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Maltreatment is a pervasive global problem known to have cascading consequences that persist long after exposure subsides (Masten and Cicchetti, 2010). Maltreatment is often co-occurring, involving exposure to multiple types. Cumulative maltreatment, or exposure to multiple types of neglect and abuse, is proposed to be of critical importance for developmental psychopathology. However, a cumulative approach to studying maltreatment provides little insight into the developmental processes whereby it exerts its effects on health. Thus, we employed both a cumulative approach and a multidimensional approach to facilitate our comprehensive understanding of maltreatment experiences related to behavioral development. Given the high prevalence of maltreatment, it is important to cultivate a greater understanding of the processes linking maltreatment and health and to identify developmental periods of vulnerability to its deleterious effects. The present study uses a longitudinal design and a multidimensional approach to examine the effects of maltreatment on delay discounting and health-promoting and health-demoting behaviors during adolescence and across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. The study sample includes 167 adolescents (aged 13–14 at Time 1; 53% male) who participated across 5 time points over 6 years. At Time 5, adolescents provided retrospective reports of their exposure to maltreatment during adolescence across ages 13–18. Delay discounting, substance use, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed at each time point. We used a developmental cascade model with autoregressive, cross-lagged, and cross-sectional associations to examine the longitudinal multivariate change processes and indirect effects from maltreatment exposure during adolescence to delay discounting and health-promoting and health-demoting behaviors during adolescence and across the transition to young adulthood. Our results indicate that cumulative maltreatment affects health-demoting behavior via its effects on delay discounting and that maltreatment of omission but not commission drives this effect. Furthermore, the findings identify adolescents exposed to maltreatment of omission as being especially vulnerable to marijuana use via elevated delay discounting. Identifying mediating processes linking maltreatment exposure to health-promoting and health-demoting behaviors may be instrumental for preventing deleterious developmental cascades and interrupting related health problems during adolescence and across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. / Doctor of Philosophy / Maltreatment is a pervasive global problem that casts a long shadow, often involving exposure to multiple types of abuse or neglect. Cumulative maltreatment involves exposure to different types of neglect and abuse and is especially problematic for adjustment and health. However, a cumulative approach to studying maltreatment provides little insight into the developmental processes whereby it exerts its effects on health. We took a cumulative approach and a multidimensional approach to improve our understanding of how maltreatment experiences relate to health in adolescence and young adulthood. Given the high prevalence of maltreatment, it is important to understand how maltreatment and health are related and to identify developmental periods of vulnerability to maltreatment. The present study includes 167 adolescents (aged 13–14 at the study outset; 53% male) who participated across 6 years. At ages 17–18, adolescents provided reports of their exposure to maltreatment during adolescence (across ages 13–18). Delay discounting, substance use, and body mass index (BMI) were gathered at each assessment. We examined the cascading effects of cumulative maltreatment, abuse, and neglect on delay discounting and health behaviors over time. Our results indicate that cumulative maltreatment affects health-demoting behavior via delay discounting and that maltreatment of omission but not commission drives this effect. Furthermore, the findings identify adolescents exposed to maltreatment of omission as being especially vulnerable to marijuana use via elevated delay discounting. These findings may inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at mitigating risks for adolescents exposed to neglect during adolescence and across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.

TITLE: Coping with sudden motility limitation and its implication - coping strategies among young people with spinal cord injury and with multiple sclerosis SUMMARY: This thesis is focused on process of adjustment of motility limitation, caused by spinal cord injury or by attack of multiple sclerosis, among young people. The motoric ability limitation affects their mobility as well as their social interaction, interests, plans and especially their independence. Thus, in age of gaining emancipation from nuclear family, they become dependant on their home-folks again. The theoretical part of the thesis acquaints with spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis from biological and psychosocial point of view, thereinafter it's engaged in coping generally and coping in relation to these two groups. Furthermore it's dealt with developmental periods characterization of adolescence and young adulthood, consequences of health turnover in self-concept in social context. The empirical part is based on semi-structured interviews with six young people (3 with spinal cord injury, 3 with multiple sclerosis). The important findings gained from interviews are presented in form of casuistries. On the basis of the interviews analysis it's demonstrated problematic domains, that are affected by motility limitation, and ways of...

