Developmental pathways linking externalizing symptoms, internalizing symptoms, and academic competence to adolescent substance use

This study extends previous research investigating the developmental pathways predicting adolescent alcohol and marijuana use by examining the cascading effects of externalizing and internalizing symptoms and academic competence in the prediction of use and level of use of these substances in adolescence. Participants (N=191) were drawn from a longitudinal study of first-born children of low-income mothers. Using data from ages 7, 9, 12, and 16 years, a series of nested two-part (semi-continuous) path models from a developmental cascade modeling framework were compared. Controlling for gender, SES, mother's age at child's birth, and minority status, we found (a) within-domain rank-order stability across time, (b) significant cross-domain effects over time, (c) higher externalizing symptoms significantly predicted use of alcohol and marijuana as well as higher levels of use in adolescence, and (d) higher levels of academic competence significantly added to the prediction of use of alcohol.     

Clarifying co-rumination: associations with internalizing symptoms and romantic involvement among adolescent girls

Co-rumination, or excessive discussion of problems within friendships, has been associated with internalizing symptoms and is especially prevalent among adolescent girls. Eighty-three early adolescent girls participated in a prospective study further examining this construct. Co-rumination was positively correlated with depressive symptoms and positive aspects of friendship, but did not predict longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms. Co-rumination was negatively related to social anxiety when controlling for depressive symptoms. Co-rumination correlated positively with romantic experiences, and the two interacted to predict longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms, implying that co-rumination may only be depressogenic under certain circumstances. Theoretical ramifications for the construct of co-rumination and interpersonal aspects of adolescent internalizing symptoms are discussed.     

Children's family drawings and internalizing problems

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between specific indicators in children's family drawings and their internalizing problems among Two hundred twenty-two Israeli children (M = 9.70). Drawings were coded using Kaplan and Main's (1986) coding system. Indicators reflecting attachment insecurity, such as omitting and adding parts of the figures, adding bizarre marks and lack of femininity, were correlated with internalizing problems. In addition, different associations were found among boys and girls. Among girls, better grounding and centering of the figures, movement, feminine marks and distance from both parents were negatively associated with internalizing problems, while bizarre marks were positively associated. For boys, centering of the figures, sweetness, distance from mother and the addition of strange objects were positively correlated with maladjustment, while completeness of figures and gender differences were correlated negatively. Moreover, our study depicted a moderation of children's gender on the associations between specific indicators and children's internalizing problems. Discerning specific and relatively easily-coded features in children's family drawings may be a useful research and clinical tool to identify internalizing problems.     

Early family environment, borderline personality symptoms, and somatic preoccupation among internal medicine outpatients

Background

The literature on the role of early somatic concerns in children, and their relationship to borderline personality and somatic preoccupation, is scant.

Method

In this study, using a cross-sectional approach, a sample of convenience, and self-report measures, we examined among a sample of 116 internal medicine outpatients whether any somatic concerns during childhood might relate to borderline personality symptoms and/or somatic preoccupation in adulthood.

Results

We found that several somatic concerns during childhood correlated with the measures for borderline personality symptoms and somatic preoccupation. When these variables were analyzed through 2 multiple regression analyses, the only uniquely significant predictor for both borderline personality symptoms and somatic preoccupation was whether the respondent had had an unusual or complicated medical illness during childhood.

Conclusions

Unusual or complicated medical illnesses in childhood may be risk factors for both borderline personality and somatic preoccupation in adulthood.     

Correlates of the categories of adolescent attachment styles: Perceived rearing, family function, early life events, and personality

Aims:  To identify the psychosocial correlates of adolescents.
Methods:  Unmarried university students ( n  = 4226) aged 18–23 years were examined in a questionnaire survey.
Results:  Four clusters of people (indifferent, secure, fearful, and preoccupied) identified by cluster analysis were plotted in 2-D using discriminant function analysis with the first function (father's and mother's Care, Cooperativeness, and family Cohesion on the positive end and Harm Avoidance and father's and mother's Overprotection on the negative end) representing the Self-model and the second function (Reward Dependence and experience of Peer Victimization on the positive end and Self-directedness on the negative end) representing the Other model.
Conclusions:  These findings partially support Bartholomew's notion that adult attachment is based on the good versus bad representations of the self and the other and that it is influenced by psychosocial environments experienced over the course of development.     

Longitudinal associations between adolescent catch-up sleep,white-matter maturation and internalizing problems

Sleep is an important contributor for neural maturation and emotion regulation during adolescence, with long-term effects on a range of white matter tracts implicated in affective processing in at-risk populations. We investigated the effects of adolescent sleep patterns on longitudinal changes in white matter development and whether this is related to the emergence of emotional (internalizing) problems. Sleep patterns and internalizing problems were assessed using self-report questionnaires in adolescents recruited in the general population followed up from age 14–19 years (N = 111 White matter structure was measured using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and estimated using fractional anisotropy (FA). We found that longitudinal increases in time in bed (TIB) on weekends and increases in TIB-variability between weekdays to weekend, were associated with an increase in FA in various interhemispheric and cortico-striatal tracts. Extracted FA values from left superior longitudinal fasciculus mediated the relationship between increases in TIB on weekends and a decrease in internalizing problems. These results imply that while insufficient sleep might have potentially harmful effects on long-term white matter development and internalizing problems, longer sleep duration on weekends (catch-up sleep) might be a natural counteractive and protective strategy.     

