Improving treatment for early adolescent girls with depression by understanding factors that promote the maintenance of treatment effects is an important area of research given the association of depression with functional impairment and negative future outcomes. The effectiveness of CBT for treating depressed youth in the short-term has been well-established. However, limited research exists on the impact of CBT beyond one year post-treatment and on factors that enhance treatment maintenance for children and adolescents with depression. An intervention strategy that may yield the maintenance of treatment effects is the inclusion of primary caregivers. However, there is presently insufficient evidence to ascertain whether including primary caregivers in girls’ depression treatment produces additional benefits because they have rarely been incorporated into clinical trials of depression treatment for youth. This approach warrants study since families of depressed youngsters are often characterized by disturbances in family functioning and because aspects of the family environment are related to the development and maintenance of depressive disorders in youth. The current study addressed gaps in the existing literature about the maintenance of treatment effects for girls with depression by examining the impact of a parent training (PT) component added to a school-based, group-administered CBT intervention on girls’ depressive symptoms and key areas of family functioning (i.e., conflict, cohesion, communication, and family sociability). Participants included 9- to 14-year-old girls with a depressive disorder, one primary caregiver for each girl who completed measures, and caregivers in the parental treatment component. Girls were randomly assigned to a CBT, CBT+PT, or minimal contact control condition. Ratings of girls’ depressive symptoms and the family functioning variables were obtained from girls and primary caregivers at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and annually for up to four years following treatment. Results from growth curve modeling using hierarchical linear models indicated no significant differences in rate of change of girls’ depressive symptoms over time depending on whether they were in the CBT or CBT+PT condition. However, subsequent analyses revealed two significant factors associated with treatment maintenance: child attendance at CBT meetings and parental attendance at PT meetings. Specifically, higher rates of child and parental attendance were generally predictive of a sustained decline in girls’ depressive symptoms over time. In addition, findings supported the positive impact of CBT with PT on aspects of the family environment from pre- to post-treatment, but not from post-treatment through the four years of follow-up assessment. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for further areas of research are discussed. / text

The physical and social environments of a neighbourhood can cause and/or reduce stress for residents. However, we know relatively little about the neighbourhood-level stressors and stress-relievers experienced by adolescents, and in particular adolescent girls. This study explores how adolescent girls (15-17 years) living in one neighbourhood in Halifax, Nova Scotia perceive key characteristics of their neighbourhood’s environments as affecting and/or reducing their stress. Using a qualitative methodology, data were collected from eight participants using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Photo elicitation technique was also used for data collection. A key finding of this research was that participants experience a strong ‘sense of community’ within their neighbourhood that makes a significant contribution to their stress relief. At the same time, participants reported a number of neighbourhood-level forces that are threatening this sense of community including violence, conflicts, and stigma. This study demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between neighbourhood-level characteristics and residents’ stress.

Maltreatment experienced in childhood or adolescence is a known risk factor for later problem alcohol and/or other drug (AOD) use (Bailey & McCloskey, 2005; Shin, Edwards, Heeren, 2009). A growing body of empirical work has found significant associations between adolescent girls’ AOD use and maltreatment experiences. However, questions remain as to how this relation unfolds with African-American and Hispanic adolescent girls. Guided by four relational models that have been proposed in the literature, this study examined the links between maltreatment, trauma symptoms, and alcohol and/or other drug (AOD) problems in a sample of 170 African-American and Hispanic adolescent girls who were participants in a school-based AOD use intervention. Results of this study revealed that maltreatment experiences (physical and emotional abuse) were positively related to trauma symptoms, which were positively related to AOD problem severity, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependency, drug abuse, and drug dependency. Perceived discrimination moderated this relation between sexual abuse and trauma symptoms, such that more perceived discrimination resulted in a stronger effect of sexual abuse on trauma symptoms. Ethnic identity moderated the relation between sexual abuse and AOD problem severity, such that ethnic identity demonstrated protective properties in the relation between sexual abuse and AOD problem severity. My research adds to extant knowledge on the relation between maltreatment and AOD use in adolescent girls and suggests the importance of developing interventions targeting maltreatment and AOD use concurrently.

