The growth of consumerism has meant that individuals are increasingly using possessions as a means of developing their personal identities and forming social connections. Specifically, the consumer culture has seen the increase of brands and branded goods as marketers attach emotional attributes to them. Thus, brands have become communicative symbols which display, amongst other things, the owner's values, beliefs and social status. As a result, consumers are attempting to form their identities, social connections and self-worth by consuming (often branded) possessions which they feel are representative of their self or ideal self and will increase their chances of social acceptance. However, psychological studies in consumer behaviour suggest that the increasing propensity to seek inner happiness and social bonds through external means (consumption), has led consumers to be less satisfied with their lives and hence decreases psychological well-being; the focus on external rewards has reduced the importance that individuals place on personal development and intrapsychic developments.This study investigates the relationship between the consumption culture, branding and British adolescents, with a comparison between high and low-income teenagers. Adolescents are particularly prone to assuming consumer orientations (and hence the consequences thereof) due to their stage in identity development, their need for social acceptance and the fact that they are a very profitable market segment. As a result, teenagers are encouraged to turn to consumption for developing their personal and social identities, as opposed to more traditional means such as personal skill development. Although limited studies have investigated adolescent consumption, little attention has been paid to low-income adolescents who are prone to reduced self-worth but have a restricted consumption scope and thus cannot consume their self-worth in the same 'normal' ways as their peers. In light of previous studies, it was necessary to first develop a new measure of self-esteem which included the vital role of possessions (and specifically brands) in feelings of self-worth amongst adolescents. The scale-development process revealed the functional importance of self-esteem as a marker of social inclusion and hence shed light on the reason for the importance that adolescents place on specific brands; they are a promise of fitting-in. A valid and reliable 23-item, self-report measure of self-esteem is presented. Subsequent to developing the new scale, the research provided empirical support for a model of the psychological characteristics of adolescent consumption (including self-esteem). The result is a 'Vicious Cycle' model of consumption which suggests that there is a relationship between the factors which contribute to a consumer orientation and the likely effects of having such an orientation. For example, the model suggests that reduced self-esteem may contribute to consumerism and a consumption orientation may contribute to a reduction in self-esteem. Furthermore, the comparison between high and low-income teenagers showed that low-income teenagers were significantly more materialistic than their high-income counterparts thus supporting the suggestion that low-income teenagers are more prone to consumerism than their high-income counterparts. With reference to the detailed links presented in the Vicious Cycle model, the author proceeds to explore the efficacy of extant consumerist-curbing strategies and highlight the need for more effective methods if we wish future generations to develop in to more than simply shoppers.

Självexponering (self-disclosure) är en process där man delar med sigav sina tankar, känslor och berättar saker om sig själv till en annanperson av egen vilja. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vadungdomar berättar och inte berättar till sina föräldrar och undersökavilka strategier de använder. Ungdomar i årskurs åtta i en stadbelägen i Mellansverige blev intervjuade i grupp. Totalt 53respondenter ställde upp på intervjuerna, varav 26 var flickor och 27pojkar. En tematisk analys genomfördes och materialet struktureradesin i fem olika teman: positiva upplevelser, negativa upplevelser, närarelationer, fritidsaktiviteter och filtreringsstrategier. Ungdomar valdeoftast att strategiskt dölja information då de kände att föräldrarnakunde bli upprörda, vilket var något de ville undvika. Undanhållandetav information kunde även kopplas till rädsla och ängslan över attbehöva ha djupa samtal med föräldrarna. Utlämnandet av informationberodde på hur bra relationen var mellan förälder och barn. / Self-disclosure is a process of sharing your thoughts, feelings andsharing information about yourself to another person. The purpose ofthis study was to examine what adolescents disclose and what theydon't disclose to their parents as well as how they withholdinformation from their parents. A total of 53 adolescents consisting of26 females and 27 males in the 8th grade participated in groupinterviewsin this study. In a thematic analysis of interviews, it wasfound five different themes: positive experiences, negativeexperiences, close relationships, leisure activities and strategies forwithholding information. The results showed that adolescents chose towithhold information from their parents when they felt that theirparents could get upset. Adolescents feared the consequences andwanted to avoid conversations with their parents where they had toexplain themselves. Disclosure of information depended often on howstrong the relationship was between parent and child.

The study was motivated by studies which have revealed that teenage pregnancy, maternal mortality and unsafe abortion are high in Lesotho. The purpose of the study was to examine whether or not lack of access to emergency contraception as one of the essential forms of contraception could be the reason for the aforementioned health challenges facing adolescent girls in Lesotho. The study was a desktop review with content analysis of documents applicable to the health of adolescents and those relating to access to family planning services for adolescent girls. The woman question was used as a tool for ascertaining whether the health rights of adolescent girls are fulfilled by Lesotho. The legal framework relevant to access to emergency contraception was also scrutinised to ascertain whether they are compliant with human rights treaties ratified by Lesotho. The study is also a comparative analysis of Lesotho's policy frame with South Africa. From the analysis of the literature review, the study uncovered how religious, cultural practices and some areas of the laws relevant to access to emergency contraception for adolescents were not responsive to the female adolescent question, thereby perpetuating infringement of various human rights belonging to adolescent girls. The study also revealed that lack of political will and poor coordination and monitoring of policies, budgetary deficiencies and shortages in human resources are some of the factors inhibiting adolescent's realisation of their full access to family planning services. The study made recommendations which the Government of Lesotho could use to change the current state of access of adolescent girls to emergency contraception. / tm2017 / Centre for Human Rights / LLM / Unrestricted

The Changing Lives Program (CLP) is a Positive Youth Development (PYD) program that seeks to empower adolescents attending voluntary alternative high schools to take control and responsibility over their lives so they may change their negative life pathways into positive ones. The current study seeks to evaluate the CLP’s Personal Control and Responsibility Measure, an eight item scale devised to assess individuals control and responsibility over life change goals (CRLCG) and life in general (CRG). Using a weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator available in Mplus for categorical variable modeling, the current study ran confirmatory factory analysis on two theoretically possible models, a single factor and a two factor structure. After items regarding control over consequences dropped, results confirmed the hypothesized two factor model (CRLCG and CRG). Furthermore, analysis of measurement invariance found the factor structure form, factor loadings, and intercepts to be invariant across condition, gender, ethnicity, and time (time 1 and 2). Limitations of the current study and implications for future evaluations of the Changing Lives Program (CLP) are discussed.

