Association between problematic Internet use and specific Internet activities and COVID-19- and earthquake-related stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms among Croatian young adults

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant earthquakes in Croatia in 2020, increased Internet use (IU) and Internet-based addictive behaviors were associated with decreasing mental well-being. We determined the changes IU, problematic IU (PIU), and problematic specific Internet activities in young adults during the prolonged stress caused by the pandemic and earthquakes, age differences in PIU and differences in perceived source of stress (pandemic or earthquakes), and association between PIU and increase in specific Internet activities and stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in young adults.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30, 2021 to October 17, 2021 included 353 young adults aged 22.6 ± 2.1 years, 382 early adults aged 32.1 ± 4.4 years, and 371 middle-aged adults aged 49.0 ± 6.5 years. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, stressors (without perceived stressors, only pandemic-related stressor, only earthquake-related stressor, and both pandemic- and earthquake-related stressors), and IU were collected with a self-report questionnaire. The Impact of Event Scale and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were used to evaluate mental symptoms. PIU was assessed using Tao et al.’s criteria. Data were anaylzed with paired-sample Wilcoxon test, McNemar’s and Pearson’s chi-square tests, and structural equation modeling.ResultsIn 17% of young adults, we found increased PIU (OR = 5.15, 95% CI [2.82, 10.18]), problematic social media use (OR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.56, 5.14]), and uncontrolled online shopping (OR = 5.75, 95% CI [1.97, 22.87]) (p < 0.001 for all). PIU and problematic social media use were more common among young adults (60.8%), as well as problematic online gaming (25.9%). Problematic social media use was more frequent among young adults reporting pandemic stress than among those without perceived stress (69.9% vs. 43.2%). Increased online gaming predicted more severe avoidance symptoms (p = 0.041), increased social media use predicted more severe depression symptoms (p = 0.017), increased online shopping predicted more severe intrusion (p = 0.013) and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.001). PIU predicted more severe intrusion (p = 0.008), avoidance (p = 0.01), anxiety (p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.012) symptoms.ConclusionDifferent effects of the pandemic and earthquakes on IU could reflect a different effect of various stressors on Internet behavior of young adults. Type of problematic Internet behavior may predict for the type of mental health problem

Ecological Risk Factors of Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Youth: A Literature Review

The objective of this paper is to examine the prevalence of youth depressive symptoms and the association between ecological risk factors and youth depressive symptoms in the three Chinese contexts of mainland China Hong Kong and Taiwan Papers included in this review were identified through electronic searches of the following databases MEDLINE Web of Science JSTOR ERIC PsycINFO and Google Scholar Each database was searched from 2000 through 2015 Studies were selected if they evaluated the association between youth depressive symptoms and at least one ecological risk factors In total thirty-sevenarticles met criteria for inclusion and were incorporated in this review The available research suggests Chinese youth are not immune to depressive symptoms having prevalent rates ranging from 6 to 33 Age gender cognitions life events family environment family structure family SES parenting practices academic performance peer relationships and relationships with teachers were associated with child and adolescent depressive symptoms in Chinese context

Clinical Decision-Making Following Disasters: Efficient Identification of PTSD Risk in Adolescents

The present study aimed to utilize a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) approach in order to improve clinical decision-making for adolescents at risk for the development of psychopathology in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Specifically we assessed theoretically-driven individual, interpersonal, and event-related vulnerability factors to determine which indices were most accurate in forecasting PTSD. Furthermore, we aimed to translate these etiological findings by identifying clinical cut-off recommendations for relevant vulnerability factors. Our study consisted of structured phone-based clinical interviews with 2,000 adolescent-parent dyads living within a 5-mile radius of tornados that devastated Joplin, MO, and northern Alabama in Spring 2011. Demographics, tornado incident characteristics, prior trauma, mental health, and family support and conflict were assessed. A subset of youth completed two behavioral assessment tasks online to assess distress tolerance and risk taking behavior. ROC analyses indicated four variables that significantly improved PTSD diagnostic efficiency: Lifetime depression (AUC=.90), trauma history (AUC=.76), social support (AUC=.70), and family conflict (AUC=.72). Youth were 2–3 times more likely to have PTSD if they had elevated scores on any of these variables. Of note, event-related characteristics (e.g., property damage) were not related to PTSD diagnostic status. The present study adds to the literature by making specific recommendations for empirically-based, efficient disaster-related PTSD assessment for adolescents following a natural disaster. Implications for practice and future trauma-related developmental psychopathology research are discussed

