The romantic relationships of adopted adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: There is a gap in the literature on the romantic relationships of adopted adolescents. To address this issue, the present study has three aims: (1) to explore differences between adopted and non-adopted adolescents in terms of their involvement in and the length of their romantic relationships; (2) to explore the quality of these relationships; and (3) to analyze associations between affective relationships and well-being in both groups. METHOD: The sample comprised 276 adopted (64.5% girls; mean age 16.3 years, 73.9% international adoptees) and 276 non-adopted (48.3% girls; mean age 16.3 years) adolescents, all of whom participated in the Spanish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. RESULTS: Similar romantic relationship rates and lengths were found among adoptees and non-adoptees, as well as between international and domestic adoptees. Adoptees reported more emotional support and conflicts in their romantic relationships than their non-adopted peers. Finally, associations between the quality of the romantic relationships and well-being were similar for both groups, with more conflicts being linked to lower levels of well-being, and more emotional support and affection correlating with higher levels of well-being. DISCUSSION: The data suggest more similarities than differences between adopted and non-adopted adolescents. However, although this indicates that romantic relationships are yet another example of recovery for adopted boys and girls, further research is required, with larger and more diverse samples from multiple countries, to explore the differences observed in more detail.

Cross-national time trends in adolescent alcohol use from 2002 to 2014.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent alcohol consumption is a major public health concern that should be continuously monitored. This study aims (i) to analyze country-level trends in weekly alcohol consumption, drunkenness and early initiation in alcohol consumption and drunkenness among 15-year-old adolescents from 39 countries and regions across Europe and North America between 2002 and 2014 and (ii) to examine the geographical patterns in adolescent alcohol-related behaviours. METHODS: The sample was composed of 250 161 adolescents aged 15 from 39 countries and regions from Europe and North America. Survey years were 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. The alcohol consumption and drunkenness items of the HBSC questionnaire were employed. Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: Data show a general decrease in all four alcohol variables between 2002 and 2014 except for some countries. However, there is variability both within a country (depending on the alcohol-related behaviour under study) and across countries (in the beginning and shape of trends). Some countries have not reduced or even increased their levels in some variables. Although some particularities have persisted over time, there are no robust patterns by regions. CONCLUSIONS: Despite an overall decrease in adolescent alcohol consumption, special attention should be paid to those countries where declines are not present, or despite decreasing, rates are still high. Further research is needed to clarify factors associated with adolescent drinking, to better understand country specificities and to implement effective policies.

Emotional autonomy and adjustment among emerging adults: The moderating role of family relationships.

Emerging adults build their personal maturity within the family context; however, few studies focus on the role of emotional autonomy during this stage. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between emotional autonomy and adjustment during emerging adulthood, bearing in mind the possible moderating role of parental support in this relationship. Data were collected from 1,502 Spanish undergraduate students (903 women) aged between 18 and 29. Participants completed measures of emotional autonomy (EAS, Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), family social support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), psychological well-being (PWBS; Ryff, Lee, Essex & Schmutte, 1995) and psychological distress (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). The results indicate that emotional autonomy correlates negatively with family support and psychological well-being and positively with psychological distress. However, only when young people perceive a family context with low social support is gaining emotional distance from their parents associated with an increase in their psychological well-being. Our findings highlight the crucial role that the family environment plays in well-being during young adulthood, and reveal that the effect of emotional distancing from parents on adjustment depends on the quality of the family climate. Future research should seek to gain greater insight into emotional autonomy during emerging adulthood, taking into account cross-cultural diversity.

The Role of Parents in Emerging Adults' Psychological Well-Being: A Person-Oriented Approach.

