Browsing by Subject "adolescence"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Parental Support, and Family Resilience
(2016-05) Bohlinger, Anna
This mixed-methods study explored parental experiences of support and family strengths when a child had engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury. Twenty parents participated in a quantitative web survey, and 5 went on to complete follow-up qualitative interviews. Parents reported adequate levels of global social support as measured by the Social Provision Scale and the Social Support Questionnaire. Specifically, they reported high levels of perceived ability to guide and nurture in their significant relationships. However, affective and instrumental support from adult peers was more difficult for these parents to perceive and access. Qualitative interviews added depth and richness to these findings; parents reported challenges in accessing support due to difficulties in finding other parents who had also had a child with similar problems. At the same time, they described many strengths in their family systems, including role flexibility, healthy boundaries, connectedness, and positive meaning-making. Implications for future research and clinical work are discussed in conclusion.
Biological correlates of suicide attempt during adolescence and young adulthood: integration of findings across multi-modal measures.
(2021) Mirza, Salahudeen; Klimes-Dougan, Bonnie
The biological correlates of suicide attempt are poorly understood in young people. Here we undertook a narrative review of the literature across biological units of analysis (brain structure and function, serum biomarkers, molecular biology) to summarize the markers associated with suicide attempt in samples of average age under 24. We suggest overall patterns in emotion, cognitive control, and social support, which emerge from alterations at each level.
Functional and Structural Connectivity of Limbic and Interpersonally Relevant Regions in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
(2019-08) Westlund Schreiner, Melinda
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) commonly begins in adolescence and is associated with an array of negative outcomes including suicide. Research has only begun to explore the neurobiological mechanisms associated with this behavior, most often among adults with borderline personality disorder. However, research is urgently needed to study NSSI among adolescents in order to understand potential neurobiological correlates. Applications of this knowledge would potentially be used to identify neurobiologically informed intervention strategies targeting these deficits and restore healthy neurodevelopmental trajectories. The present study implemented a multi-modal approach to understanding neural functioning by examining structural and functional connectivity in adolescents with versus without NSSI. Given previous clinical findings on NSSI, this study focused on brain regions implicated in negative affect and interpersonal sensitivity, the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) respectively. Overall, the NSSI group showed widespread differences in both functional and structural connectivity compared to controls. These patterns were suggestive of possible influence of negative affect on emotional memory, planning of motor movements, and interpersonal relationships. Additionally, the NSSI group showed impairments in structural connectivity consistent with those seen in major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Given the paucity of neurobiological research on NSSI, this study represents an important first step in furthering the understanding of this behavior in adolescents and will aid in generating hypotheses for future work.
Longitudinal changes in Go/No-Go and Stop Signal Task performance and relationships with gray matter architecture in adolescent development
(2023-08) Weiss, Hannah
This dissertation explores the development of response inhibition in adolescence to better understand risk-taking behaviors and risk for psychopathology. The first aim is to evaluate the longitudinal developmental trajectory of motor response inhibition among healthy adolescents and young adults using two tasks. The second aim is to explore relationships between regional gray matter architecture with individual differences and development of response inhibition. Research in this area has predominantly relied upon cross-sectional studies, used only one response inhibition task, lacked exploration of non-linear models, and rarely explored structural brain correlates of response inhibition. To address these limitations, this dissertation incorporated a longitudinal cohort sequential design (baseline ages 11 – 24, N = 148, up to four timepoints two years apart) to assess performance on two response inhibition tasks. Analyses included nonlinear models, retest stability estimates, and examination of between- and within-subjects associations of response inhibition with gray matter architecture. In Study 1, response inhibition as measured by the Stop Signal and Go/No-Go tasks demonstrated an inverse age trajectory with steepest improvements in early adolescence followed by stabilization. Neither task demonstrated sex effects, and each had fair retest stability. Building upon Study 1, Study 2 found that gray matter architecture of the inferior frontal gyrus was related to response inhibition. Distinct associations among gray matter measures, response inhibition tasks, and specific subregions of the inferior frontal gyrus were found. Collectively, this work characterizes the normative pattern of development of response inhibition in adolescence and identifies early adolescence as a specific period of plasticity and potential vulnerability that may be associated with gray matter development in the inferior frontal gyrus. It suggests that motor response inhibition is not a likely candidate for explaining peaks in risk-taking that occur in later adolescence. This work provides evidence for similarities and differences between the Go/No-Go and Stop Signal tasks and demonstrates strengths and weaknesses of each that may guide future research.
