Childhood maltreatment patterns and suicidal ideation: mediating roles of depression, hope, and expressive suppression

Childhood maltreatment has long-term negative effects on individuals' physical and mental well-being, and may increase the risk for suicidal ideation. However, how different patterns of childhood maltreatment affect subsequent suicidal ideation and the underlying mediating mechanisms remain unclear, particularly among Chinese adolescents. This study used latent profile analysis to identify patterns of childhood maltreatment among adolescents and explored how these patterns predicted subsequent suicidal ideation via depression, hope, and expressive suppression. This study used a two-wave, 1-year longitudinal design and included 2156 adolescents (Mage = 13.97 years, SDage = 1.61 years; 49.6% females). We identified three patterns of childhood maltreatment: low maltreatment, high psychological neglect, and high maltreatment. Compared with the low maltreatment group, the high maltreatment group indirectly predicted subsequent suicidal ideation 1 year later via depression through hope and expressive suppression, whereas the direct effect on suicidal ideation was not significant. Compared with the low maltreatment group, the high psychological neglect group had a significant direct effect on subsequent suicidal ideation and indirectly predicted suicidal ideation through depression or hope. Identifying patterns of childhood maltreatment among adolescents will assist mental health workers in developing targeted interventions to effectively alleviate suicidal ideation.

A three-phase process model of posttraumatic stress disorder and growth: Understanding the mechanisms underlying posttraumatic reactions

OBJECTIVE

This theoretical review proposes a three-phase process model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG).

METHOD

By combining trauma-related theories, emotional regulation theories, social support theories, and empirical study findings to elucidate the mechanisms underlying PTSD and PTG, we then propose our model.

RESULTS

The proposed model highlights the dynamic characteristics of the PTSD and PTG developmental processes as well as their coexistence and places equal emphasis on the roles of cognitive and emotional activities and social support in three distinct dynamic phases of PTSD and PTG. It emphasizes that PTSD and PTG share similar prerequisites but that these two outcomes later diverge and ultimately manifest via three distinct phases. The specific roles of cognitive regulation, emotional regulation, and social support, and the potential theoretical and practical implications of this model, are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

This integrative and dynamic process model has the potential to advance scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying PTSD and PTG. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Depression in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Roles of Feelings of Safety and Rumination

The study aimed to examine the mechanism underlying the effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNs) on depression via feelings of safety or rumination in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-report questionnaires were distributed to 683 middle school students from Hubei province in China. Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyse the data. The results showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction exerted negative effects on adolescents' depression in both a direct and an indirect way. In specific, basic psychological needs satisfaction not only directly reduced depression, but also indirectly reduced depression by the mediating role of feelings of safety, but not by rumination. Moreover, autonomy and relatedness, but not competence need satisfaction, indirectly reduced depression by the multiple mediating path from feelings of safety to rumination. The findings indicate satisfaction of basic psychological needs is important in increasing adolescents' feelings of safety, reducing negative cognitions, and alleviating their depression level during the pandemic.

Bullying Victimization and Comorbid Patterns of PTSD and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: Random Intercept Latent Transition Analysis

Many studies have examined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depressive symptoms in adolescents under the background of school bullying, but not their comorbidities and changes over time. This study used random intercept latent transition analysis (RI-LTA) to examine the transitions in comorbid patterns of PTSD and depressive symptoms among 815 adolescents (45.0% boys; Mage-baseline = 13.69, SD = 1.60), who reported their symptoms in a 3-year longitudinal study. Three comorbid patterns were found: low symptoms, predominantly PTSD symptoms, and symptoms of comorbidity. Among these patterns, five trends were found through 3 years: stable low symptoms, stable PTSD symptoms, improving symptoms, worsening symptoms, and an inverted-U pattern. Age, time that parents spend with their child, being an only child, family income and experiencing relational bullying were predictors of these transitions. These suggest that patterns of PTSD and depressive symptoms are heterogeneous and may change over time since trauma events. Developing targeted interventions based on underlying factors through distinct patterns and transitions may help us better optimize and utilize intervention resources to alleviate symptoms from bullying victims.

Association between bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress disorders among Chinese adolescents: a multiple mediation model

BACKGROUND

Research that focused on the mechanisms underlying the relation between school bullying victimization and PTSD ignored the simultaneous effect of emotional and cognitive factors, which may limit our comprehensive understanding of their roles. Besides, most researchers included non-bullying victims in data analysis, and this may mask the true effect among bullying victims. The present study aimed to explore the relation between bullying victimization and PTSD, and the mediating roles of social anxiety, loneliness, and rumination, after filtering out non-bullying victims.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In April 2019, we used convenience sampling to recruit 5013 students from Grade 10 and 11 in two high schools in Anhui Province, China. The mean age of these students was 16.77 (SD = 0.92) years. They completed five self-report questionnaires including the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-Student Chinese Revision (DBVS-S), the modified PTSD Checklist, the Social Anxiety Scale, the Adolescent Loneliness Scale, and the Rumination Scale. Further, a total of 443 bullying victims were screened out for this study according to the critical score of the DBVS-S.

