Adolescent depression is highly prevalent, associated with negative effects and likely to recur, this provides a cogent argument for finding sustainable, cost-effective, developmentally appropriate approaches to preventing depression. Although there is good evidence to support efficacy, there is no evidence of the effectiveness of programs preventing adolescent depression. Thus the primary aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of a universal, school-based, adolescent depression prevention program when implemented by teachers and local mental health professionals. Participants were 1003 secondary school students drawn from three pairs of matched Year 9 cohorts. The three pairs were assigned to either: (a) Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP), an 11-session school-based resilience program delivered as part of the school curriculum (n = 522) or (b) a comparison condition (n = 481). All students completed measures of depressive symptoms and hopelessness at pre-intervention, post-intervention and 6-month follow-up. The intervention group completed quantitative and qualitative evaluations of perceived program benefit. Small program effects on depressive symptoms for the RAP group were evident for the whole group at post-intervention (ES = 0.30) and for girls only at follow-up (ES = 0.35). However, both boys' and girls' self-reports indicated very positive overall benefits from the RAP intervention. Teachers were not less effective as group leaders than mental health professionals in terms of outcomes on depression measures, perceived program benefits or acceptability to students. Public health implications of this population-based approach are discussed in the light of small effects, high recruitment rates and potential use of sustainable school resources.

The focus of this thesis is the evaluation of three forms of an empirically-based cognitive-behavioural parenting program for separated families with adolescent children. However, to initially determine the existence of lasting affects of parental separation (occurring during childhood and adolescence), an exploratory study used a sample of 272 young adults (aged between 18 and 30 years) from intact families and 78 young adults from separated families. This study investigated the impact of parental marital status on young adult psychological adjustment, interpersonal relationships, attitudes toward divorce, and interpersonal behaviour problems. Results indicated that the effects of parental separation on father-child relationships persist into adulthood for men and women. Further, young women from separated families also reported more accepting attitudes toward divorce, and earlier age at entering into de facto or marital relationships. Young men reported more di fficulties in their relationships with mothers, moving out of the family home at a younger age, and higher levels of verbal attack behaviours in romantic relationships compared to their peers from intact families. Importantly, results suggested that both young children and adolescents experience adverse consequences of parental separation, albeit in different adjustment domains. Given these results, the need for intervention was established. While considerable efforts have gone into the development of intervention programs for young children from separated families, few efforts have focused on adolescents whose parents have separated. To redress this situation, this thesis describes the development and evaluation of three forms of delivery of a parenting program for separated families with adolescent children - group, individual, and telephone-assisted. Study 2 investigated the efficacy and acceptability of the Youth Adjustment to Parental Separation (YAPS) program - an empirically-based group cognitive-beha vioural parenting program for separated families with adolescent children. Overall, the results from this initial trial with four mothers suggested that the program was implemented as planned and that the program was acceptable to mothers. Further, the program lead to improvements in mothers' perceptions of adolescent symptomatology and their own symptomatology. However, there was limited or inconsistent change in mothers' perceptions of family relationships, the coparenting relationship, and their parenting practises, and in adolescents' perceptions of interparental conflict, coping, negative separation-related events, and problematic beliefs. Furthermore, adolescents reported deterioration in family communication and their own symptomatology. Based on the results of Study 2 and the limitations identified, recommendations were made regarding improvements to the YAPS program and to the procedures used to evaluate program effectiveness. According to the recommendations made in Study 2, the efficacy and acceptability of the YAPS program delivered as a therapist-administered individual program was evaluated with six families in Study 3. Results indicated that the program is acceptable to mothers, and that it leads to improvements in adolescent adjustment, parent adjustment, mother-adolescent relationships, father-contact, adolescent exposure to interparental conflict and other negative-separation-related events, and mothers' perceptions of family relationships. Less consistent changes were observed for adolescent ratings of family relationships, and the father-adolescent relationship, however improvements in the father-adolescent relationship were associated with increased levels of f ather-contact. Consistent improvements in adolescents' coping and their appraisal of parental separation were not observed. However, there appeared to be a relationship between parental utilisation of coping strategies and adolescent coping, suggesting that promoting adolescent coping indirectly through parental modelling and parental encouragement is an appropriate intervention strategy. Study 4 evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of the YAPS program delivered as a telephone-assisted program. Results indicated that the program is acceptable to mothers, and that it improves adolescent perceptions of family communication, their own coping, and their relationship with their father. However, mothers' ratings of their own and their child's adjustment, and adolescent ratings of their own adjustment did not change. Further, expected improvements in mothers' parenting practises, the mother-adolescent relationship, separation-related negative-events, separation-related beliefs, and the coparenting relationship were not observed. Overall, improvements observed in the evaluation of the minimal-contact, telephone-assisted YAPS program (Study 4) were considerably less than those observed in the evaluation of the individual therapist-assisted, face-to-face program (Study 3). Future evaluations of the YAPS program need to address the limitations of the current series of studies, particularly, comparison to a wait-list control group is required so that threats to internal validity can be minimised.

