Depression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co...Show moreDepression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co-occurrence remains unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated the co-occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescence using the network psychometrics approach. We obtained our data from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. The data consisted of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-42 (N = 25,086, ages 13-24 years old). We estimated Gaussian Graphical Models (i.e., partial correlations between nodes) and analyzed the bridge nodes. Bridge nodes are nodes of the network that are most influential in connecting the different disorders. We expected the bridge nodes to be the overlapping symptoms found among depression, anxiety, and stress as indicated in the DSM-V. Moreover, to examine whether bridge nodes were consistent across adolescence, we divided our sample into three age groups: early adolescence (ages 13-15, N = 2,354), middle adolescence (ages 16-19, N = 9,476) and late adolescence (ages 20-24, N = 13,256). Our findings of the full sample adolescent network indicated that symptoms of restlessness (stress) and negative mood (depression) served as bridge nodes, which was in line with our hypothesis. Other bridge nodes, not in line with our hypothesis, were symptoms of subjective experience of anxiety (anxiety) and situational anxiety (anxiety). Bridge nodes exclusive to the late adolescent network were: Finding it hard to wind down (stress) and feeling terrified (anxiety). Moreover, relief after anxious situations (anxiety) was uniquely present in the early and late adolescent networks. This study expands the current theoretical knowledge by, for the first time to our knowledge, including stress symptoms in the network models and by comparing the different adolescent age groups using a broad age range (13 to 24 years). Future research should examine whether clinicians can successfully incorporate this knowledge into transdiagnostic treatment interventions, which could contribute to better overall mental health.Show less
This study investigates the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social feedback learning rate. Rejection sensitivity is an aspect of social anxiety disorder which is especially prevalent...Show moreThis study investigates the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social feedback learning rate. Rejection sensitivity is an aspect of social anxiety disorder which is especially prevalent in adolescents. SAD has a significant relationship with social feedback learning rate and this study aims to go a step further and research whether rejection sensitivity is a leading factor in this relationship. Participants fill in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale as well as the Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. Afterwards they will do a speech task which includes a public speaking section and is judged by confederate judges who will rate them on their performance. The participants rate themselves before and after the feedback from the judges. The difference between individual’s rating before and after the feedback will be measured and this will form the basis of our data for analysis. During the analysis a correlational relationship will be analyzed between rejection sensitivity, its sub measures and social feedback learning rate. The hypothesis of the study is that individuals with higher rejection sensitivity score will have higher negative social feedback learning rates. Results show no significant relationship between the variables.Show less
This 3-wave study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive empathy (awareness and understanding of another’s emotion), affective empathy (experience of emotions consistent with those of...Show moreThis 3-wave study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive empathy (awareness and understanding of another’s emotion), affective empathy (experience of emotions consistent with those of the observed person), and self-perception of close friendships (one’s perception of the ability to form and maintain close friendships), both directly and indirectly through prosocial behavior (voluntary behavior intended to benefit another person) from late childhood to early adolescence. Participants were 127 adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years old who reported on their empathy, prosocial behavior, and self-perception of close friendships in three consecutive years, respectively. Simple mediation analyses revealed that cognitive and affective empathy did not have a significant positive effect on adolescents’ self-perception of close friendships two years later. Considering these findings, prosocial behavior was not found to be a mediator between adolescents’ cognitive or affective empathy and their self-perception of close friendships from late childhood to early adolescence. Moreover, cognitive and affective empathy did not significantly predict prosocial behavior one year later, whereas prosocial behavior did significantly predict the self-perception of adolescents’ close friendships one year later. These results underline the significance of developing tailored intervention programs targeting prosocial behavior to foster adolescents’ self-perception as close friends, a competence that is crucial during this developmental period considering the greater influence of peers.