Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Rural Adolescents’ Help Seeking Intentions For Emotional Problems: The Influence Of Perceived Benefits And Stoicism., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This paper is the second from a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the third author which explores factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, this paper investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems. A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and …

Estudio Sobre El Comportamiento Y Salud En Los Jóvenes Escolares De La República Dominicana: Resultados De 2009, Juan B. Peña, Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen, Diana Chaves, Rosa Fernández

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

This scientific report on risk behaviors among adolescents in the Dominican Republic (DR) was prepared for the DR Ministry of Education. The study used a stratified cluster design of public high schools in the DR with sample weights. The questionnaire included items from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results of this nationally representative survey were presented to a delegation from the DR Ministry of Education at Washington University's Brown School. This report was also presented at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. Dr. Juan Peña, assistant professor at Washington University's Brown School, was the PI and is listed as …

Neuropsychological Effects Of The Traumatic Stress Response In Sexually Abused Adolescents Throughout Treatment, Kathryn R. Wilson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem in our society that has long-term detrimental consequences to the development of the affected child such as future brain growth and functioning. The alteration of the biochemical stress response system in the brain that changes an individual’s ability to respond efficiently and efficaciously to future stressors is conceptualized as the traumatic stress response. The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of the traumatic stress response on sexually abused adolescents’ through a two-tiered study of neuropsychological functioning throughout treatment. It was determined that there are measurable differences in neuropsychological processing in sexually …

Trastorno Bipolar En Los Niños: Hechos Actuales [Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Actual Facts], Víctor M. Joffre-Velázquez, Gerardo García-Maldonado, Atenogenes H. Saldívar-González, Roberto A. Cruz

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

A general review of clinical reports about the pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) published in the last 10 year was done, but we included some before that. Data was obtained in the bases PubMed, EbscoHost and OvidSP, using as key words: bipolar disorder, pediatric, children, adolescent and early onset. We select the reports clinical issues of special interest for the diagnosis and treatment and epidemiological reports related to PBD and we had particular care in select those with a good methodology. It was documented that the PBD has being diagnosed more often when good clinic and clinimetric tools are used. Imaging …

Peer Victimization, Depression, And Suicidality In Adolescents, Anat Brunstein Klomek, Frank Marrocco, Marjorie Kleinman, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Madelyn S. Gould

Publications and Research

The association between specific types of peer victimization with depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among adolescents was examined. A self-report survey was completed by 2,342 high-school students. Regression analyses indicated that frequent exposure to all types of peer victimization was related to high risk of depression, ideation, and attempts compared to students not victimized. Infrequent victimization was also related to increased risk, particularly among females. The more types of victimization the higher the risk for depression and suicidality among both genders. Specific types of peer victimization are a potential risk factor for adolescent depression and suicidality. It is important …

Reducing Adolescents' Perceived Barriers To Treatment And Increasing Help-Seeking Intentions: Effects Of Classroom Presentations By General Practitioners., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

The Building Bridges to General Practice (BBGP) program is an outreach initiative (written by the first author). It aims to reduce young peoples’ perceived knowledge- and belief-based barriers to engaging in treatment and to increase their behavioral intentions to consult a general medical practitioner (GP) for physical and psychological problems. By increasing intentions, the BBGP program aims to increase actual consultations with a GP for both types of problem. The current paper is the first of a series that report results from a larger multi-cite research project, developed and led by the first author, which examines the impact of BBGP …

Reducing Adolescents' Perceived Barriers To Treatment And Increasing Help-Seeking Intentions: Effects Of Classroom Presentations By General Practitioners., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

The Building Bridges to General Practice (BBGP) program is an outreach initiative (written by the first author). It aims to reduce young peoples’ perceived knowledge- and belief-based barriers to engaging in treatment and to increase their behavioral intentions to consult a general medical practitioner (GP) for physical and psychological problems. By increasing intentions, the BBGP program aims to increase actual consultations with a GP for both types of problem. The current paper is the first of a series that report results from a larger multi-cite research project, developed and led by the first author, which examines the impact of BBGP …