The purpose of this study was to gain an overview of Spanish emerging adults' family relationships and their link with psychological well-being and psychological distress. The sample comprised 1502 undergraduate students (903 women and 599 men) aged between 18 and 29 (M = 20.32 and SD = 2.13), recruited from two universities in Spain. A cluster analysis identified three groups of families based on the centrality of five family variables: parental involvement, parental support for autonomy, parental warmth, behavioral control, and psychological control. The three groups or clusters were labeled high-quality family relationships (HQ), intermediate-quality family relationships (IQ), and low-quality family relationships (LQ). Women were overrepresented in the HQ cluster, whereas men were overrepresented in the IQ cluster. Moreover, emerging adults who perceived better family relationships (high levels of parental involvement, parental support for autonomy and parental warmth, and low levels of behavioral and psychological control) were found to have a higher level of psychological adjustment. Thus, our results indicate that family plays a key role in the psychological well-being of emerging adults. The discussion focuses on the implications of this finding for the parent-child relationship, and explores how it extends our knowledge about family relationships during emerging adulthood.

El propósito de este estudio fue obtener una visión de conjunto de las relaciones familiares de los adultos emergentes españoles y su vínculo con el bienestar psicológico y el distrés psicológico. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 1502 alumnos universitarios (903 mujeres y 599 hombres) de entre 18 y 29 años (M = 20.32 y SD = 2.13), convocados de dos universidades de España. Un análisis de grupos identificó a tres grupos de familias basándose en la centralidad de cinco variables familiares: participación de los padres, fomento de la autonomía por parte de los padres, calidez de los padres, control del comportamiento y control psicológico. Los tres grupos o agrupaciones se clasificaron como relaciones familiares de alta calidad (AC), relaciones familiares de calidad intermedia (CI) y relaciones familiares de baja calidad (BC). Las mujeres estuvieron sobrerrepresentadas en el grupo de AC, mientras que los hombres estuvieron sobrerrepresentados en el grupo de CI. Además, se descubrió que los adultos emergentes que percibieron mejores relaciones familiares (niveles altos de participación de los padres, fomento de la autonomía por parte de los padres y calidez de los padres, y niveles bajos de control conductual y psicológico) tuvieron un nivel más alto de adaptación psicológica. Por lo tanto, nuestros resultados indican que la familia desempeña un papel clave en el bienestar psicológico de los adultos emergentes. El debate se centra en las consecuencias que tiene este resultado para la relación entre padres e hijos, y analiza cómo amplía nuestro conocimiento acerca de las relaciones familiares durante la adultez emergente.

Trends in tobacco use among adolescents in Spain (2002-2018). / Tendencias en el consumo de tabaco adolescente en España (2002-2018).

Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world today. Adolescence is the developmental period during which smoking is most commonly initiated and addiction is likely to happen. The aim of this study is to examine trends in tobacco use among school-aged adolescents in Spain from 2002 to 2018 by sex and age. The sample is composed of 51,046 adolescents aged 15 to 18. Data is representative of the adolescent school population in Spain in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. The smoking questionnaire provided by the international team of the study Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) was used. Odds Ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using logistic regression. Data show a decrease in daily tobacco use between 2002 (26.5%) and 2018 (8.7%), but no change was found between 2006 (17.9%) and 2010 (17.4%). This decreasing pattern is stronger in girls than boys to the extent that no differences by sex were found in 2018. Similarly, the decrease was greater in older adolescents, but in this case, the differences by age remained. Daily smoking prevalence among Spanish adolescents aged 15 to 18 in 2018 is 8.7%. Results confirm the need to maintain tobacco prevention and control policies. Measures are presented in order to fight this public health problem.

El tabaco es la principal causa de muerte prevenible en todo el mundo. La adolescencia es una etapa clave en la iniciación al hábito tabáquico y en la proclividad a desarrollar adicción a esta sustancia. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar cómo ha evolucionado el consumo de tabaco de los chicos y chicas adolescentes escolarizados en España desde 2002 a 2018 y si hay diferencias en las tendencias por sexo y por edad. La muestra está conformada por 51.046 participantes de 15 a 18 años, representativos de la población adolescente escolarizada en España en los años 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 y 2018. Se utilizó el cuestionario de consumo de tabaco consensuado por el equipo internacional del estudio Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC). Se estimaron las Odds Ratio y los intervalos de confianza del 95% mediante regresiones logísticas. Los resultados muestran una disminución en el consumo diario de tabaco adolescente entre 2002 (26,5%) y 2018 (8,7%) aunque con un periodo de estabilidad entre 2006 (17,9%) y 2010 (17,4%). Esta tendencia de descenso es mayor en las chicas (21,9 puntos) que en los chicos (13,1 puntos) hasta el punto de que en 2018 no hay diferencias en función del sexo. También es mayor en el grupo de 17-18 años (20,2 puntos) que en el de 15-16 años (15,8 puntos), aunque en este caso, permanecen las diferencias en función de la edad. La prevalencia de consumo de tabaco diario en adolescentes de 15 a 18 años es del 8,7% en 2018. Se concluye la conveniencia de no suprimir ni disminuir las políticas de prevención y control del tabaquismo y se proponen nuevas medidas para hacer frente al problema de salud pública que está suponiendo el consumo de tabaco en España.