RESULTS

The results showed that bullying victimization had a direct and positive association with PTSD among adolescents (β = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.046-0.252). Bullying victimization was positively associated with PTSD through increasing adolescents' social anxiety (β = 0.06, 95%CI: 0.017-0.105), as well as through increasing their loneliness (β = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.109-0.215). In addition, bullying victimization was positively associated with PTSD through social anxiety via loneliness (β = 0.04, 95%CI: 0.013-0.067), as well as through loneliness via rumination (β = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.003-0.033). Bullying victimization was also positively associated with PTSD through a three-step path from social anxiety to rumination via loneliness (β = 0.004, 95%CI: 0.001-0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Social anxiety, loneliness, and rumination have important mediating effects in the relation between bullying victimization and adolescents' PTSD, in which emotional factors (e.g., social anxiety, loneliness) are more crucial than cognitive factors (e.g., rumination). Intervention should pay more attention to timely alleviate victims' emotional problems to reduce the risk of developing PTSD.

[Corrigendum] Hsp90 inhibitor 17‑AAG inhibits stem cell‑like properties and chemoresistance in osteosarcoma cells via the Hedgehog signaling pathway

Following the publication of the article, a concerned reader drew to the authors' attention that, in Fig. 1B and C on p. 316, two pairs of the data panels showing the results from invasion and migration assay experiments appeared to be overlapping, such that they would have been derived from the same original sources where they were intended to show the results from different experiments; moreover, on p. 1698, the '17‑AAG / MG‑63' data panels in Fig. 3B and C were also overlapping, albeit the images were presented at a different scale and in a slightly different orientation. After having examined their original data, the authors have realized that these figures were inadvertently assembled incorrectly. The corrected versions of Figs. 1 and 3, now showing the correct data in Fig. 1C (where the errors made in compiling the figure had occurred) and the correct data for the '17‑AAG / MG‑63' data panel in Fig. 3C, are shown on the next two pages. These corrections do not grossly affect either the results or the conclusions reported in this work. The authors all agree to the publication of this Corrigendum, and are grateful to the Editor of Oncology Reports for granting them the opportunity to correct the errors that were made during the assembly of these figures. Lastly, the authors apologize to the readership for any inconvenience these errors may have caused. [Oncology Reports 44: 313‑324, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7597].

Post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, and depression in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in psychiatric disorders in college students, particularly posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. While existing studies assess the prevalence of these disorders and their predictors, they overlook potential complications caused by comorbidity between these disorders. To fill this gap, this study examined the prevalence of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and their comorbidity to inform targeted intervention for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Self-report questionnaires were used to assess 6,898 college students about six months after the COVID-19 outbreak.

RESULTS

The results found that the prevalence of PTSD, depression, and anxiety were 15.5%, 32.2%, and 32.1% respectively, and the prevalence of comorbid PTSD and depression, comorbid PTSD and anxiety, comorbid depression and anxiety, and comorbid PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms were 11.5%, 11.6%, 20.4%, and 9.4% respectively. Moreover, left-behind status, lower economic status, previous trauma experiences, exposure to the pandemic, and rumination were risk factors of psychological distress, but self-disclosure was a protective factor for these disorders.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that distinct psychiatric disorders may be comorbid in individuals, and are further influenced by pre-, within-, and post-disaster factors. Furthermore, psychological service targeted at college students should pay attention to comorbid symptoms rather than only symptoms of single disorders.

Patterns of Elementary School Students' Bullying Victimization: Roles of Family and Individual Factors

Physical, verbal, and relational bullying victimization are common forms of bullying victimization. Some victims may suffer only one form of victimization and some may suffer multiple forms of victimization at the same time. Bullying victimization groups are heterogeneous and different forms of victimization may have different combination patterns. Previous studies assessed patterns of bullying victimization among junior and senior high school students. However, limited studies explored patterns among elementary students and explored possible factors in shaping these patterns from the integrated perspective of family and individual. We expanded and deepened research in this area using questionnaires to collect self-report data for 866 parent/child pairs. Latent profile analysis was used to explore patterns of elementary students. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine relations between patterns and family and individual factors. We found three bullying victimization groups: severe (5.4%), verbal (13.6%), and non-bullying victimization (81%). In family factors, the time parents spent with children was a protective factor for bullying victimization, and negative interactions with children was a risk factor. Individual-level protective factors for bullying victimization were coming from a single child household, positive coping style, and perceived peer support, whereas a negative coping style was a risk factor. These results indicate that different forms of bullying victimization co-occur among elementary school students. Some family and individual factors are associated with bullying victimization patterns. It is important to consider the heterogeneity among the bullying victimization groups of elementary students and influencing factors to develop targeted prevention interventions for different bullying victimization groups.

School bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress symptoms in adolescents: the mediating roles of feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure

BACKGROUND

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) is known to be a typical problem for school bullying victims. However, the underlying mechanism between school bullying victimization and PTSSs remains unknown. This study examined the mediating roles of feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure in the relationship between school bullying victimization and PTSSs in adolescents.

METHODS

Self-report questionnaires were used to assess 5013 adolescents; 443 of them with school bullying experiences were selected to carry out this study.

RESULTS

The results found that school bullying victimization was directly related to more PTSSs, indirectly associated with more PTSSs through feelings of insecurity, and through the path from feelings of insecurity to self-disclosure. However, school bullying victimization did not exert an indirect effect on PTSSs through one step effect of self-disclosure.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicated that feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and PTSSs. The psychological service should reduce adolescents' feelings of insecurity and give them more chances to disclose their bullying experiences.

