Peer harassment, psychological adjustment, and school functioning in early adolescence.

The relations between peer harassment, psychological adjustment, and school functioning were investigated with an ethnically diverse sample of middle school students. A conceptual model, which proposed that self-perceived peer harassment predicts psychological adjustment (loneliness, depression, and self-worth), which in turn predicts school outcomes (GPA and attendance), was tested using concurrent data (n?=?244). Structural equation modeling supported the proposed model. Longitudinal analyses with a subsample (n?=?106) of students revealed that subjective self-views of victimization were moderately stable across a 1-year period. Comparisons across stable and unstable victim groups suggested that concurrent (rather than earlier or chronic) perceptions of victimization predicted loneliness and self-worth. Finally, changes in subjective perceptions of victimization, self-worth, and loneliness across the 1-year period predicted subsequent GPA, absenteeism, and teacher-rated social adjustment. Findings are discussed in terms of the short- and long-term effects of peer harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adjustment following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech: The roles of resource loss and gain.

Unfortunately, many individuals will be exposed to traumatic events during their lifetime. The experience of loss and gain of valued resources may represent important predictors of psychological distress following these experiences. The current study examined the extent to which loss and gain of interpersonal and intrapersonal resources (e.g., hope, intimacy) predicted psychological distress among college women following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech (VT). Participants were 193 college women from whom preevent psychological distress and social support data had been obtained. These women completed surveys regarding their psychological distress, coping, and resource loss and gain 2- and 6-months after the VT shooting. Structural equation modeling supported that resource loss predicted greater psychological distress 6 months after the shooting whereas resource gain was weakly related to lower levels of psychological distress. The study also revealed that social support and psychological distress prior to the shooting predicted resource loss, and social support and active coping with the shooting predicted resource gain. Implications of the results for research examining the roles of resource loss and gain in posttrauma adjustment and the development of interventions following mass trauma are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural, sociofamilial, and psychological resources that inhibit psychological distress in African Americans exposed to stressful life events and race-related stress.

This study tested a sociocultural model of stress and coping in a sample of 215 African Americans. Psychological resources (optimism, ego resilience) were modeled as a "nested self" (S. E. Hobfoll, 2001), supported by social resources (family adaptability and cohesion) and cultural resources (racial pride, religiosity). Race-related stress was a significantly more powerful risk factor than stressful life events for psychological distress. Structural equation modeling results confirmed the hypotheses that psychological resources had a significant direct effect in minimizing psychological distress, and social resources had a significant stress-suppressing effect on race-related stress. Theoretical and practical implications for counseling psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal adjustment patterns of boys and girls experiencing early, middle, and late sexual intercourse.

This study examined the association between psychosocial development and the timing of first sexual intercourse in a sample of White, rural adolescents. Two theoretical models were tested. The first model, derived from problem behavior theory proposed that earlier timing of first sexual intercourse is associated with longitudinal patterns of transition proneness and poor psychosocial adjustment. The second model, the stage termination model, proposed that early first sexual intercourse interferes with subsequent development, thereby resulting in negative developmental outcomes. Problem behavior theory was supported. For both boys and girls, earlier timing of first sexual intercourse was associated with longitudinal patterns of greater transition proneness and poorer psychosocial adjustment The stage termination model was not supported. No evidence was found suggesting that early timing of first sexual intercourse results in negative psychosocial outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma, binge eating, and the “strong Black woman”.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to test a culturally specific model of binge eating in African American female trauma survivors, investigating potential mechanisms through which trauma exposure and distress were related to binge eating symptomatology. Method: Participants were 179 African American female trauma survivors who completed questionnaires about traumatic experiences; emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties; self-silencing (prioritizing others' needs and adopting external self-evaluation standards); eating for psychological reasons; binge eating; and internalization of “Strong Black Woman” (SBW) ideology, an important cultural symbol emphasizing strength and self-sufficiency. Results: Structural path analysis supported the proposed model in which SBW ideology, emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties, and eating for psychological reasons mediated the relationship between trauma exposure/distress and binge eating. The proposed model provided better fit to the data than several competing models. Conclusions: These findings suggest that among African American trauma survivors, trauma exposure and distress predict greater internalization of SBW ideology, which is associated with emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties, eating for psychological reasons, and ultimately binge eating. Implications of these findings for assessment, treatment, and prevention efforts are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal influences in children's and families' adaptation to early childhood wheezing.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the reciprocal relationships between family adaptation to illness and children's medication use over time among children who presented with wheezing illness in infancy but have varying illness outcomes by age 4. Design: A longitudinal design and latent growth curve models (LGM) were used to predict change in family and caregiver adaptation to illness and children's medication use over three years among 140 infants with wheezing, among families from low socioeconomic, multi-ethnic backgrounds. Main Outcome Measures: One LGM predicted level and change (slope) of family adaptation to illness from children's baseline medication use. The second LGM predicted level and change (slope) of children's medication use from baseline family adjustment to illness. In both models, illness severity, caregivers' psychological resources, and emergency department use were covaried with the independent variable. Results: Two latent growth models were found to adequately fit the data and demonstrate full reciprocal relations between family adaptation to illness and children's medication use while accounting for baseline variables. Baseline measures of caregiver psychological functioning and illness severity were also significant predictors of family adaptation and children's medication use over time. The two models were not statistically different for children with and without active asthma at 4 years of age. Conclusion: Findings support the reciprocal effects model of child and family influences on pediatric illness and underscore the importance of early indicators of individual and family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Instrumentality as a life-stress moderator for early versus middle adolescents.

