Adolescent Expressive Reluctance Exacerbates Risk for Substance Use Following Daily Hassles

Previous research has established a link between adolescent’s perceived daily hassles and subsequent adjustment, but less is known about factors that exacerbate this relationship. The purpose of the present study was to identify if adolescent’s reluctance to express emotions moderated the association between their perceived daily hassles and subsequent substance use (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, tobacco). Cross-sectional data were obtained from a larger study that examined the effects of exposure to community violence among low-income, urban adolescents (N = 260, Mage = 14.14, SD = 1.62 years; 92% African American; 54% female). Linear regression analyses controlling for adolescent age, biological sex, and previous levels of drug use and daily hassles revealed that expressive reluctance moderated the association between perceived daily hassles and adolescent substance use. Specifically, for adolescents who were least likely to express their emotions, increases in perceived daily hassles were associated with significant increases in substance use. Further examination of domain-specific hassles revealed that expressive reluctance moderated the effects of academic, parental, and general neighborhood hassles on drug use, while no significant effects were detected for hassles related to friends or neighborhood danger. The present findings clarify which perceived daily hassles adversely affect adolescents, and how emotional expression can play an integral role in determining risk for poor coping behaviors.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1280/thumbnail.jp

The relationship between family daily hassles and family coping and managing strategies

The primary focus of the study was to examine the relationship between family daily hassles and family coping and managing strategies. Additionally, the three dimensions of daily hassles, time and energy involvement, positive influence, and negative influence, were investigated. Data were collected from 290 families with school-age children. Mothers and fathers completed a self-administered survey on family daily hassles and family coping and managing strategies. The final sample consisted of 255 mothers (51% African American) and 128 fathers (62% White) of families with first and third grade children from a mid-sized, southern city. The findings of the study indicate that dimensions of daily hassles are important and must continue to be explored. Mothers, and fathers, reported higher than expected levels of the time and energy involvement and the positive influence of daily hassles, and lower than expected levels of the negative influence of daily hassles. The hypothesis that family daily hassles, as measured by the time and energy involvement, the positive influence, and the negative influence, are related to family coping and managing strategies was supported by correlational analysis. The three dimensions of family daily hassles were found to be stronger predictors of managing strategies rather than of coping strategies. Of the three dimensions of daily hassles, the positive influence of family daily hassles was found to be a statistically significant predictor of managing strategies for both mothers and fathers. Reframing and, especially, Spirituality were reported as used by families the most, indicating that these aspects of coping deserve attention and should be included in an assessment of coping strategies, particularly for African American families

Does Full-Day Kindergarten Reduce Parenting Daily Hassles?

Parenting daily hassles are viewed as the recurring demands associated with raising a young child (Crnic & Greenberg, 1990) and contribute to parental well-being and parenting relationships (Crnic, Gaze, & Hoffman, 2005). The goal of this study was to examine differences in the daily hassles reported by parents of half-day and full-day kindergarten students following the phased-in implementation of full-day kindergarten in Ontario. Based on results from a previous demonstration project of integrated kindergarten and childcare, it was hypothesized that parents of full-day kindergarten children would experience fewer daily hassles related to education and childcare. Four hundred and forty-nine parents participating in a longitudinal study tracking Ontario’s transition from half-day to full-day kindergarten were asked to complete a survey of their experiences with early childhood parenting daily hassles, as well as ademographic questionnaire as part of the larger study. We investigated whether parents of children enrolled in full-day programs experienced reductions in parenting daily hassles as compared to parents of children in half-day programs. Overall, parents of children enrolled in full-day kindergarten reported similar levels of daily hassles to parents of children in half-day programs. Additional analyses of demographic factors indicated that full-day kindergarten was related to lower levels of daily hassles for parents who worked full-time. Policy implications regarding integrated full-day kindergarten and childcare are discussed

Longitudinal relations among parenting daily hassles, child rearing, and prosocial behaviors in Turkish children

