scholarly journals Adolescence: A Window of Opportunity for Positive Change in Mental Health

Author(s):  
Christine Wekerle ◽  
Randall L. Waechter ◽  
Eman Leung ◽  
Monika Leonard

Adolescence is a period of development characterized by risk-taking, sensation-seeking, emotionally-influenced and independence-seeking behaviours. There is a move away from family and towards the social influences of peer groups. Emotionally-driven behaviours may override adolescents’ higher cognitive functioning during this time. Especially vulnerable are youth who have been the victim of high-impact trauma or chronic abuse and neglect. Specifically, the posttraumatic stress symptomatology that is often associated with experiences of abuse and neglect may impair the ability of youth to cope during this developmental period. This is where intervention by community workers may be used to support teens with a history of maltreatment, as they develop from children to adolescents and, finally, to adults. Part of such intervention includes violence prevention in families and in teen dating relationships, as well as directly addressing posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. This critical developmental period of adolescence presents community workers with an opportunity to intervene and guide the development of these youth, building upon resiliency factors, such as areas of individual mastery and empowerment and participation within the community. Aboriginal youth with a history of maltreatment present a special case for community workers. These youth have been subjected to intense acculturation pressures that do not exist for other adolescent populations, which create unique problems during their transition to adulthood. In order to intervene in the most effective manner, it is necessary to understand the psychological and physiological developmental processes that are unfolding in the adolescent brain. We discuss adolescent development in general and among Aboriginal adolescents, in particular. We present ways to support both groups through these challenging periods that are empirically-based and supported by research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 247054702110298
Author(s):  
C. J. Healy ◽  
Kellie Ann Lee ◽  
Wendy D’Andrea

Background Child maltreatment negatively affects the formation of internal schemata of self and other during development, leading to negative adaptations in self-concept and social cognition. Clinical reports suggest the efficacy of psychedelics in treating the psychopathological sequelae of child maltreatment. Altering maladaptive schemata of self and other implicated in negative self-concept and impaired social cognition may be a central mechanism for reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms. Aims This study aims to assess whether psychedelic use moderates the relationships between child maltreatment and self-concept, social cognition, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Method An online survey was completed by 166 participants and included measures of maltreatment exposure and severity, history of intentional therapeutic psychedelic use, posttraumatic stress symptoms, internalized shame, and facial emotion recognition. Results Child maltreatment significantly correlated with posttraumatic stress symptoms ( r = .26 and r = .20, p < .01) and internalized shame ( r = .18, p < .05). Of all maltreatment subtypes, emotional abuse and neglect most strongly correlated with complex trauma symptoms ( r = .32, p < .001) and internalized shame ( r = .31, p < .001). Participants with a history of intentional therapeutic psychedelic use reported significantly lower complex trauma symptoms ( d = 0.33, p < .05) and internalized shame ( d = 0.35, p < .05) despite similar histories of maltreatment. Differences in complex trauma symptoms ( d = 0.66, p < .01) and internalized shame ( d = 0.80, p < .001) were largest for participants with a history of more than 5 occasions of intentional therapeutic psychedelic use. A history of more than 5 occasions of intentional therapeutic psychedelic use significantly moderated the relationship between emotional abuse and neglect and complex trauma symptoms (p < .01). No associations were found between maltreatment or psychedelic use and facial emotion recognition. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that using psychedelic drugs with therapeutic intent is associated with lower levels of complex trauma symptoms and internalized shame in individuals with histories of child maltreatment. Psychedelic use may have therapeutic benefit in treating the posttraumatic sequelae of child maltreatment.


Author(s):  
Cordelia Estevez-Casellas ◽  
Mª Dolores Gómez-Medina ◽  
Esther Sitges

Emotional intelligence plays a critical role in adolescence since it involves a change towards psychological, social, and sexual maturity; a stage in which the foundations of intimate social relationships are established. Emotional competences regulate the quality of these relationships in adolescence and can provide protection against or facilitate the use of violence within them. Based on the above, this study aims to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence and violence exercised, received, and perceived by adolescents in dating relationships. A sample of 254 subjects (43.1% men and 56.9% women) between 12 and 18 years old was analyzed through the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaires of BarOn ICE:NA and Violence Exercised Perceived and Received by Adolescents VERA. The results of the research have shown that there is a significant and inverse relation between the dimensions of emotional intelligence and the violence exercised by adolescents in their dating relationships, and a positive and significant relation between emotional intelligence and the perception of violent behavior. For this reason, the importance of educating people about emotional intelligence from childhood within both the academic and family sphere is highlighted. This is fundamental to preventing the appearance of such violent behaviors and promoting an adequate adaptation to the environment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Adebayo Ojo ◽  
Adebayo Amos Omoloye