Peer Victimization, Depression, And Suicidality In Adolescents, Anat Brunstein Klomek, Frank Marrocco, Marjorie Kleinman, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Madelyn S. Gould

Publications and Research

Objective: To assess the association between bullying behavior and depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among adolescents. Method: A self-report survey was completed by 9th- through 12th-grade students (n = 2342) in six New York State high schools from 2002 through 2004. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between being victimized and bullying others with depression, ideation, and attempts. Results: Approximately 9% of the sample reported being victimized frequently, and 13% reported bullyingothers frequently. Frequent exposure to victimization or bullying others was related to high risks of depression, ideation, and suicide attempts compared …

Bullying, Depression, And Suicidality In Adolescents, Anat Brunstein-Klomek, Frank Marrocco, Marjorie Kleinman, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Madelyn S. Gould

Publications and Research

Objective: To assess the association between bullying behavior and depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among adolescents. Method: A self-report survey was completed by 9th- through 12th-grade students (n = 2342) in six New York State high schools from 2002 through 2004. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between being victimized and bullying others with depression, ideation, and attempts. Results: Approximately 9% of the sample reported being victimized frequently, and 13% reported bullying others frequently. Frequent exposure to victimization or bullying others was related to high risks of depression, ideation, and suicide attempts compared with adolescents not involved …

Early Predictors Of Sexual Behavior: Implications For Young Adolescents And Their Parents, Lisa D. Lieberman

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The study provides empirical evidence of the independent contribution of nonsexual romantic relationships in the seventh grade to the onset of sexual intercourse by the ninth grade for both males and females. In addition, it shows that among females, seventh graders in serious relationships with older teenagers—uniquely defined as those two or more years older—have an increased likelihood of sex in the ninth grade. Finally, the study demonstrates that seventh graders of both genders who have had serious romantic relationships were already significantly different in the sixth grade from those who have not: They had peers who were more accepting …

Scale Development For Perceived School Climate For Girls’ Physical Activity, Amanda Birnbaum, Kelly R. Evenson, Robert W. Motl, Rod K. Dishman, Carolyn C. Voorhees, James F. Sallis, John P. Elder, Marsha Dowda

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives: To test an original scale assessing perceived school climate for girls' physical activity in middle school girls. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: CFA retained 5 of 14 original items. A model with 2 correlated factors, perceptions about teachers' and boys' behaviors, respectively, fit the data well in both sixth and eighth-graders. SEM detected a positive, significant direct association of the teacher factor, but not the boy factor, with girls' self-reported physical activity. Conclusions: School climate for girls' physical activity is a measurable construct, and preliminary evidence suggests a relationship with physical activity.

Can Hopelessness And Adolescents’ Beliefs And Attitudes About Seeking Help Account For Help Negation?, Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

Avoidance of appropriate help is common in acutely suicidal samples and has been confirmed in nonclinical samples but factors that contribute to this help negation effect remain unclear. The current study is the second in series from the first author's larger PhD research program. In a sample of 269 nonclinical Australian high school students, the current study examines the impact of hopelessness, previous mental health care, beliefs, and attitudes toward professional psychological help on the help negation relationship. Results revealed that suicidal ideation significantly predicted lower help seeking intentions and that although hopelessness could not explain the help negation effect, …

Help Seeking For Mental Health Problems In Adolescence And Early Adulthood., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Adolescence and young adulthood are critical life stages for mental health, as this is the period when most mental health problems and mental disorders have their peak incidence. It is also a time of increased suicidal ideation and frequency of suicide attempts. Despite the importance of adolescence and young adulthood in the aetiology of mental disorders, there is evidence that young people may be poorly informed about mental health and are unlikely to consult a professional for their mental health problems. Help-seeking is a term used to refer to the behaviour of actively seeking help from other people. …

