Arab Youth Symposium 2013: Conference Program

Please have a look at the short program with a detailed list of the day, time and name of the presentations

Acculturation and Enculturation: Ethnic Identity Socialisation Processes

This chapter begins with a brief review of various approaches to the study of ethnic identity, because they form the foundation for the research studies on the acculturation and enculturation processes of Arab Americans. In particular, the seminal works of John W. Berry, Jean Phinney, and their colleagues (e.g. Berry, Phinney, Sam, & Vedder, 2006 ) are discussed in light of research on the acculturation of Arab Americans to the U.S. Acculturation involves the variety of diff erent ways that a person can adapt to a culture that is diff erent from that of their family’s culture(s) of origin. Enculturation, on the other hand, involves learning about one’s culture of origin

Rebelliousness, Effortful Control, and Risky Behavior: Metamotivational and Temperamental Predictors of Risk-Taking in Older Adolescents

Adolescence is frequently regarded as a time of increased vulnerability to engaging in risky behaviors such as binge drinking, unsafe sexual activities, and illicit drug use. The present study examined risk perception and risk-taking behavior in older adolescents from two different perspectives, by examining temperamental and metamotivational predictors of likelihood of engaging in risky activities. A sample of 76 undergraduate students aged 17 to 19 years completed a questionnaire package that included the Motivational Style Profile, Rebelliousness Questionnaire, the short form of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire, and the expected risk and expected involvement subscales of the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events. Findings indicated that rebelliousness and effortful control (i.e., ability to appropriately regulate attention and behavior) were strong predictors of expected involvement in risky behaviors, and that proactive rebelliousness was a particularly influential predictor of illicit drug use, risky sexual activities, aggressive and illegal behaviors, and risky academic and work behaviors. In addition, a number of significant correlations between temperamental variables and metamotivational dominance were observed, lending empirical support to reversal theory’s metamotivational constructs and their measurement

Help Seeking Behaviours and Depressive Symptoms in Arab Canadian and European Canadian Adolescents

Objectives. The aim of the present study was to examine the relations between help-seeking behaviours and mood problems among Arab Canadian and European Canadian adolescents. Method. Participants were 12 Arab Canadian adolescents (six males and six females; M = 15.75, SD = 1.42) and 12 European Canadian adolescents, matched for age and gender (six males and six females; M = 15.75, SD = 1.42) from three demographically diverse high schools in a midsized city in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, stressful life problems, sources of help, and barriers to seeking help for a stressful problem. Results. Youth reported a number of family (8% European Canadian; 25% Arab Canadian), school (42% European Canadian; 17% Arab Canadian), romantic relationships (17% European Canadian; 0% Arab Canadian), and other problems (25% European Canadian; 33% Arab Canadian), such as work and social issues, as their most stressful problem in the past six months. There were no significant differences in perceived severity or stressfulness of problems between the two ethnic groups. Of those adolescents who reported having a stressful problem, 64% of European Canadian and 44% of Arab Canadian youth sought help for their problem. In seeking help for their problem, Arab Canadian youth sought help from significantly fewer people than did European Canadian youth (t (8) = 2.802, p = .023). Arab Canadian youth reported seeking help from only family members, whereas European Canadian youth reported seeking help from family, friends, and other sources (e.g., teachers). There were no significant differences between the two ethnic groups on the types of barriers to seeking help for their problem. Results revealed that Arab Canadian youth (M = 16.18, SD = 12.87) endorsed more depressive symptoms compared to European Canadian youth (M = 7.58, SD = 5.47; t(21) = -2.119, p = .046). In Arab Canadian youth, depression was significantly positively correlated with the following barriers to help seeking: The problem being too personal, perception of family being sufficient for help, having an external locus of control, concerns of confidentiality, and affordability of professional services. Discussion. Findings have implications for understanding how Arab Canadian youth perceive the process of help-seeking and how mental health services can be better targeted to this population

Body-Related Social Comparison and Disordered Eating among Adolescent Females with an Eating Disorder, Depressive Disorder, and Healthy Controls

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between body-related social comparison (BRSC) and eating disorders (EDs) by: (a) comparing the degree of BRSC in adolescents with an ED, depressive disorder (DD), and no psychiatric history; and (b) investigating whether BRSC is associated with ED symptoms after controlling for symptoms of depression and self-esteem. Participants were 75 girls, aged 12–18 (25 per diagnostic group). To assess BRSC, participants reported on a 5-point Likert scale how often they compare their body to others’. Participants also completed a diagnostic interview, Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Compared to adolescents with a DD and healthy adolescents, adolescents with an ED engaged in significantly more BRSC (p ≤ 0.001). Collapsing across groups, BRSC was significantly positively correlated with ED symptoms (p ≤ 0.01), and these associations remained even after controlling for two robust predictors of both ED symptoms and social comparison, namely BDI-II and RSE. In conclusion, BRSC seems to be strongly related to EDs. Treatment for adolescents with an ED may focus on reducing BRSC

A study of differences in Canadian university students' gambling and proximity to a casino

Abstract Gambling behavior and problem gambling of college students were investigated in universities far from and close to a large casino. A survey of 17 gambling activities was given and the South Oaks Gambling Screen was completed by 1579 students. Approximately half of the students were enrolled in universities near a casino and the other half far from a major casino. Gender and proximity differences were hypothesized and observed. Males engaged in more gambling activities than females. Students close to a casino manifested more serious problem gambling than students far from a casino. Gender by proximity interactions are reported. This investigation supports the idea that context and proximity to gaming venues may have exposure or accessibility effects on university students' gambling behavior

Monthly correlates of longitudinal child mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic according to children and caregivers

Background. Multiple reviews identify the broad, pervasive initial impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children, who may be particularly vulnerable to long-term psychiatric sequelae of the ongoing pandemic. However, limited longitudinal research examines persistence of, or change in, children’s distress or psychiatric symptomatology. Methods. From June 2020 through December 2021, we enrolled two cohorts of families of children aged 8 to 13 from Southwestern Ontario into a staggered baseline, longitudinal design that leveraged multi-informant report (N=317 families). In each family, one child and one parent or guardian completed a baseline assessment, 6 monthly follow-up assessments, and one final follow-up assessment 9 months post-baseline. At each assessment, the child and parent or guardian completed the CoRonavIruS health Impact Survey and measures of child anxiety, depressive, irritability, and posttraumatic stress syndromes. Results. Results indicate a broad impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health, which fluctuated over the study period. Elevated local monthly COVID-19 prevalence, hospitalization, and death rates were associated with monthly elevations in children’s reported worry about contracting COVID-19 and stress related to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI). In turn, both elevated monthly worry about contracting COVID-19 and NPI-related stress were associated with monthly elevations in child- and parent- or guardian-report of children’s psychological distress and psychiatric syndromes. Conclusions. This study illustrates the importance of, and informs the potential design of, longitudinal research to track the broad, sustained impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children, who may be particularly vulnerable during the ongoing global crisis

Academic parenting: work–family conflict and strategies across child age, disciplines and career level

The research underpinning this article explores the impacts that parenting and primary caring responsibilities have upon academic careers. It takes an innovative approach by exploring three under-researched aspects of this issue: the longitudinal impacts that extend past the years immediately following the birth or adoption of a child; the differences and similarities that occur as a result of primary carer parenting across academic disciplines; and the impacts that primary carer parenting has upon the careers of those who are employed in senior academic levels. With these three aspects in mind, the research explores the strategies employed to cope with the impacts that birth or adoption has upon academic careers. In doing so, it broadens conceptual understandings of the career impacts of parenting, while offering recommendations for university administrators and leaders