Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / There are many theories as to why adolescents engage in substance abuse. These theories have formed the basis of various substance abuse prevention programmes aimed at reducing this problem. Evaluation of these interventions is needed in order to assess their effectiveness and to improve on future prevention strategies. The literature highlights tensions and differences between the primary preventative approaches to substance abuse and the harm reduction model. It also suggests that psychosocial or life skills programmes and interventions employing a harm reduction approach tend to be viewed as more suitable for adolescents than other approaches. This study focuses on a high school intervention programme running since 1996, which has not yet been evaluated. It aimed to identify the programme's strengths and weaknesses, as well as participants' perception of the intervention. A qualitative research method was used, employing focus groups as the tool for data gathering. The sample for the study was made up of 30 volunteers from three grade 10 classes that completed the programme two years prior to this study. Data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Links were made to the two approaches referred to above. Analysis of the data indicated that although stories used to warn and frighten people were shown to have a shocking impact on the participants, pupils found it difficult to make the connection between the speakers' horrific stories and their own experimentation with drugs and alcohol. It was found that participants appreciated the fact that they were being informed about the dangers of substance use, and that they were encouraged to take responsibility for their own decisions regarding this behaviour. The informal, non-judgemental stance of the speakers served to reinforce this message. In conclusion, the study indicated that the different methods used in the various prevention programmes are in fact not altogether different. It is suggested that the various models are potentially compatible, and can perhaps work together to establish an effective preventative strategy.

The purpose of this study was to explore mechanisms through which high school students experience and cope with perceived discrimination and how discrimination and coping mechanisms relate to psychological distress and school engagement. Framed within transactional stress and coping and sociopolitical development theories, I tested a multiple mediation model with an ethnically diverse sample of public high school students (N = 979) and a subsample of Latina/o students (n = 433) to examine the mediating effects of three coping mechanisms (perceived social support, ethnic identity, and critical consciousness) on the relationship between perceived discrimination and the outcomes of psychological distress and school engagement. Additionally, psychological distress was examined as a mediator in the link between perceived discrimination and school engagement. Measurement and structural models were tested and demonstrated an adequate fit to the data. The hypothesized structural model accounts for 54% of the variance in school engagement and 31.2% of the variance in psychological distress in the full sample. The same model accounts for 63.4% of the variance in school engagement and 26.7% of the variance in psychological distress in the Latina/o subsample. A bootstrap analysis revealed that critical consciousness and perceived social support mediate the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological distress in the full sample. Further, critical consciousness, ethnic identity, perceived social support, and psychological distress mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and school engagement. A bootstrap analysis in the Latina/o subsample indicated that critical consciousness and psychological distress mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and school engagement. While there are associated risks, the results highlight critical consciousness development as a protective racism-related coping mechanism for ethnically diverse adolescents and Latina/o youth in particular. Strengths, limitations, and implications of the study are discussed.

abstract: Data from 749 Mexican-origin families across a seven-year span was used to test a model of the processes that moderate and mediate the transmission of religious values from parent to child. There were four separate reports of parenting practices (mother-report, father-report, adolescent’s report on mother, and adolescents report on father) and models were tested separately based on each report. Results suggest the mother’s role was more influential than fathers in transmitting religious values to their child, across parent and adolescent-report. In addition, results revealed different, and opposing effects for mother’s self-report of parenting practices and adolescents report on mother’s parenting behavior. Adolescents’ perceptions of maternal acceptance and consistency increased the likelihood of adolescents maintaining their religious values across adolescence, whereas mothers’ self-reported parenting practices negatively predicted late adolescents’ religious values. Lastly, results of this study lend support for the differential role of mothers in fathers in the development of adolescents’ social competence, specifically in the context of their religious values and use of positive parenting practices. The findings highlight the unique contributions of each reports’ perceptions in studying the transmission of religious values in families, as well, as the distinct role of mothers and fathers in the development of adolescents’ social competence. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2018