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Adolescent’s prosocial behaviour is likely related to their social context and relationships. This social context drastically changes during adolescence, with peers becoming more important relative...Show moreAdolescent’s prosocial behaviour is likely related to their social context and relationships. This social context drastically changes during adolescence, with peers becoming more important relative to parents. This pilot study therefore investigated the relative contribution and interaction of adolescents’ quality of parental and peer attachment in predicting their prosocial behaviour towards unknown peers. Forty-two adolescents aged 9-12 completed the brief Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and an adapted version of the Prosocial Effort Task. In this task, participants choose whether to earn rewards for themselves and others by exerting physical effort. Computational modelling was used to quantify the rate at which rewards lose subjective value to adolescents when effort increases, both when earning rewards for others and for themselves. The difference in this effort discounting rate for others and for themselves was used as measure of prosocial behaviour, as well as the difference between the number of times participants chose to exert high effort for others and for themselves. We show that adolescents are generally less willing to exert effort for others than for themselves, and that their willingness to exert effort for a reward is more strongly affected by the effort needed to obtain it when someone else will receive this reward. These findings support the cost-benefit framework of prosocial motivation. Linear models fitted using nonparametric bootstrapping show nonsignificant trends in the expected directions, namely higher quality parental and peer attachment being related to more prosocial behaviour and peer attachment generally being a stronger predictor than parental attachment. We found some evidence that girls show significantly more prosocial behaviour than boys. Future research should further investigate these potential effects using larger samples with a broader age range across adolescence, to also study developmental effects.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Adolescents’ future expectations (FE) regarding the attainability of desired life goals are variable, and, compared to allistic peers (i.e., non-autistics), are often more pessimistic. One reason...Show moreAdolescents’ future expectations (FE) regarding the attainability of desired life goals are variable, and, compared to allistic peers (i.e., non-autistics), are often more pessimistic. One reason may be that autistic adolescents have more difficulties on the social domain, and therefore perceive their own social competence as poorer than allistic peers. Importantly, FE may inform adolescents goal-directed actions, such that expectations for the future influence actual future outcomes. Thus, the importance of assessing which factors influence future expectations is evident. This study assessed the extent to which autistic and allistic adolescents differ on self-perceived social competence (SPSC), and FE (on the romantic and self-development domains); and the extent to which autistic adolescents’ SPSC was related to their FE compared to allistic peers, controlled for global self-esteem. Autistic adolescents’ were expected to have lower FE than allistic peers’, related to lower SPSC. Preliminarily, the uni-dimensionality and reliability of constructs was tested with factor analyses. Mediation analyses on a total of 142 adolescents, 88 allistic and 54 autistic (Mrange 12-21; Mage = 16.31, SD = 1.94), revealed that, though autism was not directly related to having less optimistic FE for either romantic or self-development goals, SPSC mediated the relationship between autism and FE for self-development (i.e., having a job/career, or continuing their education). That is, autistic adolescents’ lower SPSC was related to poorer FE for self-development compared to allistic peers, when controlled for global self-esteem. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Adolescence is characterized by the onset of puberty. Puberty, in turn is shown to be a driver of brain development and has been related to the onset and increase of internalizing symptoms. However...Show moreAdolescence is characterized by the onset of puberty. Puberty, in turn is shown to be a driver of brain development and has been related to the onset and increase of internalizing symptoms. However, the relationship between puberty, brain development, and internalizing symptoms has not been studied using multiple pubertal measures in both sexes. Here we examine the mediating role of brain development on the relationship between puberty and internalizing symptoms. Pubertal status, timing, age at menarche, and internalizing symptoms were assessed based on self-reports in 160 adolescents between 10 and 25 using a three-wave accelerated longitudinal design. Structural MRI scans were only obtained in the first wave. Subsequently, the relations between the pubertal measures (status, timing, age at menarche) and internalizing symptoms were tested as well as their relations with grey matter thickness and volume in frontal, cingulate, and subcortical areas. Only age at menarche as a timing variable had a significant effect on internalizing symptoms at T1 in girls (ß = -.36, p = .002, 95% CI [-.68, -.17]). Mediation models revealed no significant mediation of grey matter thickness and volume in our ROIs. Other effects did not reach significance or became non-significant after Bonferroni corrections. These findings indicate that menstruating before one’s peers is a risk factor for developing internalizing symptoms. This highlights the importance of supporting early menstruating girls to possibly prevent them from developing internalizing symptoms. Replication studies are needed to assess the accuracy of our results.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate the development of commitment, reconsideration, and self concept clarity in adolescents aged 11-24 at three different time points. Moreover, it examined the...Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate the development of commitment, reconsideration, and self concept clarity in adolescents aged 11-24 at three different time points. Moreover, it examined the relationship between the variables and the development of the specific relationship over time. It was expected that commitment and self-concept clarity would be related positively with age, while reconsideration would be related negatively. In addition, it was assumed that commitment would have a positive correlation with self-concept clarity and that the relationship would develop positively throughout adolescence. Lastly, it was assumed that reconsideration would relate negatively with self-concept clarity and the relationship would develop negatively throughout the different time points. Adolescents (N = 198, M age = 16.6) completed the 12-item measure of self concept clarity (SCC) and the single-item version of the Utrecht Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS). A repeated measures ANOVA showed no evidence of development in the SCC (p = .46), commitment (p = .34), and reconsideration (p = .20). A Pearson correlation coefficient analysis performed a positive correlation between commitment and SCC (r = .19) and a negative correlation between reconsideration and SCC (r = -.21). Α nonlinear development in the relationship between SCC with commitment and SCC with reconsideration was found within the three different time points. Future research on the relationship and development between the above variables should include a larger and more diverse sample and questionnaire items that will provide more insights and detailed data about identity formation and SCC. In addition, future research should also consider other developmental factors that influence the sense of self and identity formation.Show less
The prevalence rate of suicidal ideation among university students is high. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as a social determinant of mental health, are amongst many predictive factors that...Show moreThe prevalence rate of suicidal ideation among university students is high. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as a social determinant of mental health, are amongst many predictive factors that influence suicidal ideation. This research paper aimed to investigate the effect that different childhood maltreatment types (physical abuse/ neglect, emotional abuse/ neglect, and sexual abuse) have on adolescents’ suicidal ideation (aged 17-26). To investigate those effects in a non-clinical population, a cross-sectional study was conducted amongst Leiden University students (N = 133). The data was collected via two online Self-Report Questionnaires (the Suicidal Ideation Attribution Scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form). While adverse childhood experiences were reported in 35,3 percent of respondents, suicidal ideation was present in 51,9 percent of the respondents. Overall, the simple linear regression model provided clear results on the predictive effect ACEs have on adolescents’ suicidal ideation (F(1, 131) = 17.419, p < .001, R² = 0.117). According to the multiple linear regression model, only emotional abuse proved to be a significant maltreatment predictor of suicidal ideation (t(127) = 3.989, p < .001, f ² = .27). The obtained results can serve as a justification for the inclusion of social determinants as a direct predictor of suicidal ideation in existing theories and models. Further, the findings can provide vindication for policy changes and the execution of better suicide prevention work on multiple levels of society. If the findings are implemented successfully, then “one’s Beginning no longer has to be one’s End”.Show less
The valuation of one’s self-worth, i.e., self-esteem, is derived from social feedback throughout life. During adolescence, the period between ages 10 to 19, many changes occur in one's social...Show moreThe valuation of one’s self-worth, i.e., self-esteem, is derived from social feedback throughout life. During adolescence, the period between ages 10 to 19, many changes occur in one's social environment– peers gain importance, and dependency on parents decreases. However, parents continue to influence self-esteem. Although the early parent-child relationship has been linked to self-esteem formation, it is unclear how perceived parenting climate influences self-esteem updating in adolescence in response to peer feedback, as these mechanisms have only been studied in young adults (individuals aged 18–25). This study used self-reports about perceived parenting, alongside computational modelling and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how parenting climate co-varies with neurocognitive mechanisms supporting self-esteem formation in 61 healthy adolescents (Mage = 15.8; SD age = 1.42). The adolescents performed a social evaluation task during fMRI scanning which required them to predict “likes” or “dislikes” from two groups of raters and to rate their self-esteem every 2 to 3 trials. Using a computational model, we extracted a set of variables about the adolescents’ self-esteem in response to the task and performed a canonical correlation analysis to link it to a set of self-reports collected about parenting climate. The canonical correlation analysis yielded a single significant canonical dimension, Wilks’s λ = 0.04, F(117,305) = 1.35, p = 0.022, which we labelled “positive parenting”. “Positive parenting” was associated with high levels of perceived maternal care, low maternal conflict, and low emotional abuse. Adolescents scoring higher on this dimension exhibited more responsive, fluctuating self-esteem (higher self-esteem instability) compared to their lower-scoring