Development of emotional autonomy from adolescence to young adulthood in Spain.

The main objective of this study was to learn whether emotional autonomy is truly part of a developmental stage for Spanish adolescents and young adults or if it is an indicator of difficult family relationships. Using a longitudinal design, a sample of ninety young people was followed for ten years, from their initial adolescence until their first years of adulthood. At four observation points, the participants completed various questionnaires to evaluate their emotional autonomy, the cohesion in their family relationships and their life satisfaction. There were no gender differences in the development of emotional autonomy. Family cohesion and life satisfaction showed significant negative associations with emotional autonomy and these associations became more pronounced as participants moved from adolescence into adulthood. Based on our results, emotional autonomy from parents does not seem to be a developmental stage taking place during adolescence, but rather, an indicator of difficult family relationships.

Identity development and adjustment during emerging adulthood from a gender perspective.

Identity development is a key task during emerging adulthood. The goals of the present study are to validate the Spanish version of the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) and to explore the relationship between identity dimensions and adjustment (flourishing and distress), from a gender perspective. The sample comprised 1502 Spanish university students (60.1% women). The results reveal that the DIDS is valid in the Spanish context and that significant gender differences were observed in some dimensions of identity development, with men scoring higher for identification with commitment and women scoring higher for exploration in depth and ruminative exploration. Finally, both dimensions of commitment and ruminative exploration had a stronger effect on men's than on women's adjustment, suggesting that the integration of the self has more impact on men's outcomes than on women's. These findings highlight the need to include the gender perspective in all future research in order to gain deeper insight into the relationship between the identity development process and adjustment during emerging adulthood.

Intergenerational Solidarity During Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Psychological Distress and Satisfaction with Life in Southern Europe.

Background: Intergenerational solidarity between parents and emerging adult offspring requires more substantial attention at the present time. Changing demographic structures and transformations in family dynamics over recent decades have increased both opportunities and the need for parent-child interactions and exchanges of support and affection during emerging adulthood. Purpose: The study had two aims: first, to explore patterns in intergenerational solidarity in accordance with different sociodemographic characteristics of emerging adults; and second, to analyse associations between intergenerational solidarity and emerging adults' psychological distress and satisfaction with life. Methods: Participants were 644 emerging adult university students from Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal), aged between 18 and 29 years, who completed a self-report questionnaire designed to assess variables linked to sociodemographic aspects (gender, country of residence, sexual orientation, living status, family income), intergenerational solidarity, psychological distress and satisfaction with life. Results: The results indicated some differences in intergenerational solidarity patterns in accordance with a range of sociodemographic characteristics. They also revealed significant associations between intergenerational solidarity dimensions and emerging adults' satisfaction with life and psychological distress. Moreover, affective solidarity was found to fully mediate the relationship between associational, functional and normative solidarity and emerging adults' adjustment. In the case of conflictual solidarity, affective solidarity was found to partially mediate the relationship between this dimension of intergenerational solidarity and emerging adults' distress and to fully mediate the relationship between this same dimension and emerging adults' satisfaction with life. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is important to take sociodemographic diversity into account when exploring relationships between emerging adults and their parents. They also suggest that affective solidarity acts as a protective factor in promoting emerging adults' adjustment.

Bullying, cyberbullying, and adoption: What is the role of student-teacher connectedness?