Relationship between team sport participation and weight control behaviors in adolescents
(2023-08-16) Wiggins, Isabella A
Although studies find positive effects of physical activity, team sports, and social aspects of participating as part of a team, body image and concerns about weight and shape have been found to be related to underlying reasoning for participation in sports and other forms of physical activity. Involvement in sports and physical activity due to these motivations are shown to lead to exercise addiction and poor eating behaviors. This study investigates the relationship between sport participation and weight control behaviors among adolescents. The two research questions addressed are: 1) Do adolescents who participate in team sports have a higher prevalence of weight control behaviors than those that do not?; 2) Are there differences between power team sports and weight-related team sports in relation to weight control behaviors? Behavioral data was collected and analyzed from the EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens) study for differences between participants of the following groups: power team sports, weight-related team sports, and not involved in team sports. Analysis showed no significant differences in weight control goals or behaviors between adolescent participants of power team sports, weight related team sports, or not involved in team sports. There was also a high prevalence of weight loss goals and weight loss behaviors among each group. It is important to understand that dieting, weight loss goals, and weight control behaviors occur across multiple groups within the adolescent population when developing interventions to improve nutritional status and reduce disordered behaviors.
Rethinking Adolescence and Education Policy
(2024-05-01) Piper, Lauren; Leopold, Melanie; Reese, Sophie; Trueblood, Isabelle
We were commissioned to conduct the research for this report by an organization called The Civic Affairs Trust, or TCAT. TCAT is a Minnesota-based trust whose purpose is to facilitate the redesign of community services and systems so they are self-improving. To date, TCAT's focus has been the K-12 public education system. TCAT approached the Humphrey School with the hypothesis that current policies governing eligibility for two alternative pathways programs, Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and the General Education Development test (GED), are creating barriers for students because these policies limit participation based on age. We used qualitative research methods to answer three research questions: 1. What is adolescence? 2. Are age-restricted education policies creating unnecessary barriers to GED and PSEO programs in Minnesota? 3. If age is not a useful measure of readiness for PSEO and GED programs, what alternative measures might we consider? Our conclusions and recommendations around these three questions are based on our qualitative research findings.
Social Stress Buffering by Friends in Childhood and Adolescence: Effects on HPA and Oxytocin Activity
(2016-05) Doom, Jenalee
Previous research has demonstrated that before puberty, parents are able to buffer, and often completely block, cortisol responses to social evaluative stressors (e.g., Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). However, after puberty, parents no longer provide a powerful buffer of the HPA axis from a social-evaluative stressor. The current study investigates whether friends can buffer the HPA axis in both children and adolescents compared to parents and whether similar stress-ameliorating patterns can also be observed in oxytocin activity. A total of 109 participants (54 children ages 9-10 and 55 adolescents ages 15-16; approximately half of each sex) completed the TSST and were randomly assigned to prepare for their speech with their parent or friend for 5 minutes beforehand. Salivary cortisol and urinary oxytocin were measured before and after the TSST. For children, cortisol responses were comparable regardless of who helped the child prepare the speech. For adolescents, however, friends actually amplified the cortisol response compared to parents. In addition, adolescents produced less oxytocin than children, as did males compared to females. Notably, for boys, oxytocin levels decreased across the session if participants prepared with a friend rather than their parent. The mean change was in the same direction but not significant for girls. These results indicate that friends do not take over the social buffering role by age 15-16, which may inform interventions in at-risk children and adolescents.
Trajectories of emotional intelligence in adolescent females who engage in high risk sexual behaviors.