The thesis is dedicated to intimate relationships of people with schizophrenic disorder (F20). The aim of this study was to determine the importance of intimate relationships attributed by women and men with schizophrenia in young adulthood. Their experience, ideals and expectations of partnership were also investigated. The theoretical part is divided into three parts. The first chapter describes the illness of schizophrenia, its characteristics, etiology, epidemiology, symptoms, deficits in cognitive and social functioning as well as current treatments oriented at psychosocial intervention. In the second chapter, the topic of partnerships of common people is presented. The third chapter describes the theme of partnerships in persons with schizophrenic disorder itself. The empirical part is based on qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 respondents, investigating intimate relationships and sexuality of people with schizophrenia. The results are properly described and afterwards discussed with the available literature. In the conclusion, it is recommended further research and intervention in social relationships among people with schizophrenia.

Analyses of data from 317 young people (16-24 yrs) suggested that their attachment to parents is best represented by an overall attachment scale and 1(2) specific subscales. Analyses of data from 146 parents indicated that closeness to their children is captured by an overall scale and two specific subscales.

Abstract Loneliness is a negative, involuntary, subjective, relational and sociocultural experience. Due to the multidimensional nature of the experience, this topic calls for research that explores loneliness on multiple levels. Drawing from different disciplines of the human sciences and utilizing a mixed methods approach, this study aims at contributing new knowledge of young peoples’ loneliness and exploring its meaning over time. Data for the study was drawn from the population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986) (N = 9,432). In three articles of the four included in this study, logistic regression analysis was used with samples of adolescents (aged 15–16; n = 5,817–7,014) who reported loneliness in the 2001–2002 adolescents’ questionnaire in order to explore what kind of associations loneliness has with different socioemotional, health, wellbeing and contextual factors. Girls reported loneliness more often than boys. Loneliness was associated with several adverse factors among adolescents, including deliberate self-harm, being bullied, dissatisfaction with life and feelings of unhappiness, sadness, and depression. School dislike was associated with loneliness only among girls. The findings from these quantitative articles and earlier loneliness theories informed the semi-structured interview guide utilized in data production for the fourth article. Qualitative data consisted of 35 interviews, conducted in 2013, selected from a sample of the same participants who reported being very lonely in the adolescents’ questionnaire. The study explored in what ways young adults (aged 27–28) described the experience of loneliness, how loneliness felt and what was the meaning of the experience over time. Based on qualitative, theory-guided content analysis, the experience of loneliness was described with five dimensions; Personal, Relational, Physical context, Life event and Sociocultural. The duration and intensity of loneliness fluctuated over the course of life and six loneliness trajectories were constructed from the data. (Hetero)gender(ed) norms and normativity had a central influence on the experience of loneliness. In this synopsis, the different types of findings were compared to explore their convergence or divergence. The findings mainly converged, providing a more comprehensive understanding of loneliness that would have not been possible had only one type of research approach been used. / Tiivistelmä Yksinäisyys on negatiivinen, ei-valittu, subjektiivinen, relationaalinen ja sosiokulttuurinen kokemus. Moniulotteista yksinäisyyttä onkin tärkeä tarkastella tieteenalojen rajoja ylittäen ja useita tutkimuksellisia lähestymistapoja yhdistäen. Tässä tutkimuksessa yksinäisyyttä lähestytään erilaisista ihmistieteellisistä lähtökohdista hyödyntämällä monimenetelmällistä lähestymistapaa Pohjois-Suomen syntymäkohortti 1986-aineistoon (N = 9 432) (NFBC1986). Tavoitteena on tuottaa uutta tietoa nuorten ihmisten yksinäisyydestä ja sen merkityksestä heidän elämässään. Tutkimukseen sisältyvästä neljästä artikkelista kolmessa olivat mukana ne 15–16-vuotiaat nuoret (n = 5 817–7 014), jotka vastasivat yksinäisyyttä mittaavaan kysymykseen nuorten kyselylomakkeessa vuonna 2001–2002. Artikkeleissa tutkittiin yksinäisyyden yhteyttä erilaisiin sosioemotionaalisiin, kontekstuaalisiin sekä terveys- ja hyvinvointimuuttujiin logistisella regressioanalyysillä. Tytöt kokivat yksinäisyyttä poikia useammin. Nuorten yksinäisyys oli yhteydessä useisiin negatiivisiin tekijöihin, kuten onnettomuuden, surun ja masentuneisuuden tunteisiin, kiusatuksi tulemiseen, elämään tyytymättömyyteen, itsensä tahalliseen vahingoittamiseen ja tyttöjen osalta myös koulusta ei-pitämiseen. Neljännen artikkelin aineistontuotannossa käytetty haastattelurunko muodostettiin edellä mainittujen artikkeleiden tulosten ja aiemman teoreettisen ymmärryksen pohjalta. Aineisto koostuu vuonna 2013 tehdyistä teemahaastatteluista, joihin osallistui 35 nuorta aikuista (27–28-vuotiaita), jotka ilmoittivat nuorten kyselylomakkeessa vuonna 2001–2002 olevansa erittäin yksinäisiä. Tässä artikkelissa tarkasteltiin, miten haastateltavat kuvasivat yksinäisyyden kokemustaan, miltä yksinäisyys tuntui ja mikä oli yksinäisyyden merkitys heidän elämänkulussaan. Laadullisen teoriaohjaavan sisällönanalyysin perusteella nimettiin viisi keskeistä yksinäisyyden ulottuvuutta sekä kuusi yksinäisyyden muotoutumista ja muuttumista kuvaavaa kehityskaarta. (Hetero)sukupuolittuneiden normien ja normatiivisuuden vaikutus oli keskeinen yksinäisyyden kokemisessa. Tässä yhteenveto-osiossa määrällisiä ja laadullisia tuloksia tarkasteltiin rinnakkain ja vertailtiin tulosten yhteneväisyyksiä ja eroja. Tulokset olivat pääosin yhteneväisiä. Monimenetelmällinen tutkimus tuotti monitasoista tietoa nuorten yksinäisyydestä, mitä ei olisi saatu vain yhtä lähestymistapaa hyödyntäen.