The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to validate the factors that are related to dysmenorrhea in Taiwanese adolescents. The specific aims were to describe the perceived dysmenorrhea pain symptom experience (SE), related self-care strategies (SCS), and perceived effectiveness of self-care strategies (PESS); to explore the relationships between SE, SCS, and PESS; and to explore the influence of contextual factors on SE, SCS, and PESS. A conceptual framework based on the revised Symptom Management Model was developed and guided this study. A nonprobability sample of 165 adolescent participants was recruited from a technology university located in southern Taiwan. Inclusion criteria for participants were: (1) Taiwanese female adolescent, (2) age 15-19 years old, and (3) willing to participate in this study. All participants and their parents completed the consent forms and completed the questionnaires in their classrooms during free studying time. Five instruments were used and data was analyzed by using the SPSS Version 14.0 including descriptive statistical techniques, Pearson’s correlations, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The findings showed the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in this sample was 87.3%. There were 82.4% of participants who reported dysmenorrhea had influenced their daily activity, and 12.7% of participants who reported school absenteeism because of dysmenorrhea. Most of participants used self–care strategies for dysmenorrhea including avoiding cold food or drinks, drinking brown sugar and ginger soup, etc. The most frequently used self-care strategies and their effectiveness were described. Age, age of the first period, total menstrual years, eating cold food or drinks, self-care strategies, and mother’s perceived support of self-care strategies were significantly related to the log of symptom experience of dysmenorrhea. Total menstrual years and self-care strategies were identified as significant predictors of dysmenorrhea. This study added to the body of nursing science regarding dysmenorrhea in Taiwanese adolescents. In particular, the findings supported the existence of relationships between self-care strategies and perceived effectiveness of self-care strategies. Building on these findings, future research should be conducted to design interventions that reduce the pain associated with dysmenorrhea for this population. / text

A year after the mysterious death of Petra, her twin sister Dash convinces the scattered and estranged members of her Scout troop to re-form in order to return to Exploration Expedition, the site of her sisters passing. Though the troop have all been dealing with the loss of their defacto leader in different ways, their arrival at Expedition forces them to work together to confront their guilt in the events surrounding Petra’s death and its effect on their own lives and friendships.

When adolescent girls growe up in the adolescence, facing physiological and psychological changes, they dress as a means to create the image of the body and to build their own social image ¢w how to be the right young girl in other¡¦s eyes. But there is no system to teach them how to change and self-shaping. When they are confronted with social demands and the capitalist or patriarchal shock, how to adjust their behavior. Online shopping has become a major shopping channel of many female students, female graduate students or the young female office workers. Today, using online shopping to purchase dress is also an important leisure entertainment to many adolescent girls. The e-shopping of PTT has become the gathering place of adolescent girls. Not only as an online shopping related information exchange field, but also become an important field of adolescent girls grow up group with emotional exchange.Shopping content and aesthetic criteria will be prevailed by e-shopping collective view. After the shopping experience, they expect supports of e-shopping. In addition to mother, sisters or classmates, colleagues, e-shopping has become an important reference, and some even replaced. The thourghts of adolescent girls are different to adult women and adolescent boyes. However, thinking and growth experience of adolescent girls have not been taken seriously, or limited to stereotype. In this study, the text of the form of direct contact with young girls in the e-shopping which comes from the real behavior are usd to understand the culture and values of adolescent girls between groups in online shopping. Through this e-shopping tunnel, the adolescent girls like through the rite of passage ceremony, into a mature woman.

Previous research indicates an increase in the prevalence of depression around adolescence, especially for females. Research suggests depressogenic cognitions play an essential role in the development of depression and may mediate the relation between risk factors and depression. Research has also shown the family environment, negative life events, and maternal depression are all related to the development of depressogenic cognitions. Additionally, few studies have tested models of depression while measuring both anxiety and depressive symptoms despite the high rates of comorbidity between the two disorders. The current study used path analytic techniques to integrate correlates of depression while accounting for comorbid anxiety symptoms in comprehensive model of depression for early adolescent girls. Participants included 203 girls, aged 9-14, along with their mothers. Participants completed self-report measures of the family environment, cognitive triad, and negative life events. Mothers of participants completed a self-report measure of psychopathology. Participants also completed a semi-structured diagnostic interview, which served as the measure for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results supported previous literature finding a more depressogenic cognitive triad was significantly associated with higher depressive severity. Family environments, characterized by more cohesive and less conflictual family relationships, more communication, and higher engagement in social/recreational activities, were significantly associated with a more positive cognitive triad. Additionally, more negative life events were significantly associated with a more depressogenic cognitive triad. Both family social/recreational activities and negative life events had significant indirect effects on depression. Results indicated a strong relation between anxiety and depression, with anxiety having a significant positive direct effect on depression. The pathways from maternal depression and anxiety to the cognitive triad, anxiety symptoms to the cognitive triad, as well as family environment variables, maternal depression and anxiety and negative life events to anxiety symptoms were not found to be significant. Results from an exploratory analysis suggest anxiety may moderate the relation between the cognitive triad and depression. Implications of these results, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided. / text