The longitudinal relationship between borderline personality features, disordered eating behaviour, and the role of impulsivity were examined using a sample of 643 Canadian adolescents from the McMaster Teen Study. Participants were assessed annually, beginning in Grade 7 until Grade 12.Using path analysis, the results suggest that higher symptoms of impulsivity increase an adolescent’s risk of engaging in disordered eating behaviour, as well as developing borderline personality features in later years. Results also showed a bidirectional relationship between these variables, whereby borderline personality features and disordered eating influence one another throughout time. As well, disordered eating appeared as an antecedent for borderline personality features. The findings highlight the importance for clinicians to be aware of the high comorbidity of disordered eating, borderline personality features, and impulsivity, and that early interventions that target impulsivity and problematic eating behaviour may mitigate the risk of future borderline personality features. Clinical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Adolescent substance use is a key public health problem in rural Ohio. Primary care nurses lack substance use screening knowledge and skills. Early screening and detection of possible substance use issues aids in directing patients to appropriate health services. This project involved the implementation of an educational intervention on the CRAFFT screening tool for primary care nurses in rural Ohio. Guided by Kurt Lewin's 3-step model to emphasize prevalence of substance use and need for screening among adolescents, the purpose of this project was to provide training on the CRAFFT screening approach and share guidelines to implement routine substance abuse screening for adolescents seen in this rural primary healthcare setting. The project, based on a pretest and posttest design, was implemented among a sample of 7 nurses to evaluate whether the educational intervention had a significant impact on nurses' knowledge on using the CRAFFT screening tool. Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed a significant increase in the pretest scores (M =51.43, SD = 19.51) and the posttest score (M =94.29, SD = 7.868); t(6)=7.039, p = .000). The project findings support that the benefit of this educational intervention to improve the nurses' substance use screening knowledge using a lunchtime educational training to ensure that vulnerable adolescent patients with substance use receive early and appropriate preventive and treatment measures. For positive social change, early identification of substance use among adolescents may inform the adoption of preventive and treatment measures such as referral to mental health specialists, thereby improving adolescent health outcomes.

Abstract available in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Masters of Public Health - see Magister Public Health / Adolescents account for 20% of the world’s population, and the majority of them are inhabitants of developing countries. Increasing sexual activity amongst adolescents is a public health concern because it can lead to teenage pregnancy which in turn leads to an increase in relative poverty, unemployment, poorer educational achievements (for the adolescent) and poor health of unborn children. Contraceptive use gives females the ability to make informed decisions about their fertility as well as greatly reduce female morbidity and mortality. Despite freely available contraception and accessible reproductive health policies and facilities, a majority of adolescents still report unintended, unplanned pregnancies. .

Master of Public Health - MPH / Background- Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) problems continue to affect adolescents’ health and well-being even into their adulthood. Globally and especially within sub-Saharan Africa with a heavy burden of adolescent SRH problems, increased attention is being paid to these issues. This study looks at adolescents’ awareness, utilisation of and experiences of the available SRH services in Omaruru District, Namibia. Methodology- This analytical cross-sectional study used a two-stage cluster sampling method. Data from students aged 15-19 years in secondary schools were collected and analysed using a structured self-administered questionnaire and STATA statistical software respectively. Ethical approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research and Ethics Committee (University of the Western Cape) and the Namibian Health Ministry. Written parental/caregiver informed consent and written participant assent, as per the Namibian law were obtained. Results- While 87% of respondents had heard of SRH, 46% had ever used SRH services. Of these 44% were contraceptive services. Fifty-one percent had ever had sex (of which 17% had given birth to or fathered their first child), 56% of their first sexual experiences were between ages 15-17 years. Twelve percent had used illegal drugs three months prior to the survey. In multivariate analyses female sex, urban residence and reported sexual debut had significant independent relationships with contraception use. Use of SRH services was independently significantly associated with having had sexual debut. Among SRH services users: 71% would recommend these services to their friends, 51% and 56% found health providers welcoming, with good attitudes, and guaranteeing their privacy and confidentiality. Conclusion Greater effort is needed to curb teenage pregnancy in school-going adolescents by promoting the use of all SRH services especially contraception among sexually active adolescents. It is encouraging that respondents who had used SRH service reported that their privacy and, confidentiality were respected and that healthcare providers’ attitudes generally satisfactory. Lower SRH knowledge, service use and use of contraception and condoms needs further investigation in rural youth and then programmatic and service changes tailored to their needs. Gender norms that underpin adolescent females disadvantage in a number of SRH areas needs to be addressed

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The history of South Africa is embedded in violence. This can be traced to the arrival of the Dutch settlers in 1652, to the Afrikaner–nationalist ideology of apartheid, and finally into the current dispensation of democracy. Historically, violence with its various forms and negative sequelae, has been narrated from an adult-centred perspective. Thus, due to the paucity of literature from the perspective of youth and adolescents, this study aims to review and synthesise the findings of existing empirical studies focusing on youth and adolescents’ perceptions of violence in post-apartheid South Africa.