Sleep and mental health among Chinese adolescents: the chain-mediating role of physical health perception and school adjustment.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep problems and their detrimental effects on adolescents' physical and mental health have received substantial attention. Prior studies have focused mainly on the direct association between sleep and mental health; however, little is known about the underlying mediating mechanism. To address this gap, the present study constructed a chain mediation model to examine the association between sleep deficiency and mental health status in adolescents, by introducing two mediating variables-physical health perception and school adjustment. METHODS: A sample of 7530 senior high school students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring their sleep duration, mental health status, physical health perception, and school adjustment. Data were collected from the Database of Youth Health at Shandong University. All the measures showed good reliability and validity in the present study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and the SPSS PROCESS. RESULTS: The results were as follows: (1) Sleep duration was significantly associated with physical health perception and mental health. (2) Physical health perception partially mediated the association between sleep and mental health. (3) Physical health perception and school adjustment played a chain mediating role between sleep and mental health. In conclusion, sleep not only directly associated with mental health among adolescents, but also influences mental health by the chain mediating effect of perception of physical health and school adjustment. CONCLUSION: These findings in the present study contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying the association between sleep and mental health and have important implications for interventions aimed at improving mental health status among adolescents in China. Our results indicated that promoting adequate sleep duration and improving sleep quality are possible key mental health promotion strategies for adolescents.

Family Functioning, Identity Commitments, and School Value among Ethnic Minority and Ethnic Majority Adolescents.

Ethnic minority youth show worse school adjustment than their ethnic majority peers. Yet, it remains unclear whether this gap can be explained by differences in family functioning and consequent identity commitments. This study examined (1) whether family functioning relates to identity commitments over time and (2) whether identity commitments impact later school value (3) among minority and majority adolescents. Minority (N = 205, Mage = 16.25 years, 31.1% girls) and majority adolescents (N = 480, Mage = 15.73 years, 47.9% girls) participated in this preregistered three-wave longitudinal study (T1: March-April 2012; T2: October 2012; T3: March-April 2013). Dynamic Panel Models revealed that most within-person cross-lagged associations were not significant in the total sample. Yet, multigroup analyses revealed differences between groups: Stronger identity commitments related to lower school value among minority adolescents, but were unrelated to school value among majority adolescents over time. Additionally, higher school value increased identity commitments among minority youth, yet it decreased identity commitments among majority youth over time. The findings highlight the differential interplay between identity commitments and school adjustment for minority and majority adolescents, with important implications for their future life chances.

Forms of Peer Victimization and School Adjustment Among Japanese Adolescents: A Multilevel Analysis.

The psychosocial correlates and consequences of peer victimization are well documented. However, there is limited knowledge about whether different forms of peer victimization (relational and physical) are predictive of school-based social and motivational factors among adolescents from non-Western cultures. The present study examined the relationship between individual and school-level forms of peer victimization and school adjustment among Japanese adolescents, and the mediating role that these factors may play. The Japanese sample (N = 6109 from 185 schools, Mage = 15.78, SD = 0.29, 51% girls and 49% boys) was drawn from a large international dataset, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. Results showed that school-level relational victimization was associated with individual-level relational victimization, and school-level physical victimization was associated with individual-level physical victimization, after controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Individual-level relational victimization was also uniquely associated with indices of school adjustment (negative affect, positive affect, and fear of failure) over and above physical victimization. While controlling for relational victimization, individual-level physical victimization was associated with indices of school adjustment (positive affect and meaning in life). In further findings, school-level relational and physical victimization were indirectly, but not directly, related to some of students' school adjustment through individual-level relational and physical victimization. These parallel and differential associations suggest the importance of considering the role of relational and physical victimization in school adjustment among Japanese adolescents.

The Influence of Gaming Behavior on School Adjustment among Korean Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Self-Regulation.

With the rise of digital devices, gaming has become both a pastime and part of the culture for young people. Teenagers use games to communicate, enjoy leisure time, and relieve stress. However, the maladaptive use of gaming can lead to difficulties in adolescents' daily lives and school adjustment. Increasing adolescents' self-regulation competencies can improve maladaptive gaming behaviors and help them use gaming adaptively. Therefore, this study examined the moderating effect of self-regulation on the impact of adolescent gaming behavior on school adjustment. This study considered 359 adolescent participants in South Korea. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression to test the moderating effect. The results indicated that adolescents' adaptive use of games significantly increased school adjustment. Self-regulation significantly moderated the negative effects of the maladaptive use of games on school adjustment. Furthermore, the results revealed that the groups with highly adaptive and maladaptive use of games had high school adjustment but low self-regulation, indicating that they required active intervention.

