Understanding processes that advance suicidal behavior among Israeli active duty soldiers: A mediation model.

OBJECTIVES: The current study was aimed to identify the factors and mechanisms that promote nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation (SI) as precursors of suicidal behaviors in a sample of 553 Israeli active-duty soldiers. METHODS: A mediation model was used to examine the contribution of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, emotion-regulation difficulties, habituation, and risk-taking behaviors to soldiers' self-injury and SI. RESULTS: Results indicated direct effects between PTSD symptoms and self-injury and SI, as well as between emotion regulation difficulties and self-injury. Indirect effects were found between PTSD symptoms and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) through the mechanisms of habituation and risk-taking behavior and between difficulties in emotion regulation and NSSI through the mechanism of risk-taking behaviors. CONCLUSION: To tackle soldiers' suicidal behaviors, clinicians might assess soldiers' PTSD symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation and intervene by lessening their access to thrill-seeking situations and situations that increase habituation to pain and death.

Adolescents' Sexual Encounters With Either Romantic or Casual Partners and the Quality of Their Romantic Relationships Four Years Later.

Adolescent sexual behavior was examined within a health perspective. Assuming a developmental perspective, the current study investigated the associations between sexual behavior in either stable relationships or in casual encounters, and the quality of romantic relationships and affect 4 years later. Data were collected from 144 Israeli adolescents aged 16-18 years (mean age 16.57 years). Participants completed diary data over a period of 10 days and reported on the quality of their romantic encounters and their emotions, and on their sexual behavior in stable relationships or casual encounters. Four years later, they were asked to complete diary data again for 10 consecutive days and report on the quality of their romantic relationships and their positive and negative affect. Findings indicate that involvement in sexual behavior in stable romantic relationships was associated only with future romantic partner support. In contrast, earlier involvement in casual sexual behavior was associated with a number of future indices: lower partner support, greater negative affect as well as greater relationship tension, and dyadic hurtful behavior 4 years later. The differential role of sexuality within a stable relationship or casual encounters among adolescents for their future romantic development is discussed within a developmental framework.

The role of change in self-criticism across young adulthood in explaining developmental outcomes and psychological wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE: Past research has confirmed the role of self-criticism in numerous forms of psychopathology and negative interpersonal outcomes. However, the majority of these studies were cross-sectional and have not addressed the role of possible changes in self-criticism across time for future outcomes. The current study investigated the degree to which changes in self-criticism during young adulthood precede better psychological outcomes beyond the contribution of their baseline levels. METHOD: A total of 168 Israeli emerging adults were followed for 12 years. Participants completed assessments of self-criticism at age 23, 24, 26.5, and 29, and of developmental tasks and psychological adaptation at age 35. Analyses assessed the extent to which the intercept and linear slope of self-criticism were associated with assessments of coping with age-related tasks and psychological well-being at age 35. RESULTS: Findings indicated that decreases in self-criticism between the ages of 23 and 29 were associated with better coping with age-related task outcomes and psychological health at age 35. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are among the first to show that decreases in self-criticism serve as important precursors of coping with age-related tasks and psychological outcomes and point to the positive contributions of changes in personality attributes for future development.

Romantic outcomes in young adulthood: The role of dependency, parental support, and reflective functioning.

In recent years, an increasing number of young adults have difficulties making a smooth transition to adulthood in becoming romantically committed and balancing romantic commitments and other aspects of life. The present study was conducted on a sample of 100 Israeli emerging adults (54 males) who were followed from age 23 to 34 years. The study examined the role of personality attributes (dependency, self-criticism), parental support, and reflectivity concerning own family of origin in making a smoother transition to mature romantic engagement. Greater achievement of romantic goals and greater mastery in balancing family and work demands were predicted by low dependency or low self-criticism (assessed at age 23) and a high level of reflectivity (assessed at age 29). The distinctive role of reflectivity with regard to own family script and personality attributes for a smoother romantic transition in adulthood is discussed. In addition, the possible implications of the findings for intervention are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Adolescent psychopathology in Times of Change: The need for integrating a developmental psychopathology perspective.

In addition to the major physical, sexual and cognitive changes, as well as changes in relationships with parents and peers, in recent years adolescents also have to cope with many technological changes and increasing societal instabilities. Most of the existing research has examined the extent to which increasing uncertainties might impact expression of psychopathology and its magnitude. Emerging from a developmental psychopathology perspective, we are looking first for a better understanding of the meaning that adolescents give to these changes, which in turn is likely to affect their behavior. We are also looking for better understanding the importance of the role parents, and other societal systems/institutions (such as peers) play in ameliorating or enhancing the likelihood of maladaptive adolescent behavior under these circumstances.