How do physical and emotional abuse affect depression and problematic behaviors in adolescents? The roles of emotional regulation and anger

BACKGROUND

Rates of physical and emotional abuse are high among Chinese adolescents and elicit distinct psychopathologies. However, it remains unclear whether physical and emotional abuse relate to depression and behavior problems similarly or differently. In addition, few studies have examined if they share underlying mechanisms in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

This study used longitudinal data to examine the mechanisms underlying the effect of physical and emotional abuse on depression and problematic behaviors through emotional regulation and anger in Chinese adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

Participants were 1689 adolescents (with age ranging from 12 to 17 years) from junior and senior high schools in Zhejiang Province, China.

METHODS

Participants completed a childhood trauma questionnaire and an emotion regulation strategies questionnaire at time 1 (T1), and they completed an anger scale, a depression scale, and a problematic behaviors questionnaire one year later (T2). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the research hypotheses.

RESULTS

Physical abuse had direct positive effects on problematic behaviors but not on depression. However, emotional abuse had direct effects on depression and problematic behaviors, and indirect effects on both psychopathologies through expressive suppression and anger.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical and emotional abuse had distinct effects and influencing mechanisms on adolescents' externalizing and internalizing problems. Compared with physical abuse, emotional abuse elicited more harms and subsequent psychopathologies.

Effects of Niacin on Resistance to Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infection in Weaned Piglets

Nicotinic acid (NA) has been used to treat different inflammatory disease with positive influence, the mechanisms by which NA exerts its anti-inflammatory effects remain largely undefined. Here we proposed a new hypothesis that NA manipulated endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which contributed to the elimination of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88, and thus affects the alleviation of inflammation. Therefore, an experiment in weaned piglets treated with 40 mg NA for 3 days before ETEC K88 challenge was designed to investigate the effects of NA on resistance to enterotoxigenic E. coli infection in weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments based on weight and sex. The control and NA treated groups were administered 20 mL normal saline or 20 mL NA solution. The K88 challenged and NA treated plus K88 challenged groups were administered 20 mL normal saline or 20 mL nicotinic acid solution once daily for 3 consecutive days. On the fourth day, the K88 and K88 + NA groups were treated with oral administration of 4 × 10⁹ cfu/mL ETEC K88. The results showed that NA alleviated the clinical symptoms of weaned piglets infected with ETEC K88. NA significantly reduced the amount of ETEC K88 in the spleen and liver (P < 0.05). The intestinal morphological damage caused by ETEC K88 infection was alleviated by NA in weaned piglets. In addition, NA significantly alleviated the expression of inflammatory cytokine [Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] in the serum and intestines of weaned piglets infected with ETEC K88 (P < 0.05). NA significantly increased the content of secretory IgA (SIgA) and the expression of antimicrobial peptides [porcine β defensin-2 (pBD2), protegrin1-5 (PG1-5) and PR39] in intestines of weaned pigs. NA increased the diversity of microflora in colonic contents, while NA significantly reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidales, and Bacteroidia in weaned piglets infected with ETEC K88 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the NA group significantly reduced the level of HDAC7 in jejunum (P < 0.05) and increased the level of SIRT1 in the colon compared with the Control group. Moreover, NA significantly increased the levels phosphorylation of histone H3 at Ser10 (pH3S10) in ileum and the levels of acetylation of lysine 9 on histone 3 (acH3K9) and acH3K27 in colon (P < 0.05) in weaned piglets infected with ETEC K88 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, NA can alleviate the clinical symptoms, the damage of intestinal morphology, and intestinal inflammation in weaned piglets infected ETEC K88 through enhancing the expression of endogenous AMPs by associating the histone acetylation modification.

Effect of different dosage of sodium butyrate and niacin on growth, fecal microbiota and vitamin B metabolism in weaned piglets

AIMS

Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of different dosages of sodium butyrate and niacin on the growth performance, fecal vitamin B and microbiota in weaned piglets.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Seventy-two weaned piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire, age of 21d) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatments (12 pigs / treatment): the control (CT) group was administered a basal diet. The groups which concentration ratio of sodium butyrate to niacin were 100: 1, 100: 2, 100: 4, 100: 8 and 100: 16 (BN1, BN2, BN4, BN8, BN16) were administered a basal diet supplemented with 2000 mg·kg^-1 sodium butyrate and 20 mg·kg^-1 , 40 mg·kg^-1 , 80 mg·kg^-1 , 160 mg·kg^-1 or 320 mg·kg^-1 niacin. After 14-d treatment, the samples were collected. The results showed that feed conversion rate (FCR) was reduced and average daily gain (ADG) was increased in BN2 (P < 0.05). The diarrhea index of pigs decreased with the low supplement. Additionally, compared with CT group, other groups significantly increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes (BN4, phylum), Lactobacillaceae (BN8, family), Megasphaera (BN8, genus), and Lactobacillus (BN8, genus). Furthermore, the sodium butyrate and niacin supplementation influence vitamin B1, vitamin B2, pyridoxine, niacin, nicotinamide, and vitamin B12 (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the association of microorganisms with vitamin B indicated that changes of vitamin B metabolism have potential correlation with alterations of fecal microbiota in weaned piglets.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that adding of sodium butyrate and niacin in the diet could promote the performance and improve the fecal microbiota and vitamin B metabolism in weaned piglets.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our study might provide clues to the research of correlations between fecal bacteria and fecal vitamin B, and these findings will contribute to the direction of future research in weaned piglets.

