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Given the lack of validated measures of adolescents' self-representation, in this paper we present the development process and psychometric properties of a new self-representation questionnaire for adolescents (SRQA), aged 12-16 year old. We examined SRQA factor structure through two studies. In the first study, 32 attributes (16 positive and 16 negative), previously validated in three studies, were administered to 239 adolescents ( M = 13.8; SD = 1.28). An exploratory factor analysis showed that 21 attributes (13 positive and 8 negative) were organized in five factors: instrumental, social, emotional, intelligence, and physical appearance. In the second study, these 21 attributes were administered to 232 adolescents ( M = 13.8; SD = 1.23). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the SRQA five factor model (Model fit: χ / df ratio = 2.392; CFI = .90; RMSEA = .08). Internal consistency was acceptable, ranging between .60 and .85. Girls displayed higher scores in the instrumental and social factors, whereas boys presented higher scores on the physical appearance factor. In line with previous research, results regarding age differences were inconsistent: while in Study 1 results suggested that as, age increases, adolescents' intelligence self-representation becomes more negative, in Study 2 no age differences were found. Concurrent validity of the SRQA was explored through correlations with the Teacher Report Form, filled out by the adolescents' homeroom teachers. Results revealed significant negative correlations between two dimensions of self-representation (i.e., instrumental and intelligence) and several dimensions of adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems, providing evidence of concurrent validity for the SRQA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer support groups have been an increasingly popular way of limiting the adverse effects of life with a chronic illness for adolescents although few groups have been rigorously evaluated. This paper reports the findings of a realistic evaluation of a hospital based peer support program Chronic Illness Peer Support (ChIPS), in Sydney, Australia. We collected qualitative interview and focus group data from four participant groups; new ChIPS members, their parents, older members who had been in ChIPS for two or more years, and ChIPS co-ordinators past and present. Results of qualitative data have been aggregated and organised into three categories; program attendance: getting in and staying in; program outcomes for young people: personal growth and development; and social connection. Questionnaires were also administered to fourteen new ChIPS members but no significant changes in distress or self-esteem were recorded between the beginning and the end of the short study period. The ChIPS Introductory Program fulfilled its aim, entering young people with chronic illness into the peer support program. There was evidence of initial personal growth and development in those young people, with potential for enhanced social connection from ongoing participation in ChIPS activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's perception of their parents' behavior is very important for their adjustment. Raising a child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be particularly challenging. However, little is known about how children with ADHD perceive their parents' childrearing style. The main purpose of this paper is to study how children with ADHD perceive acceptance and control in parent-child relationships and this perception's relationship with inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and externalizing behaviors. Participants were children between 7 and 13 years old with ADHD who were attending psychotherapy (ADHD), children without ADHD who were attending psychotherapy (APG), and children with unknown ADHD status who were not attending psychotherapy (NPG). Furthermore, one parent of each child participated in the study. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that children with ADHD perceived higher levels of pathological control in their relationships with their mothers than did APG and NPG children. NPG children perceived higher extreme autonomy than ADHD and APG children. Linear regression analyses revealed that the perception of pathological parental control and extreme autonomy predicted externalizing symptoms in children with ADHD. The perception of maternal acceptance and pathological control predicted inattention in APG children. Also, perceived maternal pathological control and perceived paternal acceptance predicted externalizing symptoms in APG children. Thus, these results show the importance of taking into account children's perception of their relationships with their parents in addition to parental reports of their own behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young expecting parents face a great deal of challenges as they transition into parenthood. This paper sought to identify racial and gender differences in the relationship between general discrimination, neighborhood problems, neighborhood cohesion, and social support on the depressive and stress symptoms among young expecting couples. Results indicated perceived general discrimination and less social support was associated with increased stress and depression. More neighborhood problems were related to increased depression and more neighborhood cohesion was related to less stress. Moderator analyses showed that the influence of general discrimination and stress was stronger for women than men. In addition, neighborhood cohesion was protective on stress for Blacks and Whites but not for Hispanics. These results indicate the need to address the broader social context for young expectant couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results on the intergenerational transmission of interpersonal problems. Ninety-eight German mothers, fathers, and their young adult offspring completed the German version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-D64), which is conceptually based on the assumption of a circumplex structure of eight interpersonal problems. Model learning and psychodynamic theories were used to formulate assumptions about possible intergenerational similarity and dissimilarity, as well as about effects of family and societal context. The results showed the highest intergenerational correlations for three of the eight interpersonal problems in the IIP-D64, namely nonassertiveness, overly strong accommodation, and self-sacrificing tendencies. Intergenerational similarity was found only for mother-offspring dyads for two other problems: domineering and vindictiveness tendencies. No significant intergenerational similarity was found for coldness, social inhibition, or intrusiveness. In-depth analyses revealed higher similarities in families in which at least one parent had an overall IIP-64 score equal to or more than one standard deviation from the norm sample mean (as opposed to families where both parents had overall IIP-64 scores closer to the normative German mean). The findings are tentatively interpreted as suggesting that intergenerational transmission occurs only for problems on one axis of the interpersonal circumplex, i.e., the agency axis, but not for problems on the communality axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on coping strategies employed by children and adolescents with diagnosed short stature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on coping, examines the relationship between coping and health related quality of life (QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between height and QoL. Coping with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in short stature youth (QoLISSY-QoL) questionnaires were completed by 137 short-statured children and adolescents between 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectional European QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographic data were collected to examine differences in coping via variance and regression analyses, associations between CODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation and mediation analyses. Most frequently employed coping strategies in the CODI were 'Acceptance' and 'Wishful Thinking', with 'Emotional Reaction' used least. Significant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status on coping strategies were detected. CODI scales 'Acceptance' and 'Distance' were associated with higher QoLISSY-QoL scores, 'Emotional Reaction' and 'Wishful Thinking' with lower scores. Coping strategies predicted 60 % of the QoLISSY-QoL variance. Relationships between height deviation and QoLISSY-QoL were mediated by the coping strategies of 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Distance'. Findings suggest that coping efforts vary with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, that protective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be identified and that coping mediates the relationship between short stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research should focus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoL over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that children with high levels of early anxiety/withdrawal are at increased risk of later anxiety and depression. It has also been found that positive parent-child attachment reduces the risk of these disorders. The aim of this paper was to examine the extent to which positive parent-child attachment acted to mitigate the risk of later internalising disorders amongst children with high levels of early anxiety/withdrawal using data from a 30 years longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort. The findings of this study showed that: (a) increasing rates of early anxiety/withdrawal were associated with an increased risk of later anxiety and depression; (b) positive parent-child attachment in adolescence was associated with a decline in the risk of later anxiety and depression; and (c) these associations persisted even after controlling for confounding factors. The implications of these findings for the role of parent-child attachment in mitigating the adverse effects of early anxiety/withdrawal are discussed. It is concluded that positive parent-child attachment in adolescence may act as a compensatory factor which buffers the adverse effects of childhood anxiety/withdrawal on risks of developing later anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]