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Biomedical subjects

A M La Greca

Publications and source records attributed to A M La Greca.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Social anxiety in children with anxiety disorders: relation with social and emotional functioning.

Investigated the psychometric properties of the Social Anxiety Scale for children-Revised (SASC-R) as well as relations between social anxiety and children's social and emotional functioning. Participants were a clinic sample of children, ages 6-11 with anxiety disorders (N = 154) who completed the SASC-R. For a subset of these children, parent ratings of social skills, and self-ratings of perceived competence and peer interactions were also obtained. Factor analysis of the SASC-R supported the original three-factor solution and internal consistencies were in the acceptable range. Among children with simple phobia, scores on the SASC-R differentiated those with and without a comorbid social-based anxiety disorder. Social anxiety was also associated with impairments in social and emotional functioning. Specifically, highly socially anxious children reported low levels of social acceptance and global self-esteem and more negative peer interactions. Girls with high levels of social anxiety were also rated by parents as having poor social skills, particularly in the areas of assertive and responsible social behavior.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Social anxiety among adolescents: linkages with peer relations and friendships.

This study examined the utility of modifying the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised (SASC-R) for use with adolescents, and examined associations between adolescents' social anxiety (SA) and their peer relations, friendships, and social functioning. Boys (n = 101) and girls (n = 149) in the 10th through 12th grades completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and measures of social support, perceived competence, and number and quality of their best friendships. Factor analysis of the SAS-A confirmed a three-factor structure: Fear of Negative Evaluation, Social Avoidance and Distress in General, and Social Avoidance Specific to New Situations or Unfamiliar Peers. Girls reported more SA than boys, and SA was more strongly linked to girls' social functioning than boys'. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of SA reported poorer social functioning (less support from classmates, less social acceptance), and girls with higher levels of SA reported fewer friendships, and less intimacy, companionship, and support in their close friendships. These findings extend work on the SASC-R to adolescents, and suggest the importance of SA for understanding the social functioning and close friendships of adolescents, especially girls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

It's "all in the family": responsibility for diabetes care.

Despite its importance, diabetes management it is an area of great difficulty for children and adolescents. As children reach the teenage years, satisfactory levels of treatment adherence and glycemic control become increasingly difficult to obtain. In order to promote better diabetes care, the present paper emphasizes the need for families to remain actively involved in their youngster's diabetes care, regardless of the child's age. Recent studies of children and adolescents with diabetes are described that support the view that, even as responsibility for diabetes care shifts from a parent-managed to an adolescent-managed system, family members should remain actively involved in day to day management. Based on current research efforts, the specific ways that family members can remain active and involved are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Reflections and perspectives on pediatric psychology: editor's vale dictum.

Reviews major activities of the Editor and changes in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (JPP) for issues published in 1993 through 1997. Significant trends and accomplishments are reviewed, including the increased use of Special Issues and Special Sections to highlight current pediatric psychological research. Articles published during the term are analyzed in terms of article type and population type. Comparisons are made to earlier trends in JPP publications, as reported by Roberts (1992).

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Prediction of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after hurricane Andrew.

The authors used an integrative conceptual model to examine the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 568 elementary school-age children 3 months after Hurricane Andrew. The model included 4 primary factors: Exposure to Traumatic Events, Child Characteristics, Access to Social Support, and Children's Coping. Overall, 62% of the variance in children's self-reported PTSD symptoms was accounted for by the 4 primary factors, and each factor improved overall prediction of symptoms when entered in the analyses in the order specified by the conceptual model. The findings suggest that the conceptual model may be helpful to organize research and intervention efforts in the wake of natural disasters.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Assessment as a process in pediatric psychology.