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Parental child rearing behaviors predict children's levels of prosociality (Eisenberg and Valiente, 2002; Hastings, Utendale, and Sullivan, 2007). Parents' daily hassles are continuous sources of stress that can cause difficulties in effective parenting (Belsky, 1984; Crnic and Greenberg, 1990), which can both directly and indirectly affect children's outcomes. Although stress has been linked to prosocial behaviors (e.g., McGinley et al., 2010), studies on the relations between daily hassles and children's prosocial behaviors are lacking. The present study was designed to examine the longitudinal relations between parents' daily hassles and young children's prosocial behaviors, as well as the mediating role of parenting practices in a sample of children from Turkey. The final sample was 159 middle class Turkish preschool children and their mothers. Overall, we found longitudinal evidence that parenting daily hassles, warmth, inductive reasoning, and physical punishment were significantly associated with children's prosocial behaviors. There was a direct link between parenting daily hassles and prosocial behaviors three years later. Additionally, there was partial support for the expected indirect effect of parenting daily hassles on the children's prosocial behaviors through parenting practices. The present findings show partial support to family stress model in predicting children's prosocial development, and extend our understanding of children's prosocial development to a non-Western, predominantly Muslim culture

Association of daily hassles, daily uplifts, coping styles and stress-related symptoms among women exposed to sexual abuse—A cross-sectional study

Background Women who experience physical or sexual violence report poor self-perceived health. Knowledge of daily hassles, daily uplifts and coping styles, as well as how these factors can affect health and well-being among survivors of sexual abuse, is important for healthcare professionals to understand and target their needs. Aim The aim of the current study was to explore the association of daily hassles, daily uplifts, coping strategies and stress-related symptoms among female survivors of sexual abuse. Methods A group of women (n = 57), exposed to sexual abuse, were recruited from nine support centres in Norway. Participants completed a questionnaire that addressed demographics, socioeconomic conditions, trauma history, daily hassles, daily uplifts, coping styles and stress-related symptoms. Two groups of participants were compared: one group that had above-median scores on uplifts and adaptive coping styles and one group that had above-median scores on daily hassles and maladaptive coping styles. Results Results indicate that women who experienced more daily hassles and used maladaptive coping styles reported significantly more stress-related symptoms, and particularly emotional symptoms, than women who experienced more daily uplifts and used adaptive coping styles. There were few differences between the two groups related to socioeconomic conditions and trauma history. Conclusion The results indicate that women in both groups struggle with stress-related physical, emotional, cognitive and target group-specific symptoms. However, high incidence of daily hassles and the use of maladaptive coping styles were associated with an increase in stress-related symptoms. Novell’s findings indicate that despite severe traumatic experiences, adaptive coping styles and favourable perceptions of stress in everyday life were associated with a lower frequency of stress-related symptoms. It may therefore be helpful to focus on altering maladaptive coping styles to reduce stress-related symptoms among sexual abuse survivors.publishedVersio

The effect of daily hassles, reported managerial behavior, family adaptability and cohesion on family health

The present research examines a comprehensive model of family resource management, using Deacon and Firebaugh\u27s (1988) family resource management theoretical model of the conceptual framework. The components of this model are inputs, transformations, and outputs. The primary hypothesis of the current study is that family well-being as measured by family health symptomology (an output) is influenced by daily hassles (inputs), but is mediated by the transformation of managerial behavior, family adaptability and family cohesion;The data for the study were obtained during the Spring of 1988 through mail surveys as a part of an eight state regional project. This study used data from the Iowa respondents;Three variables represented daily hassles: (1) the time and energy involvement, (2) the positive influence, and (3) the negative influence. Three variables also represented transformations: (1) reported managerial behavior, (2) family adaptability, and (3) family cohesion. One variable represented outputs: family health symptomology. The LISREL statistical package tested the empirical model of the study;The results of the study do not support the primary hypothesis. The influence of daily hassles on family health symptomology is not mediated by the three measures of transformations. Only one of the measures of transformations has significant parameter estimates involving both an indicator of inputs and the indicator of output. The direct relationship between the positive influence of daily hassles and family health symptomology is stronger than the indirect relationship between the positive influence of daily hassles and family health symptomology as mediated by reported managerial behavior;The current study provides partial support for the Deacon and Firebaugh (1988) theoretical framework. The major finding of this study is that inputs as measured by daily hassles affect both transformations and outputs;Reference. Deacon, R. E. & Firebaugh, F. M. (1988). Family resource management: Principles and applications (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc

Depression in College Students: The Influence of Coping Strategies, Optimism, and Daily Hassles

