A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of D. LITT in Communication Science University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / In this dissertation I present the results of a literature survey on the reasons for demotivation among adolescents, and the role of communication in remotrvating demotivated adolescents, and a subsequent empirical survey of how adolescents feel about themselves and others of a group of grade 10 and 11 learners in the eThekwini region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. I report results on the respondents' self-conceptualisation, their family, how they feel about school, homework, school relationships, peer and finally regarding their health matters.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are battery-powered handheld devices designed to aerosolize a solution of nicotine and other chemicals for inhalation. The specific mechanical and chemical features of different ENDS affect the systemic exposure and bioavailability of the different chemicals in e-juices. E-cigarettes can come with different cartridge sizes, power outputs, e-liquid constituents, and nicotine delivery. User puff topography also contributes to varying toxicant exposure. ENDS have demonstrated potential as a cessation tool or alternative cigarette product due to its safety profile relative to the combustible cigarette. E-cigarettes have significantly lower concentrations of biomarkers of tobacco-related toxicant exposure and produce less and less harmful second-hand smoke compared to CC. However, ENDS users have significantly greater concentrations of those same biomarkers, highlighting that e-cigarettes do pose a harm to users’ health, even if that may be lower than CC. The same is observed in e-cigarette second-hand smoke as nicotine and aerosol particles were detected in statistically significant amounts. Its toxicity is only amplified by the misconception that they are safer than CC and thus pose no absolute risk, misleading users to use without caution. Therefore, although ENDS do have the potential in reducing smoking in adults who are already addicted to nicotine, it comes with the risk of dual use of conventional and electronic cigarettes and of attracting non-smokers, especially as seen in the youth. The rise in adolescent e-cigarette use can be attributed to its appeal, of both its flavored e-liquids and its image amongst youth that is perpetuated through the intentional marketing of e-cigarette manufacturers. The latent consequences of e-cigarettes are compounded in adolescents, who are in critical stages of brain development, habit formation, and social development. Youth report having experienced short-term clinical symptoms such as cough, lightheadedness, headache, and shortness of breath. Physiologically, vaping has been found to affect the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Vaping alters the equilibrium of the mucociliary clearance system in the pulmonary system and increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, cough, and phlegm. There is increased in pro-inflammatory cytokine secretions, increased alveolar macrophage apoptosis, impairment of phagocytosis, decreased ciliary beating, inhibition of the CFTR channel, and increased mucin expression. In the cardiovascular system, e-cigarette aerosol extract alters angiogenesis, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, sympathetic nerve system activation, platelet activation and anticoagulation inhibition, and cardiac remodeling. E-cigarettes and e-cigarette smoke have also been associated with carcinogenesis in lung epithelium and possibly urothelium. Although e-cigarettes have, on average, less nicotine compared to CC, the significant risk for adolescents to graduate to combustible cigarettes renders this moot. The factors influencing this graduation is modeled through the catalyst model, which details the transition from ‘no use’ to ‘e-cigarette use’ and the transition from ‘e-cigarette use’ to ‘tobacco use.’ Schneider and Diehl hypothesized that the first transition is facilitated through a variety of factors, including flavor, health, price, role models, concealment, and acceptance. The subsequent transition can be attributed to the addiction hypothesis, accessibility hypothesis, and the experience hypothesis. It is clear from the numerous studies conducted, which show students who used e-cigarettes were 4-7 times more likely to report CC use, that e-cigarettes play a catalytic role in enabling the transition to conventional cigarettes. And with increased nicotine exposure, adolescents are subject to impairments in working and verbal memory during abstinence, changes in drug sensitivity and reward-related manifestations in adulthood, more severe dependence during adolescence, and deficits in attentional performance, impaired serial pattern learning, impaired context conditioning and increased anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in adults. They also have reduced control of motivation, reward, and pleasure. This culminates to the gateway hypothesis which states that nicotine can serve as a gateway drug that lowers the youths’ threshold for addiction to opioids, alcohol, and other agents. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in cases of EVALI or e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury, particularly in the adolescent population that is more likely to use illicit e-cigarettes than their adult counterparts. EVALI presents with a wide range of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and constitutional symptoms and is characterized as a sterile exogenous pneumonitis-like reaction with variable degrees of diffuse alveolar damage. Vitamin E acetate, common in illicit products, is strongly linked to this outbreak due to its presence in a vast majority of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of confirmed EVALI cases. As ENDS use has increased amongst adolescents, so have its latent consequences. A coordinated effort from policy makers, public health agencies, healthcare providers, researchers, and especially parents and educators is essential for successful protection of this vulnerable population.