Bullying and cyberbullying have rarely been studied among the adoptive population, although the few studies available show adopted students frequently experience these phenomena. To address this research gap, this article examined potential differences in bullying and cyberbullying between domestic adoptees, intercountry adoptees, and nonadopted students, paying separate attention to frequent and occasional victimization and perpetration experiences. In addition, the aims of the article include analyzing student-teacher connectedness in these groups and exploring its potential protective role for the aforementioned bullying and cyberbullying experiences. The sample consists of 541 adopted adolescents (67.1% intercountry adoptees and 32.9% domestic adoptees) and 582 nonadopted adolescents aged 11-18 years who had participated in the 2017/2018 edition of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Spain. Results show that the likelihood of involvement in bullying and cyberbullying (either victimization or perpetration) was lower for the nonadopted group, whereas domestic adoptees were significantly more likely to report these experiences. Furthermore, student-teacher connectedness was lower among domestic adoptees compared to their nonadopted peers. Finally, teacher connectedness was consistently associated with a lower likelihood of frequent bullying and cyberbullying victimization, and of both occasional and frequent cyberbullying perpetration. Overall, our findings are consistent with an increased risk of bullying and cyberbullying among domestic adoptees and a predominantly consistent protective role of student-teacher connectedness, although differences depending on the specific kind of experience deserve further examination in future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

[Trends in alcohol consumption among school-aged adolescents in Spain (2010-2018)]. / Tendencias en el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes escolarizados en España (2010-2018).

OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in beer, wine, and distilled spirits consumption, as well as drunkenness among school-aged adolescents in Spain from 2010 to 2018 by sex and age. METHOD: The sample is composed of 35,310 adolescents aged 15 to 18. The data is representative of the adolescent school population in Spain in 2010, 2014, and 2018. The alcohol consumption questionnaire and the drunkenness questionnaire provided by the international team of the study (removed for blinded review) were employed. Prevalence Ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: the data show a general decrease in alcohol consumption (beer, wine, as well as distilled spirits) and in drunkenness, but the decrease mainly occurs between 2010 and 2014. Sex differences (higher consumption and drunkenness among boys) are found among adolescents aged 17-18 but not in the age group of 15-16 years old. Older adolescents show higher levels of consumption and drunkenness than younger adolescents. DISCUSSION: the results confirm the relevance of carrying out specific analyses in order to identify risk groups which are not detected through general analyses. This data highlights the need to maintain alcohol prevention and control policies due to the risk of stabilization in alcohol-related behaviours.

Why are undergraduate emerging adults anxious and avoidant in their romantic relationships? The role of family relationships.

The exploration of and search for romantic relationships is one of the developmental tasks that characterise emerging adulthood, a new developmental phase halfway between adolescence and full adulthood. This study aims to explore, in a Mediterranean country, the existing relationships between the subjective perception of some parental behaviour and the anxiety and avoidance dimensions of attachment during emerging adulthood. To do so, 1,502 university students (903 women and 599 men) aged between 18 and 29 (M = 20.32 and SD = 2.13) completed a self-report questionnaire. The results revealed that perceived family support and perceived parental warmth were negatively associated with the avoidance and anxiety dimensions. In contrast, perceived parental control (both behavioural and psychological) was found to be positively associated with both attachment dimensions. Perceived behavioural control was also found to play a moderator role between perceived parental warmth and romantic attachment anxiety. Only in cases in which emerging adults of our sample perceived low levels of behavioural control was warmth found to be negatively associated with anxiety. The main conclusion of this work is the negative impact that parental control seems to have on romantic attachment during emerging adulthood. The results are discussed with a focus on the continuing importance of the family context in relation to the completion of developmental tasks, even during emerging adulthood.

Perceived Parenting Styles and Adjustment during Emerging Adulthood: A Cross-National Perspective.

