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Clinical Assessment and Management of Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents.

Risk-taking behavior in adolescents has a clear development basis and is augmented by a combination of social and cultural factors. This paper presents an approach to clinical assessment and management of risk-taking behavior and emphasizes the critical responsibility of the health professional in taking appropriate steps to protect adolescents against adverse consequences.

Journal Article↗

Korean adolescents' smoking behavior and its correlation with psychological variables.

The purposes of the study were to explore the prevalence of smoking behavior among Korean adolescents, reveal the factors affecting their smoking behavior, and identify a possible correlation between smoking behavior and psychological variables. A total of 1335 adolescents, randomly selected from junior high and high schools in Seoul, was surveyed. Four Korean-version questionnaires were used to assess adolescents' smoking behavior and their psychological attributes. Results indicated that 43% of adolescents responded that they had smoked a cigarette in their lifetime, and 26% are current smokers. Among current smokers (n=350), 61% of adolescents reported that they have smoked everyday. In addition, males were more likely to smoke in their lifetime and have currently smoked a cigarette than female counterparts. The adolescents aged 17-18 years had smoked a cigarette more than those in other age groups, and the rates of current smoking increased with ages as the trend in smoking experience. Among the five psychological variables, IHLC and self-efficacy significantly differentiated adolescents at different smoking status. IHLC, self-esteem, and self-efficacy were significantly correlated with smoking behavior. This study provides much need information about the relatively unstudied Korean adolescents in terms of their smoking issues and aspects of psychological attributes that relate directly to smoking.

Adolescent↗

A retrospective measure of childhood behavior problems and its use in predicting adolescent problem behaviors.

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to support the dimensional structure of a four-factor retrospective measure of childhood behavior problems with a large, nonclinical adolescent sample. Acceptable levels of internal consistency and low-to-moderate levels of parent-adolescent interrater agreement were indicated for the four factors of attentional deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, conduct disorder symptoms and avoidance behaviors. The externalizing childhood problems (i.e., attentional deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, conduct disorder) were associated significantly with both internalizing (depression) and externalizing (e.g., alcohol consumption, delinquent activity) adolescent problem behaviors, as well as with an earlier age of onset for substance use. Avoidant behaviors in childhood were associated specifically with depressive symptomatology in adolescence. Results are discussed with regard to the role of childhood problems as precursors to adolescent/adult disorders.

Adolescent↗

Stress and knowledge of suicidal others as factors in suicidal behavior of high school adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent beliefs concerning the causes of adolescent suicide and to examine the influence that suicidal others have on adolescents' behavior. The researcher asked the following questions: Do students reporting suicidal behavior and those reporting no suicidal behavior give different causes for suicide? Do males and females give different causes for suicide? Does knowing someone who attempted or committed suicide affect an adolescent's suicidal behavior? The population sample was 473 eleventh- and twelfth-grade students from a suburban public school district near a large metropolitan area in the northeastern United States who completed self-report measures including an open-ended question measuring suicidal causality and a background questionnaire. Data were analyzed using cross-tabulations to compare suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents. Specific tests included the Fisher's Exact Test (two-tailed) and chi-square. The findings showed that, of the high school students studied, 23% reported self-hurt behavior and 6.7% reported suicide attempts. A theme of "too much pressure" was reported by 40% of the adolescents as a cause of suicide. Males and females reported statistically significant divergent views regarding the causes of adolescent suicide. Other findings showed highly significant differences between the suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents when they knew someone who attempted or committed suicide. This information suggests that approximately one in three adolescents who report self-hurt behavior may attempt suicide and that counseling needs to address the findings that males and females perceive the causes of suicide differently and therefore may respond to treatment programs differently. The importance of peer identification with others who attempt or commit suicidal acts cannot be underestimated.

Adolescent↗

Developmental theory and adolescent sexual behavior.

Although substantial research exists regarding adolescent sexual behavior, there is no unifying framework. In this article, a developmental framework is applied to the subject of adolescent sexual behavior.

Adolescent↗

Life events, cardiovascular reactivity, and risk behavior in adolescent boys.

BACKGROUND: Risk behavior contributes to injuries, one of the most important sources of morbidity and mortality in adolescents. Although research has shown that environmental stress makes adolescents more likely to engage in risk behavior and to sustain injuries, the magnitude of these associations has been small. Little is known about the role of individual differences in psychobiologic reactivity to stress in moderating the impact of stressful events. In this study, we examined associations among environmental stressors, cardiovascular reactivity to stress, and the level of risk behavior in adolescent boys. METHODS: Twenty-four 14- to 16-year-old boys underwent a laboratory protocol designed to measure responses to psychologically and physically stressful tasks. Changes in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were measured serially at standard points in the protocol, and levels of positive and negative life events and recent risk behavior were measured using self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Neither life events nor cardiovascular reactivity were independently associated with risk behavior. Positive life events and mean arterial blood pressure reactivity significantly interacted, however, in predicting risk behavior (R2 increment = .25). Boys with high reactivity who reported numerous positive life events engaged in markedly less risk behavior than their peers. CONCLUSION: We conclude that adolescents with exaggerated cardiovascular responses to laboratory stressors are associated with less risk behavior in a setting of positive life circumstances. This result suggests that reactivity may exert protective, rather than harmful, influences in some environments.

