La détresse émotionnelle est souvent précurseur au développement des troubles psychologiques. La psychopathologie la plus fréquente dans le monde est la dépression et il a été estimé que d'ici quelques années, son impact économique sera supérieur à celle des maladies courantes telles que les maladies infectieuses et cardio-vasculaires. Des études ont démontré que le niveau de stress et d'anxiété sont des facteurs qui contribuent de façon significative au développement de la dépression et ce dès l'adolescence. L'objectif de cette thèse a été donc d'étudier les propriétés psychométriques de la version française de l'échelle Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) pour son utilisation éventuelle à l'Île Maurice auprès des adolescents. L'étude de la validité de l'instrument comporte l'exploration de la validité de construit par le biais de la validité factorielle, l'étude de la cohérence interne et enfin par une analyse des validités convergente et divergente. La validité de construit de la DASS-21 a été renforcée puisque le fonctionnement différentiel des items en fonction du genre n'a pas été démontré. Enfin, il s'est avéré que le principal facteur de risque pour la survenue de la dépression chez les sujets mauriciens est le stress perçu (perception subjective de l'événement qualifié de stressant). / Depression is among the most common psychopathology for which treatment is sought in psychological and psychiatric practices and its impact at all levels including its economical outlay in the coming years has been estimated on a worldwide scale to surpass that of current illnesses such as infectious diseases and cardiovascular illnesses. Research has demonstrated that stress and anxiety levels, as early as in adolescence, are among factors that contribute to the development of depression. The aim of this research study is therefore to investigate the psychometric properties of the French Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) for its eventual use in the Mauritian adolescent population as a means to screen for depression, anxiety, and stress. Factor analyses were conducted on 1002 response sets and the three-factor structure of the DASS-21 was supported. Internal consistency was satisfactory and the scales demonstrated concurrent validity with other measures of depression, anxiety and stress. The construct validity of the scales was further strengthened with gender invariance. Finally, appraisal of stress was the psychological dimension which predicted best depression in the Mauritian adolescent population.

Le travail de recherche présenté ici prend place dans le département de l’Allier, en Auvergne. Au travers de deux dispositifs – le premier vise à réduire les inégalités sociales de santé d’un territoire, le second à impliquer les membres des établissements scolaires dans une réflexion sur la promotion de la santé – nous cherchons à déterminer les relations qu’il peut y avoir entre les conceptions et les pratiques déclarées de collégiens avec les conceptions et les pratiques déclarées de professionnels d’un territoire sur les questions de santé et de bien-être des adolescents. Pour explorer ce sujet, nous nous appuyons sur deux recueils de données. Le premier est constitué de 49 entretiens semi-directifs et concerne les conceptions et pratiques déclarées de professionnels par rapport aux questions de santé et de bien-être des adolescents. Le second, basé sur 1170 questionnaires renseignés par des collégiens, porte sur les conceptions que les adolescents ont de leur santé et de leur bien-être ainsi que sur leurs pratiques relatives à ces questions. L’étude des systèmes de conceptions de divers professionnels en lien avec les conceptions et pratiques d’adolescents nous permettent de penser que la formation des professionnels sur les questions de santé, d’éducation à la santé et de promotion de la santé devraient permettre aux différents acteurs de mieux appréhender la complexité de leur public concernant les questions de santé et de bien-être, de mieux prendre en compte les différentes dimensions de la santé en favorisant le développement des compétences psychosociales et l’empowerment de leur public ainsi que la qualité des interactions entre pairs. De même, les questions concernant la prise en compte par les professionnels de l’environnement, notamment familial, des adolescents devraient être approfondies. / This research work takes place in the Department of Allier in Auvergne in Central France. Through two projects - the first aims to reduce social inequalities in health of a territory, the second aims to involve schools in a reflection on the health promotion - we are trying to determine the relationships there may be between the conceptions and declared practices of middle school students with the conceptions and the practices of professionals of a territory on issues of health and well-being of adolescents. To explore this topic, we rely on two collections of data. The first consists of 49 semi-structured interviews with respect to conceptions and practices of professionals with regard to questions of health and well-being of adolescents. The second, based on 1170 questionnaires filled in by school boys and girls, deals with conceptions and declared practices that adolescents have on their health and their well-being. The review of systems of conceptions of various professionals in relation to the concepts and practices of adolescents allow us to think that the training of professionals on the issues of health, health education and health promotion should enable stakeholders to better understand the complexity of their public about health and well-being issues; better take account of the different dimensions of health by promoting the development of life-skills and the empowerment of the adolescents and the quality of peer relationships. Then, issues concerning how does stakeholders take into account environment of adolescents, including family, should be improved.