Can Hopelessness And Adolescents’ Beliefs And Attitudes About Seeking Help Account For Help Negation?, Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Avoidance of appropriate help is common in acutely suicidal samples and has been confirmed in nonclinical samples but factors that contribute to this help negation effect remain unclear. The current study is the second in series from the first author's larger PhD research program. In a sample of 269 nonclinical Australian high school students, the current study examines the impact of hopelessness, previous mental health care, beliefs, and attitudes toward professional psychological help on the help negation relationship. Results revealed that suicidal ideation significantly predicted lower help seeking intentions and that although hopelessness could not explain the help negation effect, …

School Functioning And Violent Behavior Among Young Adolescents: A Contextual Analysis, Amanda Birnbaum, Leslie A. Lytle, Peter J. Hannan, David M. Murray, Cheryl L. Perry, Jean L. Foster

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper examines associations between overall school functioning and the frequency of violent behaviors among young adolescents (ages 10–14). The sample included 16 middle schools participating in an unrelated intervention study (on nutrition) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A School Functioning Index developed to characterize schools’ overall stability, performance, and demographics was constructed using data from public archives and school administrator surveys. Data on violent behaviors and other variables were collected in student surveys in fall 1998 and spring 1999. We used multilevel modeling to assess the effect of school functioning on violent behavior after adjusting for known individual-level covariates of violent …

Correlates Of Suicide Risk In Juvenile Detainees And Adolescent Inpatients, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Dwain C. Fehon, Seth R. Axelrod, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

OBJECTIVE: To compare correlates of risk for suicidal behavior in juvenile detainees with those in another high-risk group, adolescent psychiatric inpatients.

METHOD: Eighty-one adolescents in a short-term juvenile detention center were contrasted with a matched group of 81 adolescent psychiatric inpatients on a clinical assessment battery of established instruments including a measure for risk of suicidal behavior.

RESULTS: Juvenile detainees and adolescent psychiatric inpatients reported similar levels of distress on measures of suicide risk, depression, impulsivity, and drug abuse. After controlling for depression, impulsivity and drug abuse remained significantly associated with suicide risk scores in the juvenile detention group, but …

Family Factors That Differentiate Sexually Abused And Nonabused Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients, Dawn H.S. Reinemann, Kevin D. Stark, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Sexual abuse research has traditionally focused on adult, retrospective accounts of potential correlates of abuse and their impact on functioning. However, only a few studies have examined sexually abused adolescents’ perceptions of their families, and results have proven inconclusive. This study examined whether family factors would differentiate sexually abused and nonabused adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Fifty-seven psychiatric inpatients, ages 11 to 17, who either had experienced sexual abuse or had no history of sexual victimization completed a diagnostic interview and were assessed on a variety of family indices. Results indicated that after controlling for level of depression, sexually abused adolescents could …

Crisis Intervention Services In Juvenile Detention Centers, Charles A. Sanislow, John Chapman, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The prevalence of mental disorders among juvenile detainees is estimated to be as high as 60 percent, and reports suggest that adolescents who are detained have a three- to fourfold risk of suicide. The transfer of juveniles who commit serious offenses to the adult legal system and the problems of overwhelmed child care agencies appear to have precipitated a shift in the composition of populations in juvenile detention centers. Adolescents are often detained for minor legal charges that occur in the context of severe behavioral problems and family stress. We report on a collaborative venture between a state juvenile justice …

Adolescent Opinions About Reducing Help-Seeking Barriers And Increasing Engagement., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Effective mental illness prevention programs are important for the safety of youth and adolescents. Research suggests that programs should facilitate appropriate help-seeking by lowering help-seeking barriers. This study used focus groups to obtain high school student opinions about actual help-seeking behaviors, reducing adolescent help-seeking barriers, raising sensitive issues with adolescents, and increasing appropriate help-source engagement. Transcript analysis revealed several themes. Relationship and trust were key approach factors for current help-seeking. Memories of successful prior helping episodes were also important. Education about appropriate help-seeking, presented in ways consistent with those currently used by adolescents (e.g., through peer networks), might reduce help-seeking …