A longitudinal study of immigrant mothers' destination-language proficiency and their children's psychological well-being: Evidence and mechanisms from a study in South Korea.

RATIONALE: Despite the well-established link between an immigrant's destination-language proficiency and psychological well-being, little is known about the relationship between an immigrant's destination-language proficiency and well-being of their children. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether and how immigrant mothers' Korean proficiency is associated with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms among their children in South Korea. A comprehensive set of potential underlying mechanisms was also examined. METHODS: Using four waves of data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), this study estimated fixed effects regression models to reduce the possibility of bias due to individual-level heterogeneity. To test for mediation formally, Sobel mediation tests were conducted. RESULTS: Fixed effects estimates suggested that immigrant mothers' Korean proficiency is positively associated with their children's psychological well-being. Specifically, a one-standard-deviation increase in Korean proficiency was associated with an increase in life satisfaction by 13% of a standard deviation and a decrease in depressive symptoms by 9% of a standard deviation. Mediation tests revealed that this association is explained by a combination of social-psychological factors. Friend support was the most salient mediator, followed by lower acculturation stress, positive perceptions of local community, and teacher support. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that efforts to improve immigrant mothers' destination-language proficiency would also benefit their children's psychological well-being. Furthermore, promoting children's relationships with peers at school may mitigate the negative psychological consequences of immigrant mothers' limited language proficiency.

Maternal involvement and adolescents' psychological and academic adjustment after COVID-19 return-to-school: A one-year longitudinal study.

The current study examined the idea that maternal involvement during the COVID-19 school closure period could contribute to the development of adolescents' daily routines, which could ultimately associate with their psychological and academic adjustment after return-to-school. Data were collected from 520 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.75 years, SDage = 1.48 years) and their mothers during the COVID-19 school closure and one year after return-to-school. Results indicated that maternal involvement in both education and leisure activities predicted more consistent adolescents' daily routines during the school closure period and then contributed to their more consistent daily routines after return-to-school, resulting in less psychological maladjustment and better academic outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of maternal involvement and daily routines in the context of COVID-19.

Evidencias de validez de una escala para evaluar el ajuste a la vida universitaria / Evidence of Validity of a Scale to Assess College Adjustment / Evidências de validade de uma escala para avaliar a adaptação à vida universitária

El propósito de la investigación fue desarrollar una escala para medir el proceso de ajuste a la vida universitaria. Este constructo multifactorial se basa en un modelo teórico de tres dimensiones: académica, social e institucional. La muestra principal estuvo conformada por 673 estudiantes: 42.1 % mujeres, 57.7 % hombres y 0.3 % otro, con un promedio de 18.29 años. En el primer análisis se encontraron evidencias asociadas al contenido de las dimensiones de la escala denominada AjusteU. En el análisis de validez convergente se halló una correlación de 0.582 a un nivel de significancia del 0.01 (bilateral) con el instrumento CAVU, otra medida del ajuste a la vida universitaria. En el tercer análisis se validó el planteamiento teórico con los datos empíricos mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Finalmente, en el análisis predictivo se comprobó que la puntuación de la escala AjusteU se asoció significativamente con el rendimiento del primer período universitario. Se concluye que estas evidencias empíricas permiten un uso adecuado de los resultados, especialmente en la toma de decisiones oportunas para favorecer el proceso de transición de secundaria a la educación superior. La principal limitación fue la aplicación de la escala en modalidad remota en el contexto de pandemia, por lo que las experiencias del estudiantado podrían ser diferentes en un entorno presencial

The purpose of the research was to develop a scale to measure college adjustment. The theorical model was based on three dimensions: academical, social and institutional. The principal sample was conformed for 673 students: 42.1 % women, 57.7 % men and 0.3 % other, with an average of 18.29 years old. In the first analysis were found evidence associated to the content of the dimensions of the scale denominated AjusteU. In the validity convergent analysis was found a correlation of 0.582 to a significance level of 0.01 (bilateral) with the instrument CAVU, other measure that is related to the adjustment process. In the third analysis, the theoretical approach was validated with empirical data using a structural equation model. Finally, in the predictive analysis was proved that the scoring of the scale AjusteU was associated significantly with the performance of the first period of college. The conclusion is that this empirical evidence allows an appropriate use of their results, specifically in the opportune decision making to favor the transition process from high school to higher education. The main limitation was the application of the scale in the remote modality in the pandemic context, therefore the experiences of the students might be different in an on-site experience.