The present study examined the multilayered social contexts that foster or hinder adolescent girls’ participation in physical activity. The current study consisted of two phases, prospective interviews followed by focus group discussions. The interviews utilized a guided, life history format with 7 girls of diverse backgrounds, ages 9-15 years old over a 4-year period. Key themes that emerged in the interviews were used to inform the focus group discussions. In total, 4 focus groups discussions were conducted with 13 girls of diverse backgrounds, ages 12-13 years old. Both the interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed and analyzed for themes using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Data analysis was informed by the feminist theoretical approach, with an emphasis on social and contextual factors. The domains of school, family, peers, and embodied experiences of physicality emerged as facilitative contexts to engagement with physical activity during childhood. During adolescence, however, these contexts became barriers to physical activity. This study suggests that physical activity promotion programs for adolescent girls require multifaceted strategies, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnocultural/racial heritage.

The present study examined the multilayered social contexts that foster or hinder adolescent girls’ participation in physical activity. The current study consisted of two phases, prospective interviews followed by focus group discussions. The interviews utilized a guided, life history format with 7 girls of diverse backgrounds, ages 9-15 years old over a 4-year period. Key themes that emerged in the interviews were used to inform the focus group discussions. In total, 4 focus groups discussions were conducted with 13 girls of diverse backgrounds, ages 12-13 years old. Both the interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed and analyzed for themes using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Data analysis was informed by the feminist theoretical approach, with an emphasis on social and contextual factors. The domains of school, family, peers, and embodied experiences of physicality emerged as facilitative contexts to engagement with physical activity during childhood. During adolescence, however, these contexts became barriers to physical activity. This study suggests that physical activity promotion programs for adolescent girls require multifaceted strategies, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnocultural/racial heritage.

Background: Adolescent girls are insufficiently active to achieve health benefits. As a result they have been targeted as a priority group for increasing physical activity levels. However, physical activity interventions for this population have had limited effect. A better understanding of the correlates of physical activity in adolescent girls may better inform intervention design. Social support describes interactions, resources, and assistance from others to influence physical activity behaviour. Social support has been linked to physical activity in adolescent girls and could be a modifiable correlate of physical activity. This thesis aimed to identify: (1) if there is a positive association between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls, and if so, (2) explore the potential pathways through which social support influences behaviour. Method: Firstly, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to explore the role of different providers (e.g. parents/friends) and types of social support (e.g. emotional/instrumental) on adolescent girls’ physical activity, providing effect size estimations for different combinations of associations. Secondly, an analysis of an 8- week school based physical activity intervention for adolescent girls was conducted. This involved a mediation analysis to examine: (1) if self-efficacy mediated associations between social support and physical activity at baseline; and (2) if social support or self-efficacy mediated the effectiveness of the intervention. Finally, a qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory was conducted to investigate the mechanisms through which social support influences physical activity behaviour through conducting individual interviews with adolescent girls (n = 18). Results: The systematic review and meta-analysis identified small but significant positive associations between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls. Similar magnitudes were identified for parent and friend support effect sizes. The mediation analysis found that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between social support and physical activity, however, social support did not mediate the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention for adolescent girls. The results of the grounded theory study suggest that social support can influence adolescent girls’ physical activity through enjoyment, self-efficacy, overcoming barriers to physical activity, motivation, and performance improvements, as well as enabling physical activity. Conclusions: Whilst only small significant associations between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls were identified, social support may also indirectly influence physical activity through enjoyment, self-efficacy, overcoming barriers, motivation, performance improvements and enabling physical activity. There may be promise in targeting these constructs through social support behaviour change strategies in physical activity interventions for adolescent girls.