Search

Copyright of Clínica Contemporánea: Revista de Diagnóstico Psicológico, Psicoterapia y Salud is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The present study aims to analyze the prevalence of the problematic Internet use (PIU) among Spanish adolescents using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) and provide normative data. Method: The final sample consisted of a total of 1,977 (M age = 15.70, SD = 1.26, 53.7% female). Results: PIU were relatively common with many items seeing endorsement for between 6.5% and 33.1%. There were statistically significant differences both by gender. Females scored significantly more highly on four CIUS dimensions as well as total scores. With regards to age, we found statistically significant differences in preoccupation. No differences were found for the total score by age. Conclusions: Early detection strategies should be implemented in order to prevent PIU during adolescence, a critical developmental stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, suicide rates among bullying victims have raised much concern among educators and health professionals. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of preventable death among adolescents, data that warn about the need to monitor the signs before victims' suicidal behavior to prevent this fatal outcome. In the present study, the role of victims' silence about their victimization situation was analysed, as well as the particular impact of family and school environments. More specifically, we examined the mediating role of the victim's non-disclosure between the parental styles (observing the father's and mother's roles separately) and the school climate, concerning suicidal ideation in victims. The sample consisted of 2,977 adolescents (48.5% boys), aged 11-17 years (M = 14.1, SD = 1.42), of whom 635 (21.3%) reported having been victims of bullying in the past year. The results showed that parental styles of rejection and indifference were positively related to victims' non-disclosure of bullying and suicidal ideation. Conversely, a positive school climate showed a negative relationship with victims' disclosure of the bullying situation and suicidal ideation. The findings also indicated that non-disclosure mediates the relationship between the mother's parental style and suicidal ideation. These findings expand knowledge about the role of bullying victims' social context and the variable disclosure with regards to suicidal ideation in adolescents victimized by peers at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Clínica Contemporánea: Revista de Diagnóstico Psicológico, Psicoterapia y Salud is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drug use and gambling are major problems in today's society. Many studies have found that school variables are related to drug use and gambling, but the persistence of such relationships in adulthood is still little-known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discover if these school variables are related to substance use and gambling in both adolescence and adulthood through a retrospective study. A sample of 416 people resident in Spain between 18 and 50 years old was used. Results showed that having a good academic performance and a positive school environment act as protective factors for substance use. A high rate of truancy and disruptive classroom behaviors are risk factors for drug use and gambling. This relationship not only appears in adolescence, it also continues into adulthood. Results can be used for better prevention and intervention against drug use and gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the PSICE (Evidence-based Psychology in Educational Contexts) Project is to examine the effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Adolescents (UP-A) with symptoms of anxiety and depression in school settings. The goal is to prevent emotional problems and to improve adolescents' socioemotional adjustment, learning processes, and academic performance. Method: A randomized controlled trial with two groups will be performed: active control (progressive relaxation training) and experimental (UP-A). After screening, participants with subclinical emotional symptomatology will be selected for pre- and post-test evaluation and follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: The impact of different indicators at behavioral, cognitive, affective, social and academic functioning levels will be analyzed, as well as their effects in the short, medium and long term. Conclusions: Examining the effectiveness of the UP-A in the Spanish educational context will, among other things, provide data for informed decision-making in the field of educational psychology. In addition, it will ensure that such interventions, using standardized protocols, are accessible to a large population at such an important stage of human development as adolescence. The PSICE project will provide leadership and guidance on the importance of psychology in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most empirical research on the relationship between peer victimization, aggression, and mental health has been conducted with correlational designs. Much of this research has also focused primarily on linking peer victimization with either the potential aggressive behaviors of victims or a deterioration in their mental health. This study analyzes the relationship between peer victimization, peer aggression, and depressive symptoms in adolescents over time. The participants are 194 adolescents (49.2% boys, 50.8% girls) aged between 10 and 13 years (M = 10.88, SD = 0.84). The results of the growth modeling analysis indicate that the trajectories are interconnected: as victimization decreases, adolescent aggression and depressive symptoms also decrease. In addition, it is observed that victimization decreased in the same way in boys and girls, while aggression and depressive symptoms showed a smaller reduction in girls. Finally, the results and their potential practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Emotional Security Theory, feeling safe in the family is a main goal for adolescents. Interparental conflict threatens adolescents' emotional security but there are few studies that relate interparental conflict, emotional security, and adolescents' self-perceptions. Our aim was to relate these dimensions. Participants were 196 adolescents of both sexes with a mean age of 15.24 years. The CPIC scale was used to measure perceived interparental conflict, the SIFS was used to measure emotional security, identifying one secure dimension and two insecure dimensions (preoccupation and disengagement), and the SDQ II, that was used to measure academic and non-academic self-concept. Adolescents of both sexes who were more emotionally disengaged had lower scores on general self-concept, general academic self-concept, self-esteem, and relationships with parents. These results have implications for educational and psychological interventions due to the role played by relationships and self-perceptions in adolescents' development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age of onset has been reported as a crucial predictor for alcohol consumption in adolescence. However, several authors have warned against it as an unreliable artefact accounted by the tendency to delay age of onset as respondents' age increases (forward telescoping). This study aims to test whether age of onset is either a proxy for age or a predictor of alcohol consumption of its own. A hierarchical regression model and Process Macro for SPSS were used to test the effect of age of onset (controlling for age) on alcohol consumption and the mediating/moderator role of age of onset, parental control, and sex on alcohol consumption, respectively. Results support the role of age of onset as a significant predictor of alcohol consumption in Ecuadorian adolescents, rather than an artefact. Furthermore, age of onset completely mediated the effect of age on alcohol consumption, often moderated by sex. Practical implications are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying are linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Student connectedness has been recently identified as a potential protective factor in these relationships. Nonetheless, the multilevel nature of these interactions has been frequently overlooked. The present study pretends to fill this gap by exploring the associations between individual levels of bullying and cyberbullying and three adjustment outcomes (i.e., suicidal behavior, symptoms of depression, and self-esteem), as well as the moderating role of the school level of student connectedness on these relationships. The participants in this work were 1,774 students aged 14-18 years (M = 15.70, SD = 1.26), of which 53.7% were female, from 31 secondary schools in Spain. We used previously validated self-reported questionnaires in this study. Traditional victimization and cybervictimization, as well as cyberbullying, were positively related to suicidal behavior and depression, and were negatively related to self-esteem. Conversely, individual levels of student connectedness were associated with lower levels of suicidal behavior and depression, and with higher levels of self-esteem. Moreover, school levels of student connectedness buffered the adjustment problems experienced by victims of cyberbullying. These findings highlight the importance of student connectedness as a possible target for school-based cyberbullying prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is a problem within the school context and with important consequences for the victim. The scientific literature has shown that emotional intelligence (EI) enhances the role of cohabitation within the school context. This systematic review aims to analyze the evidence of the role of EI in bullying. Results show greater levels of emotional perception in students involved in bullying and lower levels of emotional understanding and regulation compared to students not involved in these behaviors. In addition, gender differences in their levels of EI were found among students involved in bullying. The results reveal the importance of designing and implementing programs of EI in the school context as prevention and action against bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role of the problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU) in the relationship between both cybervictimization and offline victimization and cyberbullying in boys and girls. The sample consisted of 2,011 adolescents (50.67% boys and 49.32% girls), aged between 12 and 18 years old (M = 14.17, SD = 1.47), enrolled in schools in Andalusia, Spain. To examine this objective, mediation model 4 (parallel mediation) of the PROCESS macro was used. The results showed that both cybervictimization and offline victimization are positively related to cyberbullying directly and indirectly through PSNSU. Moreover, it was observed that boys victimized both online and offline demonstrated a higher involvement in cyberbullying, whereas girls reported a higher PSNSU. However, the PSNSU mediating effect was not moderated by gender. Finally, the results and their practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mantente REAL is a school-based universal program to prevent drug use and other problematic behaviors specifically designed to be implemented in schools at the beginning of adolescence. This program, which is a culturally adapted version of the Keepin' it REAL intervention, focuses on skills training for resisting social pressure to use drugs and improving psychosocial development. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mantente REAL on alcohol use in the Spanish context. The sample was composed of 755 adolescents from 12 state secondary schools in Spain, aged 11 to 15 (M = 12.24, SD = 0.56), 47.1% females. The 12 schools were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, six to each condition. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires data were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results indicated that a culturally adapted version of Mantente REAL was effective in preventing alcohol use among youth from northern and southern Spain. Students participating in the program demonstrated changes in the desired direction on alcohol frequency and intoxication episodes. Implications of these results regarding intervention programs aimed at preventing substance use in adolescence are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous international migration flow invites us to reinvent ourselves to create inclusive societies at intercultural level. Coexistence, as a model based on the mutual integration of locals and migrants, is still a challenge to face in Europe and Spain. This study aims to identify which mental health and resilience variables influence school integration used as a proxy for psychosocial well-being by comparing a sample of migrant and local adolescents. Through a quantitative methodology, school factors, disruptive behaviors, and resilience were measured in 132 students aged between 12 and 18 years old. The results reveal that although mental health scores are similar in both groups, mental health and contextual resilience are more critical for the migrant adolescent population than for the local one. Clearly identifying the relationships between school related factors and mental health offers the possibility of designing effective interventions within the educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades there has been a progressive increase in concern and research into the problems of peer aggression, both in the educational setting and more recently, online. The present study sought to explore sex differences in traditional bullying and cyberbullying, since current literature has not reached a consensus in how bullying involvement could be moderated by sex. The sample consisted of 3,174 adolescents aged 12-17 years old who completed a paper survey which included the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire and the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire. The main results found no differences in cyberbullying rates for boys and girls. In the case of bullying, there were more bully-victims among the boys, but no differences were found in the pure victims or pure perpetrators. When analysing the specific bullying behaviours suffered or perpetrated, several differences were found. However, said differences were discrete and it seems that there are not distinctly differentiated bullying patterns, which discourages the use of clearly differentiated preventive strategies for boys and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the present study were to examine whether (1) loneliness mediated the association between two types of peer victimisation and suicidal ideation and (2) emotional intelligence (EI) played a moderating role in the indirect and/or direct effect of a mediation model in a large sample of adolescents. Cross-sectional data on 1,929 students (Mage = 14.65, SD = 1.79) were analysed. A self-report questionnaire was used to measure demographic variables (course grade, sex, and age), peer victimisation types (traditional and cybervictimisation), loneliness, EI, and suicidal ideation. The results indicated that loneliness only partially mediated the relationship between traditional victimisation and suicidal ideation. By contrast, loneliness was not a significant mediator between cybervictimisation and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the indirect effects of the mediation model for traditional victimisation were moderated by EI. The greater the level of EI, the weaker the indirect effects of traditional victimisation on suicidal ideation. The findings suggest that interventions targeted at improving EI abilities may help break the links among peer victimisation, loneliness, and suicidal ideation in adolescent victims of bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lot of public bodies have warned against an increase in alcohol intake and its extended use among adolescents. Some studies have revealed the relevance of emotional intelligence (EI) as a novel construct that may be useful in explaining this problem. The objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of trait and ability EI to the understanding of alcohol consumption with respect to other personal protective factors such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and assertiveness previously studied. A correlational and quantitative methodology was used on a sample of 799 students. The results suggest that the factors of emotional perception, emotional clarity, emotional repair, self-esteem, and assertiveness were significantly and inversely related to alcohol consumption behaviors, unlike the emotional attention component. These findings offer new empirical evidence that may assist in establishing preventive interventions targeting young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every student is at risk of aggressive bullying behavior during their lifetime. However, there are groups with a higher risk of suffering these aggressive behaviors, especially the LGTB group. This study has three objectives: (1) to analyze the prevalence of victims and aggressors of bullying among high school adolescents; (2) to explore differences based on sex; and (3) to identify differences based on sexual orientation. A sample consisting of 1,748 adolescents from the Basque Country completed two questionnaires. The results show (1) a high percentage of victims (41.6% global, 11% severe), as well as aggressors (28.5% global, 2.7% severe); (2) that girls show greater victimization and boys show aggression; and (3) a higher percentage of non-heterosexual victims, especially gay and bisexual. In conclusion, LGTB people show greater vulnerability to suffer bullying and, therefore, the need to develop and implement anti-discrimination programs in the educational community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the effectiveness of an