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Trauma, Violence & Abuse Jan 2020Studies concerning left-behind children in rural China have shown that parental absence due to migration is associated with greater risk of child victimization and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Studies concerning left-behind children in rural China have shown that parental absence due to migration is associated with greater risk of child victimization and accidental injuries, and a range of psychosocial problems. The authors conducted this meta-analysis to determine the extent to which left-behind children are affected by parental migration, as compared to children in nonmigrant rural families. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, and 90 studies published before 2017 were included in the data synthesis and analysis. The results revealed that compared to non-left-behind children, rural left-behind children are generally more disadvantaged in regard to child safety ( = 0.27) and psychological adjustment ( = 0.25). The effect sizes, though interpreted as small, revealed that children in rural China are significantly affected by parental migration. Children's educational stage was a significant variable that moderated the effect sizes of child safety and psychological adjustment. The findings of the meta-analysis indicated that mother-only migration may have the most harmful effect on children. In terms of implications for interventions, the results suggest more attention should be given to rural left-behind children and to "mother-absent children" in particular. Future research is warranted to explore the association between left-behind children's psychological adjustment and their exposure to injury and victimization.
Topics: Child; China; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Maternal Deprivation; Paternal Deprivation; Rural Health; Rural Population; Social Support; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 29333970
DOI: 10.1177/1524838017744768 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Oct 2022A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role...
BACKGROUND
A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role of psychological adjustment (PA) as a mediator of this relationship. The purpose of the study was to explore the mediating role of PA in the CM-BPF linkage in a large sample of early adolescents.
METHODS
A total of 5724 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 1.0) were recruited from three middle schools by using the multistage random cluster sampling method in Anhui Province, China. Participants were required to complete self-report questionnaires regarding CM experience, self-perceived PA and BPF. Mediation analyses were computed via structural equation modelling.
RESULTS
CM victimization was positively associated with BPF, and individuals with lower levels of PA were more likely to present with BPF. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on BPF via PA (effect = 0.047, 95 % CI: 0.035, 0.058).
LIMITATION
The cross-sectional design of this study did not allow testing causality. The retrospective investigation of CM history could cause recall bias.
CONCLUSIONS
PA partially mediates the relationship between CM and BPF. These findings have important implications for considering PA as a protective factor in this relationship.
Topics: Adolescent; Borderline Personality Disorder; Child; Child Abuse; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotional Adjustment; Humans; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35878835
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.028 -
The Clinical Journal of Pain Jan 2022The present study investigated whether illness cognitions mediated the relationship between caregiving demands and positive and negative indicators of adjustment in...
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigated whether illness cognitions mediated the relationship between caregiving demands and positive and negative indicators of adjustment in partners of patients with chronic pain.
METHODS
The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 151 partners (mean age=61.4 y, SD=13.6 y, 57% male) of patients with chronic pain (eg, back pain). The study was conducted in the Pain Centre of the University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands, during November 2014 to June 2015. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed caregiving demands, illness cognitions, perceived burden, distress, positive affect, and life satisfaction.
RESULTS
The results showed that among illness cognitions, acceptance of the illness mediated the association between caregiving demands and burden (b=0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.28) and positive affect (b=-0.21, CI: -0.41 to -0.06). Helplessness mediated the association between caregiving demands and burden (b=0.46, CI: 0.26-0.69) and distress (b=0.35, CI: 0.19-0.53). Perceived benefits did not mediate any of these associations. The findings indicate that partners who experience more demands tend to appraise the consequences of the patients' pain condition more negatively, which in turn is associated with their emotional adjustment.
DISCUSSION
The results suggest that illness cognitions play an important role in the psychological adjustment of partners. Enhancing acceptance of the illness and reducing feelings of helplessness could form the basis of interventions aiming at promoting psychological adjustment in partners, especially when it is difficult to reduce the demands.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Caregivers; Chronic Pain; Cognition; Cost of Illness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35093956
DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001018 -
Quality of Life Research : An... Apr 2018The current study aimed to explore the characteristics of psychological adjustment among Chinese left-behind children (LBC) in rural areas, and to examine the...
PURPOSE
The current study aimed to explore the characteristics of psychological adjustment among Chinese left-behind children (LBC) in rural areas, and to examine the association between separation duration from parent/parents (SDP) and children's psychological adjustment and the extent to which personality mediates this hypothesized link.
METHODS
We surveyed 534 rural children and adolescents aged 10-17 years at school (440 LBC and 94 non-LBC) in 2013, who were selected for participation using stratified cluster sampling from two counties in Chongqing, China. Measures used included socio-demographic variables, age at the commencement and end of the separation from parents, the revised Chinese Juvenile Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Adolescent Psychological Adaptability Scale.