Although there is a strong body of existing literature on early parental loss, the majority of research is devoted to examining the consequences of parental death in childhood. Less is known about the long-term impact of this early loss. In particular, there is a lack of understanding about what it is like to live with early parental loss in young adulthood. This hermeneutic phenomenological study addresses the question: What is the young adult’s experience of living with early parental loss? An in-depth exploration into the lived meaning of early parental loss was conducted through open-ended interviews with 8 young men and women (20-30 years old) who lost a mother or father in childhood (between the ages of 9-18 years old). Interview data was coded and analyzed using van Manen’s (2014) hermeneutic phenomenological method, including the process of guided existential inquiry. The fundamental existential themes of lived body, lived time, lived space, and lived other were used as a guide to thematic representation of data. Ten identified themes characterize the essential qualities of this phenomenon: (1) The Grief Experience, (2) The Parentless Identity, (3) Body Awareness, (4) The Transition, (5) The Unexpected Visitor, (6) The New World, (7) The Empty Space, (8) Navigating Relationships in New Ways, (9) Continuing Bonds, and (10) The Relationship With Loss. Through rich experiential descriptions, presented findings demonstrate that the early death of a parent has an ‘ever after’ impact and significantly influences many facets of life in young adulthood. Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed. / Graduate / 2018-10-02