app-based, monitored intervention using the Liad@s app in a residential youth-care setting. The aim of this intervention is to reduce maladaptive beliefs and attitudes linked to dating violence: distortions or myths about romantic love and hostile and benevolent dimensions of sexism. A quasi-experimental pre-post study with a control group was carried out. Participants were 71 adolescents from 9 group homes in Valencia (Spain). The outcomes measures were hostile and benevolent sexism (Ambivalent Sexism Inventory - ASI), ambivalence and prejudice towards men (Ambivalence toward Men Inventory - AMI), and myths about romantic love. The results of the intervention were assessed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). A post-intervention, statistically significant reduction with a medium-large effect size was observed in all dimensions for the treatment group, with eta-square of.25 for the sexism dimensions,.38 for myths, and.21 for ambivalence and prejudices. The experimental group demonstrated significantly more change than the control group on all measures. The benefits of the intervention did not vary by participants' sex. These results may be helpful to professionals involved in child and youth care, who can profit from adolescents' proclivity toward online communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

That study aims to analyze the prevalence of risk of addiction to psychoactive substances during adolescence, study the relationship between this risk and the representations of attachment and self-concept and analyze the relationshipbetween attachment and self-concept. The Youth Inventory 4 (YI-4) test was administered to assess risk of addiction in 668 participants between 13 and 19 years old. Representations of the attachment were evaluated with Cartes, Modèles Individuelles de Rélation, reduced version (CaMir-R), and self-concept dimensions, with Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF5). The results indicate a high risk of substance addiction in adolescence, 19.5%, both for boys and girls, CI between 15.4 and 24.3, with age being a risk factor. The prevalence of addiction risk decreases with high scores on security, which correlates -.22 with such a risk and positive academic self-concept, correlating -.20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that peer perception and social goals have an important role in social behavior. However, their influence on social anxiety or their impact on social adjustment during adolescence has not been examined indepth. The aim of this study was to test the relationship of peer perception and social goals with social anxiety and social adjustment. The sample was composed of 848 Spanish adolescents (47.5% women) aged between 12 and 17 years(M = 13.58, SD = 1.247). Structural equation modeling indicated that peer perception and social development goals have a direct effect on social adjustment, whereas a negative peer perception and social demonstration-avoidance goals were linked to social anxiety. These results highlight the importance of encouraging the setting of social development goals and positive perception of peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental empathy and connectedness to nature are two main constructs that explain variations in pro-environmental behavior. However, little is known about whether environmental (cognitive and emotional) empathy and connectedness to nature might vary as a function of school adjustment. Participants were 881 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (47.2% males). The design was a 2 × 2 MANOVA (school adjustment × sex). Results of the CFA analysis confirmed the theoretical assumptions about two different but related aspects of environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and connectedness to nature as a unidimensional construct. Overall, results showed that high school adjustment was related to higher environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and greater connectedness to nature. Moreover, interactions were found between school adjustment and sex. Females reported the highest levels of environmental emotional empathy and connectedness to nature (regardless of their school adjustment). By contrast, males with both low and high school adjustment reported lower environmental emotional empathy than females with high school adjustment. Furthermore, only males with high school adjustment reported similar connectedness to nature to that of females (regardless of their school adjustment). Implications of these findings for research and psychosocial interventions in environmental education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberbullying has become a growing social concern among the scientific community and in society in general. The consequences of cyberbullying for the victim are quite serious; many indicators of social maladjustment have been found, with suicide ideation being especially noteworthy. From this perspective, the main objective of this study was to analyze the relationships between cybervictimization and suicide ideation in adolescent victims of cyberbullying through the psychosocial maladjustment variables of loneliness, depressive symptomatology, perceived stress, and psychological distress. Participants in this study were 1,062 adolescents (547 boys, 515 girls), ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old (M = 14.51, SD = 1.62). The structural equations model showed that cybervictimization is directly and indirectly related to suicide ideation. Indirect relationships were found to have a greater effect on suicide ideation than the direct effects of cybervictimization. The relevance of these results for scientific research are discussed, as well as their implications for future scientific studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of the Building My Future program's implementation variables on attendance rate and on changes in personal, problem-solving, and community competencies. The program is run by local Social Services from