peers, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 0.31. Our study in adolescents did not find activation in 𝑤1 neural regions that were previously proposed to represent the neural processes underlying self-esteem formation in young adults (VS/sgACC: z = 1.84, p = 0.065; vmPFC: z = 0.50, p = 0.618). Lastly, adolescents scoring lower on this dimension did not present with a neural phenotype of psychiatric vulnerability previously found in young adults (AI responses to SPEs ρ(59) = 0.028, p = 0.831; insula-vmPFC functional connectivity ρ(59) = 0.045, p = 0.731). This study suggests that more responsive, fluctuating self-esteem associated with the “positive parenting” dimension may be adaptive in the developmental stage of adolescence, and that developmental differences may be present in neurocognitive mechanisms supporting self-esteem updating in adolescents versus in young adults.Show less
Self-esteem is a fundamental change that occurs during adolescence, and previous studies suggested that maternal love withdrawal, parental and peer attachment quality contribute to adolescents’...Show moreSelf-esteem is a fundamental change that occurs during adolescence, and previous studies suggested that maternal love withdrawal, parental and peer attachment quality contribute to adolescents’ self-esteem. Since lower levels of self-esteem are related to poor health outcomes, it is important to find out which factors contribute to these negative outcomes and which group of adolescents are especially at risk. Therefore, the present study investigated whether gender and attachment quality moderate the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem. It was expected that there is a negative relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem in adolescents and that there are gender differences in this relationship. Moreover, it was hypothesized that there is a relationship between attachment quality and self-esteem, and that the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem is stronger in adolescents who are more securely attached to their mother, father and/or friend than adolescents who are less securely attached. Participants were 160 adolescents aged 11-21 years who completed online questionnaires about maternal love withdrawal, attachment quality and self-esteem. The results showed that maternal love withdrawal, and maternal, paternal and friend attachment (anxious/avoidant) were negatively related to self-esteem. Furthermore, gender and attachment did not moderate the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem. Interventions should be created that support insecurely attached adolescents or adolescents whose mother withdrew their love and educate parents about the negative consequences of using love withdrawal as a punishment for their child’s undesirable behavior.Show less
Adolescence is a peak age of onset for many psychiatric disorders and a period for development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Previous cross-sectional studies imply a relationship...Show moreAdolescence is a peak age of onset for many psychiatric disorders and a period for development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Previous cross-sectional studies imply a relationship between executive function and problem behaviour. However, to understand these relationships and how they develop, more evidence is required and prospective designs are essential. Current prospective study explored the relationships between age, sex, executive function and problem behaviour. In addition, it studied whether executive functions (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory and planning and organizing) predict problem behaviour. A community sample of 175 adolescents between 8-16 years old underwent an MRI scan three times, with a two-year interval. Problem behaviour was measured by the Dutch translated version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Verhulst et al., 1996) and the executive functions were measured by the Dutch translated parent-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) (Smidts & Huizinga, 2009). Pearson correlations, Analyses Of Variance (ANOVA), Independent-samples T-tests and Multiple Regression Analyses were performed. The analyses showed strong associations between cognitive flexibility and internalizing problem behaviour, and between inhibition and externalizing problem behaviour. In addition, when comparing sex difference, a significant difference was found between sex and internalizing problem behaviour, and between sex and planning and organizing. Other sex differences were not found. Results from this study suggest that there is an association between poorer executive function skills and the severity of internalizing and externalizing problem behaviour. Our findings also suggest a relationship between sex and internalizing problem behaviour, and between sex and planning and organizing. Effective interventions could be developed in the future to enhance executive functions and decrease the development of clinical problems.Show less
This study was one of the first to cross-sectionally research the association between relationship anxiety and avoidance with self-esteem through the different stages of adolescence. The final...Show moreThis study was one of the first to cross-sectionally research the association between relationship anxiety and avoidance with self-esteem through the different stages of adolescence. The final sample consisted of 155 teenagers aged 11 to 21 years old (M = 15.93, SD = 2.98, 53.5% female). The participants were divided into three age groups; early (11-15 years), middle (15-18 years), and late adolescence (18-22 years). Five Ordinary least squares regression analyses were carried out. The results revealed a significant association between relationship anxiety and avoidance with self-esteem. Lastly, the strength of these associations varied throughout adolescence. The results showed that the strength of the relationships between relation anxiety and avoidance over self-esteem was significantly different for middle adolescents compared to late adolescents. This could be caused by normal developmental changes. Future research should focus on bigger sample sizes and maximizing generalization by including participants from different cultures, countries, and socio-economical backgrounds.Show less