The relationship between the literal language and conduct problems among conduct disordered adolescents was examined in 109 subjects. The inability to use figurative language was found to be positively related to ratings of conduct problems. Both the parents' discipline style and nonuse of figurative language were related to 111 conduct problems in conduct disordered adolescents. The possible role of other variables, for example, age, sex, and IQ, was examined. Possible mechanisms that could relate the lack of figurative competence and conduct problems were explored.

The increasing prevalence and severity of anorexia among the young has led to an increase in the number of paediatric hospital admissions and readmissions over the years. Moreover there has been a significant drop in the age of patients being admitted to hospitals for treatment. Recognising the importance of the nursing role and the therapeutic relationship, this thesis reports specific detailed insights into the daily routine of nurses and adolescents with anorexia on a ward, which bases its re-feeding program on behaviour-modification principles (‘The Level System’), and the impact of this program on nurse-patient relationships. In many ways, life for an adolescent with anorexia on the ward mirrored life for a prison inmate. Within ‘The Level System’ program, nurses and doctors became analogous to prison officers. The subsequent themes reflect these similarities. The study provides positive recommendations for constructive change to improve the lives of both nurses and patients and further enhances lay and professional understandings of the nursing care for adolescents with anorexia within a behaviour-modification treatment program. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Traditional socialization theories suggest that parents shape their children, and parents’ socialization strategies are decided upon largely independent of the children. These ideas, however, have received criticism. In this dissertation, I focus on how children and adolescents influence their parents’ behaviors. Specifically, I examine parents’ reactions to problematic behaviors in their adolescents. In the three studies, I presented theoretical models that offered explanations why parents react as they do to problematic behaviors in their adolescents. In these models, parents’ cognitions worked as mechanisms to explain their subsequent reactions. The overall pattern in the studies was that parents tended to shift in cognitions about their own role as parents and their adolescents’ behaviors when they were faced with problematic behaviors, which influenced their behaviors toward their adolescents. In Study I, parents became less strictly opposed to adolescent drinking when they encountered their adolescents intoxicated. This reaction was explained by a reduction in dissonance between their attitudes to adolescent drinking and their knowledge of their own adolescents’ drinking. In Study II and Study III, parents of adolescents with hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention problems (HIA) reported that their adolescents did not respond to their attempts to correct their behaviors. This cognition made them feel powerless and, as a consequence, they increased in negative behaviors and decreased in positive parenting strategies. In these two studies, parents decreased in their thoughts of being able to deal with their adolescents’ misbehaviors. In addition, as was shown in the third study, these cognitions seem to be influenced by parents’ earlier experiences with their first-born children. In sum, the results of this dissertation suggest that adolescents influence their parents’ cognitions and behaviors. Further, the results highlight the importance of focusing on how parents’ ways of thinking influence their parenting strategies.

Thèse (Ph.D.)--Université Laval, 1998. / Comprend des réf. bibliogr. : f. [130]-133. Publié aussi en version électronique. CaQQUQ

Thèses (M.A.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 2000. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 20 juin 2006). Publié aussi en version papier.

Thèse (Ph.D.)--Université Laval, 1998. / Bibliogr.: f. [130]-133. Publié aussi en version électronique.