Castile and Leon, Spain, and offers opportunities for adolescents to propose and carry out youth-led activities in their community. Data were accumulated from 356 participants, the majority experiencing negative psychosocial conditions, attending a total of 32 groups from 2013 to 2016. Using binary logistic regression and hierarchical linear regression analyses, results showed that having a facilitator with less professional experience, attending larger groups, having a high level of family involvement, and performing fewer modules and fewer extra activities predicted higher attendance rates and more positive task orientation, self-concept, social realization, and problem-solving competencies. Being younger, from an urban area, and having a facilitator with less professional experience predicted a higher score in community integration. These findings reveal that several program implementation components can contribute to the program's development and effectiveness and can also be considered across multiple programs in this field of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated, in a sample of 230 adolescents (147 males and 83 females, mean age = 16.67) and a sample of 181 young people (21 males and 160 females, mean age = 22.57), the relationships between time perspective and the following personal skills: coping styles, perceived efficacy on affect regulation, and creative divergent problem solving. Results highlight that future time perspective increases in value from adolescence to youth, while present time perspective decreases. Future time perspective is correlated with creative problem solving and problem solving coping style in both age groups, while present time perspective is positively correlated with expression of positive emotions in both age groups. Results are discussed also for their relevance for school educational and training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Clínica Contemporánea: Revista de Diagnóstico Psicológico, Psicoterapia y Salud is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Psicologia Educativa is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the transition into adulthood, family and school play a critical role protecting the adolescent from engaging in behaviors that could cause mental health problems. Nevertheless, there are other social groups and structured activities that have shown to act as an educational activity and as a protective factor as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between belonging to different types of social groups and the positive and negative mental health indicators of Mexican adolescents. Participants were 840 Mexican adolescents ranging between 12 and 17 years old. Results indicated that belonging to artistic and scout groups reported a statistically significant correlation with higher levels of emotional intelligence. Belonging to sport and artistic groups reported a statistically significant correlation with higher levels of resilience. No statistically significant results were found on anxiety, depression, and/or disruptive behaviors. Further research is needed, especially investigating possible predictive and moderating variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the relationship between aggressive behavior and self-concept in a sample of 2,022 Spanish students (51.09% males) of Compulsory Secondary Education, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years. Aggressive behavior was assessed using the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills (TISS), and selfconcept was assessed with the Self-Description Questionnaire II (SDQ-II). Logistic regression analyses showed that adolescents with aggressive behavior were more likely to perceive their relationship with their parents as negative, show little interest in verbal activities, be less sincere, and have lower self-esteem than their non-aggressive peers. Furthermore, despite models varied according to sex and grade, in most cases adolescents with high aggressive behavior also showed a higher probability of perceiving their relation with peers of the same sex in a negative way, being less interested in school domains and showing higher emotional instability than their non-aggressive counterparts. Non-expected results were obtained regarding the perceptions about interactions with peers of the opposite sex and physical appearance. Results are discussed attending to their practical implications.

The aim of the current study was to analyse the differences in psychological adjustment in victims of bullying as a function of the quality of their relationships with parents, teachers, and peers. More specifically, it was compared four psychological adjustment indicators (self-esteem, depressive mood, loneliness, and stress perception) in victims with good or bad communication with his/her mother, good or bad communication with his/her father, high or low perception of teacher´s help, and high or low identification with their peer group. The initial sample was composed of 1795 adolescents aged from 11 to 18 years old (M = 14.2, SD = 1.68). Results indicated better psychological adjustment in victims with better relationships with their parents, teachers, and peers than in victims with worse quality relationships. These results are discussed, and their implications in the development of intervention programmes on school violence are pointed out.

This paper presents a school-based primary prevention program (The Fourth R) to prevent adolescent dating violence, and related risk behaviors. The cornerstone of The Fourth R is a 21-lesson skillbased curriculum delivered by teachers who receive specialized training, that promotes healthy relationships, and targets violence, high-risk sexual behavior, and substance use among adolescents. The Fourth R was evaluated in a cluster randomized trial in 20 schools. Results indicated that teaching youth healthy relationships and skills as part of their curriculum reduced physical dating violence, and increased condom use 2.5 years later.