The aim of the present study is to determine whether the influence of parenting style on children's wellbeing is sustained during emerging adulthood. This is a stage in which young people, despite feeling themselves to be adults, often remain in the family home and continue to be financially dependent on their parents. Moreover, since parents' beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are constructed and interpreted within their cultural milieu, the study also aims to explore the situation in Spain (SP) and Portugal (PT). Those two Southern Europe countries are representative of what is known as the "family welfare regime", in which the family acts as the main provider of care and security not only during childhood, but also during emerging adulthood. Thus, the present study examines, from a cross-cultural perspective, the relationship between perceived parenting styles and psychological adjustment among a sample of 1047 emerging adults from Spain and Portugal. The results reveal that the most beneficial styles during this stage are the authoritative and permissive ones, with the authoritarian style being more closely related to psychological distress. The study highlights intercultural similarities and the positive role played by more symmetrical relationships in the adjustment of emerging adults in both countries.

Psychometric Properties of the Flourishing Scale and Measurement Invariance Between Two Samples of Spanish University Students.

The Flourishing Scale (FS), created by Diener et al., is a brief subjective perception measurement which assesses flourishing and provides a single score across 8 items. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the FS. Participants were 1,502 university students from different faculties and fields of knowledge. The results reveal good internal consistency. The single factor structure of the FS was supported by the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, which also provided evidence of the invariant structure of the scale across two subsamples. The scale's convergent validity with another measure of psychological well-being and its discriminant validity with the depression, anxiety, and stress symptom scale were demonstrated through the significant correlations observed with said measures. The FS was found to be apt for use in evaluating general well-being in the Spanish population and may be considered a reliable measure in future well-being studies. It can also be used as an instrument for planning, executing, and/or assessing practical interventions in social, care, and health-related programs.

Trend Analysis of Bullying Victimization Prevalence in Spanish Adolescent Youth at School.

BACKGROUND: We analyze trends in bullying victimization prevalence in a representative sample of Spanish adolescent schoolchildren in 2006, 2010, and 2014. METHODS: We distinguish between reported bullying, which is assessed via the global question in the Revised Bully/Victim Questionnaire by Olweus, and observed bullying, which is a measure developed from the answers that the adolescents gave to specific items that refer to different types of bullying that have been codified as physical, verbal, and relational bullying. RESULTS: For 2006 and 2010/2014, the results show stability in the assessment of reported bullying and an increase in observed bullying, analyzed both globally and within the 3 categories: physical, verbal, and relational. CONCLUSIONS: A valid, reliable, and accurate measure to detect cases of bullying is necessary, as is the importance of continuing efforts devoted to raising awareness and the prevention of this phenomenon.

[Alcohol consumption trends among Spanish school-aged adolescents in the first decade of the 21(st) century]. / Tendencias en el consumo de alcohol en los adolescentes escolarizados españoles a lo largo de la primera década del siglo xxi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in beer, wine, and liquor consumption among Spanish adolescents in 2002, 2006, and 2010, as well as drunkenness trends during the same period. METHOD: The study sample was composed of 23,169 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years old: 7,103 in 2002, 10,443 in 2006 and 5,623 in 2010. In the three time points of the study, the data were representative of Spanish adolescent students. We used the alcohol consumption questionnaire designed by the international team of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. We estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through logistic regressions. RESULTS: The main results showed a decrease in frequent consumption of wine and liquor from 2002 to 2010. This decrease was maintained after controlling for the variability due to the participants' gender and age. However, an increasing trend was found in drunkenness episodes in the different cohorts of the adolescents under study. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are of particular importance in the analysis of the effects of the public health policies implemented during this time period. We also found changes in consumption patterns of the various alcoholic drinks, which may constitute key information in the design of new public health policies.

Cross-national associations between parent and peer communication and psychological complaints.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether or not communication with parents and with peers is related to experiencing psychological complaints in an attempt to explore the hypotheses of continuity and compensation or moderation between contexts. METHODS: Questions on communication with their parents and peers, as well as on the frequency with which they experience psychological complaints were answered by 200,857 adolescents from 36 countries. RESULTS: A cluster analysis detected four groups of adolescents. Those with better communication in both social contexts were the ones showing less psychological complaints. Moreover, we have found (using a regression analysis) that good communication with peers does not improve their experience of psychological complaints if the communication with parents is not good. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that our findings are consistent with the continuity hypothesis and against the compensating or moderating one.