This qualitative study was designed to gain an insight into the ways in which adolescents and young adults managed ?self? in their day - to - day diabetes management. It also examined the effect that illness self representations had on that management. A grounded theory approach using a symbolic interactionist framework was adopted based on 27 in- depth semi structured interviews with adolescents and young adults with diabetes. Respondents described the effects of diabetes management on the physical, emotional, social and related selves. They also described their various illness self representations. It often took an inordinate amount of work for the respondents to manage their diabetes. This ?management? work could be related to problems with their physiological control, emotional stressors, the need to be socially interactive, differing priorities or relational issues. Certainly even the most resilient respondents experienced periods of vulnerability and needed to nurture the ?self? The study generates new knowledge which builds upon the existing body of knowledge relating to the management of self in adolescents and young adults in the context of T1DM. The study established that whilst some health professionals are sensitive and cognizant of the needs of adolescents and young adults with diabetes, there is room for improvement in the way in which health professionals understand the complexities involved in diabetes management for adolescents and young adults / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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<p>D. J. Pepler et al. (2006) fann en högre benägenhet att utsätta andra för mobbning på gymnasiet än på högstadiet till skillnad från T. R. Nansel et al. (2001) som fann motsatta resultat. Studien undersökte, med hjälp av enkäter, om högstadieelever och gymnasieelever skiljde sig i tillvägagångssätt och upplevelse av mobbning, samt skillnader i medvetenhet om skolans mobbningsprevention. Vidare undersöktes könsskillnader och elevers inställning till skolan. Resultatet visade att högstadieelever upplever sig mer utsatta för mobbning. Pojkar upplevde både att de utsattes och utsatte andra för mer direkt mobbning än flickor. Högstadieelever var mer medvetna om att det fanns anti-mobbningsgrupper på skolan. Detta kunde bero på att gymnasieelever ansågs kunna ta hand om sin situation och söka hjälp själva.</p>

<p>The aim of this study was to describe how adolescents experiences their quality of life, and to</p><p>compare if there are any differences in how they experiences their QOL depending on where</p><p>they live, big town or smaller town. The aim was also to examine how adolescents</p><p>experienced their schooling. The study is empirically, quantitative with a descriptive and</p><p>comparative design. To measure quality of life a tried and tested instrument – Life</p><p>Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ) was used. The questionnaire was distributed and collected</p><p>by the authors.142 students participated, 79 from the larger city and 63 from the smaller city.</p><p>The results of this study showed that adolescents, 16-19 years, rated their overall QOL as high</p><p>and that there were no significant differences between the cities regarding on how the</p><p>adolescents experienced their overall QOL. There were significant differences in some of the</p><p>sub factors. There were significant differences in the factors ”physical symptoms”, influence</p><p>of illness” and “Experience of every day meaningful activities”. Adolescents from the larger</p><p>city experienced higher levels of meaningful activities, and adolescents in the smaller city</p><p>experienced less physical symptoms and influence of illness. The results also showed that the</p><p>adolescents rated their ability to manage their studies as high, and that there were few that felt</p><p>depressed or/and bullied. The adolescents in this study felt that their schooling was</p><p>represented of both a positive and a negative adjective. Funny and instructive recurred</p><p>frequently, but also tough occurred often.</p>