Educational institutions represent the special setting for teenagers´ socialization and development in Spain. The concern for some disruptive phenomenon which take place within the educational setting draws the attention to investigate the aspects of the educational relationship that contribute positively to students´ development and learning. From a qualitative research design, according to the criteria of theoretical sampling proposed in the methodology of qualitative data analysis of the «Grounded Theory», twenty-three individual interviews were done to secondary school parents, teachers and students. The achieved results allow to suggest the «encounter» between student and teacher, with its respective acceptance and mutual appreciation, as a central issue that enables affective link and the practice of "pilot guidance". The emergence of the basic social process referred as «relational nurturing» implies that affective support and an instructional guide empower educational and personal growth. The "pilot guidance" function, both with individuals and in class, constitutes the center of the educational relationship fostering the students´ full growth.

Abusive alcohol consumption in adolescence is currently an important problem of public health, to the point that prevention has become a priority in health policies. Also, in the field of social intervention, the psychosocial factors involved in that consumption has been studied in the last years. In the present work a revision of those factors is carried out from the ecological perspective, in which psychological, relational and sociocultural variables are integrated. Alcohol consumption is analyzed as part of the youth culture, rejecting explanations of pathological or moralistic content, and following an approach in which alcohol consumption is understood as a mean used by the adolescent in order to achieve adjustment in a society characterized by complexity. First, individual dispositional variables are analysed; following this, variables from the family context are examined, and finally the relationship between alcohol consumption and factors of the sociocultural context are explored.

The aim of the present study is to analyse the direct and indirect relationships among quality of family environment, multidimensional self-esteem (family, academic, social and physical self-esteem) and substance use (cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana). The study participants were 414 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old, drawn from state secondary schools. Statistical analyses were carried out using structural equation modeling and the procedure of mediation effects analysis (Holmbeck, 1997). Results showed a significant mediational effect of self-esteem on the relation between family functioning and adolescent substance use. Moreover, results showed, on the one hand, a protection effect of family and academic self-esteem and, on the other hand, a risk effect of social and physical self-esteem on substance use. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research. As a conclusion, this investigation confirms that family environment is a relevant precedent of adolescent self-evaluation and that it is necessary to adopt a multidimensional perspective when analyse the self-esteem of substance use adolescents.

This study analyzed from a gender perspective relationships between perceived family climate, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and adolescent victimization by peers in school. The associations between variables were analyzed with a sample of 1,884 adolescents (52% boys and 48% girls), aged 11 through 17 years (M = 13.7, DT = 1.4). Results structural equation modeling analysis showed that family environment, self-esteem, and life satisfaction were significantly and negatively related to school victimization. Multigroup analyses showed that relationships between variables were not different for boys and girls. We discuss the implications of these results.

This study tested a model of suicidal ideation in adolescents through a transverse type explanatory study. A stratified random sample of 1285 Mexican students from middle and high school was used. The questionnaires had an acceptable reliability index. The model is contrasted using the structural equations technique and the statistical package EQS 6.1, which explained the 33.10 of variance. The results showed satisfactory levels of absolute goodness of fit (RMSEA =. 41, GFI =. 953, AGFI =. 939) and comparative goodness of fit (CFI =. 951, IFI =. 958; NFI =. 925, NNFI =. 943). Finally, the Psychosocial Suicide Ideation Model (MEPIS, in Spanish) conforms well to the data and was compatible with the theoretical model proposed, in that it integrates a contextual structure showing a significant indirect relationship of family functioning and problems of school integration with the dependent variable. In addition, it was also observed that there was a direct and significant relation between school victimization, depressive symptoms, eating risk behavior and suicidal ideation.

This article aims to analyze the influence of parental socialization styles (authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent and neglectful), and perceived neighborhood risk on three indicators of conduct problems in adolescence (school misconduct, delinquency, and drug use). The sample consists of 1,017 adolescents, aged between 12 and 17. Results from four multivariate factorial designs yielded only main effects of parenting styles and neighborhood risk. Adolescents from authoritative and indulgent families showed lower conduct problems than those with authoritarian and neglectful parents. Also, higher levels of perceived neighborhood risk were significantly associated with more conduct problems. There were no significant interaction effects between parenting styles and perceived neighborhood risk, but results yielded a significant interaction effect between neighborhood risk and sex. Overall, results do not support the idea that parenting styles are more effective under certain neighborhood risk conditions, and suggest that neighbourhood risk influences adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment beyond the influence of parental socialization styles.