This study used hierarchical linear modelling to examine parental behaviors such as autonomy support and psychological control and their relation to adolescent attachment. Another goal was to find...Show moreThis study used hierarchical linear modelling to examine parental behaviors such as autonomy support and psychological control and their relation to adolescent attachment. Another goal was to find whether there were differences between mothers and fathers on their display of the investigated behaviors. The present sample consisted of adolescents (N=80) participating with their mothers (N=78) and fathers (N=65) from the Netherlands. Observational ratings of parental autonomy support and psychological control were obtained in mother/father-adolescent dyads performing a problem-solving task. Adolescent attachment was measured by adolescent report, using the parent scale of the revised inventory of parent and peer attachment (IPPA-R) by Raja et al (1992). Analyses indicated that parental autonomy support positively relates to adolescent attachment, while psychological control was not found to relate to adolescent attachment in this sample. Furthermore, results of parental gender differences were inconlusive. This study emphasizes the need to take into account parental behaviors when working with teenagers and the impact parents might have on their children. Further, this study poses important implications for family therapy or social workers, while raising questions for future research.Show less
It is important that adolescents experience happiness because this period in life is characterized by changes in emotional and mental well-being. This study considers the question whether, and how,...Show moreIt is important that adolescents experience happiness because this period in life is characterized by changes in emotional and mental well-being. This study considers the question whether, and how, friendship quality, stress of peer pressure and classroom climate relate to happiness. Where previous research found friendship quality to be directly associated with happiness, there is little to no evidence for the direct associations between stress of peer pressure and happiness and classroom climate and happiness. This study aims to fill in these gaps. Happiness was measured with the subjective happiness scale (SHS). Stress of peer pressure was measured with a shortened version of the adolescent stress questionnaire (ASQ s). Classroom climate was measured with two questions. Friendship quality was measured with the Lerid Friendship Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Network of Relationships Qualities Version (NRQ-RQV). Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis, which showed three main findings. Friendship quality was not associated with happiness, stress of peer pressure and happiness were negatively and significantly related, and classroom climate had a positive and significant relation with happiness after correcting for influential cases. Limitations are discussed, with the conclusion that future research should focus on the inclusion of psychological disorders and the effects of the corona virus pandemic.Show less
Adolescence is a time of great psychological change and research highlights the importance of self-esteem in relation to wellbeing. However, it is not clear which parental techniques contribute to...Show moreAdolescence is a time of great psychological change and research highlights the importance of self-esteem in relation to wellbeing. However, it is not clear which parental techniques contribute to high levels of self-esteem. In this research parental behavior strategies are investigated in relation to self-esteem of adolescents. The first aim of the study was to investigate the association between autonomy support and psychological control (AS/PC) and self-esteem in adolescents. Secondly, we explored if the relationship between observed parental behavior and self-esteem was mediated by adolescent gender and/or cognitive emotion regulation skills (CERS). Data from 142 parents and 80 healthy control group adolescents from the larger, ongoing Dutch research project ‘Relations and Emotions in Parent-Adolescent Interaction Research’ (RE-PAIR) were used. Self-esteem and CERS were measured with the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that AS/PC did not significantly predict self-esteem in adolescents and no moderating effect of adolescent gender was found. However, we did find a moderating effect from CERS on the relation between AS and self-esteem, with a weaker relation between AS and self-esteem for higher levels of CERS (β = -1.97, p = .002). Further studies are recommended to investigate the underlying mechanisms between parental behavior strategies and self-esteem in adolescents.Show less