In this editorial, we have highlighted several key aspects of the assessment process. First, we consider it critical that pediatric psychologists view "assessment as a process," and not as a test or measure. Assessment begins with the formulation of a precise, answerable question--and this maxim is equally important for researchers and clinicians. It is especially critical that research questions be conceptually based, as well as of applied interest. The development of an appropriate assessment strategy should always follow directly from the question that is posed. Second, in developing an assessment strategy, we advocate selecting the "best" informants and the "best" measurement methods available, also taking into consideration the developmental level of the participants and the types of constructs being assessed. In most cases, it will be desirable to use multiple informants, rather than relying on a single source. Given the measurement constraints discussed earlier, we also advocate using multiple measures to assess a construct, and avoiding single-item measures. We also feel strongly that pediatric psychologists should consider designing focused studies of developmentally appropriate age groups, rather than evaluating children from a very broad age range (e.g., infants to teens). Third, as pediatric psychological research moves into new areas of inquiry, assessment should represent a "growth area." We need psychometrically sound measures that are appropriate for use with pediatric health populations. We also need to develop assessment strategies that capture the rich and complex process of dealing with health and disease and, therefore, we should consider gathering qualitative data, to supplement standardized questionnaires. Finally, we recognize that pediatric psychologists face many practical constraints and challenges in the assessment process, especially in today's volatile health care climate. We have seen and will continue to see radical changes in the way health care is provided; pediatric psychologists and other care providers are continually making adjustments in their activities to respond to these frequent shifts and changes. In part because of these changes, pediatric psychologists need to develop and use methods to assess the financial costs and benefits of their interventions. With the increasing emphasis on providing quality medical care at the lowest possible price, efforts to document the valuable contributions of pediatric psychologists become paramount. By sharing our ideas and strategies, as many of the contributors to this issue have done, we stand a better chance of making a better future.

Child↗
PubMed1995

I get by with a little help from my family and friends: adolescents' support for diabetes care.

Evaluated and compared the support provided by family members and friends for adolescents' diabetes care. Family and friend support also were examined in relation to other measures of social support, to demographic variables (age, gender, duration of diabetes) and to adherence. Using a structured interview, 74 adolescents with diabetes described the ways that family members and friends provided support for diabetes management (insulin shots, blood glucose monitoring, eating proper meals, exercise), and for helping them to "feel good about their diabetes." Families provided more support than friends for three management tasks (insulin injections, blood glucose monitoring, meals); this support was largely instrumental. In contrast, friends provided more emotional support for diabetes than families. Greater family support was related to younger age, shorter disease duration, and better treatment adherence. Implications of the findings include encouraging parents to remain involved in adolescents' treatment management, and involving peers as supportive companions for meals and exercise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Case reports in pediatric psychology: uses and guidelines for authors and reviewers.

Described uses of case reports in pediatric psychology and guidelines for authors and reviewers. Case reports have several important functions: to document the efficacy of new treatment applications, describe interesting new clinical phenomena, to develop hypotheses, to illustrate methodological issues, difficult diagnostic issues, or novel treatment approaches, and to identify unmet clinical and research needs. Authors should carefully document the scientific purpose and clarify the new information contributed by their reports, provide evidence for their conclusions, and articulate clinical, theoretical, and/or research implications.

Child↗
PubMed1995

What do children worry about? Worries and their relation to anxiety.

This study examined worry in elementary school aged children and its relation to anxiety. The study also examined whether parameters of excessive or dysfunctional worry could be delineated. Children from second through sixth grades (ages 7-12 years) were interviewed using a structured approach and completed several child anxiety measures. Parameters of worry assessed included: number of worries, areas of worry, intensity of worries, and perceptions of the frequency of worry events. Findings revealed few age-related differences but found that girls reported more worries than boys and that African-Americans reported more worries than white or Hispanic children. The three most common areas of worry involved School, Health, and Personal Harm. Anxiety was significantly associated with worry, providing empirical support for a link between these two constructs. Worry parameters, especially number and intensity of worries, could differentiate high and low anxious children in a normal school sample. Implications of these findings for understanding the role of worry in childhood anxiety are discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Parent reports of child behavior problems: bias in participation.

This paper compares the characteristics of 274 children whose parents agreed to provide information about their children's functioning in research with children whose parents did not. Parents had provided permission for child participation in school-approved research. Measures included self-, peer, teacher, and parent ratings. Parents of minority children were less likely to participate than parents of nonminority children. Among nonminorities, children of parent participants were viewed as more socially skilled and liked by their peers; teachers rated them as having less attention problems, less depression, and better academic skills than children of nonparticipating parents. Among minorities, no differences emerged. Implications for research involving the use of parent ratings are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Peer influences in pediatric chronic illness: an update.