Relations Between Class Competition and Primary School Students' Academic Achievement: Learning Anxiety and Learning Engagement as Mediators

This study aimed to analyze the relations between class competition and primary school students' academic achievement, considering the possible mediating roles of learning anxiety and learning engagement. Participants were 1,479 primary school students from four primary schools in Zhejiang, China. We analyzed participants' scores for class competition, learning anxiety, and learning engagement and their last two final exam scores. Class competition did not directly predict academic achievement, but indirectly affected academic achievement through learning anxiety and learning engagement. There were three effect paths: (1) class competition negatively predicted academic achievement by increasing learning anxiety; (2) class competition positively predicted academic achievement by promoting learning engagement; and (3) class competition affected academic achievement through multiple mediating effects of learning anxiety and learning engagement. This study highlights the important roles of learning anxiety and learning engagement in class competition and academic achievement, which have theoretical and practical significance.

Latent Patterns of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Depression, and Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Researchhas shown that posttraumatic reactions can co-occur in trauma-exposed individuals. Many studies have assessed the co-occurring patterns of two types of reactions, but few have assessed the patterns of multiple reactions. To build on existing knowledge, the present study examined co-occurring patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 683) were adolescents selected from an area in China severely affected by COVID-19 who completed the PTSD Checklist, a measure of depression, a PTG inventory, and a cognitive emotional regulation questionnaire. Latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used for the data analyses. The results showed three heterogeneous patterns characterized by growth (n = 248, 36.3%), distress (n = 101, 14.8%), and struggle (n = 334, 48.9%). Positive refocusing and reappraisal were associated with membership in the growth group compared with distress group, OR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.75, 0.93] and OR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.68, 0.90], whereas rumination, catastrophizing, and "putting into perspective" were associated with membership in the distress group compared with growth group, ORs = 1.15-1.44. These findings suggest that posttraumatic reactions show heterogeneous characteristics: struggle, rather than growth or distress, is common among adolescents during COVID-19; and distinct cognitive emotional regulation strategies have distinguishing roles in the three patterns of posttraumatic reactions.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms between parents and their children following a natural disaster: An integrated model under a dyadic approach

OBJECTIVE

Various theories have been proposed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effect of parental posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) on their children. However, these theories focused on unique mechanisms for some factors and overlooked the combined role of different factors. This study aimed to construct a broad theoretical framework to comprehensively understand the mechanisms underlying the effect of parents' PTSSs on adolescents. We examined the combined role of parental PTSSs and marital conflict, and adolescents' self-differentiation, psychological inflexibility, and rumination after super typhoon Lekima.

METHOD

We used self-report questionnaires to investigate 1,218 parent-adolescent dyads in the area most affected by the disaster 3 months after the typhoon.

RESULTS

Parents' PTSSs had a direct and positive association with adolescents' PTSSs. We also observed parents' PTSSs had an indirect relationship with adolescents' PTSSs through parental marital conflict and adolescents' self-differentiation, psychological inflexibility, and rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

An effect of PTSSs may be found in the dyadic interaction between parents and their children. Children's psychological and behavioral changes resulting from impaired family relationship functioning exhibited by their posttraumatic parents also play an important role in the interpersonal effect of PTSSs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mobile Phone Dependence, and Academic Boredom in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has threatened adolescents’ mental health and even elicited their academic problems. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common negative psychological reactions, and academic boredom is a typical academic problem to the pandemic. PTSD might be related to academic boredom, but the underlying mechanism of this potential relation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear.

Aims: Under the framework of the job demands–resources model and the model of compensatory internet use, this study aims to examine the mediating role of mobile phone dependency in the relation between PTSD and academic boredom.

Methods: Six hundred and thirty-one middle school students in Hubei Province were investigated using self-report questionnaires. SPSS19.0 and Mplus7.0 were used for data analysis.

Results: PTSD symptoms were associated positively with academic boredom, and mobile phone dependence played a mediating role in the relation between PTSD and academic boredom. Specifically, adolescents with severe PTSD symptoms tended to report greater dependency on mobile phones, and hence show higher levels of boredom in learning.

Conclusion: PTSD symptoms of adolescents directly aggravated their academic boredom, and indirectly affected academic boredom by increasing their dependence on mobile phones.

Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mobile Phone Dependence among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Roles of Parent-Child Communication Patterns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phone dependence (MPD) became a common addictive behavior among adolescents because of social isolation. To understand the underlying mechanisms of the impact of social isolation on MPD, this study examined the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of parent-child communication patterns on social isolation and MPD. Six hundred and eighty-three adolescents from a middle school in Huang'gang city, China, were recruited to complete a self-report questionnaire. Data analysis comprised latent profile analysis and structural equation modelling. The results showed that social isolation had a significant and positive indirect effect on MPD via loneliness. In addition, three types of parent-child communication patterns were observed: complex, adaptive, and maladaptive. For adolescents with complex parent-child communication, the indirect relation of social isolation to MPD via loneliness is weaker than that of adolescents with maladaptive parent-child communication. These findings suggested that the indirect effect of social isolation on MPD via loneliness was moderated by parent-child communication patterns. Psychological intervention for MPD should emphasize relieving adolescents' loneliness and improving the quality of  their communication with parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full and partial posttraumatic stress disorders in adults exposed to super typhoon Lekima: a cross-sectional investigation

BACKGROUND

Super typhoon Lekima had a maximum wind force of 16 (52 m/s) and hit Wenling city, Zhejiang province in China on August 10, 2019. The typhoon left many victims showing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of full and partial PTSD to inform targeted interventions for adult victims.

METHOD

In total, four thousand seven hundred and forty-six adults who are parents of students in local primary and middle schools were recruited to participate in this study. Participants completed a trauma exposure scale and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition PTSD Checklist. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors of full and partial PTSD.