Adolescent Opinions About Reducing Help-Seeking Barriers And Increasing Engagement., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

Effective mental illness prevention programs are important for the safety of youth and adolescents. Research suggests that programs should facilitate appropriate help-seeking by lowering help-seeking barriers. This study used focus groups to obtain high school student opinions about actual help-seeking behaviors, reducing adolescent help-seeking barriers, raising sensitive issues with adolescents, and increasing appropriate help-source engagement. Transcript analysis revealed several themes. Relationship and trust were key approach factors for current help-seeking. Memories of successful prior helping episodes were also important. Education about appropriate help-seeking, presented in ways consistent with those currently used by adolescents (e.g., through peer networks), might reduce help-seeking …

Correlates Of Suicide Risk In Adolescent Inpatients Who Report Histories Of Childhood Abuse, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Dwain C. Fehon, Deborah S. Lipschitz, Steve Martino, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The study objective was to examine correlates of suicide risk in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents with a reported history of childhood abuse. Predictors of suicide risk were examined in 74 subjects who reported a history of childhood abuse and 53 depressed subjects who did not report a history of childhood abuse. Subjects completed a battery of psychometrically well-established self-report instruments to assess childhood abuse, suicide risk, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Correlational analyses showed that higher levels of depression, self-criticism, and hopelessness were significantly associated with suicide risk in both study groups and violence was significantly associated with suicide risk in …

Psychological And Behavioral Functioning In Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients Who Report Histories Of Childhood Abuse, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Dwain C. Fehon, Steve Martino, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine psychological and behavioral functioning in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents who report histories of childhood abuse. Method: Three hundred twenty-two subjects completed an assessment battery of psychometrically well-established instruments. Childhood abuse was assessed by using the childhood abuse scale of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory. Childhood abuse scores of 30 or less and 70 or greater were used to create two study groups—no abuse (N=93) and high abuse (N=70), respectively. The two study groups were compared demographically and on the battery of instruments. Results: The two groups differed substantially on most measures of …

“Other Teens Drink, But Not My Kid”: Does Parental Awareness Of Adolescent Alcohol Use Protect Adolescents From Risky Consequences?, Karen Bogenschneider, Ming-Yeh Wu, Marcela Raffaelli, Jenner C. Tsay

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study included 199 White mother-adolescent dyads and 144 White father-adolescent dyads. All adolescents reported regular alcohol use, yet less than one third of parents were aware of their adolescents’ drinking. Parental awareness of adolescent alcohol use served to protect adolescents by moderating the relation of parents’ responsiveness to episodes of drinking and driving. Aware parents were more likely than unaware parents to believe their adolescents’ close friends drank alcohol. Aware mothers worried more about their adolescents’ risk behaviors and discussed them more frequently with their adolescents. Aware fathers held values less disapproving of adolescent alcohol use and were less …

Security And Involvement In The Parent-Adolescent Relationship, Susan J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was the investigation of the dynamics which occur in relationships between parents and their adolescent children. Two hundred and eighty-four adolescents from local high schools were surveyed using the Acquaintance Description Form for Adolescents. They were also asked to take home the Parental Response Questionnaire for their parents to complete. Of these, responses were received from one hundred and seven parents.

Previous research has suggested that differences exist between relationships maintained by adolescent children and their mothers and fathers, particularly on the variables of security and involvement. Fathers have traditionally been described as less secure …

Early Soft Signs And Later Psychopathology, David Shaffer, Cornelius Stokman, Patricia A. O'Connor, Stephen Shafer, Joseph E. Barmack, Suzanne Hess, D. Spalten, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

At age 17 two motor signs, mirror movements and dysdiadochokinesis, were found in more than half the subjects known to have had the respective signs at age 7. These rates were significantly higher than rates found within the group of subjects who were sign free at age 7.