The current study examines the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms in incarcerated youth. A random sample of youth ages 13-17 who were referred for mental health services (n = 120) and not referred for services (n = 120) at a juvenile detention facility were studied. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and the Child Behavior Checklist. Ninety-six percent of referred youth and 69% of non-referred youth had one or more psychiatric diagnoses. Co-morbidity was common in both groups. The findings suggest that youths in the juvenile justice system have noteworthy psychopathology that often remains unidentified.

Preliminary normative data for the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) total score were collected from 2,987 South Carolina middle school students in Grades 6 though 8. Tests for gender and ethnicity (African-American vs. Caucasian) effects were non-significant. Statistically significant differences between grade levels were discovered, but the magnitude of these differences was quite small. Thus, a single set of norms is appropriate for use when interpreting middle school students' responses to the BMSLSS.

Global research on psychosocial factors related to food allergies and youth have increased significantly over the last decade. A plethora of countries provide literature indicating adolescents with food allergies experience social isolation, depression, anxiety, and fear. Most of the literature however favors parental perspectives with limited studies exploring adolescent subjective perspectives. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of adolescents living with food allergies; the goal was to bring awareness to the ascribed meaning of food allergies from the perspective of adolescents and the impact of living with food allergies from day-to-day. Watson’s caring science and Erikson’s psychosocial theory were guiding frameworks for the study with story theory used to guide individual semi-structured interviews (n=14) (11-14 years). Analysis of data entailed various steps congruent with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) Living with Restraints: A Way of Life, (2) Managing Exposure, (3) Experiencing Stigma, and (4) Experiencing Lack of Knowledge. Results indicated adolescents living with food allergies have unique experiences that contribute to psychosocial upheavals and that traditional biological management may be too simplistic for promoting whole adolescent well-being and healthy development. Study findings may contribute to evidence-based interventions that nurture care for the whole adolescent. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Facebook provides adolescents with multiple opportunities to self-disclose information about themselves, one of the most prominent ones being a status update. This qualitative study expanded on existing research related to adolescent self-disclosure on Facebook by exploring ten adolescents\' experiences of self-disclosing on a Facebook status when upset or distressed. Using thematic analysis, prominent themes emerged which included the decision making process in making such a post, concerns of privacy, impacts on peer relationships, perceptions and feelings of others, sense of community and support systems. Limitations of the study, clinical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. / Master of Science

