Digital Commons Network^™

Operationalizing Recovery From Substance Use Disorders Among Adolescents In High School, Yiyun Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

The term “recovery” has been widely adopted in substance use-related literature. But no operational standard can be found regarding how to measure recovery among substance use population under 18 years old. Using data from 294 adolescents who were followed for 12 months after receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), we find converging evidence of a general recovery factor v, extracted from 15 indicators, that potentially reflects adolescents’ level of recovery from SUDs. The latent v score generated using factor loadings is associated with criterion variables in the expected directions where positive correlations were found with for life satisfaction, …

“A Joke You Can’T Tell”: Using Photography To Understand The Lived Experience Of Adolescents In Homeless Families, Michael Reeves

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of adolescents in homeless families. The extant research lacks the perspective of homeless adolescents themselves, how they cope, and the assets that help them. Like their peers, homeless adolescents face many challenges, but in environments that can be less conducive to successful development. Housing instability can interfere with the social exposure often experienced in school and in communities, potentially leaving homeless adolescents more vulnerable to negative peer and social influences.

This exploratory research took a strengths perspective, using critical theory and phenomenology, to better understand the lived experience of …

Parenting Style, Adolescent Suicidal Behavior And Self-Disclosure In A Sample Of Saint Lucian Adolescents, Emmanuel Ihemedu

Doctoral Dissertations

Since Baumrind’s (1966, 1967) initial theory on parenting styles, numerous studies have investigated the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent development. Despite this work on parenting style and adolescent behavior, there is still limited research on parenting styles, adolescent suicidal behavior, and self-disclosure. This study investigated whether, or not there is an association between parenting styles, adolescent suicidal behavior, and self-disclosure among adolescents of Saint Lucia and determined whether these relations were moderated by gender and family structure. The sample included 597 adolescents, 200 boys, 383 girls, 14 who identified as other, between the ages of 14 and …