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Child Abuse & Neglect Aug 2017Children and young people often choose not to disclose sexual abuse, thus preventing access to help and allowing perpetrators to continue undetected. A nuanced... (Review)
Review
Children and young people often choose not to disclose sexual abuse, thus preventing access to help and allowing perpetrators to continue undetected. A nuanced understanding of the barriers (and facilitators) to disclosure is therefore of great relevance to practitioners and researchers. The literature was systematically searched for studies related to child and adolescent disclosures of sexual abuse. Thirteen studies were reviewed and assessed for methodological quality. Results of the review illustrate the heterogeneous nature of these empirical studies. Findings demonstrate that young people face a number of different barriers such as limited support, perceived negative consequences and feelings of self-blame, shame and guilt, when choosing to disclose. Being asked or prompted, through provision of developmentally appropriate information, about sexual abuse facilitates disclosure. The review highlights the need for robust, longitudinal studies with more sophisticated methodology to replicate findings. The review identifies the need for developmentally appropriate school-based intervention programmes that facilitate children's disclosure by reducing feelings of responsibility, self-blame, guilt and shame. In addition, prevention programmes should encourage family members, friends and frontline professionals to identify clues of sexual abuse, to explicitly ask children about the possibility of sexual abuse and also to respond supportively should disclosures occur. Facilitating disclosure in this way is key to safeguarding victims and promoting better outcomes for child and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child Abuse, Sexual; Disclosure; Family; Female; Guilt; Humans; Male; Self Disclosure; Shame
PubMed: 28551460
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.05.009 -
Appetite Aug 2023There is a consistent link between perfectionism and eating disorders, however no meta-analysis to date has synthesized this literature in children and adolescents. We... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
There is a consistent link between perfectionism and eating disorders, however no meta-analysis to date has synthesized this literature in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that there would be significant, small pooled correlations between perfectionism dimensions and eating disorder symptoms in children and adolescents. Published, peer-reviewed articles with standardised measures of perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms were included. Articles were excluded if the age range was over 18 years. Overall, 39 studies were included (N = 13,954 participants, M age = 13.7 years). Total perfectionism (r = 0.25), perfectionistic strivings (r = 0.21), and perfectionistic concerns (r = 0.31) had significant positive associations with eating disorder symptoms. Most studies were rated as fair or good quality. Limitations included high heterogeneity, insufficient studies to investigate age as a moderator, the inclusion of only English articles, and predominately cross-sectional studies which precluded causal inference. Higher perfectionism was associated with greater eating disorder symptoms in children and adolescents. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies of eating disorder symptoms in children and adolescents.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Child; Perfectionism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Longitudinal Studies; Risk Factors
PubMed: 37196843
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106586 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022Adolescence and youth are critical periods in which alcohol consumption is usually initiated, especially in the form of binge drinking. In recent years, it is... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Adolescence and youth are critical periods in which alcohol consumption is usually initiated, especially in the form of binge drinking. In recent years, it is increasingly common to find adolescents and young people who also present binge behaviors towards unhealthy food with the aim of alleviating their anxiety (emotional eating) and/or because of impulsive personality. Despite the social and health relevance of this issue, it remains scarcely studied and more preventive research needs to be developed. Our meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the relationship and co-occurrence of both binge behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood to clarify the link between binge drinking and eating. Selective literature search on different online databases was performed. We identified discrete but significant results regarding the direct association between binge drinking and binge eating in correlation coefficients and odds ratio. Future research should focus on the common psychological background and motives behind these problematic behaviors owing to their clinical implications for effective prevention and treatment.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Binge-Eating Disorder; Binge Drinking; Bulimia; Alcohol Drinking; Motivation; Ethanol
PubMed: 36612554
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010232 -
Journal of Psychosomatic Research Apr 2010The purpose of this study was to collate all works relating to delirium and probable delirium in children and adolescents published since 1980. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to collate all works relating to delirium and probable delirium in children and adolescents published since 1980.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature in all languages published between 1980 and March 2009 was conducted.
RESULTS
The literature is limited to small case series and case reports including a total of 217 children or adolescents with definite delirium and a further 136 children and adolescents with "probable delirium." These articles, in addition to unsystematic reviews, overviews, editorials, journal commentaries, and pertinent book chapters, are discussed in relation to prevalence, predisposing and precipitating factors, phenomenology, residual psychopathology, mortality, management, and prevention of delirium in childhood and adolescence.
