[Identity Development, Family Relations, and Symptomatology in Adolescents from Seven Countries]

Identity Development, Family Relations, and Symptomatology in Adolescents from Seven Countries This study analyzed identity development and parental rearing in adolescents from seven countries. In a sample of 2,259 adolescents (M = 15 years; 54 % female) from France, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Peru, Pakistan, and Poland, maternal parenting (support, psychological control, anxious rearing), identity development (exploration, commitment and ruminative exploration) and psychopathology was assessed. Adolescents from central Europe (France and Germany) were characterized by quite low scores in most identity dimensions, compared to adolescents from all other countries. Particular high were scores in exploration and commitment among adolescents from Turkey, Greece, Peru and Pakistan. In some countries, adolescents described the family relations as characterized by high levels of anxious rearing and psychological control, which was, however, not associated with elevated levels of total symptomatology. The findings show that what is adaptive in one cultural context is depending on cultural norms and family traditions. This information is helpful in designing interventions.

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Zusammenfassung. Die tumorassoziierte Fatigue ist ein häufig auftretendes und ernstzunehmendes Beschwerdebild mit belastenden körperlichen, psychischen und sozialen Auswirkungen, das im Verlauf einer Brustkrebserkrankung zu jedem Zeitpunkt auftreten kann. Das Erscheinungsbild der tumorassoziierten Fatigue ist in der klinischen Symptomatik wie auch in den pathophysiologischen Mechanismen sehr heterogen und komplex. Sowohl die Abklärung von Ursachen als auch die Behandlung erfordert ein differenziertes Vorgehen. Eine frühzeitige Therapie der tumorassoziierten Fatigue ist wichtig, um einer möglichen Chronifizierung entgegenzuwirken. Die Behandlung der Fatigue-Symptomatik erfolgt mittels medikamentöser und nicht-medikamentöser Therapieansätze. Während pharmakologische Interventionen mit Psychostimulanzien in der Behandlung der Fatigue-Symptomatik inkonsistente Resultate zeigen, können die Beschwerden der Fatigue-Symptomatik durch nicht-pharmakologische Interventionen, besonders körperliches Training, kognitiv-behaviorale Therapie, Psychoedukation, komplementärmedizinische Behandlungen (Akupunktur, Yoga, phytotherapeutische Verfahren mit Ginseng) deutlich gemindert werden.

[Frequency and Type of Traumatic Events in Children and Adolescents with a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder]

The risk for children and adolescents to be exposed to a potentially traumatic event (PTE) is high. The present study examines the frequency of PTEs in children and adolescents with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the type of index trauma, and its relation to PTSD symptom severity and gender. A clinical sample of 159 children and adolescents between 7-16 years was assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA). All reported PTEs from the checklist were analyzed according to frequency. The index events were categorized according to the following categories: cause (random vs. intentional), relation to offender (intrafamilial vs. extrafamilial), patient's role (victim, witness or vicarious traumatization), and type of PTE (physical or sexual violence). Relation between categories and PTSD symptom severity and sex were analyzed with inferential statistics. On average participants reported five PTEs, most frequently physical violence without weapons (57.9%), loss of loved person through death (45.9%), and sexual abuse/assaults (44%). The most frequent index traumata were intentional (76.7%). Regarding trauma type, there was a significant difference concerning higher symptom severity in children and adolescents who experienced sexual abuse/assault compared to physical violence (t=-1.913(109), p=0.05). A significantly higher symptom severity was found for girls compared to boys for the trauma categories extrafamilial offender (z=-2,27, p=0.02), victim (z=-2,11, p=0,04), and sexual abuse/assault (z=-2,43, p=0,01). Clinical and diagnostic implications are discussed in relation to the amendments of PTSD diagnostic criteria in DSM-5.