Predicting post-breakup distress and growth in emerging adulthood: The roles of relationship satisfaction and emotion regulation.

With a sample of emerging adults (N = 110; 72% female) this brief report utilized self-report measures to examine the role of relationship satisfaction and emotion regulation strategies assessed at age 20 in predicting breakup distress and posttraumatic growth three years later. Results showed that higher relationship satisfaction is associated with less future breakup distress. Emotion regulation explained the ways individuals cope with distress; cognitive appraisal (in contrast to emotional suppression) predicted higher growth after experiencing a breakup. Findings highlight the ways emotion regulation strategies can help emerging adults cope with relational stressors such as breakups.

Changes in rejection sensitivity across adolescence and emerging adulthood: Associations with relationship involvement, quality, and coping.

Using a sample of 110 Israeli youth (72% female), the present study investigates associations between initial levels of rejection sensitivity as well as changes in rejection sensitivity from age 16 to age 23 and relationship involvement, quality, and (growth following) coping with relationship stress. Results showed that rejection sensitivity generally decreased over time into the transition to adulthood. Furthermore, levels of rejection sensitivity at age 16 predicted whether young people were romantically involved by age 23, as well as the quality of their relationships. Yet, the change in level of rejection sensitivity over time explained far more the quality of later romantic relationships and competence in coping with relationship stress than the initial level of rejection sensitivity. These findings have important implications for examining the role of changes in personality attributes such as rejection sensitivity in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Sense of Coherence and Parenting Representation among Parents of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the association between parental sense of coherence (SOC) and maternal and paternal representations of parents of adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (IDDM). METHOD: Seventy five mothers and fathers of adolescents (age 13-18) diagnosed with IDDM, were recruited. Data were gathered from a demographic and SOC questionnaires, and the Parenting Representations Interview (PRI-A). RESULTS: A significant association was found between mothers' and fathers' SOC and a more balanced description of parenting, and positive correlations between mothers' and fathers' SOC and their representations of the self as parent, representations of the adolescent, and relationships representations. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between parents' SOC and less differentiated relationships. CONCLUSIONS: SOC may promote well-being in spite of exposure to challenging circumstances as parenting an adolescent with IDDM. It appears that fathers and mothers need to and can be addressed as significant caregivers in any treatment or clinical intervention, as they have a relative involvement in taking care of children and therefore sharing the caregiving responsibilities and functioning as co-primary caregivers.

When somatization is not the only thing you suffer from: Examining comorbid syndromes using latent profile analysis, parenting practices and adolescent functioning.

Understanding somatization presents a challenge to clinicians because it is often associated with other syndromes. We addressed somatization's comorbidity with other internalizing syndromes (anxiety, depression, withdrawal) using latent profile analysis. A representative sample of 3496 Israeli middle and high-school youths reported their internalizing symptoms, perceived parenting practices, psychosocial functioning, and health behaviors. Four profiles, similar across age and gender, were identified: overall-low (65.4%), moderately-high anxiety/depression/withdrawal (24.4%), high somatization (4.8%), and overall-high (5.4%). MANOVAs and follow-up ANOVAs revealed that for the most part the overall-high profile evinced the worst parenting, psychosocial functioning, and health behaviors (smoking and drinking), while the overall-low group evinced the best. For most variables the high somatization and moderately high profiles displayed midway results. However, the moderately-high profile reported higher levels of harsh parenting than the high somatization profile. The high somatization profile reported similar or higher levels of smoking, risk taking, vandalism, and rule violation than the overall-high group. High somatization, either alone or alongside anxiety, depression, and withdrawal, was associated with disruptive and risk-taking behaviors. This link might reflect problems in emotion and anger regulation and become stronger in adolescence because of dysregulation processes characterizing this period. Implications for practice are discussed.

Parents' and Children's Cognitive Style: The Role of Parents' Practices.

Depression among children is a prevalent, distressing phenomenon. Children's hope and negative attributional style are significant precursors for children's depressive symptoms. Thus, the aim of the current study is to examine parents' characteristics that contribute to children's attributional style and hope in a sample of 85 Israeli young elementary school age children (mean [SD] age, 6.70 [0.49] years) and their parents. Results demonstrated positive associations between both mothers' and fathers' positive attributional style and children's hope and positive attributional style; however, parents' hope was not associated with children's hope or with children's positive attributional style. Mothers' overprotectiveness and psychological control were negatively associated with children's hope and positive attributional style, whereas fathers' overprotectiveness was positively associated with these variables. Moreover, few parent and child sex effects were found with fathers' criticism associating negatively with boys' attributional style and hope and positively with girls' attributional style. Finally, our study demonstrated a possible advantage of the fit between mothers' and fathers' practices to children's positive attributional style and hope. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

"I will guide you" The indirect link between overparenting and young adults' adjustment.