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2017 / This study aimed to investigate factors that protect violence-exposed male adolescents from partaking in violence. A total of 110 male adolescents (n=110) from Grades 11 and 12, were recruited by means of a self-selection sampling method, from two secondary schools located in a small township called Enseleni, in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 15 km from Richards Bay. The researcher used the Screen for Adolescent Violence Exposure (SAVE) to assess violence-exposure in participants. Participants also completed a questionnaire which aimed to investigate factors that they felt were instrumental in preventing them from partaking in violence despite being exposed to it. A number of protective factors were identified by participants but all of them were found to be independent from participation in violence. There was no significant relationship found between any of the identified protective factors and participants’ decisions to either participate or not participate in violence.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / The KwaSomkhele Reserve, the rural area of Mtubatuba has had a noticeable increase of adolescents who got infected with HI-Virus in the area in recent years. Hence, the researcher became interested to investigate the conditions leading to increased HIV infections amongst adolescents. The reasons for the continued increase of HIV infections regardless of massive campaigns that were conducted in their area were investigated. To give meaning to the objectives of the study, the sampling of 200 adolescents was targeted as participants in the initial stages of the research which included both school children and out of school adolescents. Availability sampling was chosen for this study. It is a method of choosing subjects who are available to find. The primary advantage of this method is that it is easy to carry out, relatively to other methods. Availability sampling is a non-probability sampling. The subjects in the non-probability sampling are also selected conveniently for the ease of data and it entails lower costs (Othman et al, 2013:133). However, due to the challenges that were experienced with the Department of Education in terms of the protocols to be followed, only 100 out of school youth as participants were interviewed. It was discovered that the adolescents of KwaSomkhele were aware of HIV/AIDS through HIV/AIDS programs that had been conducted by different government departments in their area, but most of them chose to ignore the information given to them. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made based on the objectives of the study and theories that were used. The researcher has learnt that adolescents are the most vulnerable group in our society because they are faced with the critical transition of moving from puberty stage to adulthood. That transition sometimes forced them to take uninformed decisions and engaged in reckless and risky behaviors which could sometimes lead some of them to be infected by HI-Virus. As a solution to that, the researcher suggests the involvement of stakeholders in providing the necessary support and promoting good and acceptable behaviors by adolescents.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Latinos comprise the largest minority population in the United States. Research underscores the many positive effects that mentors can have on Latino adolescents who lack a male role model living in the home. Mentors can provide support and teach helpful skills that can be applied to multiple life domains needed throughout a person’s lifespan. There are many different types of mentoring services and styles available to adolescents. Yet, there are specific gaps and room for growth within the scholarly literature regarding Latino adolescents that need to be addressed. Shining light and allowing their narratives to be heard and understood in greater depth can promote more effective mentoring programs for Latino adolescents. A qualitative study was conducted using Narrative Analysis involving face-to-face interviews with Latino male adolescents who have lived with a single mother and were participating in a mentoring program. The aim of this study was to obtain valuable first-hand insight and recommendations with regard to adolescents’ experiences regarding the absence of a male role model at home, their participation in mentoring services, as well as their recommendations for improving mentoring programs for Latino adolescents. Key findings included the many benefits that stem from the mentees being involved in their mentoring program, the importance of the mentees’ mothers and other positive supports in their lives, as well as the mentees’ helpful recommendations for their mentoring program.

As students mature the types and frequency of stressors increase with age. Notably, middle school can be a stressful transition period that includes new peer relationships and hormonal changes, along with an increased probability of experiencing bullying and suicide ideation. Stress has been shown to have negative effects in psychological and physiological functioning among adolescents (Brietzke et al., 2012; De Young, Kenardy, & Cobham, 2011; Green et al., 2010). Effective coping skills can help to buffer these issues, giving adolescents a repertoire of tools to use. Along with that, proper emotional regulation has been shown decrease the negative effects of stress on adolescents (Berking & Whitley, 2014; Braet et al., 2014; Moriya & Takashi, 2013). These skills may be particularly important amongst adolescents living in rural areas, as they face unique and often more difficult challenges compared their urban counterparts (Imig, Bokemeier, Keefe, Struthers, & Imig, 1997; Sherman, 2006). However, research exploring rural populations is limited and does not focus on the mostly rural populated areas of the southern United States (Strong, Del Grosso, Burwick, Jethwani, & Ponza, 2005). To address the gaps in research, the purpose of the current study was to investigate if coping response styles predicted perceived stress scores in middle school students living in rural areas. Additionally, the purpose was to explore if emotional regulation moderated the relationship between coping and perceived stress. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the predictability of coping on perceived stress scores (i.e., Perceived Stress Scale). Moreover, hierarchal regression analysis was used to explore moderation of emotional regulation on coping and perceived stress. Data were collected from a northeastern school in a rural area in Mississippi from a sample of 149 middle school students. The results indicated that coping is a statistically significant predictor of perceived stress scores, indicating that the better a student was at coping, the less likely he or she was to report perceived stress. Lastly, results revealed that a student’s emotional regulation does not strengthen or weaken their coping responses effect on perceived stress. Understanding how theses variables work together will provide educators with knowledge that is vital to development of prevention and intervention strategies.