RESULTS

Nine hundred and ten (19.2%) adults had full PTSD and 1775 (37.4%) had partial PTSD. Adults with a monthly income > 10,000 RMB (about 1530 dollars) and a high education level (bachelor's degree or above) were less likely to have full or partial PTSD than those with lower income and lower education levels. In addition, married adults were less likely to have full PTSD than divorced or widowed ones. Higher rates of PTSD were observed among those aged ≥40 years, who were injured/trapped, whose family members/friends were injured/trapped, and who lost property.

CONCLUSIONS

Partial and full PTSD were common among adults following super typhoon Lekima, and high income, high education level, and married status were protective factors, whereas trauma exposure was a risk factor of PTSD. Target psychological intervention should be provided to these victims who are in low income and education level, divorced and widowed, and experienced more serious trauma.

Insecure Attachment to Parents and PTSD among Adolescents: The Roles of Parent-Child Communication, Perceived Parental Depression, and Intrusive Rumination

Based on attachment theory and a social-cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this study examined the roles of parent-child communication, perceived parental depression, and intrusive rumination in the association between insecure attachment to parents and PTSD among adolescents following the Jiuzhaigou earthquake. In this study, 620 adolescents were recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. The results showed that the direct association between anxious attachment and PTSD was significant, but that between avoidant attachment and PTSD was non-significant. In addition, both anxious and avoidant attachment had indirect associations with PTSD via the mediating effects of parent-child communication openness and problems, perceived parental depression, and intrusive rumination. However, the specific paths between anxious and avoidant attachment and PTSD were different. The findings indicated that insecure attachment among adolescents following the earthquake was predictive for their PTSD, and the mechanisms underlying the association between anxious attachment and PTSD and the association between avoidant attachment and PTSD were distinct. To alleviate PTSD, more attention should be paid to improving the quality of parent-child communication for adolescents with avoidant attachment to parents, and to reducing negative cognition in adolescents with anxious attachment.

Social Media Exposure and College Students' Mental Health During the Outbreak of COVID-19: The Mediating Role of Rumination and the Moderating Role of Mindfulness

In response to reports of people experiencing varying levels of anxiety and depression during the outbreak of COVID-19, researchers have argued that exposure to related information on social media is a salient contributing factor. Based on the integrated model of ruminative response style and the diathesis-stress model, it has been suggested that incorporating rumination and mindfulness may elucidate the potential mechanism underlying the aforementioned association. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of mindfulness in the association between social media exposure (SME) to COVID-19 information and psychological distress. The results from online questionnaire responses of 439 college students from two universities in Wuhan, Hubei Province, showed that rumination mediated the association between SME and psychological distress. Furthermore, mindfulness was revealed as a protective factor that buffered the adverse effect of SME on psychological distress through rumination. These findings advance a better understanding of the formation process of psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide insights regarding effective interventions for adverse mental health consequences in college students.

Mobile phone addiction and cognitive failures in daily life: The mediating roles of sleep duration and quality and the moderating role of trait self-regulation

Previous studies have reported well-documented findings that mobile phone addiction (MPA) is associated with negative emotion-related consequences; however, sporadic research has investigated the associations between MPA and cognitive outcomes related to daily cognitive functioning. Sleep duration, sleep quality, and trait self-regulation are thought to be linked to this association. The present study aimed to examine the mediating roles of sleep duration and quality and the moderating role of trait self-regulation between MPA and daily cognitive failures. A total of 1721 secondary school students were recruited to complete four self-reported questionnaires. The model results indicated that sleep quality (but not sleep duration) partially mediated the association between MPA and daily cognitive failures, and high levels of trait self-regulation could attenuate the potential impact of MPA on daily cognitive failures through sleep quality. Overall, these findings address the issue of how and when MPA is linked with cognitive performance in daily life, which can advance a better understanding of the negative consequences induced by MPA. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Autonomy Need Dissatisfaction in Daily Life and Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Mobile Phone Gaming

Psychological needs dissatisfaction has been identified as hindering adaptive development, in which autonomy need dissatisfaction, as one core component, may be associated with adolescents' maladaptive online behaviors. Sporadic research has examined the association between autonomy need dissatisfaction and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). Boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming were suggested to be linked to this association. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming in the association between autonomy need dissatisfaction and PMPU. A total of 358 secondary school students completed questionnaires at three waves; autonomy need dissatisfaction was measured in time 1 (T1); boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming were measured one year later (time 2, T2); PMPU was measured two years later (time 3, T3). The structural equation model results showed that T1 autonomy need dissatisfaction not only directly predicted T3 PMPU, but also exerted effects via the mediating role of T2 boredom proneness and the chain mediating role of T2 boredom proneness and T2 mobile phone gaming. These findings reveal the unique role of specific psychological need in engaging PMPU, which provides support to targeted interventions, such that promoting autonomy need satisfaction may be an instrumental procedure to prevent adolescents from addiction-like online behaviors.

How mathematics anxiety affects students' inflexible perseverance in mathematics problem-solving: Examining the mediating role of cognitive reflection

BACKGROUND

Too many students persevere in relying upon one (sometimes suboptimal) strategy for solving a wide range of problems, even when they know more efficient strategies. Although many studies have mentioned such phenomena, few studies have examined how emotional factors could affect this type of inflexible perseverance in strategy use.

AIMS

To examine whether mathematics anxiety could affect students' inflexible perseverance in strategy use and whether this effect could be mediated by cognitive reflection, which is the ability to engage in deliberate reasoning.