RESULTS
Most children (82.4%) had experienced separation from parents. t test results showed a marginally significant difference (p = .08) in psychological adjustment between LBC (mean = 64.44, SD = 8.62) and non-LBC (mean = 66.16, SD = 9.26). LBC's mean SDP was 5.64 years (SD = 3.90). Correlation analysis showed that children's SDP was negatively associated with psychological adjustment. Structural equation modeling showed that neuroticism, but not extraversion or psychoticism, fully mediated the link between children's SDP and psychological adjustment.
CONCLUSION
Personality (neuroticism) is one of the mediating pathways through which long-term SDP may predict poor psychological adjustment among children. Given the detrimental impact of long-term SDP, interventions should target the mediating pathway to buffer against the negative impact of parental separation on the affected rural children and to improve their mental health.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Asian People; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Parent-Child Relations; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 29344765
DOI: 10.1007/s11136-017-1776-1 -
Health Psychology : Official Journal of... Aug 2018To describe the trajectory of patient and caregiver mental health from diagnosis through the first year of treatment for pediatric cancer and assess whether rates of...
OBJECTIVE
To describe the trajectory of patient and caregiver mental health from diagnosis through the first year of treatment for pediatric cancer and assess whether rates of clinically relevant symptoms were elevated compared with norms. We examined mean levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in children with cancer, and depression, anxiety, and PTSS in caregivers during the first year of treatment; the proportion of patients and caregivers that scored in the clinical range at each time point; and the typical trajectory of symptoms in patients and caregivers and whether trajectories differed between individuals.
METHOD
Families (N = 159) of children newly diagnosed with cancer (Mage = 5.6 years; range = 2-18 years) participated in a short-term prospective study. Primary caregivers provided monthly reports of their own and their children's psychological adjustment.
RESULTS
On average, children were well-adjusted. However, compared with norms, there was a higher than expected proportion of children with clinically relevant internalizing symptoms around the time of diagnosis. On average children's symptoms declined over time, though variability was observed. Caregivers were less well-adjusted on average, with a high proportion reporting clinically relevant symptoms over time for depression and anxiety. Caregiver symptoms also declined over time, though considerable variability was observed.
CONCLUSION
Although most children remain well-adjusted during the first year of treatment, many caregivers experience clinically relevant symptoms of psychological distress. Implications for development of interventions targeting at-risk patients and caregivers are discussed. Identifying processes that predict between-family variability in trajectories of psychopathology is an important next step. (PsycINFO Database Record
Topics: Adolescent; Caregivers; Child; Child, Preschool; Emotional Adjustment; Family; Female; Humans; Male; Neoplasms; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 30024229
DOI: 10.1037/hea0000619 -
PloS One 2019The differential contribution of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection to children's psychological adjustment has been explained by differences in interpersonal...
The differential contribution of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection to children's psychological adjustment has been explained by differences in interpersonal power and prestige within families; however, there is not yet enough empirical support for this explanation. This study examines the moderating effects of interpersonal power and prestige on the relationship between perceived parental acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment across children's sex and age. The sample was composed of 913 children ranging in age from 9 to 16 years. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses in the total sample showed a significant and independent contribution of parental acceptance-rejection and parental power and prestige. No moderating effects of interpersonal power and prestige were found for the total sample. However, when the regression analyses were conducted across different age groups, maternal acceptance had a higher contribution to psychological adjustment in children from nine to ten years old. Interestingly, the moderating effects of interpersonal prestige (not interpersonal power) were also significant in younger participants. Furthermore, the moderating effects of prestige on maternal acceptance-rejection were different in late childhood than in early adolescence. These results suggest how parental prestige may explain the higher contribution of maternal acceptance to younger children's psychological adjustment.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Age Factors; Child; Emotional Adjustment; Fathers; Female; Humans; Male; Models, Psychological; Mothers; Parent-Child Relations; Power, Psychological; Rejection, Psychology; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 30973954
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215325 -
Journal of Adolescence Feb 2016Identity integration is one of the foundational theoretical concepts in Erikson's (1968) theory of lifespan development. However, the topic is understudied relative to... (Review)
Review
Identity integration is one of the foundational theoretical concepts in Erikson's (1968) theory of lifespan development. However, the topic is understudied relative to its theoretical and practical importance. The extant research is limited in quantity and scope, and there is considerable heterogeneity in how identity integration is conceptualized and measured. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to 1) provide a conceptual discussion of different forms of identity integration 2) highlight the different methodological approaches represented in the literature, and 3) detail the implications of integration for psychological functioning. In particular, we provide a conceptual and methodological discussion of four forms of integration: two that are widely recognized, contextual integration and temporal integration, and two that have received less attention, ego integration and person-society integration. We see this paper as filling a need in the literature for those interested in how complex identity processes are related to psychological functioning.