This study addresses knowledge gaps regarding family dynamics, and identifies young adults at-risk for psychopathological symptoms. In particular, we examined overparenting and its associations with young adults' adjustment (distress and interpersonal sensitivity). Both direct and indirect relations were assessed, the latter through young adults' relational characteristics (attachment, psychological control perception, and boundaries diffusion perception). Also, the contribution of gender of parents and young adults was addressed. Questionnaires were collected from 89 Jewish-Israeli intact families. Mothers reported significantly more use of overparenting than fathers. More overparenting of fathers had a direct relation with less adjustment in young adults. This direct relation was partially mediated by higher levels of young adults' attachment anxiety (for the dependent variables distress and interpersonal sensitivity) and young adults' perceptions of parental psychological control (for the dependent variable distress). More overparenting of mothers was related to less interpersonal sensitivity for male young adults and for young adults who reported less parental psychological control. This study showed that parenting qualities and their interplay with young adults' relational characteristics continue to play an important role in the lives of young adult offspring. Therefore, clinicians dealing with young adults at risk for, or suffering from, psychopathology, should be attentive to overparenting and its possible implications.

The viability of the Parenting Representations Interview for assessing and measuring change in parents of adolescents.

Parents' representations include parents' views of their adolescent, of their own parenting and of the parent-adolescent relationship. Two longitudinal studies of parents and their adolescent sons and daughters support the validity of scales coding mothers in the Parenting Representations Interview-Adolescence (PRI-A). The studies, conducted in Israel during the transition from home to military service, demonstrated that three dimensions derived from the PRI-A: positive representations of adolescents, negative emotionality and inadequate boundaries were associated with adolescents' AAI variables, relatedness-autonomy behaviors with mothers, and with other indicators, such as adolescents' wellbeing, romantic intimacy and individuation. Examining parenting representations could help practitioners pinpoint targets for intervention and evaluate the changes that families go through during psychotherapy, as well as the therapeutic process and its outcomes. The findings support the viability of the PRI for use in attachment based interventions for adolescents.

Adolescents' ADHD symptoms and adjustment: The role of attachment and rejection sensitivity.

The associations between attachment style, ADHD symptoms, and social adjustments were examined in a community sample of adolescents. Five hundred and eight junior high school students completed questionnaires pertaining to attachment style, ADHD symptoms (inattention and hyperactivity), and rejection sensitivity, and were rated by homeroom teachers on social adjustment. Analyses supported a 3-profile pattern of attachment styles: secure, dismissing, and preoccupied. The 3 attachment profiles showed differential risk on adolescents' social adjustment, as well as on ADHD symptoms. The secure profile showed the most adaptive outcomes on all of the examined adjustment outcomes, compared with the other 2 profiles. In contrast, the preoccupied attachment profile showed the highest levels of ADHD problems, angry and anxious expectations, while displaying a similar level of maladjustment to the dismissing profile. In addition, structural equation modeling was used and supported a model that tested an indirect link between attachment security and adolescent adjustment via an ADHD latent factor. Findings suggest that clinicians and educators should pay attention to relational patterns (attachment styles) in adolescence, as these may serve as a developmental precursor for ADHD and a range of adjustment problems in school.

Attachment security, the quality of the mentoring relationship and protégés' adjustment.

Associations among protégés' attachment orientations, the quality of their mentoring relationships, and mentoring outcomes were explored within the context of an Israeli national community-based mentoring program (Perach) comprising 167 protégés (47 % females, mean age 9.6). Contrary to expectations, we did not find a correlation between protégés' level of attachment security and the quality of their mentoring relationship. However, the findings indicated associations between a positive mentoring relationship and protégés' adjustment at the end of mentoring. Moreover, protégés' attachment security moderated the associations between the quality of their mentoring relationships and their adjustment at the end of mentoring. Among secure protégés, a positive mentoring relationship was more positively associated with general self-concept than among insecure protégés. Although insecure protégés' positive mentoring relationships were negatively associated with loneliness at the end of mentoring, these relationships were positively associated among insecure individuals. The theoretical and practical implications for mentoring interventions are discussed.

Attachment security, personality, and adjustment of elementary school children.