SAMPLE AND METHOD

In Study 1, 164 undergraduate students' (18-22 years) mathematics anxiety, cognitive reflection, and performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance were measured by a questionnaire battery. Structural equation models were used to examine the correlations between these variables. In Study 2, 98 undergraduate freshmen (17-18 years) were assigned to two groups, where one group's mathematics anxiety was temporarily induced by task instructions, while the other group served as a control group. Cognitive reflection and inflexible perseverance of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

Study 1 showed that mathematics anxiety was negatively correlated with students' performance on overcoming inflexible perseverance, while cognitive reflection mediated such an effect. Study 2 showed that compared to the control group, the experimental group showed lower cognitive reflection, which led to lower performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance.

CONCLUSIONS

Mathematics anxiety was showed to impair students' ability to engage in deliberate reasoning and was associated with inflexible use of strategies. Alleviating students' mathematics anxiety should be considered when promoting students' strategic flexibility.

Hsp90 inhibitor 17‑AAG inhibits stem cell‑like properties and chemoresistance in osteosarcoma cells via the Hedgehog signaling pathway

Multiple drug resistance is a major obstacle to the successful treatment of osteosarcoma (OS). Recent studies have demonstrated that a subset of cells, referred to as OS stem cells (OSCs), play a crucial role in the acquisition of multiple drug resistance. Therefore, an improved understanding of OS biology and pathogenesis is required to advance the development of targeted therapies aimed at eradicating this particular subset of cells in order to reverse acquired chemoresistance in OS. The aim of the present study was to assess the anti‑OSC effects of 17‑AAG and determine the underlying molecular mechanism. Heat shock protein 90 expression was found to be increased in sarcosphere cells and was positively associated with cancer stem cell characteristics. In addition, 17‑AAG was able to suppress the stem cell‑like phenotype of OS cells. Mechanistically, 17‑AAG inhibited OSC‑like properties and chemoresistance through glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β inactivation‑mediated repression of the Hedgehog signaling pathway. The findings of the present study provided comprehensive evidence for the inhibition of OSC properties and chemoresistance by 17‑AAG through repression of the GSK3β/Hedgehog signaling pathway, suggesting that 17‑AAG may be a promising therapeutic agent for targeting OSCs.

Specific Mental Arithmetic Difficulties and General Arithmetic Learning Difficulties: The Role of Phonological Working Memory

The aim of this paper was to examine the role of phonological working memory in specific mental arithmetic difficulties and general arithmetic learning difficulties (ALD; difficulties presenting in both mental arithmetic and written arithmetic). In Study 1, we categorized 53 sixth graders into a control group, a group with specific mental arithmetic difficulties, and a group with general ALD. The findings indicated the group with specific mental arithmetic difficulties performed significantly worse on the task involving phonological working memory than did the control group. However, a significant difference was not found between the group with general ALD and the control group. In Study 2 involving 54 sixth graders, we decreased the load of phonological working memory by changing the format of the problems from horizontal (more reliance on phonological codes) to vertical (more reliance on visual resources). We found that the group with specific mental arithmetic difficulties performed comparably to the control group. In other words, when the working memory load is reduced, they no longer lag significantly behind on mental arithmetic. However, the group with general ALD still performed significantly worse than the control group when the problems were presented vertically, indicating that reduced phonological working memory load did not alleviate their arithmetic difficulties. The findings in both studies suggested that poor phonological working memory might contribute to the underlying mechanism for specific mental arithmetic difficulties but not as much for general ALD.

Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Mediating Role of Escape Motivation and the Moderating Role of Shyness

In an attempt to reduce the negative consequences of adolescent media use, parents often monitor their children's online activities. However, research suggests that parental monitoring often does not reduce children's problematic mobile phone use as expected. Based on the results of a survey of 584 Chinese adolescents, we found that parental monitoring positively predicted children's problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) within a Chinese cultural context. The results also showed that children's escape motivation partially mediated this relationship, while their level of shyness moderated both the mediated path and the direct impact of parental monitoring on children's PMPU. The findings suggested that a higher level of shyness increased the likelihood that parental monitoring would increase the child's escape motivation and PMPU. The study results provide guidelines for parents and educators regarding interventions for adolescents' problematic phone use.

The Effect of Parental Phubbing on Teenager's Mobile Phone Dependency Behaviors: The Mediation Role of Subjective Norm and Dependency Intention

PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to examine (a) the effects of parental phubbing on teenagers' mobile phone dependency and (b) the mediating roles of subjective norm and dependent intention of underlying this relationship.

METHODS

We recruited 605 middle school students in Beijing, China and they completed the parental phubbing behaviors, subjective norm, dependency intention, and mobile phone dependency behavior questionnaires.

RESULTS

The results of the structure equation modeling revealed that parental phubbing behaviors significantly increased teenager's mobile phone dependency behaviors in two indirect ways. First, parental phubbing reinforced teenagers' mobile phone dependency intention, which in turn increased the likelihood of mobile phone dependency. Second, parental phubbing enhanced the tendency of parental mobile phone dependence norm perceived by teenagers, and thus reinforced their mobile phone dependency intention, ultimately increasing mobile phone dependency.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that parental phubbing is a significant indicator of teenager mobile phone dependency and that mobile phone dependency intention plays a mediation role between them. In addition, the perceived parental mobile phone dependency norm played a mediation role between parental phubbing and mobile phone dependency intention and indirectly influenced the level of mobile phone dependency behaviors through the mediation effect of mobile phone dependency intention.