O objetivo da pesquisa foi desenvolver uma escala para medir o processo de adaptação à vida universitária. Este construto multifatorial é baseado em um modelo teórico de três dimensões: acadêmica, social e institucional. A amostra principal foi composta por 673 estudantes, sendo: 42.1 % mulheres, 57.7 % homens e 0.3 % outros, com idade média de 18.29 anos. Na primeira análise, foram encontradas evidências associadas ao conteúdo das dimensões da escala denominada AjusteU. Na análise de validade convergente, uma correlação de 0.582 foi encontrada em um nível de significância de 0.01 (bilateral) com o instrumento CAVU, outra medida de adaptação à vida universitária. Na terceira análise, a abordagem teórica foi validada com dados empíricos usando um modelo de equações estruturais. Por fim, na análise preditiva verificouse que a pontuação da escala AjusteU esteve significativamente associada ao desempenho do primeiro período universitário. Concluise que estas evidências empíricas permitem uma utilização adequada dos resultados, sobretudo na tomada de decisões oportunas que favoreçam o processo de transição do ensino médio para o superior. A principal limitação do estudo foi a aplicação da escala de forma remota no contexto de pandemia, de modo que as experiências do corpo discente poderiam ser diferentes em um ambiente presencial.

A serial mediation model of negative life events on school adjustment of left-behind adolescents in rural china: the central role of hope and gratitude.

Adjustment difficulties of school students are common and their school adjustment has gained wide concern in recent years. Negative life events (NLEs) hope, and gratitude have been associated with school adjustment. However, the potential effect of NLEs on hope and gratitude and whether hope and gratitude mediate the association between NLEs and school adjustment among high students have not been studied. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between NLEs, hope and gratitude, and school adjustment in high school students in China. Additionally, the study aims to examine the mediating role of hope and gratitude in the association between NLEs and school adjustment. A total of 700 junior high school students in Guangxi Province (336 boys, 364 girls, M age = 15 years) completed the questionnaire. The results indicated significant mediating effects of hope and gratitude in the sequential positive association between NLEs and school adjustment. Furthermore, this study unraveled the complexity of the link between NLEs and school adjustment with the combination of hope and gratitude. The findings emphasized the importance of fostering hope and gratitude in left-behind adolescents to combat the negative consequences of NLEs. The study is also one of the first to investigate a serial mediation model to determine which NLEs influence Chinese left-behind adolescents' school adjustment.

Student Engagement as a Mediator Process Between Peer Victimization and Achievement at the Beginning of Middle School.

BACKGROUND: Very few studies have properly identified how peer victimization is associated with lower achievement in middle or high school. In this context, this study examined how peer victimization at the beginning of middle school is linked with subsequent student achievement. Specifically, it assessed if the behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of engagement in school play a mediation role in the relationship between peer victimization and student achievement. METHODS: The sample of this study included 683 seventh graders attending 3 schools in Montreal, Canada. Students self-reported peer victimization at the beginning and end of grade 7. They also reported their levels of student engagement on the 3 dimensions (behavioral, affective, and cognitive) across 3 time points in seventh and eighth grades. Student achievement in language arts across these 2 years was also obtained through school records. RESULTS: Peer victimization significantly predicted lower achievement over time (b = -.24, p ≤ .001). Peer victimization predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through affective student engagement (b = -.11, p < .05). Post hoc analyses showed that peer victimization still predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through a decrease in affective engagement (b = -.14, p < .05). However, when considered alone, a decrease in cognitive engagement also acted as a mediator (b = -.09, p < .05), suggesting a strong link with affective engagement. CONCLUSION: Our findings expose the importance to promote student engagement in school and achievement for victimized youth.

Bioecological profiles of preschool children's individual, familial, and educational characteristics, and their relations with school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function in first grade.