Culture has been shown to influence the experience of loneliness. Studies have shown that young adults are especially prone to experiencing loneliness. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to investigate if young adults from an individualistic culture experience loneliness differently compared to young adults from a collectivistic culture. Eighty participants from Sweden and 80 participants from India aged 18-30 answered De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) and Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R) through an online survey which together with additional demographics provided the quantitative data. Six semi-structured interviews (three from each culture) provided the qualitative data, exploring how the participants described their experiences of loneliness and its connection to culture. Young adults from India reported significantly higher levels of social isolation and social loneliness compared to young adults from Sweden. No significant difference was found in emotional loneliness. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data provided a deeper insight into these findings, and the qualitative results are discussed in light of the quantitative. Three main themes emerged: descriptions of loneliness, young adulthood as a stage in life where loneliness might be high, and cultural values that affect the experience of loneliness. / Kultur har visat sig ha en påverkan på upplevelsen av ensamhet. Studier har visat att unga vuxna är en åldersgrupp som löper särskilt hög risk för ensamhet. Syftet med denna mixed-methods-studie var att undersöka om unga vuxna från en individualistisk kultur upplever ensamhet annorlunda än unga vuxna från en kollektivistisk kultur. Åttio deltagare från Sverige och 80 deltagare från Indien svarade på De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) och Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R) genom en webb-baserad enkät, som tillsammans med kompletterande demografisk information resulterade i den kvantitativa datan. Sex semi-strukturerade intervjuer (tre från varje kultur) resulterade i den kvalitativa datan, där deltagarnas egna beskrivningar av ensamhet och dess koppling till kultur utforskades. Unga vuxna från Indien rapporterade signifikant högre nivåer av social isolering och social ensamhet jämfört med unga vuxna från Sverige. Ingen signifikant skillnad sågs i emotionell ensamhet. Tematisk analys av den kvalitativa datan gav en djupare förståelse för dessa resultat, och de kvalitativa resultaten diskuteras i relation till de kvantitativa. Tre huvudsakliga teman framkom: beskrivningar av ensamhet, ung vuxen ålder som en tid i livet där ensamheten kan vara hög och kulturella värderingar som påverkar upplevelsen av ensamhet.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to map out the consequences that experience with intimate partner violence can leave in the period of adolescence on the mental and physical condition of its victims, or generally on the quality of their life. The aim of the theoretical part of the thesis is to acquaint readers with the phenomenon of intimate partner violence in a broad- spectrum. However, the most important passage is a chapter focusing on the consequences of intimate partner violence on the psychological and somatic manifestations and behaviour of its victims and development of their subsequent partnerships. This chapter is followed by realized quantitative research,which is divided into three separate thematic sections. The first part of the research finds out whether the research group of respondents with experience with violent partnership in the period of adolescence experienced significantly more of the selected consequences compared to the research group of respondents without experience with the violent relationship in this development period. As part of the complementary data analysis 1, it is discussed whether certain aspects, which are characteristic for the consequences of intimate partner violence, could also be experienced by individuals because of problematic peer relationships and,...

Sibling contact (synchronous or asynchronous) in young adulthood may have implications for individual well-being (health, life satisfaction & depressive symptoms). This link may be moderated by each individuals' traits, specifically autistic characteristics. Current literature has examined sibling contact, mediums of contact, autism relationships, but has yet to consider sibling contact moderated by autistic traits. This study analyzed data from 390 young adults 61% female, mean age = 25.65) who gave self-reports over two collection waves. Structural Equation Models found that regardless of autistic traits, synchronous contact was linked with increased life satisfaction as well as lower depressive symptoms, and asynchronous contact was linked with increased life satisfaction. Interactions between each type of contact and autistic traits found that for those lower in autistic traits, increases in each type of contact was linked with greater life satisfaction, and higher levels of asynchronous contact was linked with lower depressive symptoms, for those with lower levels of autistic traits. Autistic traits do moderate the process of siblings communicating and create a neutral space for those who are higher in traits. Young adults should prioritize sibling contact to improve their life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, and clinicians should encourage sibling contact in young adulthood.