Our research’s aim consists on studying the relationship between early beginning of tobacco, alcohol and drugs taking, and problematic consumption, in a sample of 6280 young people from Madrid in a range of 15-24 years old. The early experimentation with tobacco, alcohol (before 14 years old) or cannabis (before 15 years old) is related to a higher prevalence of daily tobacco and cannabis consumption, to a daily alcohol-abusive patterns and to either regular multiple-drugs consumption or concurrent consumption of 2 or more drugs in the last month. It has been found too an association with negative consequences caused by alcohol and drugs consumption in economic, academic, and family life. This research reveals that the strength of these kinds of associations increases with the number of consumed substances very early. In fact, that happens in almost all the analyzed associations, and this is the reason of our suggestion of including an analysis of recocious starting of gathered consumptions in future researches.

Most teenagers and young people do not consistently use condoms during sex, exposing themselves to HIV. Early diagnosis of the virus increases the survival rate and reduces new infections. Attitude towards HIV testing (HT) and the main barriers to testing remain unknown. The main objective of the study was to explore the attitude towards HT and identify the main barriers of those who had never undergone HT before. This study involved 992 adolescents (16-20 years), who were recruited from 4 autonomous regions of Spain. The mean age was 16.84 (SD = .92) and 54.6% were women. The attitude towards HT was very favorable, especially in women. 79.2% of sexually active participants did not consistently use condoms during sex; however only 1% (n = 11) reported having undergone HT. The main perceived barriers were related to not having received the offer to get tested (49%), low risk perception (32.6%) and trust between sexual partners (29.1%). Facilitating access of the HIV screening test to adolescents with high sexual risk is crucial to the success of early detection campaigns, and curb the spread of the HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a developmental period that implies a series of rapid changes that might complicate the role of parents. This study evaluates changes in parental monitoring and the strategies to solve family conflicts reported by parents who participated in the "Living Adolescence in Family" program in local social services and school centers. In addition, the study analyses the moderating role of family and facilitator variables that may affect the final results. The participants were 697 parents attending the social services (438 in the intervention group and 259 in the control group) and 1283 parents from school centers (880 in the intervention group and 403 in the control group). The results showed that families from local social services decreased the amount of control and improved monitoring in education and leisure spheres as well as self-disclosure whereas the families coming from school centers improved supervision in leisure and in self-disclosure. In addition, both groups of families improved their strategies for solving family conflicts, increasing the use of integrative strategies and decreasing the use of dominant strategies. There were differences across contexts: the results of the program in the social services context differed according to the participant and professional profiles whereas program results were more homogeneous in the school context. In sum, the program appears to be an efficient work tool, both for the professionals who work with at-risk families with adolescents and for the teachers who make use of the program for families with children at risk of early school dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging studies have shown continued structural and functional development in neural circuitry underlying social and emotional behaviour during adolescence. This article explores adolescent neurocognitive development in two domains: sensitivity to social rejection and Theory of Mind (ToM). Adolescents often report hypersensitivity to social rejection. The studies presented here suggest that this is accompanied by reduced responses in brain regions involved in emotion regulation. Studies on social rejection in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions will also be discussed. ToM is another social cognitive domain which undergoes neurocognitive development between adolescence and adulthood. ToM refers to the ability to understand others' thoughts and intentions. Neuroimaging data suggest that the ability to integrate emotional information into ToM decisions continues to develop between adolescence and adulthood. In sum, these studies demonstrate ongoing development of social and emotional cognition during adolescence at both behavioural and neural levels, providing a neurocognitive framework for understanding adolescent behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes recent research which informs our understanding of changes in social cognition during adolescence. The focus will be on mentalising, the ability to attribute and manipulate mental states in the self and others. Mentalising is supported by the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and both anterior and posterior regions of the temporal lobes. In the past decade, studies have demonstrated development during adolescence of white and grey matter brain structure, with most protracted changes observed in frontal and temporal lobes, including those regions supporting mentalising. This article presents evidence that certain aspects of social cognition continue to change during adolescence, highlighting results from recent research investigating the use of theory of mind information in a communicative context. The findings highlight how adolescence, and not only childhood, is a time of continued maturation of brain and behaviour, when education and the environment can have an impact on cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]