This study investigates the relationships between distinct bioecological profiles of individual, familial, and educational characteristics of preschool children and their school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function in first grade. Data on 11 indicators of personal and environmental characteristics were collected from 1,016 five-year-old Korean preschoolers using a national-level open dataset. Latent profile analysis identified five profiles that were associated with different levels of school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function one year later when the preschoolers became first graders. The "Good Social Competence by Good Familial Environment" profile was the most associated with levels of school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function. The "Good Social Competence by Good Educational Environment" profile was more associated with levels of school adjustment and executive function than the "Moderate" profile but less associated with these levels than the "Good Social Competence by Good Familial Environment" profile. Findings indicate that the environment, rather than individual characteristics of preschoolers, plays a more significant role in their elementary school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function, and that their familial environment plays a more significant role than their educational environment. The study highlights the importance of creating supportive familial environments for preschool children to improve their school adjustment, academic performance, and executive function in elementary school, and provides a useful guide for practitioners and policymakers seeking to improve children's academic and socioemotional outcomes.

School and Bicultural Factors as Mediators between Immigrant Mothers' Acculturative Stress and Adolescents' Depression in Korea.

In Korea, marriages between Korean men and foreign women have surged since the late 1990s, resulting in public interest in the psychosocial adjustment of their children. This study examined the mediating effects of immigrant mothers' school involvement, adolescents' school adjustment, and bicultural acceptance on the relationship between the mothers' acculturative stress and adolescents' depression, as well as whether the structural relationships differed by the sex of adolescents. Data were collected from 1238 dyads of first-grade students (605 boys, 633 girls; age = 12.97 ± 0.35 years) in Korean middle schools and their immigrant mothers (age = 43.52 ± 5.13 years) who participated in the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study. The structural equation modeling analysis revealed that mothers' acculturative stress was indirectly and positively related to adolescents' depression through (1) the serial mediations of mothers' school involvement and adolescents' school adjustment and (2) the individual mediation of adolescents' school adjustment. Furthermore, the multigroup analysis indicated that the relationships between adolescents' school adjustment and depression and between adolescents' bicultural acceptance and depression significantly differed between male and female adolescents. The study provides directions for schools and communities to increase immigrant mothers' school involvement and to facilitate their children's school adjustment and bicultural acceptance.

How School and Home Contexts Impact the School Adjustment of Adolescents from Different Ethnic and SES Backgrounds During COVID-19 School Closures.

Many schools worldwide closed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, the consequences of school closures for the school adjustment of adolescents from different ethnic and SES backgrounds remain unclear. This study examined how school adjustment changed before, during, and after school closure across adolescents from different ethnic and SES backgrounds; and which factors in home and school contexts served as resources. Early adolescents (N = 124, Mage = 12.86, 58.8% boys) from different ethnic and SES backgrounds were repeatedly assessed 1 week before (March 2020), during (June 2020), and 1 year after (February 2021) the first school closure in Belgium. The results revealed that school closure augmented ethnicity- and SES-based inequalities in school adjustment. Moreover, factors in the school context-and not the home context-served as resources. Specifically, the quality of online instruction and teacher-pupil relationships buffered against reduced school adjustment during school closure, particularly among youth from ethnic minority and lower SES backgrounds. The findings corroborate unequal school adjustment consequences of school closures, but also highlight the role of teachers to buffer against them. The study design, hypotheses, and analyses were preregistered in the following link: https://osf.io/6ygcu/?view_only=c77cfb46028447bdb7844cd2c76237aa .

Meaning in life and smartphone addiction among Chinese female college students: The mediating role of school adjustment and the moderating role of grade.

Background: The fact that female college students are more addicted to smartphones than male college students has raised public concerns. However, previous studies have rarely explored the mechanism of female college students' smartphone addiction. Previous studies have shown that identity may affect the formation process of female college students' smartphone addiction, and the identity of female college students in different grades may be different. Nonetheless, few studies have explored the grade differences in the formation process of female college students' smartphone addiction. Methods: The present study examined the relationship between meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction among Chinese female college students using a moderated mediation model in which school adjustment played a mediating role and grade played a moderating role. A total of 1,076 Chinese female college students (Age: 19.83 ± 1.11; 369 freshmen, 379 sophomores, and 328 juniors) completed an online questionnaire regarding meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction. Results: (1) School adjustment mediated the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction. (2) School adjustment had a partial mediating effect between meaning in life and smartphone addiction for female freshmen and sophomores, but it did not exist among female juniors. (3) The influence of school adjustment on female sophomores' smartphone addiction was significantly stronger than that of female freshmen. Conclusion: The findings of this study advance our understanding of the potential impacts of meaning in life on smartphone addiction and provide a grade perspective for targeted prevention or intervention with female college students' smartphone addiction.

