Developmental changes in school burnout: The importance of sleep and problematic Internet use.

INTRODUCTION: School burnout remains a prevalent problem among adolescents; it is associated with low academic achievement and school dropout risk, in turn linked to a whole host of deleterious developmental outcomes. The current longitudinal study sought to better understand the developmental course of school burnout by testing whether poor sleep and problematic internet use each uniquely and additively explained the variance in school burnout over time. METHOD: Data were collected four times over 18 months, 6 months apart from N = 405 adolescents, grades 9 to 11. RESULTS: Sleep quality, but not quantity, was significantly associated with the school burnout intercept (ß = -0.29); no effects were found for the slope. Problematic internet use was also significantly associated with the intercept (ß = .44), but not the slope. In a combined model, both sleep quality and problematic internet use significantly predicted the school burnout intercept. The slope was only predicted by age (ß = -0.21). CONCLUSIONS: The study found partial support for the hypotheses that both poor sleep quality and problematic internet use predicted school burnout, intercept only, not the rate of change. The evidence suggests that school burnout increased across high school; however, the rate of increase slowed with age. In contrast to some previous work, study findings highlight the importance of separately considering both poor sleep and problematic internet use in understanding the development of school burnout during adolescence. N = 229.

Does Relationship Conflict Predicts Psychological Distress or Vice Versa? A Cross-Lagged Panel Model.

The present study examines the directionality of links between romantic relationship conflict and psychological distress in premarital relationships of emerging adults. A total of 182 participants (Mage = 21.23; SDage = 1.62; 85.16% female) provided data at both Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2). Participants responded to a battery of questions related to romantic relationship conflict and psychological distress. The data for the present study were collected at two time points during spring semester of 2018: First week (Time 1) and the last week of the semester, Week 14 (Time 2). A two-wave two variable cross-lagged autoregressive panel model was conducted to examine the links between relationship conflict and psychological distress over time in emerging adults. Using a latent cross-lagged panel model, we found that romantic relationship conflict at T1 significantly predicted psychological distress at T2, but psychological distress at T1 was not associated with subsequent romantic relationship conflict at T2, after controlling for autoregressive effects. The results highlighted the key role of romantic relationship conflict in predicting later psychological distress. Limitations and implications are discussed and future directions are suggested.

Family environment and school engagement:An investigation of cross-lagged effects.

INTRODUCTION: Although an extensive body of work has shown that family functioning is linked to adolescent outcomes, less is known about how the family affects school outcomes and vice versa. The present longitudinal study tested reciprocal relationships between the family environment and school engagement during the middle school years. METHODS: A cross-lagged latent model tested these effects in 378 Turkish youth (53.7% males; M = 11.73, SD = 0.53) evaluated annually (Waves 1, 2, and 3) in grades 6 through 8. RESULTS: Findings showed the family environment positively predicted developmental changes in school engagement at each time point (ß range = 0.18 to 0.24); school engagement also positively predicted developmental changes in the family environment (ß range = 0.12 to 0.28). Follow-up multigroup tests by age, sex, and family structure showed that the reciprocal links between the family environment and school engagement were invariant. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings supported reciprocal longitudinal links between developmental changes of the family environment and school engagement. They extend previous research by highlighting the continued importance of the home environment on developmental changes in academic performance in adolescents, and thus, inform parents, educators, and policymakers on the relevance of the family in promoting academic engagement and achievement in adolescence.

I am satisfied with my sweetheart, therefore I am satisfied with my life (and vice versa): a cross-lagged autoregressive panel model.

Forming, maintaining, and ending romantic relationship is a crucial developmental task in emerging adulthood and highly correlated with psychosocial well-being. Although the direction of associations between relational and individual processes has been investigated in married couples, the longitudinal links between relationship satisfaction and life satisfaction has not yet been explored in premarital relationships of emerging adults. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore whether there is a top-down, bottom-up, or bidirectional effect between these two variables. Emerging adults (n = 182; 155 females, 27 males; Mage = 21.23, SDage = 1.62) from a public university responded self-report measures of the Couples Satisfaction Index and the Satisfaction with Life Scale at two time points over a 14-week interval. A cross-lagged autoregressive panel model analysis indicated that there was a bidirectional association between satisfaction in relationship domain and overall life satisfaction in premarital romantic relationships of emerging adults. The present findings importantly contribute to close relationships and well-being literatures. Study strengths, limitations, and implications are discussed.

Direct and indirect effects of father-daughter relationship on adolescent girls' psychological outcomes: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

Fathers play a salient role in the children's development, especially in daughters. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effects of father-daughter relationship on psychological outcomes of adolescent girls. A total of 310 adolescent girls aged between 14 and 18 (M = 15.88, SD = 0.89) of a Turkish population-based sample completed a battery of self-report surveys measuring perceptions related to father-daughter relationship, basic psychological need satisfaction, well-being, and ill-being. Structural equation modelling results indicated that father-daughter relationship is directly related to higher levels of well-being and lower levels of ill-being. Besides, results demonstrated that indirect effects of basic psychological need satisfaction on the link between father-daughter relationship and psychological outcomes were significant. These findings suggest that father-daughter relationship significantly influences mental health of adolescent girls and this effect is mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. Implications for counseling interventions and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Parenting processes and aggression: the role of self-control among Turkish adolescents.

The present study examined the direct and indirect relationships between parenting processes (parental closeness, parental monitoring, and parental peer approval), low self-control, and aggression. Participants were 546 adolescents aged 14-18 attending state high schools in Turkey. Participants completed a questionnaire that included measures of parenting processes, self-control, and aggression. Findings provided evidence of both direct and indirect effects of maternal and paternal parenting processes on aggression through low self-control. Specifically, results showed that maternal closeness, paternal peer approval and both maternal and paternal monitoring were positively and directly related to low self-control, and indirectly related to aggression through low self-control. Together, parenting processes and low self-control explained 21% of the variance in aggression. Implications for self-control theory and directions for future research are discussed.

Laparoscopic resection of a torsioned appendix epiploica in a previously appendectomized patient.

Torsion of the appendices epiploicae is a rare condition that may present with acute abdominal pain and mimics appendicitis. We report a 20-year-old previously appendectomized man presenting with right lower abdominal quadrant pain. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a localized omental thickening in the right paracolic region. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed well-circumscribed fatty tissue adjacent to the cecum with heterogeneous hyperdense infiltration of the mesentery near the sigmoid colon. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed 2-cm diameter torsioned and edematous fatty tissue floating on the omentum in the right lower quadrant. The torsioned mass was elevated, and a thick stalk was seen to be connecting the fatty tissue to the sigmoid colon. At this point, the torsioned fatty tissue was considered as a sigmoidal appendix epiploica that was elongated and neighboring on the previously operated-on region. The lesion was removed by laparoscopic means using 3 ports. Grossly, fat necrosis and internal bleeding were seen. Histopathologic analysis of the resected tissue demonstrated adipose tissue surrounded by fibrotic inflammatory changes with marked infiltration of numerous lymphocytes and histiocytes. In conclusion, torsion of appendices epiploicae should be included in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen when evaluating patients with right lower quadrant pain and a history of appendectomy. Laparoscopic surgery provides definite diagnosis and prevents unnecessary open procedures for such lesions leading to peritoneal irritation.