Longitudinal covariance of resting-state cardiac function and borderline personality disorder symptoms in adolescent non-suicidal self-injury

Objectives: Cardiac function is altered in borderline personality disorder (BPD). In adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) resting heart rate (HR) and vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) are associated with BPD symptoms. The study aimed to investigate longitudinal covariance of BPD symptoms and cardiac function in adolescent NSSI.

Methods: HR and vmHRV were recorded in female adolescents with NSSI (n?=?17) completing a baseline and 1-year follow-up assessment. Physiological data, structured clinical interviews and self-reports were obtained at both time points. Predictors of change in clinical outcomes and cardiac function were assessed.

Results: Patients showed a reduction of NSSI (z_(34;17)?=?–3.79, P?z_(34;17)?=?–3.74, P?z_(34;17)?=?2.87, P?=?0.004). Symptoms of BPD and frequency of BPD diagnosis did not significantly change. No significant differences on HR or vmHRV were observed. Changes in BPD symptoms were associated with changes in HR (r₍₁₇₎= 0.532, P?=?0.028) and vmHRV (r₍₁₇₎?=?–0.516, P?=?0.033).

Conclusions: Longitudinal changes in BPD symptomatology in adolescents engaging in NSSI are associated with changes in resting cardiac function. Clinical studies are needed to investigate the utility of cardiac markers to track treatment outcome in adolescents with BPD.     

The Jewish child, adolescent, and family

This brief review addresses the history, beliefs, and practices of Jewish families that have implications for clinical management of the problems and disorders of children and adolescents. It focuses primarily on the problems of the Orthodox family due, in part, to the limitations of space. There remains, however, little doubt that the clinician must be aware of the impact that Jewish heritage may have on the clinical issues at hand. This impact is significant whether the worldview of the family is characterized by strict Orthodoxy or is primarily that of an ethnic identification with less concern for belief and practice.     

The Catholic child, adolescent, and family

This article identifies core features of Catholic spiritual and religious tradition and worldview. It reviews clinical implications of this worldview in working with the psychiatric problems of Catholic children and adolescents. Core Catholic beliefs and practices are discussed, with case examples illustrating principles of assessment and treatment. Collaboration between child and adolescent psychiatrists and Catholic clergy and counselors is encouraged, and recommendations for successful collaborative efforts are offered.     

The Protestant child, adolescent, and family

This article addresses Protestant Christianity as an often-overlooked but significant factor in clinical work with children and adolescents. Noting the wide range of beliefs and practices among Protestants, the article identifies key tenets of Protestant faith that shape the worldviews of children, adolescents, and their families. Clinical implications of these beliefs are explored, with particular attention to three potentially psychopathologic features: the religious legitimation of child maltreatment; paranormal, direct experiences of the divine through unusual perceptions such as trance states or visions deemed normal within their religious context but that may also evidence serious pathology; and sexuality issues of particular significance for adolescents. Research suggests that Protestant beliefs also constitute resources for clinical work because they appear to be protective factors in relation to depression, avoidance of high-risk behaviors, and other measures of resiliency among adolescents. Clinicians who do not take the Protestant Christian family's religious/spiritual worldview into consideration in case formulation risk misunderstanding or alienating them from treatment. The article concludes with suggestions for collaboration.     

The muslim child, adolescent, and family

This article reviews the basic tenets of Islam, the second-most populous religion in the world. The practice of Islam can be affected by ethnic and cultural factors; therefore, the influence of various cultures (such as Arab, Pakistani, and African American) as seen in practice with Muslim children and their families is discussed.     

Trajectories of BMI and internalizing symptoms: Associations across adolescence

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between body mass index (BMI) and internalizing symptoms among youth ages 10–17. Adolescents were selected from Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Latent growth curve modeling was used to investigate: 1) whether initial level (at age 10) or change in BMI were associated with changes in internalizing symptoms; and, 2) whether initial level or change in internalizing symptoms were associated with changes in BMI across adolescence. Associations between trajectories differed for boys and girls. Boys who started out with higher BMI experienced more internalizing symptoms across early- to mid-adolescence, but not more depressive symptoms at ages 16 and 17. For girls, there was a bidirectional relation between BMI and internalizing symptoms which persisted into later adolescence. Results suggest the bidirectional relation between BMI and internalizing symptoms is more salient for girls than for boys.     

Children's kinetic family drawings and their internalizing problem behaviors

The current paper aims to identify whether kinetic family drawings (KFD) are useful to identify internalizing problems of preschoolers. We divided 120 preschoolers into two groups based on their scores of an internalizing problem behavior test and the KFD of the two groups were compared. Except for a few sub-categories, we found some significant differences in most subcategories between these two groups. This contrast suggests that projective approaches using the KFD are useful in evaluating the cognitive characteristics of a family in order to understand a child's internalizing problem behaviors. The usefulness of an approach using the KFD in education and clinical fields are also discussed.     

Eye tracking,schizophrenic symptoms,and schizotypal personality disorder

Summary Schizophrenic patients and patients with schizotypal personality disorder were significantly more likely than normal controls to demonstrate impaired eye tracking performance. Fifteen of 27 schizophrenics and 15 of 27 schizotypals had impaired eye tracking, compared with 11 of 39 normal controls. In the schizophrenic group, including 10 out-patients in a stable state of relative remission, impaired eye tracking was associated with more severe formal thought disorder and more time spent in psychiatric hospitals. Among stable schizophrenic out-patients, poor eye tracking was related to more severe formal thought disorder and greater overall psychopathology. This pattern of results suggests a possible relation between eye tracking impairment and more severe enduring symptoms across the spectrum of schizophrenic and schizophrenia-related disorders.This article was presented in part at the Symposium on Eye Movements and Psychopathology, Berlin, 23–24 June 1988