<p><strong>Bakgrund</strong>: Det finns i nuläget inget svenskt self-efficacy instrument för barn och ungdomar med smärta. Den här undersökningen syftade till att översätta samt reliabilitets- och validitetstesta en engelskspråkig self-efficacy skala för barn och ungdomar med smärta.</p><p><strong>Metod</strong>: Urvalet bestod av 62 elever från tre olika klasser i Uppsala. Skalan översattes till svenska och ett frågeformulär utformades för att möjliggöra en utvärdering av test-retest reliabilitet samt kriterie- och ögonblicksvaliditet.</p><p><strong>Resultat</strong>: Värdena på viktad kappa för överensstämmelsen av två skattningar (S1 och S2) med self-efficacy instrumentet (SEIS) varierade mellan <em>K_w</em>₌0,37 -  <em>K_w</em>₌0,75. Sambandet mellan Functional disability inventory (FDI) och SEIS beräknades med Spearmans rangkorrelation där <em>r_s</em> = 0,364 (p<0,05). Ögonblicksvaliditeten för SEIS beskrevs som att den var lättförståelig, innehöll vardagliga aktiviteter men att vissa aktiviteter saknades.</p><p><strong>Konklusion</strong>: Slutsatsen av denna undersökning var att frågorna i SEIS bör omarbetas för att bli mer specifika och kunna användas. Det kan även utarbetas nya aktiviteter till instrumentet eftersom resultaten av undersökningen visade att vissa aktiviteter saknades. På grund av urvalets karaktär var resultaten troligtvis inte generaliserbara.</p>

Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (M.A. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Individuals who engage in excessive reassurance seeking (constantly seeking reassurance that one is needed and valued) have higher rates of internalizing disorders. However, little research has examined excessive reassurance seeking among adolescents, particularly in a non-clinical population. Furthermore, research has not examined how close relationships in adolescence, such as best friends and romantic partners, view an adolescent?s use of excessive reassurance seeking behavior. This is particularly interesting, as best friends and romantic partners may be the primary recipients of this behavior. The current study sought to (a) examine the association between excessive reassurance seeking and internalizing symptoms among adolescents, (b) examine the agreement between adolescents? and close peers? ratings of excessive reassurance seeking as well as potential moderators of concordance, and (c) examine the association between peer ratings of excessive reassurance seeking behavior and adolescents? internalizing symptoms, both concurrently and prospectively over time. Participants included 465 adolescents (61% girls), ages 15-20 years, 64.3% Hispanic, 19.1% White non-Hispanic, 6.3% Black and 10.3% other. Participants completed the Excessive Reassurance Seeking subscale of Depressive Interpersonal Relationships Inventory, the Youth Self Report (YSR) and the Network of Relationships Inventory ? Revised. Of this larger sample, a subsample of 44 adolescents (68% female), ages 15-18, 59.1% Hispanic, 31.8% White-non-Hispanic, 2.3% Black and 6.8% mixed ethnicity or other, was used to test hypotheses related to close peer?s assessment of excessive reassurance seeking behavior. Participants also completed the YSR two months later. Data were collected as part of a larger study of adolescent peer relationships during class periods at public high schools in an urban area of the Southeast US. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression techniques, controlling for demographic variables and testing the unique contributions of study variables. Regarding the first study aim that sought to examine associations between excessive reassurance seeking and adolescents? internalizing symptoms, results indicated that excessive reassurance seeking was related to internalizing symptoms concurrently, but not prospectively. Age, gender and ethnicity were found to also be significant predictors of adolescents? internalizing symptoms concurrently, but only ethnic differences emerged prospectively. Regarding the second study aim, examining the concordance between self and peer reports of excessive reassurance seeking, the agreement between self and peer reports was significant. However, further analysis revealed this association was moderated by friendship quality and informant type. Specifically, relationships with high positive quality showed concordance, as opposed to those low in positive relationship quality. Furthermore, romantic partners showed concordance in reports, but not best friends. Regarding the third study aim that sought to examine whether both self and peer reports of excessive reassurance seeking were related to adolescents? internalizing symptoms, results indicated that both self and peer reports were uniquely related to internalizing symptoms concurrently; however this was not the case prospectively. These findings suggest that certain peer informants (romantic partners, high quality relationships) may be reliable indicators of adolescents? excessive reassurance seeking behavior. This has potential implications in the assessment of adolescent internalizing symptoms and interpersonal behaviors associated with these symptoms. However, as results did not emerge in the current study over time, future research is needed to examine the developmental pathways between excessive reassurance seeking and internalizing symptoms.