Topics: Emotional Adjustment; Humans; Self Concept; Social Identification
PubMed: 26522883
DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.09.005 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Jan 2021Little is known about how attachment processes manifest within older adults in daily life and how these processes are associated with daily psychological adjustment....
OBJECTIVES
Little is known about how attachment processes manifest within older adults in daily life and how these processes are associated with daily psychological adjustment. This study examined the within-person associations between states of attachment security and psychological adjustment. It is expected that this association is mediated by higher levels of satisfied needs in daily life.
METHODS
Microlongitudinal self-report data were collected in a sample of 136 older adults ranged in age from 60 to 90 years (ageM = 70.45 years) across 10 days with daily morning and afternoon measurement occasions.
RESULTS
Three main findings from multilevel analyses emerged. First, older adults showed significant within-person variation in attachment security, satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence, and psychological adjustment over time. Second, attachment security was positively associated with psychological adjustment within individuals. Third, both satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence mediated the within-person association between attachment security and psychological adjustment.
DISCUSSION
The results suggest that attachment security is associated with the experience of autonomy and competence in daily life of older adults which in turn is related with better psychological adjustment.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Object Attachment; Personal Autonomy; Personal Satisfaction; Self Efficacy
PubMed: 31711236
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz148 -
Psychology & Health Sep 2020We examined the differential predictive powers of physical and psychological impacts of parental physical illness, as well as both instrumental and emotional aspects of...
We examined the differential predictive powers of physical and psychological impacts of parental physical illness, as well as both instrumental and emotional aspects of parentification, on adolescent distress. Forty-seven parents with chronic physical illness and 132 adolescent children completed separate questionnaires that measured parental health conditions and adolescents' parentification, peer attachment, and psychological distress. Ill parents' energy/fatigue level was not related to adolescent distress, but ill parents' emotional well-being was directly associated with adolescent distress. Adolescents' household responsibilities were not linked to their distress level; however, higher levels of emotional parentification appeared to affect their psychological adjustment. Higher quality of peer attachment was related to lower adolescent distress. The results highlight the importance of addressing and fostering physically ill parents' psychosocial adjustment and emotional availability, restoring a sense of normalcy in family adaptation processes, and facilitating emotional support for adolescents, including positive parent-child relationship and peer attachment.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child of Impaired Parents; Chronic Disease; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Object Attachment; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Peer Group; Psychological Distress; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 31818131
DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.1699091 -
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders Aug 2022Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivorship results in unique issues in return to physical and psychological function. The purpose of the study was to compare recovery... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Physical function, psychological adjustment, and self-efficacy following sudden cardiac arrest and an initial implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in a social cognitive theory intervention: secondary analysis of a randomized control trial.
BACKGROUND
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivorship results in unique issues in return to physical and psychological function. The purpose of the study was to compare recovery across the first year between SCA survivors and other arrhythmia patients who received a first-time implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for secondary prevention, participating in a social cognitive theory (SCT) intervention.
METHODS
168 (129 males, 39 females) who received an ICD for secondary prevention (SCA N = 65; other arrhythmia N = 103) were randomized to one of two study conditions: SCT intervention (N = 85) or usual care (N = 83). Outcomes were measured at baseline hospital discharge, 1, 3, 6, & 12 months: (1) Physical Function: Patient Concerns Assessment (PCA), SF-36 (PCS); (2) Psychological Adjustment: State Trait Anxiety (STAI), CES-D depression, SF-36 (MCS); (3) Self-Efficacy: Self-Efficacy (SCA-SE), Self-management Behaviors (SMB), Outcome Expectations (OE). Outcomes were compared over 12 months for intervention condition x ICD indication using general estimating equations.
RESULTS
Participants were Caucasian (89%), mean age 63.95 ± 12.3 years, EF% 33.95 ± 13.9, BMI 28.19 ± 6.2, and Charlson Index 4.27 ± 2.3. Physical symptoms (PCA) were higher over time for SCA survivors compared to the other arrhythmia group (p = 0.04), ICD shocks were lower in SCA survivors in the SCT intervention (p = 0.01); psychological adjustment (MCS) was significantly lower in SCA survivors in the SCT intervention over 6 months, which improved at 12 months (p = 0.05); outcome expectations (OE) were significantly lower for SCA survivors in the SCT intervention (p = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS
SCA survivors had greater number of physical symptoms, lower levels of mental health and outcome expectations over 12 months despite participation in a SCT intervention. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04462887.
Topics: Aged; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Defibrillators, Implantable; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Heart Arrest; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychological Theory; Self Efficacy
PubMed: 35948889
DOI: 10.1186/s12872-022-02782-8