The goal of the present study was to adapt the Italian version [Gini & Iotti (2004) La Troms? Social Intelligence Scale: Traduzione e adattamento alla popolazione Italiana. Italy: University of Padova.] of the Troms? Social Intelligence Scale, TSIS [Silvera, Martinussen, & Dahl (2001). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 42, 313-319.] to the adolescent population (the sample comprised 320 Italian adolescents, 132 boys and 188 girls). Our analyses revealed the same factorial structure of the original scale and showed a good internal reliability. The items of the TSIS-IV were reasonably unbiased in terms of social desirability response bias.     

Associations of familial risk factors with social fears and social phobia: evidence for the continuum hypothesis in social anxiety disorder?

We examined parental psychopathology and family environment in subthreshold and DSM-IV threshold conditions of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in a representative cohort sample of 1,395 adolescents. Offspring and parental psychopathology was assessed using the DIA-X/M-CIDI; recalled parental rearing and family functioning via questionnaire. Diagnostic interviews in parents were supplemented by family history reports from offspring. The cumulative lifetime incidence was 23.07% for symptomatic SAD, and 18.38 and 7.41% for subthreshold and threshold SAD, respectively. The specific parent-to-offspring association for SAD occurred for threshold SAD only. For subthreshold and threshold SAD similar associations were found with other parental anxiety disorders, depression and substance use disorders. Parental rearing behaviour, but not family functioning, was associated with offspring threshold SAD, and although less strong and less consistent, also with subthreshold SAD. Results suggest a continued graded relationship between familial risk factors and offspring SAD. Parental psychopathology and negative parental styles may be used defining high-risk groups to assign individuals with already subthreshold conditions of SAD to early intervention programs.     

Associations between obsessive–compulsive symptoms,revenge, and the perception of interpersonal transgressions

Anger and aggression have only recently gained center stage in research on obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). An investigation of obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms focusing on the outcome of unresolved anger (i.e., revenge), however, is absent from the literature. The objective of the present research was therefore to provide a first step towards filling this gap and, hence, to systematically examine the associations between OC symptoms and different aspects of revenge (i.e., attitudes, dispositions, motivations). In three independent studies with nonclinical participants (N=504), we tested the hypothesis that OC symptoms relate to greater revenge. Individuals high in OC symptoms reported more positive attitudes toward revenge (Study 1), scored higher on a measure of trait revenge (Study 2), and reported increased revenge motivation regarding a real-life transgressor (Study 3). Furthermore, Study 4 (N=175) demonstrated that individuals high in OC symptoms perceived interpersonal transgressions more frequently in their daily lives. OC symptoms were positively related to the number of transgressions that respondents disclosed. Our results suggest that revenge and interpersonal hurt play a significant role in OCD.     

Neuroimaging in disorders of social and emotional functioning: what is the question?

Social and emotional processing uses neural systems involving structures ranging from the brain stem to the associational cortex. Neuroimaging research has attempted to identify abnormalities in components of these systems that would underlie the behavioral abnormalities seen in disorders of social and emotional processing, notably autism spectrum disorders, the focus of this review. However, the findings have been variable. The most replicated anatomic finding (a tendency toward large brains) is not modular, and metabolic imaging and functional imaging (although showing substantial atypicality in activation) are not consistent regarding specific anatomic sites. Moreover, autism spectrum disorder demonstrates substantial heterogeneity on multiple levels. Here evidence is marshaled from a review of neuroimaging data to support the claim that abnormalities in social and emotional processing on the autism spectrum are a consequence of systems disruptions in which the behaviors are a final common pathway and the focal findings can be variable, downstream of other pathogenetic mechanisms, and downstream of more pervasive abnormalities.     

Brief report: How adolescent personality moderates the effect of love history on the young adulthood romantic relationship quality?

This study examined the effect of previous romantic relationship involvement on later romantic relationship quality and tested whether adolescents' personality type (i.e., overcontrollers, undercontrollers, resilients) moderated this link. We answered our research questions in a sample of 320 Dutch participants (213 girls) who had a romantic relationship when they were 21 years old. At 12 years of age, their personality types were identified. At 21 years of age, participants reported their current romantic relationship quality (i.e., commitment, exploration, and reconsideration) and indicated the number of romantic relationships they had before. No main effects of the number of romantic relationships on current romantic relationship quality were found. There were significant interaction effects between personality types and the number of romantic relationships on romantic relationship quality. With more romantic relationship experiences, undercontrollers committed less to and explored less in their current romantic relationship. No such link was found for resilients and overcontrollers.     

Associations among the parent–adolescent relationship, aggression and delinquency in different ethnic groups: a replication across two Dutch samples

Background  

The aim of the present study is to examine whether the patterns of association between the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship on the one hand, and aggression and delinquency on the other hand, are the same for boys and girls of Dutch and Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands. Since inconsistent results have been found previously, the present study tests the replicability of the model of associations in two different Dutch samples of adolescents.     

Emotional variability during mother–adolescent conflict interactions: Longitudinal links to adolescent disclosure and maternal control

The aim of this study was to examine relations of emotional variability during mother–adolescent conflict interactions in early adolescence with adolescent disclosure and maternal control in early and late adolescence. Data were used from 92 mother–adolescent dyads (M age T1 = 13.05; 65.20% boys) that were videotaped at T1 while discussing a conflict. Emotional variability was derived from these conflict interactions. Mothers also completed questionnaires at the start of the study (T1) and five years later (T6) on adolescent disclosure and maternal control. Path analysis showed that more emotional variability during conflict interactions in early adolescence was associated with higher levels of adolescent disclosure in early adolescence and with relative decreases in maternal control from early to late adolescence. More emotional variability of mother–adolescent dyads serves an important function in adaptively dealing with relational challenges that arise during adolescence.     

Brief Report: Parent–Child Sexuality Communication and Autism Spectrum Disorders

While considerable research has focused on promoting independence and optimizing quality of life for adolescents and young adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sexual development and sexuality education have been largely neglected. Experts recommend that parents be the primary source of sex education for adolescents with ASD, and that sex education be tailored to a child’s developmental level. Prior studies show that parents of youth with ASD are uncertain about how to best communicate about sex and which topics to discuss with their children. In the current study we administered an online survey to 190 parents of adolescents with ASD in order to better understand sexuality communication patterns between parents and adolescents with both low and high functioning ASD.