Parents' Phubbing and Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Roles of the Parent-Child Relationship and Children's Self-Esteem

An increasing number of mobile phone users check their phones at any time and place, even during in-person interactions. Such behaviors that interrupt social interactions have been described as phubbing. The present study focused on phubbing behaviors within the context of parent-child households and aimed to examine the associations among parents' phubbing, the parent-child relationship, children's self-esteem, and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) by adolescents. The structural equation model results based on the data collected from 1,721 secondary students revealed that parents' phubbing was not only directly associated with children's PMPU but also indirectly associated with PMPU through the mediating roles of the parent-child relationship and children's self-esteem after gender and age were controlled. These findings suggest a possible underlying mechanism for the relationship between parents' phubbing and children's PMPU, and could thus inform interventions to prevent or decrease PMPU among adolescents. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Shared and unique mechanisms underlying the association of trauma exposure with posttraumatic stress symptoms and growth among adolescents following the Jiuzhaigou earthquake

OBJECTIVE

Studies have indicated that trauma exposure is a common factor in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) and posttraumatic growth (PTG), but it is unclear whether PTSSs and PTG share a common underlying mechanism related to trauma exposure. To explore this issue, this study examined the mediating role of feelings of safety, hope, and coping strategies between trauma exposure and both PTSSs and PTG to elucidate differences in their underlying mechanisms.

METHOD

One year following the Jiuzhaigou earthquake in Sichuan province, China, 620 adolescents were selected to answer self-report questionnaires, and a structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses.

RESULTS

Trauma exposure was positively associated with PTSSs by two 1-step indirect paths of feelings of safety and emotion-focused coping strategies, and by two 2-step indirect paths of feelings of safety to both hope and emotion-focused coping strategies. Trauma exposure was positively associated with PTG by a 1-step indirect path of problem-focused coping strategies but negatively associated with PTG by two 2-step indirect paths of feelings of safety to both hope and problem-focused coping strategies, and by one 3-step indirect path of feelings of safety to hope to problem-focused coping strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Trauma exposure is common to PTSSs and PTG but affects these differently via feelings of safety, feelings of hope, and coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal development of adolescent academic engagement following the Wenchuan earthquake: Domain-specific trajectories

Recent studies have examined academic engagement trajectories, but many focused on the overall academic engagement of adolescents, and few assessed specific engagement dimensions of adolescents with trauma experiences. The current study recruited 342 adolescents who had experienced an earthquake to examine their behavioral and psychological engagement trajectories. Participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires at 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. The results identified two types of behavioral engagement trajectories (high–stable and decreasing), and two types of psychological engagement trajectories (high–stable and increasing). The behavioral engagement trajectories showed strong agreement with the psychological engagement trajectories. We also found that gratitude could prevent behavioral engagement from decreasing over time, and that social support facilitated increase of psychological engagement. The findings suggested that the developmental paths of behavioral and psychological engagement were both heterogeneous among adolescents following an earthquake, and gratitude and social support played different roles in predicting engagement trajectories.

Psychological Distress and Problematic Mobile Phone Use Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Cognitions and the Moderating Role of Effortful Control

Previous studies have documented that psychological distress is related to problematic mobile phone use (PMPU), and sporadic research has investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the association. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use (PIU), the self-control theory, and the problem-behavior theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones and the moderating role of effortful control between psychological distress and PMPU. Data were collected from 1,799 secondary school students (45.1% male; M age = 14.07, SD = 1.69) using four self-reported questionnaires. The results revealed that maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones partially mediated the relationship between psychological distress and PMPU. In addition, effortful control as a protective factor attenuated the indirect effect from psychological distress to PMPU. These findings advanced the understanding of the etiology of PMPU and the need to develop effective strategies for prevention, suggesting that schools and families should pay additional attention to students with psychological distress. Targeted interventions for integrating online and offline worlds and effortful control training programs may help to prevent adolescents from engaging in PMPU.

How do Interpersonal Relationships Relieve Adolescents' Problematic Mobile Phone Use? The Roles of Loneliness and Motivation to Use Mobile Phones

The current study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of how interpersonal relationships relieve adolescents' problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and to examine the potential mediating roles of loneliness and motivation to use mobile phones. Four thousand five hundred and nine middle school students from four provinces in China were recruited to participate in the investigation. The results showed that the parent-child relationship but not the teacher-student relationship, had a direct and negative effect on PMPU. The parent-child relationship had indirect effects on PMPU through the mediators of loneliness, escape motivation and relationship motivation; the teacher-student relationship had indirect effects on PMPU only through the mediating factors of loneliness and escape motivation. Both parent-child and teacher-student relationships indirectly affected PMPU through a two-step path from loneliness to escape motivation. These findings highlight the more salient role of the parent-child relationship than that of the teacher-student relationship in directly alleviating PMPU and indicate that satisfying interpersonal relationships can buffer adolescents' PMPU by lowering their loneliness and motivation to use mobile phones.