Used a longitudinal design to test the main and stress-buffering effects of instrumentality on measures of trait anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Ss were early (junior high school) and middle (senior high school) adolescent boys and girls. The hypothesis that instrumentality would be negatively related to psychological distress was supported by the cross-sectional and longitudinal regression analyses of every subgroup of Ss. The hypothesized stress-buffering effect of instrumentality was found in the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of senior high girls, specifically in the context of interpersonal negative events (relationship stress). The analyses for junior high girls revealed that instrumentality was beneficial only at a low level of relationship stress. There were no significant interaction effects in the regression analyses of boys. The findings suggest that, when experiencing relationship stress, instrumentality is helpful for middle adolescent girls but not for early adolescent girls. Therefore, future research on adolescents' life-stress adjustment should consider the roles of gender, age, personality, and type of life stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal expectations, social support, and adjustment to chronic illness.

Chronic illness places considerable burdens on patients and their interpersonal relations with families. In this study, patients' perceptions of family and medical staff expectations regarding responsibility for care and routine functions were examined. The authors hypothesized that a patient's perceived inability to meet others' expectations about coping with illness would lead to poorer adjustment. Forty-two chronically ill patients were assessed prospectively for perceptions of others' expectations, social support, and psychological adjustment. Findings confirmed that expectations predicted subsequent decreases in psychological adjustment over a 3-month period, even when social support was controlled. A test of the reverse hypothesis showed that poorly adjusted patients did not misperceive others' expectations. Theoretical interpretations of the findings and their relation to social support research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expect the unexpected: Ability, attitude, and responsiveness to hypnosis.

Participants' expectancies and hypnotic performance throughout the course of a standardized, individually administered hypnotic protocol were analyzed with a structural equation model that integrated underlying ability, expectancy, and hypnotic response. The model examined expectancies and ability as simultaneous predictors of hypnotic responses as well as hypnotic responses as an influence on subsequent expectancies. Results of the proposed model, which fit very well, supported each of the 4 major hypothesized effects: Expectancies showed significant stability across the course of the hypnosis protocol; expectancies influenced subsequent hypnotic responses, controlling for latent ability; hypnotic responses, in turn, affected subsequent expectancies; and a latent trait underlay hypnotic responses, controlling for expectancies. Although expectancies had a significant effect on hypnotic responsiveness, there was an abundance of variance in hypnotic performance unexplained by the direct or indirect influence of expectation and compatible with the presence of an underlying cognitive ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The doom and gloom of divorce research. Comment on Wallerstein and Lewis (2004).

J. S. Wallerstein and J. M. Lewis (2004; see record 2004-17367-002) concluded from their correlational research of 45 divorced families that divorce causes lasting damage to children. The authors attribute the subsequent psychological problems in the children to the divorce itself as opposed to the psychopathology of the parents, the trauma of their parenting, and their conflicted marriage. Other researchers have found that just after divorce, children have more symptoms than those in high-conflict nondivorced families but that as the children adapt to the new situation, the pattern of differences reverses. When divorce is associated with children moving into a less stressful situation, children from divorced families have similar adjustment to those from normal intact families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Business owners' action planning and its relationship to business success in three African countries.

