The association of academic tracking to depressive symptoms among adolescents in three Caribbean countries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Students who are tracked into low performing schools or classrooms that limit their life chances may report increased depressive symptoms. Limited research has been conducted on academic tracking and its association with depressive symptoms among high school students in the Caribbean. This project examines levels of depressive symptoms among tenth grade students tracked within and between high schools in Jamaica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts and Nevis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Students enrolled in grade ten of the 2006/2007 academic year in Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). In Jamaica and St. Vincent, academic tracking was operationalized using data provided by the local Ministries of Education. These Ministries ranked ordered schools according to students' performance on Caribbean school leaving examinations. In St. Kitts and Nevis tracking was operationalized by classroom assignments within schools whereby students were grouped into classrooms according to their levels of academic achievement. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between academic tracking and BDI-II depression scores.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A wide cross-section of 4^thform students in each nation was sampled (n = 1738; 278 from Jamaica, 737 St. Kitts and Nevis, 716 from St. Vincent; 52% females, 46.2% males and 1.8% no gender reported; age 12 to 19 years, mean = 15.4 yrs, sd = .9 yr). Roughly half (53%) of the students reported some symptoms of depression with 19.2% reporting moderate and 10.7% reporting severe symptoms of depression. Students in Jamaica reported significantly higher depression scores than those in either St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent (p < .01). Students assigned to a higher academic track reported significantly lower BDI-II scores than students who were assigned to the lower academic track (p < .01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There appears to be an association between academic tracking and depressive symptoms that is differentially manifested across the islands of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent.</p

Utility of WHOQOL-BREF in measuring quality of life in Sickle Cell Disease

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease is the commonest genetic disorder in Jamaica and most likely exerts numerous effects on quality of life (QOL) of those afflicted with it. The WHOQOL-Bref, which is a commonly utilized generic measure of quality of life, has never previously been utilized in this population. We have sought to study its utility in this disease population. METHODS: 491 patients with sickle cell disease were administered the questionnaire including demographics, WHOQOL-Bref, Short Form-36 (SF-36), Flanagan's quality of life scale (QOLS) and measures of disease severity at their routine health maintenance visits to the sickle cell unit. Internal consistency reliabilities, construct validity and "known groups" validity of the WHOQOL-Bref, and its domains, were examined; and then compared to those of the other instruments. RESULTS: All three instruments had good internal consistency, ranging from 0.70 to 0.93 for the WHOQOL-Bref (except the 'social relationships' domain), 0.86-0.93 for the SF-36 and 0.88 for the QOLS. None of the instruments showed any marked floor or ceiling effects except the SF-36 'physical health' and 'role limitations' domains. The WHOQOL-Bref scale also had moderate concurrent validity and showed strong "known groups" validity. CONCLUSION: This study has shown good psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-Bref instrument in determining QOL of those with sickle cell disease. Its utility in this regard is comparable to that of the SF-36 and QOLS.Originally published at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1477-7525-7-75.pd

Development and Validation of the Tertiary Student Locus of Control Scale

This study developed and validated a measure of Locus of Control in university students. Tertiary academic locus of control is the general expectancy that university students have regarding their ability to change their academic outcomes. Students who have an internal academic locus of control expect that their own efforts, skill, or luck will lead to academic success, while those with an external locus of control believe that academic outcomes are a result of luck, destiny, fate, or the behaviors of others. A series of steps were taken to develop the Tertiary Student Locus of Control (TSLOC) scale. These steps included defining the construct, developing a nomological network of the construct, and constructing an item pool of 66 items. Following the creation of the item pool, an item analysis was conducted on the 66-item measure to produce the 30-item TSLOC scale. The draft scale was administered to 100 participants (80 females and 20 males predominantly of Afro-Caribbean heritage from English-speaking Caribbean islands). The TSLOC scale had an internal consistency of.96 and had strong concurrent validity and moderate discriminant validity. A principal component analysis indicated that the TSLOC was a multidimensional scale composed of three underlying dimensions. The TSLOC scale was found to be valid and reliable for the current population of Caribbean tertiary students. The limitations and implications are discussed.peerReviewe

Estilos parentales, ansiedad y depresión en niños y adolescentes

Objective: To analyse the possible direct and interactive associations of sex, age and parenting styles with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 710 students ranging from 8 to 13 years (mean age 10.8 years [±0.75]), the most of them males (n = 422,59.4%), completed three screening instruments: a parenting practices scale and two self-reports for evaluating anxiety and depressive symptoms. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: Authoritative (38.6%) and neglectful (38%) parenting styles were predominant. Symptoms of depression —F(3,706) = 3.12,p = .03— and anxiety —F(3,706) = 2.83,p = .4— differed by parenting styles. Students with a neglectful parenting style reported significant lower generalized anxiety symptoms than those whose parents used authoritative parenting. Clinical implications: Children ages 8 to 13 years-old with authoritative  parenting style should be evaluated for possible presence of generalized anxiety symptoms.Objetivos: Analizar las posibles asociaciones entre sexo, edad y estilos de crianza con síntomas de depresión y ansiedad. Método: En este estudio transversal participaron 710 estudiantes entre 8 y 13 años (con una edad promedio de 10.8 [DE = 0.75]), la mayoría hombres (n = 422,59.4%), los cuales respondieron tres instrumentos de cribado: una escala de prácticas parentales y dos autoinformes para evaluar síntomas de ansiedad y de depresión. Se llevaron a cabo dos regresiones múltiples. Resultados: Los estilos parentales predominantes fueron el autoritativo (38.6%) y el negligente (38%). Los síntomas depresivos —F(3,706) = 3.12,p = .03— y ansiosos —F(3,706) = 2.83,p = .4— se relacionaron de manera diferente entre los estilos parentales. El estilo parental negligente se asoció con menos ansiedad generalizada que el estilo parental autoritativo. Implicaciones clínicas: Los niños de 8 a 13 años con estilo de crianza autoritario podrían ser evaluados para detectar la posible presencia de síntomas de ansiedad generalizada