Relational Competence, School Adjustment and Emotional Skills: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Group of Junior and High School Students of the Sicilian Hinterland.

Research has demonstrated the influence of emotional adjustment on the manifestation of problematic behaviors in adolescence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of self-esteem and relational skills on school performance in a group of middle and high school students during the COVID-19 period. The research involved 392 students, aged between 11 and 20 (M = 13.78; S.D. = 2.56). Participants completed the following instruments: an anamnestic constructed ad hoc questionnaire; the Interpersonal Relationships Test, in order to evaluate the perception of adolescents concerning the quality of their relationships in social, family and school contexts; and the Multidimensional Test of Self-Esteem, structured in six scales, which coincide with the dimensions considered constitutive of self-esteem. The preliminary data have shown how the older girls, attending the high school, tend to manifest a higher level of social competence with peer group and teachers. Furthermore, the perception of a reduced emotional self-efficacy but an elevated environmental control and good interpersonal skills seem to predict the school adjustment. Understanding adolescents' perceptions of difficulties and their social support networks can offer some insight into how major social changes can be associated with individual well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The moderating role of adrenocortical reactivity in the associations between interparental conflict, emotional reactivity, and school adjustment.

This study tested whether the associations between interparental conflict, children's emotional reactivity, and school adjustment were moderated by children's cortisol reactivity in a sample of young children (N = 243; mean age = 4.6 years at Wave 1; 56% female, 44% male) and their parents. Using a longitudinal, autoregressive design, observational assessments of children's emotional reactivity at Wave 2 mediated the relationship between an observational measure of Wave 1 conflict between parents and teacher's report of children's school adjustment at Wave 3. However, children's cortisol reactivity to parent conflict at Wave 1 moderated the first link, such that emotional reactivity operated as a mediator for children with heightened cortisol reactivity but not children with low cortisol reactivity. Moderation was expressed in a "for better" or "for worse" form hypothesized by biological sensitivity to context theory. Thus, children with high cortisol reactivity experienced greater emotional reactivity than their peers when faced with more destructive conflict but also lower emotional reactivity when exposed to more constructive interparental conflict. Results are discussed as to how they advance emotional security and biological sensitivity to context theories.

Does authentic self-esteem buffer the negative effects of bullying victimization on social anxiety and classroom concentration? Evidence from a short-term longitudinal study with early adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Bullying victimization is a risk factor for social anxiety and disrupted classroom concentration among young people. Self-esteem has been implicated as a protective factor, but extant literature is sparse. AIMS: Aim of present study was to test if a new measure of authentic self-esteem can buffer the negative effects of bullying victimization on social anxiety and disrupted classroom concentration concurrently and across time. SAMPLE: A short-term longitudinal questionnaire design was employed with 836 12- and 13-year-olds. METHODS: Peer nominations of bullying victimization and self-reports of authentic self-esteem were collected during winter term, and self-reports of social anxiety and disrupted classroom concentration were solicited then and also 5 months later. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression models indicated that authentic self-esteem moderated the association between bullying victimization and (i) social anxiety both concurrently and longitudinally and (ii) disrupted classroom concentration longitudinally. The Johnson-Neyman technique identified where on its scale authentic self-esteem had its buffering effects, and these were found to be at relatively low or moderate levels. CONCLUSIONS: Even moderate levels of authentic self-esteem can mitigate the association between being bullied and (i) social anxiety and (ii) disrupted classroom concentration. Efforts to monitor and where necessary enhance the authentic self-esteem of young people are warranted.

Caregiver Experiences of Adolescent School Reentry After Adolescent Hospitalization Due to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: Recommendations to Improve Reentry Practices.