O olhar para uma população específica, crianças/adolescentes, em uso/abuso de álcool e outras substâncias psicoativas foi o enredo desse trabalho. Partiu-se a priori da investigação de 38 casos de adolescentes que deram entrada no Pronto Atendimento Municipal (PAM) e foi-se construindo o caminho percorrido pela amostra dentro das possibilidades de atendimento em Taquaritinga-SP, este município do interior paulista pertencente à regional de Araraquara que tem como estrutura uma rede de serviços de saúde mental especializados: um ambulatório infantil (ASMi) e um centro de atenção psicossocial infantil (CAPSi). Identificou-se que não se tratava de uma questão simples, mas complexa com muitas facetas, vindo em direção às perspectivas de Morin que confrontam teorias e idéias sem preconceitos. Esse trabalho usa o estudo exploratório descritivo de abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa e teve por objetivo identificar o percurso de crianças/adolescentes usuários de álcool e outras substâncias psicoativas, além de verificar se o Centro de Atenção Psicossocial infantil (CAPSi) do município se faria presente como estratégia de tratamento prevista no Plano Emergencial de Ampliação do Acesso ao Tratamento e Prevenção de Álcool e outras Drogas (PEAD 2009-2011). A análise resultante desse estudo revelou que os serviços prestam acolhimento a população adscrita por várias portas de entrada, mesmo não tendo um programa para tratamento. Mostra também que o trabalho tem a necessidade de ser realizado em conjunto, ser articulado em rede e que sua concretização é um desafio. Com a inexistência de respostas prontas, alerta-se para a necessidade da busca de novas reflexões e construções a respeito do tratamento de crianças/adolescentes usuários de substâncias psicoativas. / The look for a specific population, children/adolescents, in the use/abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive substances was the scenario of this work. The starting point was the investigation of 38 cases of adolescents who were admitted to the Municipal Emergency Care (PAM) and has been built the road traveled by the sample within the possibilities of service in Taquaritinga-SP, this city in the interior belonging to regional Araraquara which has as structure network of specialist mental health services: a childhood ambulatory (ASMi) and a psychosocial care center for children (CAPSi). It was found that this was not a simple matter, but with many complex facets, coming towards the Morin´s prospects which confront theories and ideas without prejudice. This work uses the descriptive exploratory study of quantitative and qualitative approach and aimed to identify the route of children/adolescents who use alcohol and other psychoactive substances, besides to checking if the Psychosocial Care Center child (CAPSi) of the city would be present as treatment strategy referred on the Emergency Plan for Expansion of Access to Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol and other Drugs (PEAD 2009-2011). The resulting analysis of this study revealed that the hosting services are provided to enrolled population by various ports of entry, while not having a program for treatment. It also shows that the work has needed to be done together, to be articulated in the network and that its implementation is a challenge. With the lack of ready answers, it is cautioned to the need to search for new ideas and constructions concerning the treatment of children/ adolescents users of psychoactive substances.

Introdução – A inatividade física tem se tornado um problema de saúde pública principalmente no período da adolescência. Objetivo – Descrever o nível de atividade física em escolares do ensino médio de uma escola da rede estadual de ensino localizada no distrito da Vila Nova Cachoeirinha em São Paulo. Métodos – A amostra foi constituída por 775 adolescentes do ensino médio de uma escola da rede estadual de ensino localizada no distrito da Vila Nova Cachoeirinha em São Paulo. Para coleta de dados foi utilizado o questionário de avaliação da atividade física proposto por FLORINDO et al. (2006), um questionário de avaliação sócio-econômica (ABEP) e parte do questionário de avaliação sobre condições de saúde (MINISTÈRIO DA SAÚDE, 2004). Foi definido como fisicamente inativo o adolescente que se envolveu por um tempo menor do que 300 minutos por semana em atividades físicas, exercícios ou praticas esportivas. Para comparação das proporções foi utilizado o teste Qui-quadrado com nível de significância de p<0,05. Resultados – A proporção de inatividade física nos adolescentes foi de 64,3% (IC 95%: 61,7-66,9). O percentual de inatividade física esteve positivamente associado ao período de estudo, à série acadêmica do aluno, ao grupo etário mais velho, ao nível sócio-econômico, ao uso de tabaco e bebidas alcoólicas, a não participação nas aulas de Educação Física, a falta de incentivo dos pais para a prática de atividades física e ao maior tempo de TV. Por outro lado, o percentual de inatividade física esteve negativamente associado à quantidade de modalidades esportivas praticadas pelos adolescentes e ao tempo de uso de vídeo game/computador. Conclusão - A proporção de adolescentes inativos foi elevada na maioria das variáveis avaliadas, o que demonstra que este grupo apresenta um elevado potencial para o desenvolvimento de programas de intervenção com o objetivo de aumentar o nível de atividade física. / Introduction - The physical inactivity has become a public health problem mainly in adolescence age. Objective – Was to describle the level of physical activity in adolescents from a public school of the district Vila Nova Cachoeirinha in São Paulo – SP. Methods – The sample was constituted by 775 high school adolescents from a public state school situated in the districit of Vila Nova Cachoeirinha in São Paulo. To collect the data, a questionnaire of evaluation of physical activity proposed by FLORINDO et al. (2006), a questionnaire of social and economic evaluation (ABEP) and part of the questionnaire of evaluation about conditions of health (MINISTÉRIO DA SAÚDE, 2004) were used. It was definied as physically inactive the adolescent who is involved by a smaller timer than 300 minutes per week in physical activities, exercises or sports practices. To compare the proportions, the test Qui-square with level of significance of p<0,05 was used. Results - the proportion of inactive adolescents was 64,3% (IC 95%: 61, 7-66,9). The percentage of physical inactivity was positively associated in adolescents the evening classes, in 3rd grade students, in social economic level B, in adolescents who use tobacco, alcoholic beverages, who do not participate of Scholar Physical Education classes, who do not receive incentive from the parents to practice a physical activity and who spend more time watching TV. On the other side, the percentage of physical inactivity is negatively associated to the quantity of sports modality they go in and to the time using video game/computer. Conclusion - The proportion of inactive adolescents was high in the majority of the evaluated variables, which shows that this group presents a high potential for the development of intervention with the aim of increasing the level of physical activity.