Children's development is assumed to be closely related to their attachment security and their personality. The authors' aim was to examine the joint contribution of attachment security and personality traits to children's adjustment by examining diverse children's outcomes (emotional symptoms, social functioning, and behavioral problems) and using various perspectives (children, parents, and teachers). The sample comprised 247 8-12-year-old children from low socioeconomic status neighborhoods. Personality and attachment contribute to the different domains of adjustment. In cases of moderation, attachment security moderates the implications of personality traits on children's adjustment. The findings highlight the contribution of positive personality tendencies in playing down the difficulties of insecurely attached children.

Intergenerational concordance in Adult Attachment Interviews with mothers, fathers and adolescent sons and subsequent adjustment of sons to military service.

The study examined: (1) the intergenerational concordance between parents and their adolescent sons using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) categories and state-of-mind scales; and (2) the contribution of parents' state of mind with respect to attachment to their sons' adjustment during a stressful separation, as well as the possibility that sons' AAI mediates the associations between parents' AAI and sons' adjustment. Eighty-eight adolescents and their parents were interviewed using the AAI during the son's senior year in high school. Approximately a year later, during the first phase of compulsory military service, the adolescents and their peers reported on the sons' adjustment. Results demonstrated AAI correspondence between mothers' (but not fathers) and sons' categories (autonomous versus non-autonomous) and associations between mothers', fathers' and sons' AAI state-of-mind scales. The adjustment of sons of non-autonomous mothers (in particular, preoccupied mothers) was inferior to the adjustment of others. Mothers' and fathers' state of mind scales were associated with sons' adjustment, but sons' AAI did not mediate this association. The uniqueness of adolescence, the importance of parents' state of mind and the differences between mothers and fathers are discussed.

Parent-adolescent relationships and social adjustment: the case of a collectivistic culture.

This study examined how parent-adolescent relationships are related to adolescent loneliness, interpersonal difficulties and school adjustment among Israeli Arabs. Two hundred and thirty-one 11th graders (103 boys and 128 girls) and their homeroom teachers participated. Four groups of adolescents were identified according to parenting practice profiles: Adolescents in the harsh parenting group reported the highest levels of loneliness, those in the distant and mixed groups reported midway levels of loneliness, and those in the warm group showed the lowest degree of loneliness and the lowest levels of interpersonal problems. Overall, boys reported higher levels of peer-related loneliness and lower levels of affinity for aloneness than girls. Gender interacted significantly with parenting group, with girls in the harsh parenting group exhibiting greater parent-related loneliness and affinity for loneliness, while boys exhibited more peer-related loneliness. The important role that parents play in their children's social adjustment is discussed in relation to gender and culture.

Leaving the parental nest: adjustment problems, attachment representations, and social support during the transition from high school to military service.

Adjustment to the transition from high school to military service in Israel was examined in a longitudinal study with a sample of 120 late-adolescent girls. During their senior year in high school (Time 1) the young women were administered the Adult Attachment Interview. Their coping and adjustment to the new environment were assessed (at two further points in time after the transition) by reports of the young women, their mothers, their fathers, and their friends. Young women with preoccupied attachment representations demonstrated the lowest levels of adjustment at both the second and third time points. Young women with dismissing attachment representations did not differ from those with autonomous attachment representations. Satisfaction with social support from parents mediated the association between attachment representations and adjustment (assessed by the young women's reports).

Disorganizing experiences in second- and third-generation holocaust survivors.

Second-generation Holocaust survivors might not show direct symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or attachment disorganization, but are at risk for developing high levels of psychological distress. We present themes of difficult experiences of second-generation Holocaust survivors, arguing that some of these aversive experiences might have disorganizing qualities even though they do not qualify as traumatic. Based on in-depth interviews with 196 second-generation parents and their adolescent children, three themes of disorganizing experiences carried across generations were identified: focus on survival issues, lack of emotional resources, and coercion to please the parents and satisfy their needs. These themes reflect the frustration of three basic needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy, and this frustration becomes disorganizing when it involves stability, potency, incomprehensibility, and helplessness. The findings shed light on the effect of trauma over the generations and, as such, equip therapists with a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Finding the authentic self in a communal culture: developmental goals in emerging adulthood.

Finding and cultivating a sense of authentic self is an important life goal for emerging adults. In collectivist cultures, youngsters might need to distance themselves to find and discover their authentic selves separate of the expectations of society and significant others. Creating an autonomous time bubble that focuses on the present allows youngsters to forge a sense of personal meaning and authenticity that subsequently paves the way to reintegration into long-term life goals. The results focusing on Israeli emerging adults demonstrate that a sense of authentic self plays a central role in their well-being and socioemotional functioning.