BACKGROUND: Suicide rates among adolescents increased over the past few decades. Following psychiatric hospitalization, many adolescents return to school, a context that can influence recovery. Families can play an integral role in supporting adolescents through the hospitalization and school reentry process; however, little research has focused on family experiences during adolescent school reentry. Grounded in ecological systems theory, the aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of caregivers whose children were hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) and provide recommendations for the school reentry process. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers (n = 19) whose adolescents returned to school following hospitalization for suicide-related crises. Researchers analyzed the transcribed interviews using applied thematic analysis. RESULTS: Themes emerged regarding academic difficulties during hospitalization; breakdowns in communication between schools, families, and hospitals; logistical challenges during the school reentry planning process; and challenges navigating peer relationships and academics following school reentry. IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: Few reentry recommendations account for the specific challenges faced by families. Recommendations informed by caregiver experiences are needed to ensure that families can effectively support the recoveries of their children. This study presents caregiver-informed recommendations to facilitate an improved reentry process for caregivers and adolescents.

Best Friend's Popularity: Associations with Psychological Well-Being and School Adjustment in China During Early Adolescence.

Popularity has been empirically linked to psychological and several indices of school adjustment outcomes during childhood and early adolescence. Yet, best friend popularity in relation to the adjustment outcomes remains unclear, especially in more interdependent-oriented cultures. To address this gap, this study applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to simultaneously considering whether, and how, the popularity of youth (actor effects) and their best friends (partner effects) contribute uniquely to psychological well-being and school adjustment outcomes, after controlling for social preference. Age and gender differences were also examined. Participants were 162 same-gender best friend dyads (81 boys, Mage = 11.24 years, SD = 1.18) from Shanghai, P.R. China. Among the results, both youth's own and their best friends' popularity were positively related to self-esteem and school attitudes, and negatively related to depressive symptoms. In addition, results from multi-group analyses revealed both actor and partner effects did not vary across gender. Finally, exploratory analyses showed that only actor effects varied across age for the associations between popularity and self-esteem and school attitudes. These findings highlight the important role of the best friend's popularity in promoting Chinese youth's experiences of psychological and school adjustment.

The effects of multicultural family support services on the longitudinal changes of acculturative stress, peer relations, and school adjustment.

This study investigated the long-term trends of acculturative stress, peer relationship, and school adjustment among adolescents from multicultural families in South Korea, and examined the concurrent and lagged effects of multicultural family support services (MFSS) on the longitudinal changes in the variables of interest. Concurrent and lagged models as well as developmental trajectories via latent growth modeling (LGM) were employed on a sample of 1,443 middle school students (706 boys, 737 girls) from the Multicultural Youth Panel Survey (MAPS). The results revealed that peer relationships and school adjustment perceived by adolescents demonstrated consistent, gradual declines across 3-year time points while there was a lack of significant change in acculturative stress during the same period. The absence of significant change in acculturative stress could be attributed to floor effects, stemming from its initial low mean level. Nevertheless, the LGM modeling also exhibited significant concurrent and lagged effects of MFSS at the first and third time points of investigation. The intermittent significant effects of MFSS and the direction of its improvement were discussed. More educational interventions guiding students from multicultural families would be needed as they navigate the complexities of adolescence.

The Relationship Between Parental Neglect, School Adjustment, and Smartphone Dependence in Korean Adolescents: Verification Using Multivariate Latent Growth Modeling.

The Social bonding theory assumes that social ties are closely associated with maladaptive behavior, and this theory may be applied to explain the smartphone dependence in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to verify how school adjustment mediated the relationship between the parental neglect and smartphone dependence. The data from Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey were utilized in this study. Participants were 2280 students in the 2nd year of middle school [male 1152, female 1128; 13.89 years (SD = 0.34)] who were followed up for four years. We conducted a Multivariate Latent Growth Modeling (LGM) to verify the relationships between variables. In addition, mediating effect was analyzed using the Bootstrapping Test. Findings indicated that parental neglect was negatively associated with school adjustment in the first wave, and school adjustment showed a greater decrease as parental neglect indicated a greater increase. In addition, school adjustment was negatively associated with smartphone dependence in the first wave, and smartphone dependence showed a greater decrease as school adjustment indicated a greater increase. Mediating effect indicated that parental neglect indirectly influences smartphone dependence fully mediating school adjustment. In conclusion, parental neglect indirectly influences smartphone dependence by interfering with school adjustment. In addition, reducing the negative effects of parental neglect on school adaptation may be an effective strategy to prevent smartphone dependence in adolescence.