Examined research on peer relations of children with chronic illness. In general, scant attention has been devoted to this topic. A recent review (La Greca, 1990) highlighted this oversight and suggested several avenues for further research and clinical endeavors. This paper updates the earlier review, and provides examples from current literature regarding the role of peer relations in adjustment to chronic disease. Data are presented from an ongoing investigation of the ways in which friends and family members provide support for adolescents with diabetes. Adolescents' friends were more oriented toward companionship support than were family members; both family and friends were reported to provide emotional support for diabetes care, although the types of emotional support varied. Findings are discussed in the context of the important and varied role that peers play in youngsters' disease adaptation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Adolescent smoking.

This article reviewed the major personal, interpersonal, environmental, attitudinal, and physiological variables that contribute to adolescent smoking. As stated at the outset, multiple factors interact in complex ways to determine the cause and development of smoking among adolescents. No single factor or influence is either sufficient or necessary in and of itself. Given the substantial continuity of smoking status across the period from adolescence to adulthood and the fact that most adults began their smoking careers as teenagers, antismoking campaigns and other preventive strategies for reducing adolescent smoking are critical areas for future health promotion efforts. Efforts to prevent adolescent smoking have shown appreciable success in reducing the rate of "uptake." A frequent intervention strategy has focused on protecting adolescents against peer influence through teaching them skills for refusing or counteracting such influence and posing counterinfluence by recruiting high-status peers as leaders of prevention programs. Although these interventions have shown success, their scope appears limited in light of this article's emphasis on the multiple influences on adolescent smoking. For instance, further prevention research might address factors such as family influences and group and self-identity. It might also address the complex set of risk behaviors of which smoking may often be a member.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Social consequences of pediatric conditions: fertile area for future investigation and intervention.

Very little systematic research has examined the peer relations and social functioning of youngsters with chronic illness. In order to stimulate empirical and clinical interest in this potentially important area of pediatric psychology, the present paper discusses several pertinent tissues. These include (a) the role of peers in disease adaptation and treatment management, (b) specific aspects of diseases or treatments that are likely to have implications for youngsters' social functioning, (c) guidelines for further investigation in this area, and (d) suggestions for incorporating peer/social issues into educational programs and intervention efforts for youngsters with chronic disease. Throughout the discussion, the complex interplay between peer relations and adaptation to chronic illness is highlighted.

Child↗
PubMed1990

The social status of children with learning disabilities: a reexamination.

Although the low social status of children with learning disabilities (LD) has been well documented, little is known about the specific types of peer status problems that characterize these children. The present study utilized current sociometric procedures in order to clarify the nature of social status difficulties encountered by children with LD. Consistent with previous studies, results revealed that children with LD obtain significantly lower sociometric scores relative to their nondisabled peers. Moreover, children with LD were found to be disproportionately overrepresented in the rejected and neglected sociometric groups, and underrepresented in the popular and average groups. Over half of the total LD sample was classified into one of the low status categories, with approximately equal numbers in the rejected and neglected groups. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1990

LD status and achievement: confounding variables in the study of children's social status, self-esteem, and behavioral functioning.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of achievement in explaining the poor social and behavioral functioning associated with LD status, and to evaluate potential gender differences in patterns of interpersonal functioning among youth with learning disabilities (LD) and nondisabled (NLD) youth. Thirty-two students with learning disabilities (21 boys, 11 girls) were matched with same-sex, same-race classmates whose reading achievement was low (LA) or average (AA), and these groups were compared on peer ratings of liking and disliking, perceptions of self-worth and social acceptance, and teacher ratings of conduct problems, anxiety-withdrawal, and attention problems. Students with learning disabilities were less accepted and less well-liked than children in the LA or AA groups and also perceived their self-worth and social acceptance to be lower than LA or AA students. Group by Sex interactions were apparent for several of the peer rating and behavioral variables, indicating that different patterns of social and behavioral functioning distinguished LD boys and LD girls from their NLD peers. The findings highlight the potential role of low achievement in peers' dislike of LD girls and suggest the importance of investigating well-defined subgroups of youth with LD in future research.

Achievement↗
PubMed1990

Issues in adherence with pediatric regimens.

Adherence to recommendations for health care is an area of serious concern for pediatric psychologists. The present article highlights several key issues affecting research and clinical work in this area. They include: difficulties defining and measuring adherence; developmental aspects of adherence; special concerns with low income populations; and limitations of intervention research. In addition, several directions for future investigation in the area of pediatric adherence are addressed.

Child↗