Adolescent↗

[Family dysfunction in adolescents with suicidal behavior and in adolescents with conduct disorders].

INTRODUCTION: The period of life known as adolescence generally refers to transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescents' progress toward autonomy involves remaining connected with, as well as separated from parents. Young people and their parents usually have mixed feelings about adolescent autonomy and attachment. An estimated 50% of children born in the 80-s have spent part of their developmental years in single-parent households. Divorce is almost always a stressful event in children's lives. Youthful suicide rate has increased dramatically and is the third leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds. Conduct disorder is one of the mostfrequently diagnosed conditions in adolescents. Suicidal adolescents and adolescents with conduct disorder are much more likely than their peers to have grown up in disrupted, disorganized homes with lack of attachment between parents and their children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was carried out during 2002, 2003, and 2004. The research included 60 adolescents treated at the Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Novi Sad, 30 with diagnosed conduct disorder and 30 with suicidal behavior. RESULTS: Along with other kinds of distress, suicidal adolescents have experienced an escalation of family problems a few months prior to attempted suicide. DISCUSSION: Divorce and life in singe-parent households is almost always a stressful period in children's lives. Conduct disorder and suicidal behavior represent a desperate cryfor help. Conclusion Most adolescents in both groups live in single-parent households. These young people have frequently passed into adolescence with little reason to feel that they could rely on their parentsfor support, or on their home as a place of sanctuary.

Adolescent↗

Behavioral and familial correlates of episodic heroin abuse among suburban adolescents.

Behavioral and familial correlates of predominantly White, suburban heroin abusers were investigated to determine whether such abuse was self-contained experimentation or suggestive of generalized personality disorders and impaired family relationships. Twenty of 296 male high school students recruited from 10 middle-class suburban schools had engaged in episodic heroin abuse. Of 29 antisocial behaviors other than heroin abuse assessed, heroin abusers engaged in 16 significantly more frequently. Heroin abusers found their fathers to be significantly less nice, honest, strong, and kind than did nonabusers, according to semantic differential technique. They found themselves to be significantly less strong than did nonabusers, suggesting failure to model themselves after adequately coping fathers. Heroin abusers also found their mothers to be significantly less fair, honest, and valuable than did nonabusers. It was concluded that episodic heroin abuse among suburban adolescents is suggestive both of generalized antisocial behavior and of impaired family relationships.

Adolescent↗

Parents' Awareness of Their Adolescents' Sexual Behaviors and Experiences: A Concordance Analysis.

PURPOSE: Adolescence is a developmental period during which sexual exploration is normative. Parental awareness of adolescents' sexual behaviors can be protective during this stage; however, research suggests both parents and adolescents tend to avoid open conversations about these sensitive issues. This study aimed to examine concordance between parent proxy-reports and adolescent self-reports across three domains of adolescents' sexual behaviors and experiences. METHODS: Data were collected from a national sample of 522 parent-adolescent dyads (aged 15-17 years) from the AmeriSpeak panel (data collected May-September 2022). Prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) statistics were calculated to evaluate agreement. RESULTS: Findings revealed weak-to-moderate concordance regarding adolescents sending and receiving sexual photos (PABAKs = 0.54-0.79), whereas stronger concordance was observed for experiences related to nonconsensual sharing of sexual photos (PABAKs = 0.92-0.94), with high agreement largely driven by low reported prevalence of these experiences. Strong concordance regarding whether adolescents had ever had sex (PABAK = 0.80) was largely driven by both parents and adolescents reporting the adolescent had not had sex. Concordance regarding sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy prevention methods varied, ranging from weak to strong agreement across specific methods (or lack thereof; PABAKs = -0.07-0.79). DISCUSSION: Results highlight significant discrepancies in parents' knowledge about their adolescents' sexual behaviors and experiences. Interventions aimed at enhancing trust and open dialogue between parents and adolescents about sexuality-related topics, as well as ensuring adolescents have a variety of trusted sources to consult for sexual information, can help adolescents make informed sexual health decisions.

Humans↗

Adolescent problem behavior: the influence of parents and peers.

This paper presents evidence that the Patterson et al. (1992) model of development of antisocial behavior in children generalizes to the development of a wide array of problem behaviors during later adolescence and that youth antisocial behavior, high-risk sexual behavior, academic failure and substance use form a single problem behavior construct. Structural equation modeling methods were applied to 24-month longitudinal data from 204 adolescents and parents. The model fit the data well, accounting for 52% of the variance in adolescent problem behavior. Specifically, families experiencing high levels of conflict were more likely to have low levels of parent-child involvement. These family conditions were related to poor parental monitoring and association with deviant peers one year later. Poor parental monitoring and associations with deviant peers were strong proximal predictors of engagement in an array of problem behaviors at two-year follow-up.

Adolescent↗

Serum androgenic hormones motivate sexual behavior in adolescent boys.

In order to separate hormonal from social effects on adolescent male sexual behavior, serum hormone assays were performed and questionnaire data on sexual motivation and behavior were collected on a representative sample of 102 boys in grades 8, 9, and 10 of a public school system. Free testosterone was a strong predictor of sexual motivation and behavior, with no additional contribution of other hormones. Including measures of pubertal development and age (indexing the effects of social processes) indicated no additional effects. Free testosterone, therefore, appears to affect sexual motivation directly and does not work through the social interpretation of the accompanying pubertal development.

Adolescent↗