Having a child who is suffering with chronic pain can profoundly impact a parent’s life. Reciprocally, parent cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to their child’s chronic pain can influence the child pain experience. We developed the Parent Risk and Impact Screening Measure (PRISM) to assess parent physical and emotional functioning, behavioral responses to child pain, and impact on daily life due to their child’s chronic pain. In an effort to validate this screening tool, we examined the PRISM in relation to existing measures of parent distress, parent behavior, and child functioning. The 30-item PRISM was administered via RedCAP survey to 112 parents of children with persistent pain presenting to a multidisciplinary pain clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital. Parents also completed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29), Bath Adolescent Pain Questionnaire-Parental Impact Questionnaire (BAQ-PIQ), Adult Responses to Children’s Symptoms (ARCS), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Children completed the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI), Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FOPQ), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Parents were predominantly mothers (84%), married (74%), and college- educated (70%). Their children (ages 8-18) were predominantly female (88%) and endorsed daily pain (84%; Mean=6/10). PRISM total scores were strongly correlated with parent general symptoms of depression, anxiety, fatigue, social restrictions, and pain interference (PROMIS-29; r=0.47, 0.54, 0.59, 0.57, 0.38). PRISM total scores were also highly associated with parent pain-specific domains including self-blame and helplessness (BAP-PIQ; r=0.62), parent behavior (BAP-PIQ; r=0.54), and protective responses (ARCS; r=0.59). For child outcomes, higher PRISM scores correlated with more disability (FDI; r=0.49), higher fear of pain (FOPQ; r=0.53), and lower functioning within emotional, social, and psychosocial domains (PedsQL; r=0.36, 0.34, 0.48). Altogether the PRISM tool appears to be a brief and clinically important means of screening parent distress and behaviors associated with child pain-related dysfunction. Future work will include item level analysis with the goal of reducing the length of this screening tool.

Research has linked emotional regulation to the adaptive functioning of adolescents. Further research suggests that family processes, which include implicit rules, impact children's emotional regulation. The current study examined the impact of implicit rules that are facilitative of family connectedness on development of adolescents' emotional regulation. Data came from the Flourishing Families Project (FFP), a seven-year longitudinal study measuring family processes that impact adolescent development. The sample was collected in the northwestern United States and consisted of 500 families with a target child between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Participants filled out self-report measures on implicit family rules and emotional regulation. Data was organized in a cohort sequential design and analyzed using latent variable growth curve modeling. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant growth in emotional regulation across the adolescent years. Results further indicated that initial status of facilitative rules did not have a statistically significant effect on growth in emotional regulation. Finally, growth in facilitative rules was found to have a statistically significant impact on growth in emotional regulation. Clinical implications for work with adolescents and families are discussed.

Extensive literature suggests that Latino youth experience higher levels of depression when compared to youth from other ethnic backgrounds yet relatively little is known regarding why this particular population is especially susceptible to depression. This study focused on family level stressors and the link between interparental conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms in Latino families. The sample consisted of 400 girls and 290 boys, they were distributed into four groups based on gender and family structure. Written surveys were completed in their respective English classes measuring the aforementioned variables. Results indicated a significant relationship across all four groups between family stressors and interparental conflict, along with interparental conflict and depression. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Heightened reward associated with palatable food, a construct referred to as hedonic reward, can promote excessive energy intake among adults. However, no known studies have examined the influence of hedonic reward on adolescents' eating behavior and weight status. The present study examined whether there was an association between hedonic hunger and weight status in overweight/obese adolescents and whether dietary behavior (caloric consumption) mediated this association. Baseline measures of body mass index, hedonic food reward, and dietary intake were collected from one hundred overweight and obese adolescents. Data were analyzed using mixture modeling. Mediation at varying levels of hedonic hunger was explored and three heterogeneous sub-classes were identified. Results indicated that for 65% participants there was a positive association between hedonic hunger and zBMI such that one unit of increase in hedonic hunger was associated with a 0.35 unit increase in zBMI. However, no conclusive evidence of caloric intake mediating the association between hedonic hunger and weight-status was found. Overall, our results suggest that exaggerated hedonic responses are associated with higher body mass in adolescents. These results provide a compelling argument that hedonic hunger can potentially override the homeostatic need for energy and may be associated with weight-gain.

Abstract available through American Journal of Epidemiology.