(2011-09) Lando-King, Elizabeth Anne
Adolescence is a period characterized by rapid change. Brain maturation during this period leads to changes in emotional capacities and ability to regulate emotions. Introduced in 1990, emotional intelligence (EI) incorporates intrapersonal, interpersonal, adaptation, and stress management skills. EI has become a hot topic, resulting in a proliferation of studies on EI. Theoretically, EI develops during adolescence; however, this theory of development has not been demonstrated with longitudinal research. Low EI has been linked to health risk behaviors among adolescents, but it is unclear how or if EI develops in teens who engage in high risk behaviors. The main purpose of this study was to develop a longitudinal model of change in stress management skills, one aspect of emotional intelligence, utilizing an accelerated cohort design in adolescents girls engaged in high risk sexual behaviors. An additional goal was to explore whether social connectedness and sexual behaviors predicted variability in initial level of stress management skills and development over time. This secondary data analysis utilized 24 months of survey data (N = 125) from participants assigned to the control condition of Prime Time, a clinic-based intervention study aimed to reduce multiple risk behaviors among teen girls who engage in high risk sexual behaviors. A linear accelerated cohort design successfully modeled stress management skill development over ages 14 to 19. There was small, but significant increase in the level of stress management skill. School connectedness and partner communication regarding sexual risk were both significant predictors of the level of stress management skills at age 14 and partner communication significantly predicted the change in stress management skills over time. This study provides preliminary evidence that stress management skills, and possibly emotional intelligence, increase over time during adolescence, in a population that has not previously been reported on. Further studies could confirm this increase over time during adolescence, among high risk groups as well as general populations of adolescents. More information is needed regarding the relationship between the development of emotional intelligence and later health outcomes. This type of evidence could inform future public health nursing practice and interventions targeting emotional intelligence.
Twice as Nice or Double Trouble: Examination of IVF Twins relative to IVF Singletons and their Families' Outcomes in Adolescence
(2016-04) Anderson, Kayla
The two presented studies examine outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF)-conceived twins relative to IVF singletons and their families in adolescence (Study 1: n = 194 families, Study 2: n = 192 families). Study 1 used nested ANCOVAs to examine differences in family environment and adolescent adjustment outcomes among 11 – 17 year-old IVF twins and IVF singletons and their families. Despite notable statistical power, there were no differences between adolescent-aged IVF twins and IVF singletons and their families. This suggests IVF twins and their families function well into adolescence. Study 2 tested two autoregressive path models that propose parental conformity expectations have differential effects on twins’ and singletons’ parent-adolescent relationship satisfaction, which indirectly accounts for relative changes in twins’ and singletons’ adjustment over time. Despite the developmental need for increased autonomy in adolescence, results indicate high conformity expectations play a positive role for adolescent-aged twins and their families. These studies suggest that, while adolescent IVF twins and IVF singletons and their families function well, research on singletons should not be universally applied to understand twins and their families.
Understanding the Processes and the Consequences of Immigration
(2014-05) Causadias, Jose
In this dissertation, I examine the phenomenon of immigration and how intercultural contact affects both immigrants and natives through acculturation and enculturation processes. I center on three main sources of individual differences in the outcomes of acculturation and enculturation: a) ethnicity, b) genetic plasticity, and c) immigrant generation. To examine these three sources, I employed data from a sample of Asian (n = 1584) and Latino (n = 3525) adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, who were assessed in four waves from ages 12-16 to ages 24-32. I found some group differences between Asians and Latinos, evidence of Gene-Culture correlations, and partial support for generational differences. These findings are discussed using a Cultural Development and Psychopathology framework (Causadias, 2013).
Youth Survival Expectations: Disadvantaged Contexts and Forecasts for Future Health
(2017-12) Duke, Naomi
In national studies, some youth report they do not think they will live into adulthood. Belief in risk for early death is more prevalent among youth of color and youth living in poverty, and may become a self-fulfilling prophecy as youth give up on self-care and future life investment. The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold, (1) to gain additional insight into the relationship between socio-developmental context and stability and change in youth survival perceptions, and (2) to describe the relationship between youth survival perceptions over time and health in adulthood. Data are from Waves I-IV of the in-home interviews from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The study sample included 10,120 respondents participating in all four waves (ages 11-34 years). Multinomial logistic regression models are used to examine relationships between youth socio-developmental context, including measures of resource access, experiences of adversity, and perceptions of safety, and survival perceptions during adolescence and the period of transition to young adulthood. Linear regression models are used to determine the predictive ability of perceived survival over time on adult health outcomes, including self-rated health, diagnostic profiles, and an allostatic load index. Findings reveal significant relationships between multiple aspects of youth socio-developmental context and survival perceptions. Findings also reveal significant relationships between youth survival perceptions and adult health, even with adjustment for measures of social class origin, social location, and antecedent health. Examination of youth survival perceptions may represent a unique mechanism in which to study enduring impacts of social context on youth agency, as well as a mechanism to address health disparities by establishing a link between survival perceptions and long-term health outcomes.

University Digital Conservancy

Browse by Subject

Browsing by Subject "adolescence"