The tamarind weevil, Sitophilus linearis Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an important pest of tamarind and other Caesalpinioideae. Investigating its life history is important in the implementation of management strategy. Its life history was monitored daily to understand its developmental biology on tamarind seed following standard procedures under laboratory conditions of 24–30°C temperature, 60–70% relative humidity, and 12L : 12D photoperiod. The egg incubation period lasted 3.17 ± 0.07 days. A mated female of S. linearis laid an average of 165 ± 5.78 eggs during an oviposition period of 86.8 ± 2.47 days. There were four larval instars, with a total larval developmental period of 16 days. The pupal period lasted 8 days, and adult lived 108.5 ± 3.61 days. The overall growth ratio for the four instars was 1.33. There was a regular relationship and significant correlation (r=0.94) between the stages of larval development and head capsule width.


Author(s):  
Ashleigh Kysar-Moon ◽  
Matthew Vasquez ◽  
Tierra Luppen

Abstract Research shows that most people experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes, and between 6% and 8% of those with a history of trauma will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or related mental health conditions. Women face a greater threat of trauma exposure and have a higher risk of PTSD and depression than men. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY), a body-based adjunctive therapy, has shown potential in several studies as an effective method for reducing PTSD and depression symptoms. However, existing research and systematic reviews vary widely in their methodological rigor and comparison samples. Thus, in this systematic review we examined the effectiveness of TSY among women with a history of trauma and depression who had participated in randomized control trials with clear control and experimental groups. Findings in fixed- and mixed-effects meta-analysis models suggest marginally significant to no effects of TSY on PTSD and depression outcomes. Our systematic review highlights critical questions and significant gaps in the existing literature about the rationale and best practices of TSY intervention duration.


2005 ◽  
Vol 129 (8) ◽  
pp. 1011-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Acosta ◽  
Rachel Edwards ◽  
E. Ian Jaffe ◽  
Donald L. Yee ◽  
Donald H. Mahoney ◽  
...  

Abstract Context.—Workup for prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is a frequent referral to a Hematology and Coagulation Laboratory. Although the workup should be performed in a timely and cost-effective manner, the complete laboratory assessment of the coagulation state has not been standardized. Objective.—To determine which clinical and laboratory data are most predictive of a coagulopathy and to formulate the most efficient strategy to reach a diagnosis in patients referred for abnormal coagulation profiles. Design.—Retrospective case review. Medical records of 251 patients referred for prolonged PT and/or PTT to our Hematology Service between June 1995 and December 2002 were reviewed. Results.—The study included 135 males and 116 females with a mean age of 7.0 years. A personal history of bleeding was reported in 137 patients, and a family history of bleeding was reported in 116 patients. Fifty-one patients (20%) had a coagulopathy (ie, a bleeding risk). Factors predictive of a bleeding risk were a positive family history of bleeding (P &lt; .001) and a positive personal history of bleeding (P = .001). Of 170 patients with findings of normal PT and PTT values on repeat testing, 14 were subsequently diagnosed with a coagulopathy. Two of these patients reported no positive personal or family history of bleeding. Conclusions.—Coagulopathy was identified in 20% of the children referred for abnormal PT and/or PTT. In the absence of a personal or family history of bleeding, a normal PT and/or PTT on repeat testing has a negative predictive value of more than 95%.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 1205-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Cutuli ◽  
Janette E. Herbers

As an introduction to this special issue, we define resilience as the capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully to threatening circumstances, and we briefly note the history of resilience studies as embedded within the broader field of developmental science. We then elaborate on four developmental principles central for the study of resilience and highlight the importance of early adolescence as a developmental period of particular opportunity for change. Finally, we introduce the five articles of this special issue, each of which presents exciting new work on resilience processes during early adolescence and speaks to aspects of core developmental principles of resilience science.


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