CONCLUSIONS
Delirium is an important but neglected disorder of childhood associated with significant morbidity and high mortality. Current clinical practice for management is based on slim empirical evidence.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Psychiatry; Child; Child Psychiatry; Delirium; Female; Humans; Male; Referral and Consultation; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 20307700
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.10.011 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... May 2021Early life gut microbiota are affected by several factors that make identification of microbial-adiposity relationships challenging. This review evaluates studies that... (Review)
Review
Early life gut microbiota are affected by several factors that make identification of microbial-adiposity relationships challenging. This review evaluates studies that have investigated the gut microbiota composition associated with adiposity in infants, children, and adolescents and provides evidence-based nutrition recommendations that address microbiota-adiposity links. Electronic databases were systematically searched through January 2020. Eligible studies were published in English and analyzed gut microbiota and adiposity among individuals aged birth to 18 years. Abstracts and full-text articles were reviewed by three independent reviewers. Of 45 full-text articles reviewed, 33 were included. No difference in abundance was found for Bacteroidetes (n = 7/15 articles), Firmicutes (n = 10/17), Actinobacteria (n = 8/12), Proteobacteria (n = 8/12), Tenericutes (n = 4/5), and Verrucomicrobia (n = 4/6) with adiposity. Lower abundance of Christensenellaceae (n = 3/5) and Rikenellaceae (n = 6/8) but higher abundance of F. prausnitzii (n = 3/5) and Prevotella (n = 5/7) were associated with adiposity. A lack of consensus exists for gut microbial composition associations with adiposity. A healthy gut microbiota is associated with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with moderate consumption of animal fat and protein. Future research should use more robust sequencing technologies to identify all bacterial taxa associated with adiposity and evaluate how diet effects these adiposity-associated microbes.
Topics: Adiposity; Adolescent; Aged; Animals; Diet; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Microbiota; Obesity
PubMed: 33590719
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13175 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Oct 2022Adolescent aggression is a global public health with long-lasting and costly emotional, social, and economic consequences, and it is of vital importance to identify... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Adolescent aggression is a global public health with long-lasting and costly emotional, social, and economic consequences, and it is of vital importance to identify those variables that can reduce these behaviors in this population. Therefore, there is a need to establish the protective factors of aggressive behavior in adolescence. While some research has demonstrated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and various aggressive responses in adolescence, indicating that EI-or the ability to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions-could be considered a protective factor for the development of aggressive behavior in adolescence, the strength of this effect is not clear. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature concerning the relationship between aggressive behavior and EI in adolescents and provide a reliable estimate of the relationship between both constructs through a meta-analysis. For this purpose, we searched for relevant articles in English and Spanish in Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus, obtaining 17 selectable articles based on the search terms used in research in the adolescent population. These studies provide scientific evidence of the relationship between the level of EI assessed from the three theoretical models of EI (performance-based ability model, self-report ability model, and self-report mixed model) and various aggressive responses, showing that adolescents with higher levels of EI show less aggressive behavior. Implications for interventions and guidelines for future research are discussed.
Topics: Adolescent; Aggression; Emotional Intelligence; Humans; Protective Factors; Self Report
PubMed: 33568015
DOI: 10.1177/1524838021991296 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Dec 2021Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are self-perpetuating dysfunctional cognitive structures that have been linked with youth psychological health and play a significant... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are self-perpetuating dysfunctional cognitive structures that have been linked with youth psychological health and play a significant role in developing and maintaining psychological distress, including anxiety symptoms.
METHOD
The present meta-analysis synthesises the existing literature to evaluate the strength of association between EMS and anxiety symptoms among adolescents and young adults (aged 10-29 years). The systematic literature search was carried out in October 2019 using six different databases.
RESULTS
Our systematic search has identified 15 studies, comprising of 9515 participants (Mean age = 18.95, SD = 5.30). All the studies assessed were either cross-sectional or longitudinally designed. The random effect estimate for overall EMS with anxiety was r = 0.59 (95% Cl = 0.50 to 0.68, Z = 9.69, p < 0.0001), indicating a strong association between EMS and anxiety. When different schema domains were investigated separately, anxiety was shown to have significantly stronger associations with the schema domains of disconnection/rejection (r = 0.50), impaired autonomy/performance (r = 0.47) and other-directedness (r = 0.49). Further, females were found to have higher schemas of hypervigilance and other-directedness and associated anxiety symptoms compared to males.
