Understanding the Link Between Affinity for Solitude and Psychosocial Adjustment During Adolescence

Time spent alone increases from childhood into adolescence. Some previous research suggests that solitude is a constructive experience, whereas other researchers argue that spending time alone may have negative implications for peer relationships during adolescence. Less is known about how different characteristics of solitude may be differentially associated with adjustment. The primary goals of my dissertation were 1) to explore whether the link between affinity for solitude and psychosocial adjustment depends on why or how often an adolescent spends time alone, 2) assess whether there are individual differences in patterns of attitudes towards solitude and experiences with solitude, and 3) identify when solitude is most associated with maladjustment during adolescence. Study 1 of my dissertation used a sample of early and mid- adolescents to examine whether affinity for solitude predicted psychosocial adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, social anxiety, peer victimization, friendship quality, self-esteem), controlling for previous scores on these indicators from two years earlier, and whether motivations for spending time alone (i.e., positive versus reactive) and frequency of time spent alone moderated this association. Study 2 used a person-centered approach to identify subgroups of adolescents who varied in characteristics of solitude and sociability, and then assessed whether there were group differences in earlier and concurrent psychosocial adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, social anxiety, peer victimization, friendship quality). Study 3 extended Study 2 to explore whether these groups of adolescents with different patterns of characteristics of solitude and sociability experienced changes in trajectories of psychosocial adjustment after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the pandemic had a stronger effect for some groups compared to others. Overall, results indicated that affinity for solitude is relatively benign during adolescence, though this depends on why and how often adolescents spend time alone, as well as whether adolescents desire to be around others. Further, the implications of solitude may depend on contextual factors, such as the pandemic. Taken together, my dissertation highlights the importance of considering multiple characteristics of solitude, as well as sociability, to avoid broadly over pathologizing solitude during adolescence

The Yale Craving Scale: Development and psychometric properties

INTRODUCTION: The current study presents a psychometric evaluation of the Yale Craving Scale (YCS), a novel measure of craving for cigarettes and alcohol, respectively. The YCS is the first craving measure to use a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) as the scoring format, which facilitates between-group comparisons of subjective craving and eliminates ceiling effects by assessing the full range of imaginable sensation intensities. METHODS: Psychometric evaluations of the YCS for use with cigarettes (YCS Smoking) and alcohol (YCS Drinking) included assessments of latent factor structure, internal consistency, ceiling effects, and test-criterion relationships. Study samples included 493 treatment-seeking smokers and 213 heavy drinkers. RESULTS: Factor analyses of the 5-item YCS Smoking and Drinking scores confirmed a 1-factor scale. The YCS Smoking and Drinking scores evidenced: (1) good internal consistency, (2) scalar measurement invariance within several subgroups (e.g., smoking/drinking status; nicotine/alcohol dependence), (3) convergent relationships with extant craving measures, and (4) concurrent relationships with smoking/drinking outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the YCS represents a psychometrically sound scale for assessing smoking and drinking urges in dependent populations

Neutralising antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination in UK haemodialysis patients.

No abstract available

Time to Peak Glucose and Peak C-Peptide During the Progression to Type 1 Diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Trial and TrialNet Cohorts

OBJECTIVE To assess the progression of type 1 diabetes using time to peak glucose or C-peptide during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) in autoantibody-positive relatives of people with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We examined 2-h OGTTs of participants in the Diabetes Prevention Trial Type 1 (DPT-1) and TrialNet Pathway to Prevention (PTP) studies. We included 706 DPT-1 participants (mean ± SD age, 13.84 ± 9.53 years; BMI Z-score, 0.33 ± 1.07; 56.1% male) and 3,720 PTP participants (age, 16.01 ± 12.33 years; BMI Z-score, 0.66 ± 1.3; 49.7% male). Log-rank testing and Cox regression analyses with adjustments (age, sex, race, BMI Z-score, HOMA-insulin resistance, and peak glucose/C-peptide levels, respectively) were performed. RESULTS In each of DPT-1 and PTP, higher 5-year diabetes progression risk was seen in those with time to peak glucose >30 min and time to peak C-peptide >60 min (P < 0.001 for all groups), before and after adjustments. In models examining strength of association with diabetes development, associations were greater for time to peak C-peptide versus peak C-peptide value (DPT-1: χ2 = 25.76 vs. χ2 = 8.62; PTP: χ2 = 149.19 vs. χ2 = 79.98; all P < 0.001). Changes in the percentage of individuals with delayed glucose and/or C-peptide peaks were noted over time. CONCLUSIONS In two independent at-risk populations, we show that those with delayed OGTT peak times for glucose or C-peptide are at higher risk of diabetes development within 5 years, independent of peak levels. Moreover, time to peak C-peptide appears more predictive than the peak level, suggesting its potential use as a specific biomarker for diabetes progression