Measuring resilience for Chinese-speaking populations: a systematic review of Chinese resilience scales

IntroductionDespite the rapid growth of interdisciplinary resilience research in Chinese contexts, no study has systematically reviewed individual-level measurement scales for Chinese-speaking populations. We report a systematic review of scales developed for or translated/adapted to Chinese-speaking contexts, where we assessed how widely used scales fare in terms of their psychometric qualities.MethodsStudies included in this review must have been published in peer-reviewed English or Chinese journals between 2015-2020 and included self-reported resilience scales in Chinese-speaking populations. Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, CNKI (completed in May 2021), and PubMed (completed in January 2024). We developed coding schemes for extracting relevant data and adapted and applied an existing evaluation framework to assess the most frequently used resilience scales by seven methodological criteria.ResultsAnalyses of 963 qualified studies suggested that Chinese resilience scales were used in a diverse range of study contexts. Among 85 unique kinds of resilience measures, we highlighted and evaluated the three most frequently used translated scales and three locally developed scales (nine scales in total including variations such as short forms). In short, resilience studies in Chinese contexts relied heavily on the translated 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, which scored moderately on the overall quality. The locally developed Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents and Essential Resilience Scale received the best ratings but could use further development.DiscussionWe discussed how future work may advance widely used scales, and specified seven methodological recommendations for future resilience scale development with existing and new scales in and beyond the Chinese study contexts. We further addressed issues and challenges in measuring resilience as a process and called on researchers to further develop/evaluate process measures for Chinese-speaking populations

Meaning In Life And Self-Efficacy\u27s Relationship To Depression, Anxiety, And Stress: A Study Of Coastal Residents Affected By The Gulf Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Platform exploded, killing 11 people and spilling approximately 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over the following months. Disasters such as the Gulf Oil Spill affect individuals in many ways, including the possible onset of psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Because mental health effects are comfollowing a disaster, it is important to understand potential protective factors that may decrease the risk of negative consequences related to disaster events. The presence and severity of psychological distress, as well as the method of coping, varies between individuals and is likely influenced by protective factors such as perceived meaning in life and self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological effects of the Gulf Oil Spill with a sample of 1119 Mississippi coastal residents seeking mental health services in response to the event. It was found that depression, anxiety, and stress were positively associated with each other. Self-efficacy and perceived meaning in life were positively associated with each other. Additionally, psychological distress was negatively related to protective factors. It was also found that, overall, sex and race/ethnicity did not serve to change the relationship between psychological distress and protective factors. Mean comparisons found that men reported significantly greater levels of self-efficacy than women and females reported significantly greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. However, no significant differences were found between males and females on report of perceived meaning in life. When comparing non-White and White individuals, it was found that non-White individuals reported significantly greater anxiety and White individuals reported significantly greater self-efficacy. There were no differences in the report of depression, stress, or meaning in life. These results shothat the individuals who participated in this study experienced significant psychological distress and that protective factors may serve to buffer symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Future research on the impact of disaster on mental health should explore the types of treatment that are most effective in alleviating negative symptoms and enhancing protective factors

Annual Research Review: Sleep problems in childhood psychiatric disorders – a review of the latest science

Background Hippocrates flagged the value of sleep for good health. Nonetheless, historically, researchers with an interest in developmental psychopathology have largely ignored a possible role for atypical sleep. Recently, however, there has been a surge of interest in this area, perhaps reflecting increased evidence that disturbed or insufficient sleep can result in poor functioning in numerous domains. This review outlines what is known about sleep in the psychiatric diagnoses most relevant to children and for which associations with sleep are beginning to be understood. While based on a comprehensive survey of the literature, the focus of the current review is on the latest science (largely from 2010). There is a description of both concurrent and longitudinal links as well as possible mechanisms underlying associations. Preliminary treatment research is also considered which suggests that treating sleep difficulties may result in improvements in behavioural areas beyond sleep quality. Findings To maximise progress in this field, there now needs to be: (a) greater attention to the assessment of sleep in children; (b) sleep research on a wider range of psychiatric disorders; (c) a greater focus on and examination of mechanisms underlying associations; (d) a clearer consideration ofdevelopmental questions and (e) large-scale well-designed treatment studies. Conclusions While sleep problems may sometimes be missed by parents and healthcare providers; hence constituting a hidden risk for other psychopathologies – knowing about these difficulties creates unique opportunities. The current excitement in this field from experts in diverse areas including developmental psychology, clinical psychology, genetics and neuropsychology should make these opportunities a reality