Effects of Working Memory, Strategy Use, and Single-Step Mental Addition on Multi-Step Mental Addition in Chinese Elementary Students

The aim of this paper was to examine the roles of working memory, single-step mental addition skills, and strategy use in multi-step mental addition in two independent samples of Chinese elementary students through different approaches to manipulate two dimensions of task characteristics (the primary task). In Study 1, we manipulated strategy types through the dimension of schema automaticity (whether intermediate sums were 10s) and the dimension of working memory load (WML, two steps versus four steps). A hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis was conducted at case level, strategy level, and individual level. In Study 2, we manipulated task characteristics through schema automaticity (one-time versus two-time regrouping) and the WML (partial versus complete decomposition). A three-level HLM analysis was applied. The general findings of Study 1 and Study 2 suggested that shorter response time on single-step mental addition corresponded to shorter response time on multi-step mental addition. The use of strategies (from easier to more difficult strategies) negatively predicted response time on multi-step mental addition. Easier strategy was associated with shorter response time on multi-step mental addition. Better phonological loop was associated with shorter response time on multi-step mental addition. The findings in both studies highlighted the important role of phonological loop in mental addition in Chinese children, suggesting that the involvement of a specific subcomponent of working memory in mental arithmetic might be subject to linguistic, instructional, and contextual factors.

How does parental attachment contribute to post-traumatic growth among adolescents following an earthquake? Testing a multiple mediation model

This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of parental attachment on post-traumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents. Nine and a half years after the Wenchuan earthquake, 872 adolescents in China were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The results showed that parental attachment had a direct association with PTG, two significant one-step indirect associations with PTG (through justice beliefs and cognitive reappraisal), two significant two-step indirect associations (through feelings of safety via justice beliefs and justice beliefs via cognitive reappraisal), and one significant three-step indirect association (through feelings of safety via justice beliefs by cognitive reappraisal). The results indicated that feelings of safety, justice beliefs, and cognitive reappraisal mediated the association between parental attachment and PTG. These findings highlight the importance of a family perspective and may help clinical psychologists to improve adolescents' PTG by helping them to build positive parental attachments.

Trajectories of academic burnout in adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake: A latent growth mixture model analysis

Changes in academic burnout in adolescents have attracted much research attention; however, most studies assume that adolescent academic burnout is characterized by overall homogenous change and overlook the heterogeneity of burnout change. To address this issue, this study examined distinct latent trajectories of academic burnout in adolescents following the Wenchuan earthquake, China. Adolescents were surveyed at 1 (T1), 1.5 (T2), 2 (T3), and 2.5 years (T4) after the earthquake. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to 391 participants aged 12- to 19-years-old. The results identified three academic burnout trajectories: Increasing (3.9%), low (85.4%), and decreasing (10.7%). Additionally, intrusive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were more likely in the increasing group, avoidance PTSD symptoms were more likely in the decreasing group, and PTSD hyperarousal symptoms were more likely in the decreasing group, but less likely in the increasing group. These findings indicate that adolescents experienced heterogeneous academic burnout changes following the earthquake.

Trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorders among adolescents in the area worst-hit by the Wenchuan earthquake

BACKGROUND

This study examined the trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescents in the area worst-hit by the Wenchuan earthquake, and assessed the role of trauma exposure in differentiating distinct PTSD trajectories.

METHODS

In total, 391 adolescents were selected from the Wenchuan and Maoxian counties in Sichuan province (the area worst-hit by the earthquake). Participants completed a trauma exposure questionnaire at 1 year, and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale at 1 year, 1.5 years, 2 years, and 2.5 years after the earthquake.

RESULTS

Three latent PTSD trajectories were found in adolescents: moderate-stable (81.6%), decreasing (8.7%), and increasing trajectories (9.7%). T1 trauma exposure was more likely to be related to the decreasing trajectory group.

LIMITATIONS

All variables were measured by self-report scales. There was high non-random dropout.

CONCLUSION

The course of PTSD was heterogeneous among adolescents following the same natural disaster.

Teacher Justice and Students' Class Identification: Belief in a Just World and Teacher-Student Relationship as Mediators

For school-age adolescents, teacher justice plays an important role in their learning and social outcomes. The present study examined the relation between teacher justice and students' class identification in 1735 Chinese school-age adolescents by considering belief in a just world (BJW) and teacher-student relationship as mediators. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was used to reveal the direct and indirect effects. The analyses showed that all the direct and indirect effects were significant. These findings indicated that teacher justice had a positive effect on students' class identification. In addition, teacher justice impacted students' class identification through students' just-world belief and teacher-student relationships. These results suggested that for adolescents, teacher justice played an important role in shaping their just-world belief system and their interpersonal relationships with teachers, which in turn affected their sense of belonging and values in relation to their class. Thus, it is important for teachers to be aware that their injustice may negatively impact their relationships with students, students' belief systems, and their psychological engagement at school. There is a need to develop teacher-training programs to help teachers to establish classroom reward-punishment systems with the consideration of social justice, to communicate with students through an unbiased approach, and to increase student participation in the important decision making of the whole class.

Turning Potential Flexibility Into Flexible Performance: Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy and Use of Flexible Cognition

This study examined the relationship between two types of mathematical flexibility – potential flexibility, which indicates individuals’ knowledge of multiple strategies and strategy efficiency, and practical flexibility, which refers to individuals’ flexible performances when solving math problems. Both types of flexibility were assessed in the domain of linear equation solving. Furthermore, two types of beliefs – self-efficacy and use of flexible cognition (UFC) – were investigated as potential moderators between potential and practical flexibility. 121 8th grade students from China took part in this study. Results indicate that potential flexibility positively predicted practical flexibility. Additionally, self-efficacy and UFC might moderate the relationship between these two types of flexibility, suggesting that potential flexibility may lead to different degrees of practical flexibility depending on different levels of beliefs. Implications of these findings for research on mathematical flexibility and for educational practice are discussed.