College students (n=250) were given a survey packet containing reliable instruments for the measure of depression, coping strategies, optimism, and daily hassles. Depression in college students was hypothesized to be positively correlated with avoidance and frequent daily hassles; whereas problem-solving, social support coping, and optimism were hypothesized to be negatively correlated with a depressed effect. Hierarchical multiple regression produced empirical support that frequent daily hassles and avoidant coping strategies exacerbates depression in a college population. Data analysis assessed a significant relationship between optimism and decreased depression. The coping strategies of problem-solving and social support did not enter into a significant relationship with depression or buffer the development of depressive symptoms. This study examines and expands upon prior research of depression in college students by reviewing related psychological literature, contributing empirical research, and making suggestions for further research

Somatic Awareness and Daily Hassles in Women with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Dissertation

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) carries a more negative prognosis for women than men. Women with AMI have both increased mortality and disability. All researchers who have documented a difference in delay times between men and women note that women delay longer in seeking treatment. In the case of an evolving AMI, women who delay in seeking medical attention will often place themselves outside the limits of reperfusion therapies such as angioplasty and thrombolysis, thereby increasing their risk of an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death. Several investigators have reported that reasons for delay to treatment may include the presence or absence of “somatic awareness”, that is, how a woman perceives body activity and physiological functioning. The inability of women to disregard social roles and place primacy of caring over their own health issues may limit them from seeking formal care. Social roles and obligations in a women’s life are often influenced by everyday, ordinary happenings which may have a negative impact on decision making. These everyday, ordinary happenings have been defined as “daily hassles”. The Leventhal self-regulatory model of illness behavior, which has been used to study treatment seeking behavior in response to symptoms, provides a coherent framework for interpreting the problem of delayed treatment of myocardial infarction. The Leventhal model proposes that the patients’ belief about their health is structured in a hierarchical fashion and that these structures are based on previous illness experiences and information presented in the social environment. Utilizing a descriptive design, this study examined the relationship between somatic awareness and daily hassles and how these variables influenced a women’s treatment seeking behavior in AMI. The Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ) was used to measure somatic awareness; and daily hassles were measured through the Daily Hassles and Uplift Scale (DHUS). The questionnaires were administered at least 24 hours post admission to women with AMI. Though there were no significant relationships found between somatic awareness, daily hassles and time to treatment for AMI, the study revealed other pertinent findings. A significant relationship was found between daily hassles and age; revealing that younger participants revealed a higher daily hassle score. Also, a significant relationship was found between total MSPQ and prior cardiac events; indicating infrequent occurrence of intense symptoms experienced by women with a positive cardiac history. Though it is unknown what impact this new knowledge will have on treatment of women with AMI, these findings hold promise for clarifying these areas of research. Keywords: somatic awareness, daily hassles, treatment seeking behavior, women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI)

The role of resilience and socio-economic status in the parenting of children with autism spectrum disorder in South Africa

A research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Psychology by Coursework and Dissertation, in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. 05 May 2015.The purpose of this study was to understand the role of resilience and socio-economic status (SES) in the parenting of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in 3 South Africa cities (Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban). This study also intended to understand the extent to which SES moderated the relationship between resilience and parental daily stresses. A total of 102 parents of children with ASD completed three measures (Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Parental Daily Hassles Scale and Hollingshead Two Factor Index). Pearson’s correlation revealed significant moderate correlations between parental daily hassles (frequency and intensity scales), Family Resilience Assessment Scale, and SES. A regression analysis illustrated that the parent’s gender was a significant contributor in the daily hassles of parents (Frequency and Intensity). A t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between fathers and mothers in favour of the latter on Parental Daily Hassles Frequency and Intensity. A stepwise regression illustrated that SES moderated the relationship between Resilience and Parental Hassles (Intensity). The family’s SES levels had a significant impact in the resilience levels of the parents such that lower SES parents were faced with more micro level challenges that impacted in their parenting

Associations among mothers\u27 reports of family daily hassles and family resources and children\u27s cognitive ability: an exploratory study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among daily hassles, family resources, and children’s cognitive ability. Particular emphasis was placed on examining the relationships among the variables by family structure. A total of 205 children in first-grade and third-grade and their mothers participated in the study. There were 120 children from intact families and 85 children from single mother families in the study. All mothers completed assessments on family level variables and all children completed the BIA test of cognitive ability. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to examine the relationships among the variables. Daily hassles and cohesion were related to the cognitive ability scores of children living in intact families. Family hardiness was related to the cognitive ability scores of children living in single mother families. The findings indicated the existence of potentially important relationships among daily hassles, family resources, and children’s cognitive ability. The findings also indicated that the relationships among the variables differed by family structure