The valuation of one’s self-worth, i.e., self-esteem, is derived from social feedback throughout life. During adolescence, the period between ages 10 to 19, many changes occur in one's social...Show moreThe valuation of one’s self-worth, i.e., self-esteem, is derived from social feedback throughout life. During adolescence, the period between ages 10 to 19, many changes occur in one's social environment– peers gain importance, and dependency on parents decreases. However, parents continue to influence self-esteem. Although the early parent-child relationship has been linked to self-esteem formation, it is unclear how perceived parenting climate influences self-esteem updating in adolescence in response to peer feedback, as these mechanisms have only been studied in young adults (individuals aged 18–25). This study used self-reports about perceived parenting, alongside computational modelling and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how parenting climate co-varies with neurocognitive mechanisms supporting self-esteem formation in 61 healthy adolescents (Mage = 15.8; SD age = 1.42). The adolescents performed a social evaluation task during fMRI scanning which required them to predict “likes” or “dislikes” from two groups of raters and to rate their self-esteem every 2 to 3 trials. Using a computational model, we extracted a set of variables about the adolescents’ self-esteem in response to the task and performed a canonical correlation analysis to link it to a set of self-reports collected about parenting climate. The canonical correlation analysis yielded a single significant canonical dimension, Wilks’s λ = 0.04, F(117,305) = 1.35, p = 0.022, which we labelled “positive parenting”. “Positive parenting” was associated with high levels of perceived maternal care, low maternal conflict, and low emotional abuse. Adolescents scoring higher on this dimension exhibited more responsive, fluctuating self-esteem (higher self-esteem instability) compared to their lower-scoring peers, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤1 = 0.31. Our study in adolescents did not find activation in neural regions that were previously proposed to represent the neural processes underlying self-esteem formation in young adults (VS/sgACC: z = 1.84, p = 0.065; vmPFC: z = 0.50, p = 0.618). Lastly, adolescents scoring lower on this dimension did not present with a neural phenotype of psychiatric vulnerability previously found in young adults (AI responses to SPEs ρ(59) = 0.028, p = 0.831; insula-vmPFC functional connectivity ρ(59) = 0.045, p = 0.731). This study suggests that more responsive, fluctuating self-esteem associated with the “positive parenting” dimension may be adaptive in the developmental stage of adolescence, and that developmental differences may be present in neurocognitive mechanisms supporting self-esteem updating in adolescents versus in young adults.Show less
Psychotic experiences (PEs) occur in up to 30% of children, usually subsiding during adolescence. The presence of PEs alone can lead to mental distress; additionally its persistence can have grave...Show morePsychotic experiences (PEs) occur in up to 30% of children, usually subsiding during adolescence. The presence of PEs alone can lead to mental distress; additionally its persistence can have grave consequences for the child’s development. Neighborhood characteristics are a promising new frontier for research on the development of PEs in childhood and adolescence. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion, living conditions, objective and perceived safety, and PEs at age 14. The secondary aim was to investigate the relationship of the aforementioned neighborhood factors with the trajectory of PEs from age 10 to 14. We ran a specificity analysis using depressive symptoms to evaluate whether the associations were indicative of a link with general psychopathology or specific psychotic spectrum outcomes. We used the Generation R cohort data on self-reported hallucinations and delusions, and the Wijkprofiel Rotterdam on social, safety, and physical characteristics of the neighborhood. In our multilevel logistic regression analysis, we found no evidence for an association of any neighborhood factors with PEs at age 14. There were trends demonstrating the potential association between living conditions and two outcomes: remission of PEs at age 14, and severe depressive symptoms. However, neither association survived multiple testing correction. We discuss the need for further research to ascertain whether the associations apply to general psychopathology or psychotic spectrum outcomes. Furthermore, we propose the need to clarify new potential associations of neighborhood factors with PEs.Show less
Over the years, parental behaviors were proved to influence children’s mental health. Rejection constitutes one of the main behaviors that affect the socioemotional adjustment of the child....Show moreOver the years, parental behaviors were proved to influence children’s mental health. Rejection constitutes one of the main behaviors that affect the socioemotional adjustment of the child. Existing literature suggests that low educated parents are more rejecting, while their children show higher levels of internalizing problems compared to their peers. Even though parents constitute the most significant others of the child, as children grow older, they become more functionally autonomous. In the current study, three analyses were conducted to examine the correlation between parental rejection and internalizing problems exclusively in observed parent-child interactions (k = 20, N = 3.689), parental educational level as a confounder of the latter correlation (k = 12, N = 1.579) and children’s age as a possible moderator (k = 19, N = 2.613). Results show positive effects for the correlation between rejection and internalizing problems (ES = .11). Both moderator analyses were insignificant. In the future, it is necessary to examine the individual effect of parental educational level on rejecting behaviors and internalizing problems. More studies are needed to examine whether the strength of the correlation between parental rejection and internalizing problems alters based on diverse developmental stages of the child.Show less