A model of business success was developed with motivational resources (locus of control, self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and self-reported personal initiative) and cognitive resources (cognitive ability and human capital) as independent variables, business owners' elaborate and proactive planning as a mediator, and business size and growth as dependent variables. Three studies with a total of 408 African micro and small-scale business owners were conducted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Structural equation analyses partially supported the hypotheses on the importance of psychological planning by the business owners. Elaborate and proactive planning was substantially related to business size and to an external evaluation of business success and was a (partial) mediator for the relationship between cognitive resources and business success. The model carries important implications for selection, training, and coaching of business owners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Combat exposure and adult psychosocial adjustment among U.S. Army veterans serving in Vietnam, 1965–1971.

This study investigated the relationship between combat exposure and adult antisocial behavior in a sample of 2,490 male Army veterans of the Vietnam War who completed questionnaires about their psychological functioning. After adjustment for history of childhood behavior problems, posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, and demographic and military characteristics, it was found that veterans who experienced high and very high levels of combat were twice as likely to report adult antisocial behavior as veterans with no or low levels of combat and were also more likely to meet criteria for antisocial personality disorder. The results indicate that exposure to traumatic events during late adolescence or early adulthood is associated with multiple adult adjustment problems in vocational, interpersonal, and societal functioning. Treatment focusing on the effects of the trauma is likely to be necessary but not sufficient for improving affected veterans' behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A pragmatic approach to early childhood memories: Shifting the focus from truth to clinical utility.

Backlash against repressed trauma memories has led clinicians and theoreticians (e.g., G. K. Ganaway, see PA, Vol 78:24404; and E. F. Loftus, see PA, Vol 80:37888) to redress popular conceptual fallacies regarding the accuracy of early childhood memory. The author reviews pertinent experimental literature to make a cogent case for M. Mayman's (1968) working model of reconstructive memory. The integration of cognitive and psychodynamic theory results in an appreciation for the psychologically revealing quality of early memories. Case illustrations from a young and a middle-aged woman integrate theory with practice, and demonstrate how memory can be construed as a projective test in an initial psychological assessment or analyzed during an ongoing therapy session. Technical recommendations for therapists dealing with patients' memories are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of gender-related personality traits, problem-solving appraisal, and perceived social support in developing a mediational model of psychological adjustment.

This study examined the relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment. The study used structural equation modeling with latent variables to assess how gender-related personality traits influence aspects of psychological adjustment. Participants included 306 undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that the different gender-related personality traits influence corresponding aspects of psychological adjustment through 2 mediational components: problem-solving appraisal and perceived social support. The relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment is not simply a linear one as conceptualized previously. Rather, gender-related personality traits have an indirect effect through mediating factors. Implications for counseling interventions and for further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acculturation and adjustment among immigrant Chinese parents: Mediating role of parenting efficacy.

This study examined parenting efficacy beliefs as a mediator of the association between acculturation and adjustment. The sample consisted of 177 immigrant Chinese mothers and fathers with early adolescent children in Canada. Acculturation was assessed bidimensionally as Canadian and Chinese orientations. A latent psychological adjustment variable was composed of symptoms of depression, feelings of self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results showed that relations between Canadian orientation and psychological adjustment were partially mediated by parenting efficacy. As expected, the more parents were oriented toward Canadian culture, the more efficacious they felt in their parenting, which in turn was associated with better psychological adjustment. In contrast, mediation of relations between Chinese orientation and psychological adjustment was not supported, as Chinese orientation was not associated with parenting efficacy and was positively associated with psychological adjustment for mothers only. Similar results were found when the meditational model was extended to evaluate parenting practices as an outcome (i.e., warmth, reasoning, and monitoring). That is, parenting efficacy mediated the relation between higher Canadian orientation and more positive parenting practices, whereas Chinese orientation was unrelated to parenting practices. Invariance testing suggested that the models were similar for mothers and fathers. Results support the theory that higher orientation to Canadian culture may advance feelings of parenting efficacy because parents have the cultural knowledge and skills to feel confident parenting in a new intercultural context. Further, they support the expectation that parenting efficacy beliefs, in turn, are important determinants of psychological adjustment and effective parenting for immigrant parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of self-blame and responsibility in adjustment to inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: S. C. Roesch and B. Weiner's (2001) theoretical model of adjustment to chronic illness was adapted to examine the role of attributions, avoidant coping strategies, and disease severity in the psychological adjustment of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Research Method and Design: People with IBD (N = 259) completed an online survey including measures of health-related self-blame and responsibility attributions, disease severity, avoidant coping strategies, and psychological adjustment indexes (coping efficacy, acceptance, and helplessness). Results: Structural equation modeling revealed that avoidant coping mediated the relationship between attributions and psychological adjustment. Attributions of self-blame were directly related to increased avoidant coping, which was in turn associated with poor adjustment. Beliefs about responsibility were associated with decreased use of avoidant coping strategies and subsequently improved psychological adjustment. Higher scores on disease severity were linked to the use of avoidant coping strategies and poor psychological adjustment. Conclusions: Distinguishing between self-blame and responsibility attributions has important implications for understanding the psychological adjustment of individuals with IBD and may be useful for creating intervention strategies aimed at enhancing the psychological functioning of people with IBD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective investigation of the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage, life stress, and social support on early adolescent adjustment