LIMITATIONS
Meta-analytical results were limited to articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English language, inducing an upward publication bias and limiting the generalizability of the findings.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings highlight schemas related to disconnection/rejection, impaired autonomy/performance and other-directedness as particularly salient precursors of anxiety symptoms, providing evidence for clinicians to target these particular schemas during prevention, intervention, and management of anxiety disorder.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Young Adult
PubMed: 34563389
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.031 -
Reviews in the Neurosciences Dec 2016Contemporary theories for the aetiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD) take a lifespan approach asserting that inborn biological predisposition is potentiated... (Review)
Review
Contemporary theories for the aetiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD) take a lifespan approach asserting that inborn biological predisposition is potentiated across development by environmental risk factors. In this review, we present and critically evaluate evidence on the neurobiology of BPD in childhood and adolescence, compare this evidence to the adult literature, and contextualise within a neurodevelopmental framework. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies examining the neurobiological (i.e. genetic, structural neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological) correlates of BPD symptoms in children and adolescents aged 19 years or under. We identified, quality assessed, and narratively summarised 34 studies published between 1980 and June 2016. Similar to findings in adult populations, twin studies indicated moderate to high levels of heritability of BPD, and there was some evidence for gene-environment interactions. Also consistent with adult reports is that some adolescents with BPD demonstrated structural (grey and white matter) alterations in frontolimbic regions and neuropsychological abnormalities (i.e. reduced executive function and disturbances in social cognition). These findings suggest that neurobiological abnormalities observed in adult BPD may not solely be the consequence of chronic morbidity or prolonged medication use. They also provide tentative support for neurodevelopmental theories of BPD by demonstrating that neurobiological markers may be observed from childhood onwards and interact with environmental factors to increase risk of BPD in young populations. Prospective studies with a range of repeated measures are now required to elucidate the temporal unfurling of neurobiological features and further delineate the complex pathways to BPD.
Topics: Adolescent; Age Factors; Animals; Borderline Personality Disorder; Child; Gene-Environment Interaction; Humans; Neurobiology; Neuroimaging; Personality
PubMed: 27518904
DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2016-0026 -
Pediatrics Jun 2013Previous research found that prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may increase children's vulnerability to behavior and cognition problems. Maturational changes in brain and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Previous research found that prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may increase children's vulnerability to behavior and cognition problems. Maturational changes in brain and social development make adolescence an ideal time to reexamine associations. The objective was to conduct a systematic review of published studies examining associations between PCE and adolescent development (behavior, cognition/school outcomes, physiologic responses, and brain morphology/functioning).
METHODS
Articles were obtained from PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases through July 2012 with search terms: prenatal drug, substance, or cocaine exposure; adolescence/adolescent; and in utero substance/drug exposure. Criteria for inclusion were nonexposed comparison group, human adolescents aged 11 to 19, peer-reviewed, English-language, and adolescent outcomes.
RESULTS
Twenty-seven studies representing 9 cohorts met the criteria. Four outcome categories were identified: behavior, cognition/school performance, brain structure/function, and physiologic responses. Eleven examined behavior; 7 found small but significant differences favoring nonexposed adolescents, with small effect sizes. Eight examined cognition/school performance; 6 reported significantly lower scores on language and memory tasks among adolescents with PCE, with varying effect sizes varied. Eight examined brain structure/function and reported morphologic differences with few functional differences. Three examined physiologic responses with discordant findings. Most studies controlled for other prenatal exposures, caregiving environment, and violence exposure; few examined mechanisms.
CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with findings among younger children, PCE increases the risk for small but significantly less favorable adolescent functioning. Although the clinical importance of differences is often unknown, the caregiving environment and violence exposure pose additional threats. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking PCE with adolescent functioning.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Development; Cocaine; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
PubMed: 23713107
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0945 -
Journal of Advanced Nursing Jun 2017The aim of this study was to synthesize the qualitative evidence investigating adolescents' views on heterosexual readiness. (Review)
Review
AIM
The aim of this study was to synthesize the qualitative evidence investigating adolescents' views on heterosexual readiness.
BACKGROUND
Adolescents' understandings of sexual readiness are often missing in research and debates on sexual health and related concepts like sexual consent. Research to date has predominantly focussed on age and socio-cultural predictors of sexual debut, thus failing to explain how adolescents themselves conceptualize their readiness for heterosexual relations.
DESIGN
A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence.
DATA SOURCES
CINAHL, Psychinfo, PubMed, Web of science were searched, 1985-Feb 2016.
REVIEW METHODS
Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist was used to assess methodological quality. A thematic synthesis focused on commonalities and variations in the data from included studies on adolescents' perspectives of their readiness for sex.
RESULTS
Sixteen studies were included. Themes identified were: social learning, relationships and implications for sexual health promotion and practice.
CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents may not view initiating sex as problematic, focusing instead on the rewards sex brings and less on health concerns. Adolescents tend to reproduce dominant gender norms of masculinity and femininity in communication about sexual decision-making, which are sometimes influenced by social scripts of career aspirations and ethnic identity. Age was also significant in adolescents' accounts. Early adolescence is a critical period when understandings of gender equality become embedded, thus an opportunity to engage adolescents in critiquing ideas about gender equality and sexual rights. Further research exploring adolescents' understandings of sexual readiness is required. We recommend a participatory approach to support the inclusion of adolescent voices to inform contextually relevant sexual health promotion strategies.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Female; Humans; Male; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 27862186
DOI: 10.1111/jan.13207