In this prospective study, we investigated the effects of socioenvironmental conditions on adjustment during early adolescence. Participants (N = 339) were assessed at the beginning of the school year and at follow-up approximately 7 months later. Both stressful events and social support made significant contributions to the prediction of psychological distress and conduct problems at follow-up, controlling for initial levels of adjustment in each of these areas. Conditions related to socioeconomic disadvantage predicted poorer academic performance and higher levels of absences and disciplinary problems at school. Youths who experienced multiple conditions of socioeconomic disadvantage were found to demonstrate heightened vulnerability to stressful events (daily hassles) as well as a greater potential to benefit from social support received from adults in the school setting.     

Goal continuity as a mediator of early retirement adjustment: Testing a multidimensional model.

From a self-psychology perspective, adaptation to changes in life depends on the ability to maintain stable and meaningful life goals and purpose, or goal continuity. Goal continuity was hypothesized to be a mediator of early retirement adjustment (RA), being a variable between personal and social resources and life adjustment. A multidimensional model of RA was tested with self-report and interviewer indexes from a sample of 157 voluntary early retirees. Structural relations modeling indicated that social support did not directly influence adjustment but was associated with increases in goal continuity, which was linked to increases in leisure quality and life satisfaction. Implications for further research and for the role of personality in mediating midlife and early RA are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does psychological distress contribute to racial and socioeconomic disparities in mortality?

Being black or poor are powerful predictors of mortality. Although psychological distress has been proposed as mediating the effects of race and socioeconomic status on mortality, this hypothesis has not been previously directly tested. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination I (NHANES I), a nationally representative sample from the U.S, and the NHANES I Epidemiological Follow-up Survey (NHEFS) of subsequent mortality to test this hypothesis. Both black race and lower family income were associated with significantly higher psychological distress as measured at the time of the initial survey by reports of hopelessness, depression, and life dissatisfaction. Black race and low income in addition to each of the measures of psychological distress were associated with higher mortality at follow-up. In a series of Cox proportional hazards models that controlled for the effects of age and gender, additional adjustment for hopelessness, depression, or life dissatisfaction had little effect on the relationship between either African American race or family income and subsequent all-cause mortality. We conclude that the effects of both race and income on mortality are largely independent of psychological distress. These findings do not support the hypothesis that psychological distress is a significant mediator of the effects of race or class on health.     

Child sexual abuse, early family risk, and childhood parentification: Pathways to current psychosocial adjustment.

In this study, the authors examined the role of parentification (children assuming adult-like roles in the family) as it relates to family risk (parental psychopathology, parental illness, and domestic violence), child sexual abuse (CSA), and psychosocial adjustment in 499 college women. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of direct, indirect, and mediational pathways through which CSA, family risk, and parentification contributed to later psychosocial maladjustment. Results indicate that CSA and family risk independently and directly predicted higher levels of maladjustment, but only family risk positively predicted parentification in childhood. Parentification was unexpectedly related to less maladjustment. Parentification failed to mediate the relation between early family risk and maladjustment. Findings suggest that family risk factors may contribute to parentification and that parentification is not always related to poorer psychosocial outcomes. Future research should examine the impact of parentification on other aspects of functioning and should assess how individual, familial, and cultural variables (e.g., age, gender, duration, perceived fairness, ethnicity, and family support) moderate the impact of parentification on long-term adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)